Pork Vindaloo

One of my favourite malayali dishes is pork vindaloo-soft, falling apart pork cooked in lots of garlic and pickling spices- What's not to love? Yes, it may have come from Goa, even originally ( in a completely different form I'm sure) from the Portuguese, but we Syrian Christians claim it as our own. 

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Holy Week- Pesaha Pal/Pal Kurruku- Mondy Thursday Sweet Drink

Yesterday was Mondy Thursday, the celebration of the institution of the Holy Eucharist at the "last supper" where Jesus broke bread with his disciples. In Syrian Christians homes in Kerala we have a tradition of preparing a coconut milk based drink called "Pesaha Pal" (passover milk) or "Pal Kurruku" ( thickened milk) . I had called my mother for the recipe and planned to make it, but just didn't get around to making it.Since its so delicious I may just make it one of these days anyway! Here is the recipe : Ingredients: Coconut Milk – 3 Cups ( can use tinned) Jaggery – 1/4 kg Rice Flour – 1/4 cup Dry Ginger powder (Chukku) – 1/4 tsp Cardamom (Elachi/ Elakka) powdered – 1/4 tsp Cumin powdered– 1/4 tsp Method 1. Melt jaggery by boiling it slowly in about 1/2 cup of water. Filter the syrup so that there are no lumps. Keep it separately. 2. Take coconut milk in a pan. Keep it on low heat and bring it to a boil stirring continuously. 3. Add the melted jaggery syrup to the coconut milk and stir for a few minutes. 4. Dissolve the rice flour in little water an add it to the above mixture so that the mixture begins to thicken. 5. Add the powders (Ginger, cardamom and cumin) and mix well. It is delicious drunk either hot or cold, or you could also dip in chunks of unleavened bread (Kinnathappam or Kurushu/Cross appam )

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Chicken Curry in Coconut Milk

The curry is spicy and rich and since the chicken is cooked ( preferably in a pressure cooker) with the spices and coconut milk, it becomes tender and absorbs all the flavours. Commonly called Pal Pizincha Kozhi Curry, this is a family favourite, as it is in most homes in Kerala and you are sure to have tasted it, with rice, appam, or chappatis if you are from Trichur and a Syrian Christian. It goes especially well with the layered buttery soft Malabar Parathas that I picked up conveniently frozen and microwave ready, from the Indian grocery store, and also with rice, appams, stringhoppers, rotis and even bread.

With coconut milk being available in tins nowadays, it is quite easy to make too, though an even easier and much faster version of this curry, can be found here: chicken curry in a hurry


Pal Pizincha Kozi Curry  (Chicken curry in a thick coconut milk gravy)
Recipe source: This is a common preparation in many Syrian Christian homes and one we make very often at home

 Ingredients:

• Chicken ( Cut into medium sized pieces. Can also use about 3 frozen and thawed chicken breasts or equivalent) – 6 pieces 
• Potatoes ( small sized)- 4 ( cubed)
• Ginger paste- 2 tsp
• Garlic paste-2 tsp 
• Onions (medium sized)– 2 (Chopped ) 
• Tomato (medium sized)– 2 (Chopped) 
• Green Chillies – 6 slit into halves (add more or less depending on your tolerance for spice)
• Red Chilly powder – 1 1/2 tsp 
• Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
• Garam masala – 2 tbsp 
• Coriander powder 1 tbsp 
• Coconut milk – 1 cup (Can use tinned or mix 3 tbsp coconut powder in warm water) 
• Oil – 2 tbsp 
• Salt- 1 tsp 

For garnish ( optional) 

• Coriander/cilantro leaves – a small bunch (optional) 
• Mint leaves- a small bunch (optional) 

Method 

• Take a deep dish ( preferably use a pressure cooker) and add the oil. Keep on medium flame 
• When the oil is hot, add the chopped onions and salt and fry till translucent
• Add the ginger garlic paste and keep stirring so that it doesn't get burnt 
• When it turns brown and the oil starts to separate from the onion garlic and ginger mixture, add the spices ( red chilly pwd, turmeric pwd, coriander pwd and garam masala pwd)
• Saute for a minute until the spices get roasted and the raw smell leaves. 
• Add the chopped tomatoes and green chillies slit lengthwise and saute for a couple of minutes 
• Add the cleaned and cut chicken pieces and saute for a couple of minutes so that the pieces are well covered in the masala and the flesh turns whitish. 
• Add the potatoes. Add 1 cup thin coconut milk ( also called second extraction and if using a tin, this is the thinner milk that collects at the bottom of the tin, under the heavier creamy part- I usually turn the tin over and open it, so that I can pour out the thinner milk first. The thinner milk does not curdle as much as the thicker milk) with 1 cup water 
• Close the lid of the pressure cooker and when the whistle blows, lower the flame and simmer for 7 minutes. 
• Alternatively, you may need to cook it for about 15-20 mins if you are not using a pressure cooker. The potatoes should now be soft enough for a fork to go through easily. 
• Now add the creamier, thicker coconut milk ( also called first extraction) 
• The chicken curry is ready to serve and if you want you could garnish it with coriander and mint leaves.

Sometimes the thicker milk is added first which then curdles creating a thicker consistency which come prefer. I prefer not to do this since I use tinned coconut milk which tastes a little weird when it curdles.

You can also make this curry vegetarian by substituting the chicken for potatoes and adding some hard boiled eggs at the end. I also make this with channa beans, capsicum  and potato during lent time. It is also made with beef.

If you like this, try out the much easier chicken curry in a hurry which tastes a lot like this but takes much less time since you just add everything to the pressure cooker and let it cook- no frying

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