Spicy Chilly: December 2010

Friday, December 31, 2010

Recipe featured in 'The Hindu'

Iam much delighted to share the happy news with you that I got featured in today's mygrandma'sRECIPES, a column in The Hindu meant exclusively for foodies, featuring traditional recipes learnt from the grandmothers!

Having known about this column in Chennai edition of The Hindu, I was looking forward to the same in my town too!

A week ago I came to know about this column being introduced in my town as well, which just couldn't hold me back :)

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Nadan Tharavu Roast / Kerala Duck Roast

The Season of Christmas is here again; the Santa, presents, cakes, Christmas trees, lights, stars, tinsel and baubles, all surrounded, making us feel the same spirit of merriment in the air!

The numberless ideas those vaguely popped in as a result of "what's to bake and blog for Christmas?"in my brain, froze when this flashed right on time, early morning, the Christmas eve!

What's better than this Nadan Tharavu Roast or Kerala Duck Roast, the authentic, traditional dish served for Christmas lunch in the Christian houses of Kerala?

Scoot to the crowded bazar all soaked in festivity, for a quick shopping to get the raw materials which weren't in stock.

Nadan Tharavu Roast/ Kerala Duck Roast

Ingredients:

Duck,(Nadan Tharavu preferable) cut into large pieces- 1 kg

Coconut Oil- 2 tbsps

Cinnamon- 2 one inch pcs

Cloves- 2

Cardamom- 2

Big Onions- 5 large or 450 gms- minced

Garlic- 8-10 cloves - finely minced

Ginger- 2 one inch pcs- finely minced

Green Chillies- 2-3 Split length wise until 3/4th

Ripe Tomatoes- 4- cut into small pieces

Curry powder/meat masala powder- 2 tbsps

Garam masala powder- 1/2- 3/4 tsp

Pepper powder- 1 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp (add only if not included in the curry powder)

Curry leaves - a sprig or two

Salt- to taste

Coconut Oil- 1/2 - 3/4 cup- to deep fry the pieces

Method:

Heat the 2 tbsps of coconut oil in a wide thick bottomed kadai. Sauté minced onions until brown followed by ginger, garlic, green chillies, tomatoes and the powders. Mix well and sauté again for a minute or two so as to get rid of the raw smell of the powders.Throw in curry leaves. Add 2 cups of water (more or less) and bring to a boil. Add the duck pieces and close with a lid adding enough salt and simmer until the pieces are cooked.

Heat the 1/2 cup oil in the adjacent stove.Open the lid of the simmering curry, carefully spooning out the poultry pieces alone and deep fry one or 2 at a time. Take care not to fry much. Return the fried pieces to the curry.Simmer without the lid until the oil separates and the gravy coats the pieces.