DANCE IN THE RAIN..

It's raining!!
It's raining !!
It's been raining all day today..The scene outside my kitchen window is so tempting ..Sheets of water pouring down, down,swollen streams flowing down my driveway...the grass is sooo green and wet, the swings in the sandpit sway enticingly...inviting me for a swing in the rains...
There's a steady drumming on the roof which tells me that these are not your ordinary namby pamby soft raindrops...they're strong and heavy ..wild too....calling out to me "come on...let's dance in the rain..let's splash about in all those muddy puddles..cut loose!!come on!!"
Control ,Reshma...control!!Don't give in to temptation..Just think of the consequences!!
Consequences? what problem could there be if I dance in the rain? Am I not a free agent? Who is there to object?No one.
Yeah...No one to clean up after me when I rush inside all wet and muddy after my tryst with nature..There'll be water and muddy footprints trailing all the way from my front door to the linen cupboard where I'll have to pull out towels...then onto the bathroom..A mad dash from the bathroom to my closet to get dry clothes...putting the soggy clothes for washing..cleaning up the bathroom....aaah ...the myriad problems that my practical mommy brain tells me to look out for...They can very effectively squash any mad impulse I have!!
Sometimes I wish I could revert back to childhood..If I had been a child now....my Umma(as we mallu muslims call our moms)would be standing at the front door with a large towel in hand , scolding me (not too much, though!) and I would enter the house all snugly wrapped ...run to the bathroom, throw out my wet clothes and holler.."Umma !!my clothes please!!"
And she would come bustling around, dry clothes in one hand..hot steaming coffee in the other...After having that coffee...I would nestle up next to her and doze off ...Umma...really miss being your baby girl now...
Maybe if I were a queen..just imagine!!I could just run out..play in the rain, walk into my room, and curl up on my sumptous bed, wet clothes and all..There would be maid s to dry my hair, clean up the puddles I left behind..change the sheets..wash my clothes..my list would be endless...!!Imagine...I could even stroll into my royal kitchen (ahem!!the mind never strays too far from the kitchen!!)and whip up a lovely dish in minutes..no hassle ..no fuss..since all the other work like chopping, sifting, measuring..etc..will be done by one of my many lackeys....Washing dirty dishes and cleaning up the messy kitchen.?ho hum...let the maids do it!!haha!!
Wow!!just imagine!!the mind boggles at the myriad possibilities....
Sorreee...got a bit carried away...Queen indeed!
Anyway, since I 'm just a little mom who happens to be the cook rolled into the cleaning lady(and nota queen)let' forget dancing in the rain and start cooking..shall we?
Let's make something simple ,easy, and delicious too(can't forget that part!)..something that requires very little effort,and minimum cleaning up afterwards..!!

CHETTINADU STYLE CHICKEN FRY


Ingredients:
Chicken(chopped,bonless preferably) 1 kg
Ginger (crushed)- 2 tsp
Garlic(crushed)- 4 tsp
Salt 2 tsp
Red chilly(coarsely crushed) 1/2 cup
Chilly powder 4 tsp
Turmeric powder 2 tsp
Curd 1/2 cup
(preferably hung curd..not too dry)
Rice flour(or cornflour) 1/2 cup
soda bicarb 3/4 tsp
curry leaves 10-15 nos.
red color (optional) a pinch



Method:

1. Rub ginger garlic all over the chicken and keep aside for 15 minutes.

2. Put rest of ingredients in a blender and mix for 10 seconds..shouldn't be too well ground..it should be a thick slurry type paste.(add a little water if you feel it's too dry.

3. Spread paste on the chicken, and leave to marinate in fridge for another 1 hour at least.

4. Deep fry in hot oil and serve hot.