A second in our three part series of delicious Christmas meals gives you delectable ideas for the main course. Remember, to create that memorable Christmas meal, you need to keep things simple, relax and have fun while cooking, writes Rajani Mani
For the main course, you can serve up steamy appams with chicken stew, with a vegetable variation for the vegetarians. Add on ghee rice, scotch eggs, dinner rolls, and a side of potato or green beans.
Appam
INGREDIENTS
2 cups rice flour
2 ½ cups water
¾ cup cooked rice
1 ½ cup thick coconut milk
4 tbsp sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp yeast
¼ cup tepid water
METHOD
1. In a small bowl, place the yeast in ¼ cup water, for about 10 minutes till frothy.
2. Using a blender, grind the cooked rice with ½ cup water to a smooth paste. Transfer into a bowl.
3. In another bowl, combine the rice flour, sugar, cooked rice paste, and dissolved yeast, along with the coconut milk and a pinch of salt. Gradually add water and whisk to a smooth, thick batter. Keep the batter overnight at room temperature to ferment. Right before making the appams, taste for sugar and salt and if needed, add some. The batter should be mildly sweet.
4. To make the appams, heat a small non-stick wok on a low to medium flame. Grease the wok with a little oil, pour about a ladleful of batter into the centre and swirl the wok to spread the batter thinly on the walls, the remaining batter will pool in the middle of the wok. Cover and cook for a minute or two until the centre appears well done and fluffy and the sides are crisp. Gently run a spatula under the appam to release it from the wok and serve hot with chicken or vegetable stew.
Chicken Stew
INGREDIENTS
1 kg chicken, cut and cleaned
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp ginger & garlic, chopped thinly
6 green chillies, slit open
5 cloves
1 piece cinnamon
2 cardamoms
8 to10 peppercorns
½ tsp fennel powder
½ tsp garam masala
½ cup thick coconut milk
1 ½ cups thin coconut milk
2-3 sprigs fresh curry leaves
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp or any cooking oil of choice
Salt to taste
METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan, sauté some curry leaves and all the whole spices - cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and peppercorns. Now add the chopped ginger and garlic and sauté for a few minutes more, followed by the sliced onions and green chillies. Fry until the onions turn pink.
2. Add the chicken and cook over medium heat for about 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Pour 1 ½ cups of thin coconut milk over the chicken and spices. Season with salt. Let the mixture come to a boil.
4. Sprinkle garam masala and powdered fennel over the chicken gravy and mix well. Add the cubed potatoes to the gravy. Stir and cover until the chicken and the potatoes are tender and the gravy thicker.
5. Turn off the heat, to the gravy add ½ cup thick coconut milk, a few fresh curry leaves, lemon juice and combine. Serve warm with appam or ghee rice.
Ghee Rice
INGREDIENTS
2 cups basmati rice
2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
2 pieces cinnamon
4-5 cloves
2 pieces cardamom
1 star anise, broken into bits
2 bay leaves
½ tsp fennel seeds
3 ½ cups water (to cook the rice)
Salt to taste
For the garnish
2 tbsp ghee
4 tbsp cashews
2 tbsp raisins
½ cup thinly sliced shallots
METHOD
1. Wash and soak the rice in water for about 20 minutes, drain and keep aside.
2. Heat the clarified butter in a heavy bottomed pan, and sauté the whole spices - fennel seeds, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, and star anise. Next, add the onions and sauté until translucent.
3. Add the drained rice to the pan and stir fry for 6 to 7 minutes until the rice changes colour.
4. At this point add water to the pan along with salt and combine. Bring the rice to a boil. Reduce heat to a minimum, cover and cook until the rice is done and all the water has been absorbed.
5. Prepare the garnish by heating the remaining ghee in a frying pan. When the ghee is hot enough, fry the cashews to a light golden shade, remove and keep aside. Next, fry the raisins until they are plump, remove and set aside. Finally sauté the onions until they caramelise.
6. Add shallots. Mix half of the garnish into the cooked rice and sprinkle the rest on top. Serve warm.
A Christmas meal will be incomplete without the festive desserts. Next up, some sweet notes to end your Christmas with!
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