Chicken Sambhar Recipes

Steps:

• Cook the split yellow pigeon peas(yellow lentils) in a pressure cooker.
• Roast the coriander seeds, the split chickpeas and chillies until the chickpeas start turning brown. Ensure not to over-roast as it will result in a burnt taste.
• Ground the above roasted ingredients into a fine powder. This is fresh Sambhar powder.
• Add water into a wok and add the potatoes, salt and turmeric and set it on medium fire. When potatoes start turning soft, add the onions and the chicken.
• Once the water starts boiling again, add the tamarind concentrate and cook for 10mts. on medium fire.
• Add the Sambhar powder, brown sugar and salt and let it simmer for 15-20mts.
• Add some water to replace the water absorbed by the Sambhar powder. Do not add too much water as it will make the dish very runny. (The consistency should be same as that of a pasta sauce.).
• Add the brown sugar.
• Fry the mustard in oil and when it starts spluttering, add it to the wok.
• Serve with boiled rice, roti or naan (Indian breads).
• Papadam/Papad (roasted or fried) will be a good accompaniment.
• Bless the chef.

Steps:

• Place the lentils in a large pan with 400ml water. Add turmeric and tamarind and boil for 25-30 mins until very soft.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the shallots for 8-10 mins. When softened, add the spices, curry leaves, chillies and a good pinch of salt. Cook for another 2 mins, until fragrant.
• Boil another pan of salted water and cook the beans for 4 mins until tender, then drain well.
• Once the lentils are cooked, add the shallot spice mix and the beans, stir well and add more seasoning if necessary.

Steps:

• Put the onions in a food processor with the garlic and ginger. Blitz until it is as smooth as possible, then pour in half the stock and blitz again.
• Heat a large non-stick pan, sprinkle in the spices and toast for 1 min. Pour in the onion mixture, the remaining stock and all but ½ tsp of the chopped chilli. Add the almonds and tomato purée, and stir well. Simmer for 35 mins until completely soft, stirring every now and then and adding a little water if the mixture starts to catch on the bottom of the pan.
• Add the chicken and half the fresh coriander. Heat very gently for 10 mins to cook the chicken through. Mix all the sambal ingredients with the remaining coriander and chilli, and heat the rice following pack instructions. Serve the chicken and sambal with the brown rice.