Monday, June 24, 2013

Sucharitha Reddy's Kodi Shorva/Andhra style Chicken Curry



The white pearl danglings from Hyderabad were my favorite. How could I forget it? For it was exactly at the time of crushes and infatuations that I got it and gifted to my then boyfriend S (sort of, for he was never a friendly one, more of a serious type, who never forgets to buy me a masala dosa, and that he is my first love of life - My Dad). Well past that year, I met my man, then boyfriend and now my hubby dear. Of course we had our first spoonfuls of Haleem at a restaurant served by our family friends and once a kind of Haleem at work. Little later, I met our colleague Khan's beautiful begum, and with her khubani ka meeta, that was even more beautiful and delicious.These were the times Andhra popped into my world. These are the very things I would love to remember even if you ask me a decade later.   



Reading Sucharitha Reddy’s Nostalgia Cuisine is like visiting your grandma's kitchen where you get to see the brass and copper utensils at real work. No doubt today most of the brass utensils grace our living rooms, sometimes sitting right where we serve our fruit platters, or sometimes in a corner of the wide veranda as a collection, with so many sentiments attached and sometimes not, showcasing owner’s pride. At least my Mom had a handful to keep her busy with those high maintenance ones with occasional scrub of tamarind. I am not an authority on cleaning business, so can't talk about it in detail.


As I started leafing through the heavily photographed pages of the book, what stuck me was the picture of a glistening Kodi Shorva  followed by a gush of memories of Aunty Carol’s house, get togethers reminding little India assembled in her house, and of course Aunty's orange colored chicken curry as we children used to call it.

As a child, heading to Aunty Carol's on a Sunday meant eating orange colored chicken curry with basmati rice for lunch and sometimes delicious green rice with lots of side plates for small feeds from time to time, playing rummy for Dad folks, and cooking for Mommie dears. What I look forward to was the friends, hide and seek, shooting my first tidbits of Hindi, and how we all danced, way before we practiced with 1-2-3. Wow it all seemed like a perfect childhood with perfect people around. The settings were mediocre. We never dressed up like fairies nor aunty used fine bone china. What's notable was her love, which traveled beyond all caste, creed, and people. 




When you least expect it and somebody hands you a gift that you want soo badly? How you feel about it? You sure will be happy. HAPPY right. 

I too am very happy to find the recipe in Reddy's book. 


Ingredients
Chicken - 1 kg

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp


Curd, whipped - 1 cup


Coconut -poppy seed paste - 2 tbsp


Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp


Coriander powder - 1 tbsp


Turmeric powder - 1 tsp


Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp


Cinnamon sticks - 2


Cardamoms - 2


Cloves - 4


Caraway seeds - 1/4 tsp


Onions, chopped - 2 cups


Hot water - 2 cups


Salt to taste


Oil


For garnish

Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp


Method

Marinate the chicken with ginger-garlic paste, curd, coconut-poppy seed paste, red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt. Keep aside for 30 mins.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, caraway seeds and the onions.


Saute till the onions turn golden brown.


Add the marinated chicken and cook for 5 mins till the raw flavor goes. Cover and cook for some time. Stir well and let the chicken simmer for a few minutes till the oil separates. Finally add the hot water and let the gravy cook for some more time. Sprinkle the garam masala powder and garnish with the coriander leaves. Serve Kodi shorva hot.


Mutton shorva can be prepared similarly.

17 comments:

  1. What a rich gravy Sebeena.. Looks spicy and tempting :-)

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  2. Wow my hunt begins for the book:)Can't agree with you more on the setting ,there were no napkins to wipe nor was eating with fingers drenched in curry a shame.
    Now a days I am sure TV just took over simple pleasures of gatherings.
    Beautiful chicken dish..

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  3. Loved reading ur post...the shorva looks yum...sebeena, where do u buy poppy seeds frm??

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  4. lovely post...the curry looks real amazing ! I loved the way u mentioned about the simple pleasures of childhood....I've bookmarked this recipe ! Do post your review on the book ,will be very helpful :)

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  5. looks real yummy ! wonderful clicks !

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  6. Mouth watering chicken recipe....which is simple in making too...

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  7. its really tempting and delicious sabeena..

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  8. Awesome curry. Looks yummy, spicy and very rich!

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  9. Yummyilicious and fingerlicking gravy, love to enjoy with a bowl of rice.

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  10. Delicious and spicy chicken curry. sure it taste great.

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  11. very very tempting dear..and thanks for the concern. really appreciated your comment on my pick quicks blog . well..do drop in once again there...have madea nother new post. hope u enjoy it !

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  12. Looks yummy and tempting..nice clicks.

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  13. Absolutely delicious rice,classic recipe..looks divine. Simple yet flavorful, love this method of cooking rice.

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