Chicken Coconut Curry

Last month, one fine morning I received an email to review a product. The email said that their company produces organic beverages and would like me to review their organic coconut water- COCOZIA. It had just been two months that I have started blogging, so I was a bit skeptical. I took good two days to decide whether the email is real (and not spam) and whether I want to do it (if it's real). What I was thinking was whether I can actually review a product. But then I thought, I have grown up drinking coconut water straight from a coconut. I know the REAL thing. Oh yeah, I can review coconut water. Bring it on.

In two days, I received a box containing 12 cases of coconut water. The package said "organic" and "no preservatives". I like the "no preservatives" part. Since I came to US from India, I have tried numerous coconut water products and was never quite satisfied. That was all because of their chemical taste from preservatives. Specially the flavored coconut waters. Those are just disgusting. I don't want to say disgusting, but yes, they are disgusting. See, now I have said it three times.

Opened one case right away. You know what, this one doesn't have that chemical taste. Took a few more sips. This one actually tastes quite like the real thing. Some more sips. It could be little sweeter. But you know what, when you buy a green coconut it's not always sweet. Only when it starts to ripen, the water gets sweeter. Another few sips. This one is really good. I like it. But (there is always a but) it is a little expensive compared to the others that are available. I just checked the price and it is $29 for a pack of 12 cases on Amazon. 

I love to drink and cook with coconut water. Today however I haven't used coconut water in this recipe but you can definitely use COCOZIA in it. 

Sometimes, many who are not comfortable with spicy or hot curries think that they can't enjoy Indian  restaurant food because it is always spicy. I had to prove this wrong to one of my colleagues. I took him to an Indian restaurant and chose few non-spicy food from the menu. He was very surprised and happy at the end of his meal. Yes, I proved my point (pumping fist into the air!). So, what I chose for the entree was Coconut chicken! Here is my homemade version. And might I add, it's better than the restaurant.

Chicken Coconut Curry (today's foodie alliteration): you need (for 3-4 servings)

1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken, (breast or thighs) cut into small bite size pieces. [I have used chicken breasts here.]

3 tablespoon vegetable or canola or coconut oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

1½ tablespoon fresh ginger paste

1 teaspoon fresh garlic paste

1½ teaspoon of cumin powder

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (use less or more)

¼ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon sugar

1 13.5 fl. oz can of Goya coconut milk

Salt for seasoning

Coconut water (optional)

How:

Heat a medium pan on medium heat with oil.

Add the onions and fry till pink. Add the ginger, garlic, cumin, cayenne and turmeric. Mix the spices with the onion and cook till the raw smell of ginger and garlic is almost gone.

Add the chicken pieces. Add salt for seasoning.  Mix and cook till the chicken is half cooked and the raw smell of spices is completely gone. 

Add the chopped tomato and cook till the tomato is soft and integrated with the spices. 

Then add the coconut milk and sugar. Taste for salt. Add more cayenne pepper if you like, but I prefer this curry to be mild. 

Simmer for 10 min or till the chicken is cooked completely and the gravy thickens.

You may add coconut water to thin out the curry to your desired consistency.

Serve hot with rice or bread.

Note: You may also add ¼ cup thawed fresh shredded coconut at the end to the gravy.

Sweet Tomato Chutney with Dates and Mango Fruit Leather

Well, that's a long name. But you have to understand that I had to. Without the dates and the mango fruit leather, it will be a simple tomato chutney not an extraordinary one. And I had to point it out, you see?

I am quite confused by the terms "relish" and "chutney". In Indian cooking, the term "relish" does not exist. We only have chutneys. Sweet ones, spicy ones and sometimes in between.

According to my understanding, relishes are usually made of pickled vegetables. For example, in North America, relish is a pickled cucumber jam. Chutneys can however be made of fruits and vegetables (mango chutney, ginger chutney etc.). Hence, chutney is a specific kind of relish.

All chutneys are relishes but all relishes are not chutneys. Quite like, all thumbs are fingers but not all fingers are thumbs. Sorry that's a little weird thought to put it here! But you get it, right?

