The main ingredient for a good chicken soup is the chicken stock. I like to use homemade chicken stock for this soup as its more flavorful and one can control the amount of salt that goes into the stock. Its very easy to make chicken stock at home. I use the bones, wings, neck and giblets of the chicken for making stock. I use the pressure cooker method as its fast. Here is how to do it.
Take about 500 grams of chicken and its bones (mostly bones with little flesh) in a pressure cooker and add two liters of water. Add in the spices, half an onion, half a carrot and the garlic cloves. I don’t peel the garlic. I add it with the skin on. Cover the cooker and cook for 20 minutes on low flame (about 7-8 whistles). Remove from heat and let the pressure from the cooker release naturally. Drain the stock to a bowl.
Shred the chicken meat from the bones. Set aside. Discard the bones, spices and the veggies. Making stock at home is a very fulfilling experience. The chicken fat floating on the stock can be removed using a ladle. The easier way is to refrigerate the stock for a couple of hours and the fat would solidify. Its easier to remove the fat this way. Do not throw away the fat. Store it in the refrigerator and use it in your omelettes, stir-fry etc…instead of oil. You can store this stock at this stage in the refrigerator and use it whenever required.
Now lets make soup.
Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan. Add in a teaspoon of dried Italian mixed herbs. You can use any store bought herb mixture. Add in the minced garlic and finely chopped onion. Saute until the onions are soft.
Take a cup and add in two tablespoons of All purpose flour (maida). Add in a cup of water and mix well to make a slurry. Add it to the pan. Add in the chicken stock. Add a cup of milk and a cup of cream.
Add in the shredded chicken pieces, salt and pepper. Let it come to a simmer. Check for seasoning.
Serve hot!
For the Stock
- 500 grams chicken bone
- 2 liters water
- 2 sticks Cinnamon
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 clove
- 1 cardamom
- 1 star anise
- 1/2 onion
- 1/2 carrot
- 4 cloves garlic, with the skin
For the Soup
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon dried italian herb mixture
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon all purpose flour (maida)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- Add in all the ingredients listed under making stock to a pressure pan. Cover the pressure pan and cook for 20 minutes on low flame. (about 7-8 whistles). Remove from heat and let the pressure from the cooker release naturally. Drain the stock to a bowl.
- Shred the chicken meat from the bones. Set aside.
- Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan. Add in a teaspoon of dried Italian mixed herbs. Add in the minced garlic and finely chopped onion. Saute until the onions are soft.
- Take a cup and add in two tablespoons of All purpose flour (maida). Add in a cup of water and make a slurry. Add it to the pan. Add in the chicken stock. Add a cup of milk and a cup of cream.
- Add in the shredded chicken pieces, salt and pepper. Let it come to a simmer. Check for seasoning.Serve hot.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Fusion
For the Stock
- 500 grams chicken bone
- 2 liters water
- 2 sticks Cinnamon
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 clove
- 1 cardamom
- 1 star anise
- 1/2 onion
- 1/2 carrot
- 4 cloves garlic, with the skin
For the Soup
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon dried italian herb mixture
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon all purpose flour (maida)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- Add in all the ingredients listed under making stock to a pressure pan. Cover the pressure pan and cook for 20 minutes on low flame. (about 7-8 whistles). Remove from heat and let the pressure from the cooker release naturally. Drain the stock to a bowl.
- Shred the chicken meat from the bones. Set aside.
- Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan. Add in a teaspoon of dried Italian mixed herbs. Add in the minced garlic and finely chopped onion. Saute until the onions are soft.
- Take a cup and add in two tablespoons of All purpose flour (maida). Add in a cup of water and make a slurry. Add it to the pan. Add in the chicken stock. Add a cup of milk and a cup of cream.
- Add in the shredded chicken pieces, salt and pepper. Let it come to a simmer. Check for seasoning.Serve hot.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Fusion
Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/chicken-soup-creamy-soup-recipe/
This recipe for chicken kurma is something I picked up during our initial years after marriage. I always had home made spice masala powder stashed in the freezer at all times. My days at work used to be really long those years. If I had some friends or family coming for dinner, I would come back home after work and throw in some rice in the cooker and make this kurma in no time. This chicken kurma is effortless. The only thing that takes a few minutes to make is the masala paste. No frying, no sauteing. Add everything in the cooker and cook for 12- 15 minutes and your dinner can be served with absolutely zero stress. Try it out. The whole thing can be put together in less than 30 minutes.
The following is my non-veg masala powder that I use for a lot of dishes. I learned the masala powder recipe from my athama (aunt).
Here is what you will need for the masala powder.
Take a flat pan and add in all the ingredients for the masala spice powder except turmeric and poppy seeds (khuskhus). Fry until fragrant. Remove from heat and transfer the mixture to a mixie / spice grinder. Add in the turmeric and raw poppy seeds. If you cannot get poppy seeds in a country where you live, just skip it. But poppy seeds does add a lot of flavor to the chicken kurma. Grind the mixture to a very fine powder.
In the same mixie, add in the onion, garlic and the ginger. Add 1/2 a cup of water and grind to make a smooth paste. Set aside. Take a pressure pan and add in the chicken pieces. We use chicken pieces with bone for this recipe. Add in the ground masala paste. Add in 150 ml of coconut milk. I used store bought coconut milk. Add in 3 sprigs of curry leaves and the salt.
Add a cup of water. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover the pan and cook for 5 whistles or for 12-13 minutes on medium flame. Remove from heat after all the whistles are over and wait for the pressure to release from the cooker naturally.
Open the cooker and garnish the chicken kurma with coriander leaves.
Serve hot!
For the Spice Powder
- 6 dried red chillies
- 1 cinnamon
- 1 clove
- 1½ tablespoon coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- 1½ teaspoon poppy seeds (khus khus)
For the paste
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
Other Ingredients
- 500 grams chicken with bone
- 3 sprigs curry leaves
- 150 ml coconut milk, store bought
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped
- Take a flat pan and add in all the ingredients listed under “spice powder” except turmeric and poppy seeds (khuskhus). Fry until fragrant. Remove from heat and transfer to a mixie / spice grinder. Add in the turmeric and raw poppy seeds. Grind the mixture to a very fine powder.
- In the same mixie, add in the onion, garlic and the ginger. Add 1/2 a cup of water and grind to make a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Take a pressure pan and add in the chicken pieces. Add in the ground masala paste. Add in the coconut milk. Add in the curry leaves and the salt. Add one cup of water.
- Mix all the ingredients well. Cover the pan and cook for 5 whistles or for 12-13 minutes on medium flame. Remove from heat after all the whistles are over and wait for the pressure to release from the cooker naturally.
- Open the cooker and garnish the chicken kurma with coriander leaves.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Side Dish / Gravy
- Cuisine: Tamilnadu
