Connect!
Sponsors
Subscribe!
Recent Posts
Categories
- Awards (3)
- Blog Events (12)
- Book Review (1)
- Ingredient Guide (6)
- Photography (1)
- Random Musings (69)
- Home (2)
- Hunger Challenge (7)
- MeMe (5)
- Seattle (3)
- Travel (16)
- Recipes (271)
- By Category (223)
- Appetizers and Snacks (27)
- Baked Goods (6)
- Breakfast and Brunch (18)
- Chutneys and Dips and Pickles (12)
- Cocktails (16)
- Desserts (19)
- From the Grill (8)
- Good with Drinks (25)
- Mains (35)
- Mocktails (2)
- Noodles (2)
- Pastas (6)
- Pizzas and Flatbreads (3)
- Quick-fix healthy meals (9)
- Rice Or Biryani (14)
- Sandwiches and Wraps (3)
- Side Dish – Dry (14)
- Side Dish – Gravy (16)
- Soups and Salads (19)
- South Beach Diet Friendly (14)
- Step by Step (2)
- By Cuisine (133)
- American (3)
- Cuban (1)
- Goan (1)
- India – Kerala (71)
- India – Other (8)
- India – Tamil Nadu (14)
- Indian Fusion (3)
- Indo Chinese (5)
- Middle Eastern (1)
- Misc (7)
- South East Asia (11)
- Spanish (7)
- Sri Lankan (1)
- By Ingredient (255)
- Asparagus (6)
- Avocado (1)
- Banana (4)
- Beans (3)
- Beef or Veal (6)
- Bell Pepper (4)
- Berries (5)
- Bitter Gourd (5)
- Cassava or Tapioca or Kappa (1)
- Cauliflower (1)
- Chestnut (1)
- Chicken (44)
- Coconut (14)
- Corn (4)
- Crab (4)
- Dates (1)
- Diary (8)
- Eggplant (3)
- Eggs (17)
- Fava Beans (1)
- Fennel (2)
- Fruits (5)
- Garlic (7)
- Garlic Spears (1)
- Ginger (6)
- Gooseberry (1)
- Grapefruit (1)
- Greens (18)
- Jackfruit (2)
- Lamb or Goat (27)
- Lentils and Legumes (12)
- Lychee (6)
- Mango (11)
- Mushroom (8)
- Nuts (12)
- Okra (1)
- Oranges and Kumquats (4)
- Papaya (1)
- Pear (2)
- Pineapple (3)
- Pomegranate (2)
- Pork (11)
- Potato (7)
- Quail (2)
- Quinoa (1)
- Rice (12)
- Rosemary (4)
- Sausage (4)
- Scallops (1)
- Seafood (39)
- Shrimp or Prawn (9)
- Squash (3)
- Star Anise (2)
- Sweet Potato or Yam (4)
- Tofu (2)
- Tomato (6)
- Vegetarian (39)
- Watermelon (1)
- Wheat (1)
- By Category (223)
- Restaurant Reviews (81)
- Other Restaurants (16)
- Las Vegas (4)
- Napa Valley (1)
- New York (1)
- Puerto Vallarta – Mexico (1)
- Rome, Italy (1)
- San Francisco (3)
- Spain (1)
- Vancouver BC (4)
- Seattle Restaurants (61)
- By Neighborhood (61)
- Ballard (4)
- Bellevue (5)
- Belltown (14)
- Capitol Hill (9)
- Downtown (11)
- Fremont (1)
- Greenwood (1)
- International District (1)
- Issaquah (1)
- Kirkland (2)
- Madison Park/Madrona (5)
- Queen Anne (2)
- Redmond/Sammamish (1)
- South Lake Union (1)
- Wallingford (2)
- West Seattle (2)
- By Type of Food (61)
- American (17)
- Asian (5)
- Bar (3)
- Breakfast/Brunch (6)
- Caribbean (1)
- Chinese (1)
- Dim Sum (2)
- European (1)
- French (10)
- Gastropub (2)
- Italian (7)
- Japanese (4)
- Korean (3)
- Latin American (2)
- Mediterranian (2)
- Mexican (1)
- Modern American (2)
- Northwest (14)
- Sandwiches/Subs (1)
- Seafood (5)
- Southwestern (1)
- Spanish (7)
- Steakhouse (1)
- Sushi (3)
- Tapas (9)
- Thai (1)
- Vegetarian (1)
- Venezuelan (1)
- Vietnamese (2)
- By Neighborhood (61)
- Other Restaurants (16)
- South Beach Diet (43)
- Breakfast Recipes (6)
- Dinner Recipes (11)
- For Vegetarians (9)
- Phase 1 (23)
- Phase 2 (9)
- Phase 3 (1)
- Side Dishes (9)
- Snack Ideas (4)
- Tech (1)
- Uncategorized (2)
Vir Sanghvi’s Rude Food and Thattukada Chicken
Posted on | June 22, 2008 | 43 Comments |
Share 
Tweet 
I have been blogging for an year and a half now, and for the most part I’ve kept up a steady pace. I have blogged when I was on vacation, when I had visitors and even when I was sick. Only thing that has ever kept me away from the blogging world is work, which is the main reason for my infrequent updates and blog hopping. Now, no one can fault me for being a good employee right? Someone’s gotta pay half of that mortgage… 
Anyway, while the busy schedule at work kept me away from cooking anything blog-worthy, I got time to catch up on my reading. It really helped that there is nothing great on TV these days too, all my regular shows are on summer break. Some of the books I’ve been reading are food related, so I thought I will share with you one book that was particularly entertaining.
