Fenugreek Rice & Chettinad Chicken

While I tap away this recipe, I am munching on a sandwich in which I've coated one slice with the leftover gravy of my Chettinad Chicken. I promised you all this recipe on FB on "The Inconsistent Chef" and I will stick by it and what better part of the day than on a Sunday morning( Church goers, sorry!) with my cuppa tea. Blasphemous! I am yet to read the morning paper...

These are the tender Fenugreek Leaves quite bitter and tart in taste, nevertheless healthy and great in many recipes. Do wash thoroughly after chopping off the stem and roots. You can see loads of compound leaves, full of goodness I say! If they are not rinsed well, there is a tendency to bite into sand or the soil in which they were uprooted from. Pat dry as well!

 Many recipes use this along with other veggies or along with lentils especially with baby potatoes! I've used mine in a rice dish :)It's elegant and simple readers!

 The Rice Dish-Keep aside some cooked long grain rice, Basmati preferable!

In a skillet drizzle in a tbsp. of ghee(gulp! you may use butter if you wish or oil, but the ghee gives it that extra punch in that munch) saute a finely chopped onion and throw in some cherry tomatoes. A bit of garlic for extra flavour, salt and a nice tsp of garam masala. As they merge well, throw in your finely chopped fenugreek leaves and some green grapes. Grate a tbsp. of jaggery as well.

The grapes and jaggery were my sweet add-ons to counter the bitter taste of the leaves. The Rice will be slightly bitter but those sweet add-ons do help to disguise the bitterness to a large extent.

 At this point when the leaves have slightly cooked, incorporate the long grain cooked rice. Check for salt and other seasoning. Plate it along with the Chettinad Chicken.

 Chettinad Chicken-Clean the chicken and keep aside. I had only chicken drumsticks hence used those. Combine it in a big bowl along with whisked curd, gingergarlic paste, salt and pepper. Let the chicken look drunk in that curdy base :) Keep this in the marinade for nearly an hour or more in th fridge.

In a heavy bottomed vessel, drizzle in a tbsp. of coconut oil, throw in some finely sliced onions and tomatoes, add ginger garlic paste and stir them continuously, add a nice heap of garam masala and let them all get nice and mushy.Once they turn reasonably brown, add in the marinated chicken. Add salt after checking on the seasoning. Keep stirring the dish until each of the pieces used are coated well. Add some freshly crushed pepper.

 Temper the finished dish with mustard seeds and curry leaves that have spluttered in a tsp of coconut oil.

To be enjoyed with a bowl of plain rice unlike my version of rice. Add more spice(garam masala/cayenne pepper) if you want the dish to give you that extra kick.
Garnish with finely chopped cilantro and a lemon wedge :)

Thanks to all the likes to my Chettinad dish(my style) on FB, noticed that even the vegetarians had liked the dish :)