Vindaloo is a very popular chilli and vinegar based fiery hot dish from Goa, on the western coast of India.  Goa was occupied by the Portuguese for a number of years and so naturally, the Portuguese style of cooking has a marked influence on the local dishes of Goa.  Vindaloo is one such dish, which is popular not only in India, but also very popular among the Europeans and other westerners.  This curry can be made with any type of meat such as chicken, beef or pork or even with seafood. Some Indian restaurants include ‘aloo’ (Hindi word for potatoes) in this recipe, but the original vindaloo dishes do not have aloo. Here is a simple recipe for Chicken Vindaloo.

Ingredients

1 kg. diced chicken

1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp. cardamom seeds
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
12 nos. whole cloves
1tbsp. chilli powder
4 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp. fenugreek seeds
2 tsp. ginger, fresh, minced
2 tsp. cumin seeds

2 tsp. mustard powder
2 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 cup vinegar, or cooking wine

4-6 tblsp vegetable oil
2 onions medium chopped
4 bay leaves
300 ml. water

Method

Gently roast the dry spices from coriander seeds through to cumin seeds for about 5 minutes in a fry-pan on low heat.

Put these roasted spices in a  blender along with  mustard, turmeric, salt, garlic and the vinegar to form vindaloo sauce. Add little water if necessary.

Marinate the chicken in this vindaloo sauce for over 8 hours in a non-metallic bowl.

Heat oil and saute bay leaves and onions until soft.  Remove and set aside.

Now fry the marinated chicken for a few minutes, adding more oil if necessary
Add the remaining vindaloo sauce, sauted onion, and water.

Simmer till the chicken is tender (stirring well) and the curry is thick. Add salt and chilli to suit your taste if necessary. 

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with steamed Basmati rice.  I hope you will enjoy this delicious curry recipe.

Technorati Tags: Vindaloo, cooking, Goa, curry, Chicken Vindaloo, delicious curry recipe

Kerala is the southernmost state of India famous for its food which is very hot and spicy and is generally fresh, aromatic and flavoured with coconut, chilies, tamarind,  curry leaf, mustard seeds, and asafoetida. Keralites are mostly rice and fish eating people. You can substitute tamarind with vinegar or tomatoes, but there is no real substitute for curry leaf. Malabar chicken is a popular delicacy of Kerala where chicken is cooked in aromatic spices and coconut milk. Here is a simple recipe for Malabar Chicken Curry.

Ingredients:

Boneless Chicken : 750 gms

3-4 onions finely chopped

2-3  chopped tomatoes

2-3 Green chillies slit

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp Garlic paste

1 tsp Ginger paste

1 tsp Chilly powder

1.5 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Garam masala powder

0.5 tsp Turmeric powder

3-4 tsp coconut oil

2 nos cloves

1 cup coconut milk

1 Stalk curry leaves

Salt – As required

Preparation Method

1. Heat  coconut oil in a pan.

2. Splutter mustard seeds.

3. Add ginger and garlic paste till the raw smell disappears

4. Add Green chilly, chopped onion, curry leaves and sauté for some time till the onions turn golden brown

5. Add chopped tomatoes and salt and sauté few minutes till the tomatoes are crushed into a paste

6. Add red chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, Garam masala powder, cloves and stir fry few minutes.

7. Add chicken pieces , mix well and stir for few minutes.

8. Add water as required and salt to taste.

9. After about 15 minutes, when chicken fully cooked  add coconut milk and boil for 1 or 2 minutes.

10. Garnish with curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves – serve with rice or Parathas.

Technorati Tags: Kerala, India, Malabar chicken, recipe, Chicken Curry

Alzheimer’s disease has been challenging the researchers for many years. The origin of Alzheimer is difficult and its symptoms are too complicated. Researchers were surprised to see that the percentage of Alzheimer’s disease found in India was nothing as compared to that in the United States.

The chance of developing this disease after  the age of 60 in India is just one percent!  What made Indians so different, is it their lifestyle, or their Indian eating habits? And the various researches proved that Indian spices such as turmeric used in Indian curry may be a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.  It has been scientifically proven by research backed by the University of California that turmeric = an unavoidable ingredient of the Indian Curry Sauce – counters the Alzheimer’s disease.

Turmeric is found in every Indian curry dish from mild Kormas to the hot and spicy sambars. The important chemical is curcumin, a compound found in the turmeric root. Alzheimer’s disease is associated with  the build up of knots in the brain termed as amyloid plaques.  Curcumin in Turmeric  is believed to reduce the number of these amyloid plaques by a half.

Turmeric Turmeric is one of the spices used in Indian curry which helps the cells to mend themselves, and keep the cells associated with each other and thus brain cells stay strong. It also has the ability to decrease, avoid and stop inflammation..Chronicle inflammation may cause harm to tissues. Turmeric helps the body to avoid cancer-causing toxins and stops spreading new blood vessels. Turmeric had other benefits such as it is helpful in digestion, it fights against heart attacks, it works as an anticeptic.  Some of the turmeric supplements used in Indian curries are superior to other nutritional supplements.

Various researches proved that Indian curries are not only tasty but are healthy.  We can say that by including Indian curry in your daily diet program would prove to be beneficial for staying away from diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Cancer.

Technorati Tags: Alzheimer’s, India, Indian spices, turmeric, Indian curry, Curry Sauce, curcumin

We are launching our new blog about Indian Curry Recipes from today. Making Indian curry sauces is an art which has been traditionally passed from one generation to another.  In India we have several states and there is nothing like one standard curry taste.  In this blog we will introduce several popular Indian curry recipes as well as preparation of Indian Spices from different states of India.

We will also discuss articles about theraputic effects of Indian curry on health in this blog. We will also discuss techniques used by master chefs in Indian restaurants for making authentic Indian dishes as well as fusion dishes.

Technorati Tags: Indian Curry Recipes, Indian curry, India, Indian Spices, Indian restaurants, authentic Indian dishes