Chicken Liver Curry with potato cubes.

It's absolutely true, that out of not only sheer laziness but also a new work commitment, I haven't been able to use my Nikon buddy for a while now. But i did manage to click some images with my confidante and all time escort: Samsung Galaxy A50. This according to me, happens to be the perfect recipe for such inter nights, when you crave for spices to warm up the cockles of your heart. Comm'n we are Indians, we are born to be the Mistress of Spices.!!

I will walk you through the recipe, revealing the ingredients as we begin our recipe walk:

1. Start by washing or cleaning and washing 500 gm of chicken liver properly. Marinate them in 1/4th cup milk + 1 tsp salt+ 1/2 tsp pepper powder + 1 tsp (leveled) coriander powder & 1/2 tsp garam masala powder. Keep aside for 15 mins.

2. Blanch 3 nos. medium size tomatoes in boiling water for 10 mins. ( Make a cross incision on their back, before tumbling them into the water). Take them out and allow them to cool. Peel the skin off. Mash them a little with a a fork, being careful to still keep them on the chunkier side.

3. Alongside chop the following finely:  1 onion & 2-3 green chilies.  Peel 3 no medium size potatoes and chop them into cubes. In the meantime, clean and roughly chop a handful of coriander leaves as well, and keep side. Roughly pound or grate in 3-4 fat cloves of garlic, as well.

4. In a thick bottom pan, heat 2 tbsp mustard oil and add 2 dried red chilies (broken). Once they start to flare up and change colour add in the following whole spices: 2 bay leaves (each torn into two) + 4 green cardamom (slightly crushed) + 1" cinnamon stick + 5-6 coves and cook in that oil till the cardamom seeds slightly splutter..

5. Add in the chopped onions now with a pinch of salt and cook it along with the whole spices on medium low flame, covered, till it caramelizes. In goes the garlic and the chilies and stir them well to combine the onion mush and the spices.

6. In no time, when you are hit by the aroma of garlic cooking, tumble in the chopped tomatoes & a pinch of salt, and stir well. Cover and cook on medium low flame for 10 minutes, till the onion breaks down completely.

7. After 10 minutes, crank up the heat a little, and allow the tomatoes to cook a bit more. This is more like 'bhuno'. We will continue till oil starts appearing on the side of the onion tomato mixture. Then add in the marinated liver and fry on heat for 3-4 mins. After that add in the cubed potatoes and continue frying both,nthe meat & the potato on high heat till most of the water disappears from the pan. Add in 1 tsp of red chilli powder at this stage and mixed well.

8. Once most of the water dries up in the pan, add in 1 cup of water+ 1 tbsp chicken stock powder (optional) + 2 tsp vinegar ( adjust according to taste)+ half a tsp of sugar, and allow it to cook on medium heat, covered till it comes to a boil, and potatoes are cooked almost through, which might take 10 minutes or so.

9. Check the done-ness of potatoes, and then add in 2 tsp of chaat masala, and give a good mix. Cook for further 3-4 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning at this stage.

10. Once the gravy thickens and coats the back of your spoon, turn the heat off and add in the chopped coriander leaves and give a good mix. Time to serve it hot from the pan itself, over a bed of teaming hot  of rice. Alternatively do feel free to have it with some chapatis as well.

This was an almost no work curry ready to be served mostly for dinner ( that's a very personal view , please feel free to relish it at whatever time of the day you wish to).  This I feel can be a superb choice for dinner, on those long drinking sessions with friends on weekends. Simple, sorted and who doesn't love that kick of spices after your topple of choice.  Also this can double up as  super comforting mid week dinner for the family after a long and tiring day at work.

But here are some points. that I would like you guys to know!!

• a. In case if boiling and chopping tomatoes feel like a lot of task, use tinned tomatoes, for the dish.
• b. In case if your tomatoes turn to be a slight bit more stringent than you would like them to, add in a tad bit of milk, along with water. Not only will impart creaminess to the gravy, it will also provide a good balance.
• c. Once you check on the tomatoes after 10 minutes, if they happen to dry up completely, feel free to sprinkle in some water. This will create steam and also prevent them from burning.
• d. I used a mix of 70% chicken liver and 30% gizzards. Feel free to follow or un-follow this!!
• e. As always, do reduce or add in more chilies according to your level of endurance. Same with the quantity of salt as well!!

Now now, this recipe is certainly an adaptation from the one my Poorna Banerjee PresentedbyP, for some lip smacking recipes and splendid reading material. But, as always I did it my way.

Do cook this, please and let me know your take on this humble baby.

See you all soon!! Chow.