Rustic Chicken and Potatoes in a Dutch Oven

The flower from the last post was in fact Lavender. It was not a very familiar flower for me but that in no way meant that my readers were unfamiliar with it. Everyone who took a shot at it got it right. I am proud of you all.

How do you have your cake and eat it too? Exercise of course! That you already know. When you exercise makes a lot of difference. I hear that exercising before breakfast offers vastly more benefits than after a big breakfast.

Jump to the Recipe >>>

Eating a carbohydrate rich meal after exercising in a fasted state does not seem to cause any ill effects is the conclusion of the study published in the Journal of Psychology. Don't for a minute assume I scour medical journals. I came to this information through NY Times - Phys Ed: The Benefits of Exercising Before Breakfast.

It is easy to follow a regular exercising schedule if you have an exercise buddy or an exercise group. I am lucky that way, I have a friend in the neighborhood who walks (with her dog) around the same time and I tag along. If I walk by myself even a 2 mile distance is an arduous task but with a friend for company even 4 miles is easy peasy. Personally I prefer swimming to any of the land based or gym based workouts.

Swimming is like meditation and cuts down the need for a therapist. Seriously! I read somewhere that there is no sceintific proof that endorphins released during exercising really improve moods or causes euphoria. I do not believe the study because exercise does help elevate my disposition during the day - having more energy, being more alert and giving me the ability to deal with bullshit at work.

If before breakfast is absolutely impossible doing exercise later in the day or any time of the day is better than no exercise at all. Is there any research to prove it I bet there is.

Which is your favorite time of the day to exercise? Do you have an exercise partner?

Now to the recipe,
I put my Mother's Day gift to good use in this recipe. A dutch oven is something that I always wanted and this Mother's Day the family lovingly presented me with one. What if it was a size smaller than the one I really wanted. I think cooking chicken in this oven makes it taste better.

Rustic Chicken and Potatoes in a Dutch Oven
Ingredients
1. 2 lbs Chicken cubed (breast, thighs, any part works)
2. 3 medium potatoes quartered
3. 1-2 cups shallots (red onions works)
4. 8-10 green chilies
5. 2 tbsp of minced garlic and ginger
6. handful of chopped coriander leaves and stems
7. 2 sprigs of curry leaves + 1 tsp of cumin
8. 2 tbsp of masala powder (3/4 tbsp coriander seeds , 2 tsp of pepper corns, 1/2 tsp of cumin, piece of cinnamon and a few cloves - roasted and powdered)
9. 3 ripe red tomatoes diced
10. 1/2 tbsp of red chili powder
11. 1 tbsp of lemon juice
12. salt to taste
13. 2 tsp of turmeric powder
14. 4-5 tsp of oil (a bit more than I usually add but well worth it)

Prep the chicken
1. Sprinkle the turmeric on the chicken and let it sit for about 20 minutes

Method
1. Heat about 3-4 tsp of oil in the Dutch Oven, coat it evenly on the surface, when hot add the chicken and let it brown on both sides and set aside
2. Add the cubed potatoes and let it brown as well (loosen the bits stuck to the bottom before adding the onions)
3. Add more oil if required add curry leaves and cumin and add the minced garlic and ginger and let them saute for a few minutes, add the onions and let it brown nicely
4. Now add the powdered masala powder followed by the diced tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes become mushy
5. Add the chicken and potatoes, minced coriander leaves, salt and about 2 cups of water
6. Set the heat to below medium and let cook for about 30 minutes or so.
7. Just before it is done add the red chili powder and the lemon juice

Taste great with rice or bread of any kind.