A few months ago when I went to India, my sister gave me a book called Rude Food: The Collected Food Writings of Vir Sanghvi. It was published in 2004, but I had never even heard of it before. Vir Sanghvi is a well-known journalist and a leading television personality in India. Rude food is a compilation of articles from his weekly foodie column in Hindustan Times’ Sunday magazine. What makes this book a great read is the fact that Vir Sanghvi is not a chef, he is a foodie. He is a person who loves food almost obsessively, a fact so apparent from the way he describes the dishes and flavors. There is no way someone can fake this kind of enthusiasm! Reading this book is almost as delightful as eating a fancy meal.
A big eye opener for me was the fact that India’s restaurant scene has significantly evolved. My only tryst with the fine food scene in India was during my two year stay in Bangalore a decade ago. I was happy to learn that one can get pretty much everything from fresh oysters to foie gras in India these days. Now, that is a big relief, if I ever move back to India, I always thought I would miss some of the fine food I’ve grown to love. But it turns out that I had excessively underestimated the food scene in India.
Vir Sanghvi has some weird habits like transporting potatoes to India from his trips abroad since he doesn’t like the domestic variety, and an almost obscene love for truffles, he says.
“’If you like the smell of truffles, you also like sex. If, on the other hand, you think it reminds you of socks, then you’re probably lousy in bed.”
But all in all, he is a normal person who loves everything about food. There is so much information spread among the many 2-3 page articles like the history of sandwiches and the evolution of Indo-Chinese food. He tries very hard to convey that he is not a food snob, but there is plenty of namedropping going on in here about the celebrity chefs he knows and many mentions about his trip abroad on the Prime Minister’s private jet. Almost every restaurant he talks about are the five-star variety, there is nothing wrong in that, I don’t mind a little snobbery when it comes to fine food, but it is funny when he says
The original brief for Rude Food had been to demystify the whole business of fancy food and fine wine and to take all the snobbery out of going to expensive restaurants..
But he admits that
“by the time I was writing about foie gras and caviar (both included here) I realised that the column had moved away from its original intent. I hoped that the pieces would deal with foie gras, caviar and truffles without seeming pretentious, but it was clear that I had wandered far from the original brief”
Vir is very knowledgeable about the food industry, and has some great tips about what to order in restaurants, and how to deal with snooty waiters. He talks about why airline food is so bad and how Tandoori chicken came to India. I don’t know about the authenticity of any of his claims, but it sure makes a good read. He doesn’t come across as one of those modern day experts who has learned everything they know from the Internet, but as a person who has gained knowledge from his personal experience and extensive travels and industry connections. The book is a delightful read with witty anecdotes and the right amount of sarcasm thrown in for good measure. It is a must read for all food lovers. Oh, it even has some real simple recipes that anyone can try out.
Before I leave, wanted to share this delicious Thattukada style Kozhi Porichathu from Sumitha’s Kitchen Wonders. Thattukada is Kerala’s version of a street side fast food joint. We all know that everything tastes better hot off from a stall on the street, but this homemade version comes very close to the original. Thank you Sumitha for a delicious recipe!
