PEPPER CHICKEN FRY WITH POTATO SLICES

    
      This Pepper Chicken Fry with Potato Slices is a family recipe. Chicken, when combined with deep-fried Potato slices, makes this Pepper Fry a most sought dish at home.  Non-Vegetarian curries without Potatoes is a taboo according to my husband and kids, so no wonder how this dish is welcomed by them. The first time I tasted this Pepper Chicken  Fry was at my in-law's place.  My MIL's elder sister Pearly aunty has a special skill in cooking and an inevitable skill for serving. I saw her preparing this Pepper Chicken Fry with deep fried Potato Slices in a meticulous way.  This is one Chicken dish frequented at home, and when the idea of starting a blog crept my mind this was one of the first few recipes which came to my mind.
     My MIL's family has a deep routed Portuguese Culture imbibed in their cuisine mainly because they are from the coastal city of Fort Cochin.  Somewhere or the other most of their dishes have a touch of diverse cuisines. May be their skill of Wine Making, Fruit Cakes, Puddings, Full Roasted Chicken, Stews & Vindaloos are living legacy of the distinctive culture of the land.  Living in the family and learning the family style of cooking tradition is one thing I cherish the most. Adding Potatoes or any other starchy vegetable into Non-vegetarian dishes have been their style of cooking which most of the other parts of Kerala has not much adapted.  We can see a similar type of cooking in Malaysia too, especially in Nyonya Cuisine which also has a strong Portuguese influence.
      Cochin being the Gateway of Kerala, the city has always surprised me with its unique vibrancy and absolute distinctiveness.  It is the "Land of a Life Time" with a diverse blend of Indo, European, Portuguese, Jewish & Arab way of life. My curiosity started with the information that the huge Chinese Fishing Nets/Lift Nets(Cheena Vala) used for Fishing is a special technique built by the Chinese as early as 14th Century. Combing through the neighbourhoods of Cochin, we can still see a wide array of Culture & telltale sign of History, silently tucked in quaint bylanes. My love for the place and food lingers on...




Cuisine - Indian
Course - Side Dish
Difficulty - Medium
Spice Level - High
Serves - 2-3
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 20 - 30 Minutes
Cooking Time - 25 - 30 Minutes.

INGREDIENTS :

For Deep Fried Potato Slices :

Potato - 6-7 Nos.
Salt - To Taste
Turmeric Powder - a Pinch
Oil - To Deep Fry

For Pepper Chicken Fry :

Chicken - 500 Gms
Onion - 2 Nos.
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 Tbspn
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tspn
Red Chilli Powder - 1 Tspn
Garam Masala Powder - 1 Tspn
Pepper Powder - 2 Tbspn
Curry Leaves - 2 Sprigs
Salt - To Taste

To Garnish :

Coriander Leaves - few
Oil - 3-4 Tbspn

PEPPER CHICKEN FRY WITH POTATO SLICES

HOW TO MAKE PEPPER CHICKEN FRY WITH POTATO SLICES

METHOD :

For Deep Fried Potato Slices :

• Clean and Peel the Potatoes, then cut them into thin Slices.
• In a wide bowl take some water, add a dash of Salt a pinch of Turmeric to the water and mix well.
• Soak the Potato slices in Water for about 20-30 Minutes.
• Drain and discard the water.
• Line up the Potato slices on a clean kitchen towel to dry.
• Heat Oil in a deep pan on a high flame and allow it to smoke off.
• Lower the flame to medium.
• Deep fry the Potato Slices until they turn crispy and into light golden brown in colour.
• Remove the Potato Slices with a slotted spoon and line it up on Paper Towels.

For Pepper Chicken Fry :

• Clean, wash and Cut chicken into small pieces.
• Heat Oil in a Pan and sear the Chicken Pieces with a dash of Salt.
• Sear the Chicken Pieces for about 5-7 minutes or until they turn into white colour.
• Remove the Chicken pieces from the pan and keep it aside.
• Heat oil, saute Onions (Cut lengthwise) along with Curry Leaves until onions turn translucent.
• Add the Ginger-Garlic paste to the above and saute until fragrant on a very low flame.
• Add Turmeric Powder, Red Chilli Powder and Garam Masala Powder to the above and fry for a while on a very low flame.
• Add the seared Chicken pieces to above mix along with Pepper powder and mix well.
• Leave this on a very low flame until the Chicken pieces are well cooked and turn soft. 
• Can sprinkle some water to cook the chicken.
• Finally, add the deep fried Potato Slices to the Pepper Chicken Fry and mix well.
• Care should be taken not to break the Potato Slices.
• Leave this on a low flame for few minutes, until the Chicken pieces & Potato Slices are well roasted.
• Leave it on a low flame until the Curry turns dry and every piece is well coated with the Masala.
• Garnish Pepper Chicken Fry with Coriander Leaves and serve hot.
• Goes well as a side dish with Roti & Rice.

NOTES :

• Adjust the amount of Pepper Powder to suit your spice level.
• Adding freshly ground Peppercorns gives a wonderful aroma.
• Cook the dish on a low flame until each and every piece is well roasted and coated with the masala.
• Care should be taken not to break the Potato slice while stirring the dish.