Now if I may call my recipe a chutney- it has vegetables and fruits. Vegetables: tomato, ginger. Fruits: dates and mango. Interestingly, in India we enjoy a spoonful or two of chutney just as it is at the end of a meal. Kind of like dessert but not quite. I say not quite a dessert because it is a little spicy and is usually enjoyed in small quantities. Also it pairs very well with a rich and spicy meat or fish dish.

But if you are not an Indian, and not used to Indian meals which end with chutneys, I suggest you enjoy this as you would a jam or a relish. Put it on a toast or on crackers and serve. You'll love it.

This recipe calls for a specific spice mix called "panch phoran"- panch= five, phoran= spice. Five spices are mixed in equal quantities.

Cumin seeds
Fenugreek seeds
Mustard seeds
Nigella seeds 
Fennel seeds

You can buy all these individually, mix in equal quantities and store in an air-tight container or buy pre-packaged panch phoran from any Indian grocery store or Whole foods market (you can find anything in Whole foods- I love it!).

You need (makes 1 cup):

1½ tablespoon of white oil (vegetable or canola)
2 medium size Roma tomatoes, chopped
½ teaspoon of minced ginger
½ teaspoon of panch phoran (described above and where to find it)
1 dried red chili or ¼-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (add according to your tolerance of heat. I would however suggest not to omit this completely. A little kick takes this recipe to the next level)
pinch of salt
10-12 pitted dates, chopped
¼ cup mango fruit leather, chopped in small rectangles or squares(½ inch size) [optional, but do not substitute with fresh mango] I used homemade fruit leather, learn how to make yourself here.
½ cup granulated white sugar

How:

Heat a small sauce pan on medium heat with the oil. Temper the oil with the dried red chili, panch phoran spice mix and ginger.

When the ginger is fried (will take a min), add the chopped tomatoes, pinch of salt. Stir.

Add half of the sugar to the tomatoes. Add the chopped dates and cook for 5 min or until the tomatoes are cooked down and thickens.

Add the mango fruit leather pieces. Add the rest of the sugar and simmer for another few minutes on low-med heat. Taste for sweetness and heat. Add extra accordingly.

Let the chutney cool. The chutney will thicken further on cooling. Once cool, if you find your chutney too thick, add water to thin it out. On the other hand, if you find your chutney too thin, put it back on the heat for some more time (another 5 min) to thicken.

Serve with an Indian meal or enjoy it with toasts or crackers like you would any jam or relish.

Crispy Spicy Chickpeas

There is something about the teatime in the afternoon. There's got to be something with tea. And it has to be savory or spicy, something crispy and crunchy, not to heavy to fill you up but yet very satisfying.

Pakodas or fritters are quite common afternoon snack to be enjoyed with tea but they are definitely not quite the healthy option. On the other hand is crispy spicy chickpeas-

Spicy- check

Crispy- check

Satisfying- check

Healthy- Oh yes, check

This weekend, with my husband away at a conference, what better way to spend an afternoon than a good book, hot ginger flavored tea and these crispy chickpeas.

These are commonly found in any Indian grocery store. The unflavored roasted chickpeas or the spicy kind. They are very tasty but I always fear that they probably add some food color or preservatives which may not be too good for you. It takes so little effort to make equally tasty snack at home then why not? And the best part is you can control the spices (the level of heat) and make it healthier with less oil. And gluten free (my husband was super happy about this).

You need: 

2 15 ounce cans of chickpeas (I used organic ones to make sure they are gluten free, you can pick any)

2 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1½ teaspoon chili powder or cayenne (Use less for milder heat levels)

1½ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon black pepper

How:

Preheat the oven to 375°F

Drain the chickpeas in a colander and wash under running cold water. Transfer on to a plate lined with paper towels and pat dry. This is important to make the spices stick to them and to make them crispy.

Transfer to a bowl. Add all the other ingredients and mix properly, such that all the chickpeas are coated with oil and spices.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Spread the chickpeas in a single layer.

Put it in the oven for 1 hr. After an hour take them out and cool. Check if they are crispy, otherwise put them back in for another 10 min. [For the number of times that I have done this, it has taken somewhere between 1 hr to 1 hr and 15 min.]

Cool completely and store in an airtight container. It should have a long shelf life but I would never know. It never lasts more than a week in my house, they are so good :)