I followed her recipe exactly, except for the addition of curry leaves and green chilies as garnish, unfortunately I was out. Instead I marinated some sliced onions in the same spice paste for the chicken and fried them in the oil to use as the garnish- delicious! But I’d really add the curry leaves and sliced chilies next time.
Update: May 2009 – Since Kitchen Wonders is closed to the public, here is the recipe the way I did it.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken pieces, bone-in, preferably drumsticks
- 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
- 3/4 tsp Coriander powder
- 3/4 tsp Red chilli powder
- 1 pinch Turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp rice flour
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 cup oil (use coconut oil for the real thattukada taste)
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Garnish
- 2-3 sprigs curry leaves
- 5 green chillies
- 1 cup thinly sliced onions
Method
Clean the chicken and pat dry. If using drumsticks, make a few slits, if using a whole chicken, cut into medium sized pieces.
Mix the ginger-garlic paste, coriander, chilli, turmeric, garam masala and rice flour along with the lime juice to make a paste.
Marinate the chicken in this paste for an hour or overnight in the refrigerator.
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the chicken in medium-low heat till brown on all sides.
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Mix the sliced onions for garnish in the remaining marinade.
In the same oil, deep fry the marinated onions till crispy and keep aside. Now deep fry curry leaves and slit green chillies if using (remove the seeds from the chillies to reduce heat).
Garnish the fried chicken with lemon wedges, fried onions, curry leaves & chillies
This is my entry for dear Sia’s MBP- June Edition – Street Food. MBP aka Monthly Blog Patrol is the brainchild of coffee of The Spice Cafe – the idea is to cook a dish from a fellow blogger that matches the chosen theme of the month.
This is also my entry for an event I don’t want to miss. There is actually an event with Chicken as the theme hosted by Vandana Rajesh of Cooking up Something Nice. Now you all know my love for Chicken, I really wanted to send in an original Chicken recipe, but I might not get to it this month, so this borrowed one will have to do. Check out my 18 other chicken recipes here.
Subscribe to RSS
Follow me on PinterestMore like this
Comments
43 Responses to “Vir Sanghvi’s Rude Food and Thattukada Chicken”
Leave a Reply
Archives
- March 2012 (2)
- February 2012 (1)
- January 2012 (6)
- December 2011 (1)
- September 2011 (3)
- August 2011 (2)
- March 2011 (1)
- February 2011 (4)
- January 2011 (5)
- October 2010 (2)
- September 2010 (8)
- August 2010 (6)
- July 2010 (3)
- June 2010 (3)
- May 2010 (2)
- April 2010 (4)
- March 2010 (4)
- February 2010 (5)
- January 2010 (6)
- December 2009 (6)
- November 2009 (3)
- October 2009 (3)
- September 2009 (7)
- August 2009 (6)
- July 2009 (9)
- June 2009 (6)
- May 2009 (6)
- April 2009 (9)
- March 2009 (4)
- February 2009 (4)
- January 2009 (12)
- December 2008 (13)
- November 2008 (9)
- October 2008 (5)
- September 2008 (4)
- August 2008 (14)
- July 2008 (8)
- June 2008 (7)
- May 2008 (8)
- April 2008 (11)
- March 2008 (11)
- February 2008 (15)
- January 2008 (14)
- December 2007 (8)
- November 2007 (8)
- October 2007 (12)
- September 2007 (15)
- August 2007 (12)
- July 2007 (8)
- June 2007 (9)
- May 2007 (17)
- April 2007 (24)
- March 2007 (22)
- February 2007 (15)
- January 2007 (21)
Latest from Live to Click - Photoblog
June 22nd, 2008 @ 5:42 pm
oh sig…
this thatukada style chicken is so much better than tandoori…loved the color and its come out absolutely delicious..i will definitely try this out
June 22nd, 2008 @ 6:04 pm
Sig, delicious chicken and the onions on top- that is the best.
June 22nd, 2008 @ 6:25 pm
Your description food always makes me super-hungry! Good to see you back in action
Hope are able to get some moments for yourself.
hugs,
musical.
June 22nd, 2008 @ 7:42 pm
Sig,
Yes):
delicious chicken recipe..luv to have as a snack..got nice colour too
June 22nd, 2008 @ 8:12 pm
i had a crush on vir sanghvi for a short while sometime last year
and that chicken looks fantastic!!
June 22nd, 2008 @ 8:24 pm
chicken looks spicy nd hot,..street food always tastes good,..nice review..
