Kadai Chicken And Eggs

I always ask myself this question -- Why do foods cooked in Cast Iron pan taste better? Is it because of the "mineral notes" it add to the food? Maybe! When cooking in an Iron pan, bits of Iron gets mixed in the food and that is good for us humans because it makes us more lively(Ask the Iron deficient ones and they will tell you how sluggish and lethargic they feel all the time). Well, Iron is afterall an essential mineral present in every living cell of our being.

Until 5 years ago, I never cared much for Iron pots and pans. They weigh a ton and are a pain to clean and maintain. My sole possesion was an Iron Tava(Indian Griddle) for making Dosa/Crepes. But things changed when I got pregnant with my son that many years ago. My OB-Gyn was concerned about my Iron deficiency and she advised me to start cooking stuff in Iron pans besides taking Iron supplements. What started of as a necessity became an addiction. So I have quite a nice collection of Iron utensils in my kitchen. I know hubby won't grumble cause it was "doctor's orders"! LoL
So What is on my plate? Steamed rice with "South-Indian Sambhar"( made with "Salgam/Rutabaga/Turnip" instead of Cherry-Belle Radishes that I had posted) topped with Kadai Chicken and Eggs. Umm, so tasty! Found these Salgam at a food store and they looked so fresh and called to me:

Ingredients:

• 6 Hard Boiled Eggs, shells removed and slit in several places
• 8 Chicken Thighs, skinned and cut
• 1 Small Red Onion, peeled and cut
• 1 Medium Tomato, roughly cut
• 3-4 Large Garlic Cloves, peeled
• 1/2" Ginger, peeled and cut
• 1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• 2 Tbsp Coriander Powder
• 2 Tbsp Chicken Masala Powder, any brand ( I used Sakthi Brand)
• 1-1/2 Tsp Chili Powder or as needed
• Salt for taste
• 2 Tbsp thick Yogurt
• Olive Oil for cooking

For Seasoning, entirely optional:

• 1 Stalk Curry leaves
• 2-3 Chilies, slit in several spots
• 1 Tsp Olive Oil

Procedure:

• Add the onion, tomato, garlic and ginger to a blender.  Grind it to a coarse paste.

• Add the powders to this coarse paste.  Blend and grind the whole thing to a smooth paste.

• Add a little salt to the paste.  

• Clean the cut chicken and pat it dry with paper towels.  Add 2 Tbsp Yogurt, 1 Tbsp ground spice paste.

• Mix well and marinate the chicken for atleast 2-3 hours in the refrigerator, preferably overnight. Just before searing the chicken in the Kadai, drain the liquids and sprinkle the chicken masala powder. Mix and keep it ready. 

• Heat a cast iron pan and add the chicken in batches and brown it.  

• Move the browned chicken pieces to a plate and let it rest.  

• Add 2 Tbsp oil and pour the remaining ground paste into the pan.  Cook the paste until it loses the raw smell.

• Move the chicken back into the pan and let the paste coat the pieces.  Close the lid and let the chicken cook for 8-10 minutes. The chicken would have generated lots of steam. If the chicken is nearly cooked then removed the lid and cook until the gravy thickens.Add more salt and spice if needed.

• 2 Minutes before switching off the stove add the hard-boiled eggs and move them around the pan so the gravy coats them as well .

• Switch off the stove. In a saute pan, fry the curry leaves and green chilies in very litle oil and pour them over the chicken. Serve this chicken with steaming rice and sambhar.

 

Enjoy!