Chicken roast with potatoes

Green Earth
I felt guilty when I read that our demand for the softest tissue to wipe our behinds is the reason behind cutting down of decades or century old trees. Unlike in Europe where mostly recycled paper is used for making toilet paper, Americans demand for the softest of soft tissues has resulted in clear cutting of virgin forests. Only 5% of the toilet paper sold in the US is made from recycled paper. If you are curious Seventh Generation and Marcel Small Steps are the companies that manufacture toilet paper from mostly recycled fiber. Read the full article The Unkindest Flush.

Newsweek released the list of the Greenest Companies in the US. Would a higher green ranking encourage you to buy more of the company's products compared to a competitor?



I had a packet of chicken thighs sitting in the freezer for quite some time. If it sat there any longer it had to make its way to the dumpster pretty soon. Before that happened I glanced at this recipe and that saved the chicken and my conscience.

The recipe is adapted from Will-O'-the Wisp.

Ingredients
1. 1 1/2 lbs of chicken cut into bite sized pieces (I used the thighs with bones)
2. 4 Medium sized potatoes cut into slices - 1 1/2 cups worth
3. 1 Large Red Onion - 1 1/2 Cups sliced thin
4. 6-8 garlic cloves chopped fine
5. 2 inch piece of ginger grated
6. 2 1/2 tomatoes chopped fine - 1 cup
7. 4 red chilies broken
8. 1 tbsp sambhar powder or red chili powder + 2 tsp pepper powder
9. seasonings - cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds and curry leaves - 2 sprigs
10. 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

To Powder
1. 1 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
2. 2 tsp cumin seeds
3. 1/2 tbsp pepper
4. 5 red chilies
5. 2 tsp turmeric powder
6. 1 tbsp yogurt
dry roast the spices 1-4 and powder and mix it with the chicken along with the yogurt and set aside for an hour.

Method
1. In a pan heat oil and add the whole spices and curry leaves. Add the minced garlic and ginger and sliced onions and saute till they turn brown.
2. Add the tomato and saute till it turns soft.
3. Now add the potatoes and mix it well.
4. Add the marinating chicken and mix it well. Saute for a few minutes, add salt, close the lid and let the it cook about 8-10 minutes.
5. Open the lid add the sambhar powder and pepper powder and cook in open flame in medium heat for another 10 minutes.

Cooking the chicken for too long makes it tough, so once the chicken is cooked fish it out and add them back in once the gravy has become thick.

We enjoyed this very tasty chicken with rice, chapathis and idlis.

The peppers have just started growing.

Guess what they are going to be cooked into.