Chicken 'dasi'

If you follow my blog, or know me well - you'll call me self-obsessed!! To be so narcissist, as to name a recipe after yourself - too much!! eh??

I concocted this recipe on the fly, while preparing chicken one day at home... I was in a very mischievous mood that day, when i told my mum that i'd prepare the chicken gravy for lunch. I had made up my mind to add every single type of masala item in the kitchen, in that preparation - of course, in good proprotion based on my 5 years of cooking experience... When mamma saw me adding all and sundry things, she just threatened me, that if it turned out to be non-edible, she'd make me empty the entire thing, without feeding the dogs.

And the rest, as I say, is history!! :-) My mum, did something she doesn't do too often - Praise my cooking lavishly, and even tell her friends about it!! Proof enough for you to try?? :-)

For the vegetarians: You can replace the chicken with paneer or soyabean balls and prepare the same.

Chicken ‘Dasi’

Ingredients:

Chicken	1 -1 ¼ kg
Ginger Garlic Paste	3 Tablespoons
Onions	4 large
Tomatoes	2 large
Green chillies	5
Garam masala powder	2 tsp
Coriander powder	3 tsp
Kasoori Methi	5 tsp
Curd (thick)	1 cup
Chilly powder	As a supplement, to your liking
Ghee	½ cup
Coriander leaves	For garnishing
Refined oil/ghee	For frying
Salt	To taste

For gravy:

Grated coconut	1 ½ cups
Pepper	2 tsp
Poppy seeds	1 tsp
Tamarind	About half the size of a TT ball
Jeera	2 tsp

Method of preparation:

Cut the chicken into small-medium pieces, and clean it. Add the thick curd and ginger garlic paste to it. Mix it well and keep it aside for 1-2 hours.

Gravy - Heat the grated coconut, pepper, and jeera (be careful not to burn the jeera) (separately) lightly on an open pan. Add poppy seeds and tamarind and grind it with the appropriate amount of water.

Dish: Cut the onions (vertically) and fry it in refined oil/ghee till golden brown. Cut the tomatoes and green chillies to it and sauté for 5 minutes. Now add the chicken and sauté for another 5-8 minutes. Add garam masala, coriander and chilly powder (chilly powder is a variable quantity, and can be added to suit your taste) powders and sauté for 2 minutes.

Add the gravy, and appropriate amount of water. Keep stirring it for another 5 minutes. Add the Kasoori Methi, and close the lid of the vessel. Cook for 20 minutes (may vary, depending on the vessel used for cooking, and the degree to which you like your chicken cooked!). Add salt to taste, ghee, and garnish with coriander leaves. Goes best with rotis or as "kori rotti" (Coastal Karnataka style).