4 green cardamon pods (up to 8)
2 lb chicken
1 cup plain yogurt
6 cloves, whole (up to 8)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp turmeric
1 medium onion
6 szechuan peppercorns (up to 8)
4 tbsp vegetable oil
2 bay leaves
5 garlic cloves (or less, to taste)
1/4 tsp ginger root
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup tomato puree
1 cup water
Directions
Thoroughly clean the chicken pieces, then marinate with yogurt and
salt for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the spices. Chop the garlic and ginger, then add
black pepper to this mixture. Set aside in a small bowl.
Near the end of the hour of marinating, melt the shortening in a
coverable skillet (woks will do). Chop the onion and brown in the
skillet for about 10 minutes.
After the onions are ready, add the garlic/ginger/pepper mixture. Let
simmer for approximately 5 minutes, then add the chicken. Let the
chicken simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until cooked.
Add the cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric and bay leaves. Leave
them whole. Simmer for 5 minutes. Finally, add the tomato puree and
water to the mixture and cook until the mixture has thickened. Serve
with rice and chapati.
NOTES:
* A simple chicken curry.
: Difficulty: moderate.
: Time: 1 hour marinating, 15 minutes preparation, 1 hour cooking.
: Precision: approximate measurement OK.
: Andy House
: Software Engineering Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
: ahouse@dz.sei.cmu.edu
: Copyright (C) 1986 USENET Community Trust
Servings: 6 servings
Andy's Murgh Kurma (Chicken Curry) Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Chicken; Poultry
The History of Recipes
It is quite feasible to trace the history of transcribed cooking instructions far back into distant history, in truth as far as the ancient Egyptians, and maybe further still. Having said that, sadly, these early cook books were just primitive pictorial instructions for preparing meals.
Interestingly, the most ancient recipe found, according to academics is a series of stone tablets in the Sumerian language which recount the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making drinkers feel blissful. As we move into The time of the romans 25BC a roman called Apicius wrote a few documents which described recipes prepared by wealthy Romans. In his publication, Apicius recounts how the meals of wealthy Romans were divided into starters, entrees and afters, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. He also recounts how the ancient cooks made use of many herbs, including a few that are still present in modern kitchens for example basil, rue and asafoetida. Closer to modern times, we find two interesting cookery books which date from the 14th Century : a cookery book called `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary named `Curye on Inglish`. Perhaps surprisingly, they are nothing to do with the curry that is served today, but rather accounts of the types of meals served to the rich and wealthy people of the period. Later, in the 15th century, people returning from the crusades brought back many new spices and herbs from the East, including basil and rosemary. These new foods and spices was responsible for an outbreak in manuscripts on cooking, the majority of which still exist in private cookery archives. During the next few hundred years, the powerful and wealthy tried to lay on the most exotic banquets, and as a result the best cooks and their collection of recipes were at a premium. Nevertheless, it was during the 1800s that cooking and cookery books really came of age. The Famous Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Farmer in the USA, dedicated years of their lives to collecting, verifying, and recording recipes of the day. By the time we get to the twentieth century, cook books were increasing in popularity mostly due to increased literacy, people having more leisure time and having more disposable income. |
We hope you enjoy this Andy's Murgh Kurma (Chicken Curry) recipe.
