Pondicherry Style Roast Chicken With Vegetables

Pondicherry style roast chicken with vegetables. Chicken brined overnite and roasted along with vegetables and spices. Simple and delicious recipe.

I am a great fan of Lourdes Tirouvanziam-Louis and her book, The Pondicherry Kitchen. I am so lucky to have gotten in touch with her recently. During a recent conversation with her, Madam Louis was really generous to pass on some of her recipes to try in my kitchen. This recipe of hers, Pondicherry style chicken roast with vegetables is absolutely divine. A very simple recipe but the technique used takes the dish to the next level. She brines the chicken with salt (dry brine) over-nite and that adds so much flavour. It also keeps the meat moist and juicy throughout. Pondicherry was a french colony and that influence can be seen in everyday cooking and in the recipes of the region. If you are interested in the recipes from the region, then this book is a must have.

Pic: Madam Lourdes Tirouvanziam – Louis Photo Courtesy : The French Embassy – India

Unlike many popular recipes for roast chicken that uses an oven, this recipe is cooked and finished in the pan itself. This is a simple one pot recipe that can be made easily. Here is how to do it. First we need to brine the chicken. I am using chicken thighs on the bone for this recipe today. Add a teaspoon of salt to the chicken and mix well. Stash the chicken in the refrigerator over-nite. The flavour of the chicken improves tremendously and you will end up with the most juiciest chicken. I have used natural un refined sea salt for this recipe today. Note: I have used skinless chicken. You can use chicken with skin and it works well too!

Heat butter or oil until the pan is hot. Add in the chicken pieces. Cook until golden brown on one side, about 4 – 5 minutes (Keep moving the chicken pieces so it does not stick to the pan). If using chicken with skin, place the skin side down first.

Turn the chicken pieces over with a spatula and cook for another 4 – 5 minutes more. Remove the browned chicken and set aside on a plate.

In the same pan (Leave the oil and the fat from the chicken) , add in the onions, garlic and the carrots. Saute for a few minutes.

Add in the diced mushrooms and cracked black pepper powder.

Saute for a minute. Add in the half cooked chicken pieces back to the pan.

Reduce the flame to low and cover the pan with a lid and let it cook on a low flame for about 10 – 15 minutes. No need to add any water. The moisture from the vegetables, mushrooms and the chicken will be enough. But make sure you have the flame of the stove at low at all times. Sprinkle little water only if necessary. Note: We have not added any extra salt. The salt from the chicken will be enough.

Pondicherry style Pan roasted chicken with vegetables is ready. Serve with potatoes and salad.

• 500 grams chicken on the bone (medium size pieces)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 150 grams mushrooms, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, whole – keep the skin
• 1 tablespoon butter or oil
• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper, crushed

1. Brine the chicken by adding a teaspoon of salt to the chicken. Mix well. Stash the chicken in the refrigerator over-nite.
2. Heat butter or oil until the pan is hot. Add in the chicken pieces. Cook until golden brown on one side, about 4 – 5 minutes.
3. Turn the chicken pieces over with a spatula and cook for another 4 – 5 minutes more. Remove the browned chicken and set aside on a plate.
4. In the same pan (Leave the oil and the fat from the chicken) , add in the onions, garlic and the carrots. Saute for a minute.
5. Add in the diced mushrooms and cracked black pepper powder.
6. Saute for a minute. Add in the half cooked chicken pieces back to the pan.
7. Reduce the flame to low and cover the pan with a lid and let it cook on a low flame for about 10 – 15 minutes. No need to add any water. The moisture from the vegetables, mushrooms and the chicken will be enough. But make sure you have the flame of the stove at low at all times. Sprinkle little water only if necessary.
8. Pondicherry style Pan roasted chicken with vegetables is ready. Serve with potatoes and salad.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 8 hours
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Category: Main
• Cuisine: Pondicherry

• 500 grams chicken on the bone (medium size pieces)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 150 grams mushrooms, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, whole – keep the skin
• 1 tablespoon butter or oil
• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper, crushed

