Monsoon Musings-2

Its been pouring almost nonstop everyday. Obviously concerns regarding empty rivers and lakes, water shortage and the like are now converted to concerns about floods,rain related diseases, crops getting ruined and skyrocketing vegetable prices. It reminds me of one of my most memorable and now laughable conversation's with Shellu (for those who don't know and since I've spoken about her in the past, Shellu aka Sharon, aka Dr. Sharon (she's a dentist..but insists she's a real doctor. I must confess she's a bloody brilliant one) is one of my best friends, since we were 2.(We actually hated each other from 6 to 10..but since our parents are friends we were thrown together our whole entire life).She has followed me through play-school, school, college and the moment I finished my 12th and went to law college, she got depressed, left college and went to dental college.To make things better (or worse) we lived in the same lane, when I wasn't married, so I just couldn't get her to stop following me around.She's also one of my  favourite people, to laugh with and at and make fun of.(I love you Shellu, I know you are going to read my blog, if you don't already (I'll send you the link to make sure you do) in hope that I divulge my Sindhi Curry recipe). 
Anyhow, the night before our Geography & Chemistry prelim, (for which, both of us were completely unprepared) from mid-night until 5:00 am what do we discuss?!?Rising prices of vegetables. Yessir, two not-even-yet 16 year old brats who have no role in contributing to or running their respective kitchens, who don't do any work besides eating their way through their respective family fortunes, discuss rising price of vegetables, one night before their exams like two middle-age women in a 2nd class Churchgate-Virar local train. Needless to say we barely (or didn't) pass. Obviously we still laugh about it.. and yet, till date neither of us run our own kitchens.So much so for our concern over vegetable prices.

In other news, the monsoons have also given me acid reflux. Don't ask me the connection. There is none. All I know is, if I eat too much (which is often), too spicy (which is all the time) or too close to bed time (which is during the weekend) I end up sick in the morning. This is why I try to make less spicy (tragically so!) but yummy food. Like the Mint & Coriander (cilantro) Chicken and Corn in white sauce patties, which I had with steaming vegetable soup flecked with tiny garlic chips.(Just for the record, I made the patties with left over chicken curry,known as Summer Chicken adapted from passionateaboutbaking.com, I've altered the proportions accordingly)

Mint & Coriander Chicken and Corn in white sauce patties

Ingredients

For the Mint & Coriander Chicken 
300gms mixed boneless chicken pieces cut small
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup coriander leaves
1 1/4 cup yogurt
2 green chillies
4 pods garlic
1/2 tsp minced ginger
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbs oil
Pepper, chilli powder

For the White Sauce
2 Cups Milk
1 tsp cornflour dissolved in 2 tbs water
1 cheese slice or cube (optional)
1/2 tbs butter
1 tsp mixed dried herbs

For the Patties
1/2 onion chopped really tiny
1/2 cup boiled corn kernels
1 tsp minced garlic
2 potatoes boiled and mashed
handful of coriander leaves
2 chillies cut fine
1tbs Oil
Salt, pepper, chilli flakes and mixed dried herbs
1 cup Sorghum flour (jowar atta) or 1 egg beaten or bread crumbs
Oil to shallow fry (or to barely grease the non-stick as I did)


Method 

For the Chicken
Marinate the chicken in juice of 1 lime, pepper and chilli powder for 30 mins.Whiz the mint, coriander, yogurt, chillies and garlic. In a deep bottom pan, warm the oil add the ginger and chicken and let it cook for a bit on medium flame till the chicken releases water. Once the water is almost is gone, add the yogurt mix and give a good stir. Cook it till the gravy reduces by half.
Let this sit for a while, the gravy will become nice and thick and will have a gorgeous minty yet slightly tart taste.

For the White Sauce (make it just before you start assembling the patties to be served)
Melt the butter on medium flame and add the milk. Add the herbs, cornflour and cheese and bring it to a boil. Don't let it thicken too much.This shouldn't take you more than 5 mins. Turn off the gas and keep it aside.

For the Patties
Warm the oil and add the garlic and herbs.Add the chicken, chillies and corn and cook it on high flame for around 2-3 mins.Add the potatoes, coriander and onions and mix everything well. Finally add the white sauce, salt pepper and chilli flakes, get the flame to medium and give it a good mix. It will look like one big,thick, gooey, bubbly mess.
Turn it off the gas the moment it thickens and is all bubbly (around 5-7 mins) and let it cool. When you want to serve the patties, shape them accordingly. Heat oil in a nonstick pan, coat the patties in flour (as I did)/breadcrumbs/egg. Shallow fry  then till they're browned on both sides.

Serve them with bread/chutney/sauce or just eat them plain like the everhappywithfoodcookedbyme Husband did.

PS:The soup was made by Gops, the star and most integral person in my family..He, who manages the kitchen and controls what we will eat everyday and whether we will sleep with satisfied tummies or suffer in silence.