June 22nd, 2008 @ 8:32 pm
Everything you make makes me drool (even chicken which I don’t eat! )
June 22nd, 2008 @ 11:57 pm
Mouthwatering!!!
June 23rd, 2008 @ 12:55 am
i was reading rude food a year ago…and loved it..infact, we were pretty much inseparable till i finished the book….they also made a televised version of the book….but it was devoid of many of the things he said under breath in the book….
June 23rd, 2008 @ 1:01 am
The chicken is even better with the fried onions and all!
June 23rd, 2008 @ 1:29 am
Hi Sig,reading your Blog from Malaysia, just watched VirS on cable last night. Its true, he does love food but can be most dismissive if not prepared the authentic way;this episode had an unfortunate Indian lady in U.K preparing curry for him using tomato soup! What he muttered after seeing her cooking is unprintable, but I guess the viewer got the gist of it!
Lovely chicken fry above, btw, and easy too, tks from Malaysia
June 23rd, 2008 @ 1:45 am
Vir Sanghvi is all those things that you have so rightly managed to glean from just one book. Having read h
(and still reading his columns) I would say that he is genuine foodie, but also a snob at times! He comes down heavily on the five star snobbery and penchant for overcharging on wines and other stuff but himself constantly writes on food in Five star restaurants to the point of excluding all other food. Granted there are few stand alone restaurants which serve spectacular food as of now, but the few that are should be encouraged…
What I do like is how well informed he is of the evolution of different cusines of India and which chef in which hotel was responsible for what – a treasure trove of history related food trivia I must say! He writes very well – eloquently and without mincing words.
The television show though, was very pedestrian and maybe the producers cut out a lot of what is essential Vir Sanghvi in the course of the show, but his style didn’t come through at all.
Miri
June 23rd, 2008 @ 4:06 am
hey sweetie, its so good to see ur post. tell me u came bk for me and mbp event
he he he… thanks a lot for ur entry.
very interesting review on rude food. let me see if i can get hold of that book. right now i am reading amulya mallyadi’s serving crazy with curry.
June 23rd, 2008 @ 5:21 am
I’ve read that book too – and I watch his show on tv here, and I must say he’s a little grating. Keeps saying the same thing – that he wants to eat what “the common people” eat and with them… but then he goes to fancy restaurants and palaces and 5-star establishments and behaves like that thats what Indian food is all about.
And he’s not amusing either. I understand he’s a great foodie… but? there’s nothing more!
June 23rd, 2008 @ 6:41 am
Hi hi truffels and sex.
I am going to India in jully for 2 months, then i will looks if i can get this book.
Have noted the name and the authour.
The chicken looks delicious.
June 23rd, 2008 @ 7:28 am
Never smelled Truffles, I guess it smells Earth since it’s a root. I can understand connection there betn sex and Truffles!
Chicken looks delicious, love that fried onions on top. YUM! I am glad for that chicken events, sometimes get tired of cooking veg food!:D
He takes potatoes to India? What a shallow fool!! Bangalore hav everything we get here and better. As long as you got Moolah, you will love it there!:))
I fell the same way, nothing worth blogging these days, brain tired. I will be gone from July 10th until the end of Aug too, time to do some other work around the house.
June 23rd, 2008 @ 8:52 am
Vir Sanghvi can be funny, I suppose, if you’re not at the receiving end! He’s quite rude and gets very personal, even in some of his other writing. Good review, Sig!
June 23rd, 2008 @ 8:58 am
Read that one some time back. The book is a good read and quite an eye opener on some things.
But I find him a bit too opinionated, condescending and full of himself.
Just my opinion and I guess you can see I’m not a fan!:)
June 23rd, 2008 @ 9:39 am
hellooooooo, nice to see ya back in action
i guess it is good to space it out than burn urself out doing a million things at a time! good review, ur dish looks very good!
it does get busy sometimes
June 23rd, 2008 @ 10:38 am
wow!!! great job sig! this is probably the thing I miss the most here! the pictures are making me miss them terribly!! :-S I think before I started blogging I’ve also tried out this recipe! Its simply fantastic!
June 23rd, 2008 @ 11:06 am
U r killing me Sig. The pic looks so tempting. I will have to try this soon…I cant stop looking at that pic…
June 23rd, 2008 @ 1:08 pm
I had made this sometime ago and was delicious.
