Chicken with Almond and Coriander Sauce

This is yet another greek recipe that I am making from the book " Flavors of Greece" by Rosemary Barron. You will find a post on Eggplant Pilaf, Monk's Onion Soup and Tomato Salad with Arugula and Olives, called Flavours of Greece on Mirch Masala. I made this as dinner one day when we had invited some friends over and I remember making Marinated Chicken with Tiny Onions and Vinegar along with the pilaf and soup and salad. I only wish I had taken a picture of that so then, I could have included it as well!

Greeks generally enjoy a variety fo chicken casseroles and baked dishes. Pretty much all the chicken recipes in this book are also baked, except for one spit roasted chicken recipe. The traditional greek dishes are meant to be baked in their traditional village ovens, but we can easily use our conventional oven to replicate the taste. This particular chicken dish I made, Chicken with Almond and Coriander sauce is a typical autumn recipe in Greece. Well, I had everything the recipe needed and went ahead and made this eventhough it is almost spring now!! :) Also, the original recipe called for walnuts (It was Chicken with Walnut and Coriander Sauce - Kotopulo me Saltsa Karythion), i read walnuts in the recipe but added almonds!!! Well, it was one heck of a tiring day and it was well past our dinner time when i started making it, may be that is why i did this! But anyway, the end result was good and I get to send it to an event as well ! :)

Chicken with Almond and Coriander Sauce

Boneless and skinless chicken breasts, 4

1/2 cup white wine ( i used an opened bottle of Chardonnay that we had)

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup of almonds, blanced in boiling water for a minute

1 tsp coriander powder

1/4 cup fresh chopped coriander leaves

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 egg

1/3 cup Spanish Olive oil

sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350F. Heat 3-4 tbsp olive oil in a saute pan an dlightly brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Drain on paper towels and transfer to a heavy baking dish.

Drain off the oil from the pan, add the white wine and boil for a minute or so, while stirring in any browned bits of chicken in the pan. Pour this over the chicken, add the chicken stock, bayleaves, salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 30 mins.

Grind together the almonds, coriander, garlic, coriander powder and cayenne pepper in a blender / food processor. Add the remaining olive oil and 2 tbsp of the lemon juice to it. Add salt and pepper to taste and keep aside.

Once the chicken is done, remove it from the baking dish and keep it on a serving platter. Measure 3/4 cup of the liquid from the baking dish and add it to the almond sauce.

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl and add the remaining lemon juice to it. Place a heavy bottomed pan on the stove and pour the almond sauce to it. Heat it for about 5 mins on medium heat. Switch off the heat and then pour the beaten eggs to it. You want the eggs to cook in the heat of the sauce and not get scrambled! Keep mixing well. Now pour this sauce over the chicken on the serving platter and serve immediately. Can be garnished with some fresh parsley leaves, if required.

The Meat-a-holic's Verdict: I usually don’t enjoy sauces with nuts in them, but the nuts in this are subdued enough not to bother me, but make the sauce crunchy. It has a very Indian flavor to it even though its ingredients are not. Best served with bread to soak up all the great sauce :) Rated: 7.5/10

This is my entry to the "Let's Go Nuts with Almonds" hosted at Tasty Treats and conceptualized by Aquadaze of Served with Love.

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Tilapia Fillets with Tomato - Chilli Sauce

So I married a meat-a-holic...the title says it all, doesnt it?! Well, for the benefit of those who did not get it, this is a blog by a veggie who is married to someone - someone for whom meat and fish is a part of everyday food. I wanted my other blog, Mirch Masala to be what it is now, a vegetarian blog and since i make so many non-vegetarian dishes at home..it sometimes feels like a sin, not blogging about it. That is when the meat-a-holic, known to many of you as AJ, suggested that I start another blog. So here you go, a new blog of mine dedicated to my husbands love of anything non-vegetarian! :) So, all those who are following Mirch Masala, pls add this also to your reader / follow list.

The original plan was to make the breaded tilapia from 660 curries, but somehow at the last moment, i changed it to Tilapia Fillets with Tomato-Chilli Sauce. This is adapted from the book "Best Ever India Cookbook" by Mridula Baljekar and others. The original recipe was Fish Fillets in Chilli Sauce and suggested using any flatfish like plaice, sole or flounder ; but I had only tilapia and decided to go ahead with it. Now, that was a pretty bold step, considering that I have no idea how different these fishes are!! Well, you will see the verdict of this dish at the end of the post!

Fish Fillets with Tomato-Chilli Sauce

2 Tilapia fillets, each cut into 3 pieces

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

1 tsp oil

For the sauce:

1 tsp grated ginger

2 tbsp tomato paste, mixed with water to form a paste

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp of hot chilli sauce (Sri Racha)

1 tbsp hot pepper sauce ( i used the Pittsburgh's Original Sports Sauce, which I had bought on a trip to Pittsbugh)

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp salt

Rinse and pat dry the fish fillets and place them in a bowl. Add the lemon juice, cilantro and oil to it. Mix well and keep aside to marinate for an hour or so.

Mix all the ingredients for the sauce, pour into a small saucepan and simmer gently over a low heat, stirring occassionally. Keep it warm.

Preheat the oven to broil. Place the fish fillets in a sheet pan and broil them for 5 -7 minutes. When the fish is cooked, remove from the oven and arrange on a plate. Spoon the warm tomato-chilli sauce over it and seve hot.

The meat-a-holic's verdict : "Its surprisingly flavorful for such a simple dish. The cilantro and sauce combo work well, though hotness should vary by taste. Will go well with a bread/pasta dish. Rated: 7/10."

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