1. Brine the chicken by adding a teaspoon of salt to the chicken. Mix well. Stash the chicken in the refrigerator over-nite.
2. Heat butter or oil until the pan is hot. Add in the chicken pieces. Cook until golden brown on one side, about 4 – 5 minutes.
3. Turn the chicken pieces over with a spatula and cook for another 4 – 5 minutes more. Remove the browned chicken and set aside on a plate.
4. In the same pan (Leave the oil and the fat from the chicken) , add in the onions, garlic and the carrots. Saute for a minute.
5. Add in the diced mushrooms and cracked black pepper powder.
6. Saute for a minute. Add in the half cooked chicken pieces back to the pan.
7. Reduce the flame to low and cover the pan with a lid and let it cook on a low flame for about 10 – 15 minutes. No need to add any water. The moisture from the vegetables, mushrooms and the chicken will be enough. But make sure you have the flame of the stove at low at all times. Sprinkle little water only if necessary.
8. Pondicherry style Pan roasted chicken with vegetables is ready. Serve with potatoes and salad.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 8 hours
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Category: Main
• Cuisine: Pondicherry

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/roast-chicken-with-vegetables/

Sura Puttu Recipe. Fish Puttu – stir fried sura meen (shark fish) with veggies and spices. Steamed sura meen shredded and made into a stir-fry. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Sura Puttu or meen puttu is made with a variety of fish called paal sura or milk shark. It is widely available in Tamilnadu and is prescribed as a folk medicine for cold and cough. Its also popularly served to lactating mothers in the coastal regions of Tamilnadu. Its a very soft and flaky fish that is often steamed and made into a stir fry. The first time I had this was in Chennai at Manju aunties place. I first thought that it was muttai poriyal (masala scrambled eggs). One bite and the texture was so different. I had never had anything like that before. In Coimbatore (my home town), sea fish was very hard to come by those days. I had never even heard of this fish till then. This is a staple at her place and I started liking it ever since. This recipe makes for an excellent side dish for lunch along with rice. If you cannot get this fish, any flaky fish like Sea Bass, Halibut, Tilapia, Barracuda will work too!

Here are other fish recipes from the site Fish Recipes

Here is the video of how to make sura puttu

Here is how to do Sura Meen Puttu: Salt the fish pieces for 10 minutes. Set aside.

Steam the fish for 10 minutes on a medium flame. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Flake the fish with a fork and set aside. Get rid off the bones if any.

For the stir-fry: Crush the ginger and garlic using a mortar and pestle into a coarse paste.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the urad dal and mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the curry leaves, crushed ginger and garlic mixture, chopped green chillies. Up the green chillies if you want a spicy puttu. Saute for a minute.

Add in the chopped onions and saute for 4-5 minutes on a medium flame till the onions are soft and starting to brown. Note: If you are adding 250 grams of fish, use about 250 grams of onions for this recipe. The taste of onions goes very well in this recipe.

Add in the turmeric powder and pepper powder. Saute for a minute.

Now add in the fish flakes and mix well to combine. Let the fish slowly heat up in the pan so the spices adhere better. Check for seasoning. If salt is required, add a little at this stage. Remember that we already salted the fish while steaming. So go easy on the salt.

Sura puttu is ready. Serve with rice and curry.

• 250 grams sura fish or any flaky fish
• 1/2 teaspoon salt + 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1/4 teaspoon urad dal
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1/2 inch piece ginger
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3 green chillies, chopped
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder

1. Salt the fish pieces for 10 minutes. Set aside.
2. Steam the fish for 10 minutes on a medium flame. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Flake the fish with a fork and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add in the urad dal and mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the curry leaves, crushed ginger and garlic mixture, chopped green chillies. Saute for a minute.
4. Add in the chopped onions and saute for 4-5 minutes on a medium flame till the onions are soft and starting to brown.
5. Add in the turmeric powder and pepper powder. Saute for a minute.
6. Now add in the fish flakes and mix well to combine. Let the fish slowly heat up in the pan so the spices adhere better. Check for seasoning. If salt is required, add a little at this stage. Remember that we already salted the fish while steaming. So go easy on the salt.
7. Sura puttu is ready. Serve with rice and curry.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu