"Chicken Kalya"
Ingredients (serves 4 or 5):
1 kg chicken (cut into pieces),
1 cup yoghurt,
2 sticks cinnamon, 3cm long, each
3 cardamons (split),
4 cloves,
2 tablespoons cumin powder,
2 green chillies (slit),
A pinch of yellow colouring powder,
1 teaspoon ginger/garlic mixture,
5 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves,
4 tablespoons chopped mint leaves,
Salt, pepper,
2 big onions (sliced fine)
Half a cup of a mixture of melted ghee and oil,
Some saffron strands
Method:
Put chicken pieces in a pot. Add all the other ingredients except onions, ghee/oil and saffron strands.
Mix all well together and allow to marinate for at least an hour.
Meanwhile fry onions in the ghee/oil mixture until brown and crisp. Remove and keep aside.
Pour the remaining hot ghee/oil mixture (or less if chicken is fatty) in the pot.
Soak saffron strands in 1/4 glass hot water and pour mixture also in the pot. Mix well, cover and cook over a low heat till chicken is done.
Add fried onion, mix and allow to simmer for 1 or 2 minutes.
Serve with rice and "carrot and cucumber" salad and "tomato chutney".
Variation:
1. Potatoes, cut into pieces, tinted with yellow powder, seasoned with salt &pepper and then browned in the ghee/oil mixture together with some fresh peas.
2. Hard-boiled eggs, tinted yellowish and fried in some oil can be added to "Kalya a few minutes before the cooking time is over.
3. Replace chicken by fried fish.
NOTE: We would like to say a big thank you to the author of the recipe book called "Mauritian Delights", Mrs Lalita Sookhee, who has kindly given us the authorisation to copy some of the recipes that are in her book. If you wish to buy the "Mauritian Delights" recipe book which contains over 300 absolutely delicious mauritian recipes, please contact Mrs Lalita Sookee at Lsookhee@usa.net or Connect@netcourrier.com. Her address is as follows: 1 Farquhar Street, Quatre-Bornes, Mauritius. Telephone number: 230-425-3803 or 230-750-1860. Fax number: 230-425-3803.