rick stein's chicken chettinad

It’s a Saturday night so obviously once again we’re on Rick Stein’s Chicken Chettinad. However for the first time I think chettinad ennui is beginning to kick in.

Partly this is because we’ve had it four (or five) weeks on the bounce now, and whilst I love cooking it – particularly now I’ve finally got my hands on some beautiful curry leaves – I think I’m running the risk of getting bored with it.

The other more pertinent reason could be because I (Ana claims not to be) am full of teeny tiny ham and cheese sandwiches, mini cocktail sausages, ghost-shaped crisps and jazzie biscuits from Milo’s Hallowe’en-themed party. And premium strength Belgium beer from Mr Manwaring’s birthday boxes, but mainly party food. It’s amazing how filling small plates of small food can be even, if they’re disappointingly not made up of a variety of delicious tapas, but white bread, hula hoops and baby bels – party pintxos if you will.

Anyway,  a couple of hours of tidying later and I’ve created a small space for the chettinad, which despite my carping is still lovely, with a lovely pungent warmth from the ginger and black pepper spice rub, and underlying oiliness from the aforementioned curry leaves:

Do try it, although I promise to cook something different next week though, so we won’t be seeing this for a while.

sources
chicken chettinad - Rick Stein's India, in Delicious August 2013, p47