Ingredients
| Chicken | 500 gms |
| Spinach Shredded | 1cup |
| Onions chopped | 2 nos |
| Garlic Chopped | 2 tsp |
| GG paste | 2 tsp |
| Tomatoes fine chopped | 3 tbsp |
| Coriander Leaves | 2 tbsp |
| Cinnamon | 1 no |
| Cardamom | 3 nos |
| Cloves | 3 nos |
| Oil | 3 tbsp |
| Butter | 10 gms |
| cream | 1tbsp |
| Chilly Powder | 1 tsp |
| Cor. Powder | 1 tsp |
| Garam Masala | 1 tsp |
| Turmeric Powder | ½ tsp |
| Pepper Powder | ½ tsp |
| Cumin Powder | 1 tsp |
| Cumin seeds | ½ tsp |
Method
- Cut chicken into dices, wash, rinse and pat dry. Keep separate. Wash well spinach in running cold water, roughly cut the laves and keep in a bowl.
- Pour oil and butter block into a pan, allow cumin seeds to splutter , add cinnamon, cardamom cloves, GG paste and sauté for a minute.
- Add onions and continue sautéing till the onions are golden brown in color.
- Add finely chopped tomatoes, and cook the same by sautéing on low fire till the mixture is mashy. Add all condiments like Jeera Powder, chilly powder, coriander powder, little garam masala and fry well, till the oil surfaces on top and sides
- Add chicken dices, smear the masala well on it, cook for minutes, by stirring with a spatula.
- Add half spinach leaves and half coriander leaves, cover and allow to cook. The water content from chicken will Ooze out and let the chicken get cooked in it.
- Check seasonings, add cream on top and the balance spinach leaves and coriander leaves.
- Cover with a lid and let the spinach and Daniya leaves get cooked with the conserved heat and the flavor being sealed in the dish.
- Serve hot with Jeera rice or any Indian flatbreads, and pickle preferably Avakka
Chef Nandakumar Menon or ‘Chef Nandu as he is known evolved into the Super Chef series. He was at the CASINO HOTEL in Kochi and later at the remarkable COCONUT LAGOON in Kumarakom. Both iconic Hotels and restaurants of repute for the quality and consistency of food offered at their restaurants. Coconut Lagoon where Chef Nandu headed the kitchen moulded him to cater to international clientele from all over the world coming in to experience the magic of the backwaters of Kerala and Kerala itself as a unique destination.
From his early Catering Technology days at Adayar, Chennai and training at the famed TAJ MAHAL INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL, Mumbai, Chef Nandu was back again at the Welcome Group’s ADAYAR PARK INN, Chennai.
Later he headed the setting up of the various F&B outlets of the ABAD PLAZA group, Kochi as its Corporate Chef.
And then with the Quilon Beach hotels, Chef Nandu created a redefined art of culinary expertise. His clientele were Doctors, Cashew businessmen and of course celebrities from the tinsel world, the cloyed connoisseurs had a different feel with his nouvelle cuisine.
He still loves to cook and share his valuable experience of the world of food with The Daily Brunch and its readers in our series on SUPER CHEFS.
Cheers!
