Kadhai Chicken

It is also called Kadai chicken curry, murg kadhai, kadhai murghee, Iruppuchchatti kozhi curry, Wok chicken curry and so on.

Ingredients:

• Chicken: 1
• Onion: 4
• Tomato: 6
• Ginger garlic Paste: 4 tsp
• Green Chili: 3
• Coriander Powder: 2 tsp
• Garam masala: 2 tsp
• Red chili powder: 2tsp
• Turmeric Powder: ½ tsp
• Salt to taste
• Edible oil: as required
• Coriander leaves: for garnishing
  
  

Method of preparation:

• Dress the chicken and cut into pieces.
• Chop the onions, tomatoes and green chilies.
• Heat oil in a kadhai.
• Add chopped onions and green chilies and sauté until light golden brown.
• Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, coriander powder and salt.
• Mix well.
• Add tomatoes, gingergarlic paste and sauté until the tomatoes become half cooked.
• Add a little water and bring it to boil.
• When the gravy becomes slightly thick, add chicken pieces and stir well.
• Reduce heat. Cover and thoroughly cook.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve hot.
  

Taken well with rice, biriyani / biriani, kushka, chapathi, roti, bread, puri / poori, paratha / purotta, dosa / dosai, idli / idly, oothappam / uthappam etc.

Jigarthanda

Jigarthanda, a unique Madurai cool drink is very nice and healthy to have in summer.
Jigar in Hindi language means heart and Thanda means cold. So we can make out it’s meaning as the cooler of heart. It is a type of falooda (faluda), which gives pleasure. Jigar Thanda means Manam kulir panam (Ullaththaik kuliravaikkum panam) in Tamil.

Many attractive names like jil jil jigarthanda, jum jum jigarthanda can be heard in Madurai.


Ingredients:

• Milk: 600 ml
• Almond pisin (Badam pisin): 3 tbsp
• Rose syrub: 2 tbsp (or nannari syrup 60 ml)
• Ice cream: 1 small size
  

Method of preparation:

• Soak badam pisin in water for about eight hours to convert it from gum form into enlarged jelly form.
• Boil milk in low flame. Continue boiling so as to reduce the quantity to 300 ml (half of 600 ml).
• Allow for cooling and keep it in refrigerator.
• Fill half of a glass tumbler with this chilled milk.
• Add soaked badam pisin, rose / nannari syrup and ice cream.
• Tasty, healthy and cool Jigarthanda is ready.

Nannari is a natural coolant. It is called sarsaparilla.
Edible alga / algae (Kadal pasi) can also be used instead of badam pisin.