Chicken and potato shoe strings (Salli Marghi)

There is so much growing unrest in the world.  A couple of months back who would have believed that an act of self-immolation by a young Tunisian man would have been the trigger for mass protests and the ousting of a leader who had declared himself “president for life”.  These protests have marked the beginning of protests in other countries around the Arab world. The old system is failing the people and you can feel the wind of change in the air – Tunisia, now Egypt and Yemen and perhaps some more countries to follow.  Change is inevitable.  Change is imminent.  But is change going to happen now?  I guess only time will tell.  Now all we can do is watch and see where these events lead us to.  I love this quote by Jimi Hendrix, “When the power-of-love overcomes the love-of-power, the world will know peace.” 

Peace is described most easily as the absence of war or conflict.  I have pictured a world where we would be able to live in peace and harmony.  A world where the only thing you segregate by colour is your laundry.  The unhappiness the people are expressing with their leaders and their governments, to me, is a sign that the old system is failing and a new system, a system accepted by the people would come into being.  Only time will tell…

 

Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken

2 tablespoon oil

3 large white onions, sliced fine

1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 ½ teaspoon red chilli powder

2 large tomatoes, chopped

2 green chillies

Salt to taste

1 cup water

6 peppercorns

6 cloves

6 cardamoms

2” piece cinnamon

For the potato shoe strings:

3 large potatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

Oil for frying or baking

Method:

 

1. To make the potato shoe strings, the potatoes are cut into fine strips, tossed with salt and pepper then baked or deep fried in vegetable oil.  If baked, add some oil to the potatoes along with the salt and pepper and then bake.  
2. Pound the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and peppercorns together roughly.   
3. Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions till golden brown.  
4. Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté.  
5. Add the roughly ground masalas, turmeric, red chilli powder and green chillies.  
6. Blend in the tomatoes and chicken and continue to sauté adding a little water at a time till the oil separates.  
7. Add a little more water and cover and cook till well done, approximately 30 minutes on medium flame.  The gravy should be thick.  
8. Serve topped with potato shoe strings and serve with rice or bread.