June 23rd, 2008 @ 1:23 pm
Yum yum girl…Definetly will love to try this chicken. Pictures looks gr8. :drool:
June 23rd, 2008 @ 2:20 pm
Muaaaah.. :drool: I wouldn’t mind giving anything who would pass me this Fabuuulous thattukada chicken..Love it!!!
and this is the reason why I never step in here 
Yes):
I am back home to the veg family
..Still on my toes,But would surely make it for the JFI
June 23rd, 2008 @ 4:31 pm
have to tell you..did come in everyday to see if you have posted..missed u girl!!..and coming vir sanghvi…i have seen his show on tv when i was in India last yr (don’t remem the name)..anyhoo…he was kinda sarcastic and super condescending…and i so wanted to dislike him..but could not!! i guess he was echoing quite a lot of my secret thoughts
June 23rd, 2008 @ 7:28 pm
I’ve tried this one out before and it’s simply fantastic!! Even my mom who hates chicken loves this recipe!!
June 23rd, 2008 @ 10:24 pm
I never had before, but the plate looks so tempting
June 24th, 2008 @ 1:30 am
vir sanghvi…. has been a crush in my college days… i like him when he doesnt speak…
the dish looks inviting sig..
but that truffle n sex correlation was mind boggling..
June 24th, 2008 @ 1:10 pm
A lovely review Sig..I have seen Vir on TV and love him talking with all the sarcasm and punch lines…
June 24th, 2008 @ 11:03 pm
I wanna read this book! Is it available on Amazon? I know, I know, I can check myself
June 25th, 2008 @ 2:18 am
I watch his shows once in a while on TV
and I agree… he is genuinely interested in food 
http://onlineraga.blogspot.com/2008/06/plain-old-meme.html
You’ve been tagged.
This chicken recipe looks divine
June 25th, 2008 @ 4:14 am
Hi Sig,
This is my first time posting but I’ve been visiting your blog over the last few months. I just want to thank you for your wonderful recipes and your great way of writing them out. I’ve tried out a few of your recipes and they’ve been a huge success each time! Thanks a lot! Now every time we have guests this is one of the first places I come to look (in fact that’s why I’m back again this time)
June 28th, 2008 @ 1:55 am
Lovely post Sig! .. just read that ‘Serving with Crazy Curry’ is on to read-list. I just finished reading it!! Nice read.
Siri
June 30th, 2008 @ 12:46 am
Sig…First of all leme say it..U r an amazing photographer babes,,truly..
Even simple dishes look incredibly yummy through your cam.. :drool: This chicken dish is what my mom used 2 make as fast one with a bit with-gravy chicken dish..Luks yummy..I hav nother chicken recipe in my blog tis week.. 
July 3rd, 2008 @ 5:38 am
something is there for u in my blog
July 4th, 2008 @ 9:36 am
Hi Sig, this thattukada style kozhi looks awesome, a must try one:) I just had finished thre chicken in my freezer, maybe i will try ur way next time
that pic is too good:)
July 17th, 2008 @ 9:42 am
Ohh I tried these. Wow..it tastes sooooo good. Thanks for posting about this recipe Sig, I had missed it in Sumitha’s blog.
December 20th, 2008 @ 12:46 pm
Vir Sanghvi can be…..direct. He is blunt to the point of rudeness but without malice. More like sophisticated put downs. Makes for a good read on food. But his political views are what makes the man. Consistently secular and I would say, aggressively, virulently secular.
If ever in Delhi, visit this speciality restaraunt in Saket Sheraton called Dakshin. You will get this same dish with curry leaves plus onions and dry khada spices
April 16th, 2009 @ 12:04 pm
Hi,
This is the first time I am on your blog, and your “Thattukada style Kozhi Porichathu” looks so good. How can I get the recipe of it?
I believe I need to be invited to view the recipe from Sumitha’s blog?
Can you please share the recipe with me?
Thanks,
Suji
April 19th, 2009 @ 3:57 pm
Hi Suji,
I didn’t realize Sumitha has made her blog private. I will update the recipe here sometime soon.
May 10th, 2009 @ 9:03 am
Its looks too good,,,,from where I can find the recipe….regards sanju
July 17th, 2009 @ 3:30 am
sanghvi & chicken ; ‘ i really shockd how sanghvi turns to nonvegetarian [ becos every sanghvi comes from jain comunity & ] how u digest
May 30th, 2010 @ 9:41 pm
Suanne and I first came across Ashiana Tandoori Restaurant during our visit to EAT! Vancouver. When we blogged