Simple & Tasty Chicken curry

Simple & Tasty Chicken Curry

Serves: 3

You will need

500 g chicken, cut into medium pieces
1 tablespoon oil
3 cardamoms
3 cloves
3 cinnamon sticks (1 -inch size)
2 onions, finely sliced
2 tablespoon ginger - garlic paste (fresh & homemade)
1 tomato (pick well ripe & bright red in color), finely chopped
1 spring curry leaves
3/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
75 ml water
2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

Method

Wash and clean chicken pieces and drain out water thoroughly. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon and fry on a low heat till fragrant.

Add sliced onions and fry till golden color and lightly crisp on a low to medium heat.

Add ginger - garlic paste and stir well for 3 - 4 minutes or until the raw smell disappears.

Add finely chopped tomato and curry leaves. Stir well for 2 - 3 minutes.

Add Kashmiri red chilli powder, pepper powder, coriander and turmeric powder. Mix all the ingredients well and stir continuously for 5 minutes.

Add chicken pieces, salt to taste and 75 ml water (less than 1 tea cup). Mix well, cover with a lid and cook on a low to medium heat for 45 minutes or till done and gravy thickens / fragrant.

Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and serve with any Indian breads / Rice / Pulao of your choice.

Health Tips



Blood Pressure

Source - Prevention

What is BP, exactly?

The first, higher number (110 or 130, say) is the systolic pressure your heart generates when it pumps out blood to the rest of your body. The second, lower number (72 or 90, for example) is the diastolic pressure in the arteries when your heart rests between beats. Most heart-health guidelines recommend getting blood pressure to 120/80 or lower; anything between that and 139/89 is considered prehypertension and any reading of 140/90 or greater is considered hypertension.

The reason high BP is a big deal is because the condition puts a dangerous level of stress on your blood vessels. This stress makes it easier for "bad" LDL cholesterol particles to penetrate the inner lining of your vessel walls, where they accumulate and form plaque that eventually leads to heart attack and stroke. High blood pressure boosts the risks of leading killers such as heart attack and stroke, as well as aneurysms, cognitive decline, and kidney failure. Haven't had yours checked in the last 2 years? See a doctor.

Luckily, most people with elevated blood pressure can lower it without medications. Start with lifestyle fixes such as exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, managing stress, and eating a low-sodium diet that's rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products.

If you have those bases covered, some vitamins, minerals, and supplements may help slightly:

Best supplements:

Potassium: This mineral helps your kidneys excrete sodium, which can bring blood pressure down. You need 4,700 mg a day, but very few Americans get enough. Many multivitamins contain minimal amounts of potassium, so consuming enough from your diet is the best way to meet your need. The mineral is abundant in fruits and vegetables, such as bananas and baked potatoes.

Vitamin C: Getting enough vitamin C--75 mg per day for women, 90 mg for men--can lower blood pressure in people with mild to moderate hypertension. Because vitamin C is plentiful in fruits and vegetables (a medium orange has 70 mg), supplements are rarely required (many multivitamins also contain the recommended amount).

Calcium: This dairy staple plays a role in the constriction and relaxation of blood vessels, which is why experts believe it helps keep blood pressure low. Most multivitamins don't provide the full amount that's recommended (1,000 mg a day for women age 50 and under; 1,200 mg a day for women 51 and older), and it's tough to get enough from your diet unless you eat multiple dairy servings a day, so consider a separate calcium supplement.

Magnesium: Helps your blood circulate steadily; inadequate levels are linked to high BP. It's hard to get enough of this power nutrient from food alone, so look for a multivitamin that contains the recommended amount of 320 mg.

Coenzyme Q10: This antioxidant, found in meat, chicken, and fish, helps dilate blood vessels, which can keep BP at a healthy level. It's hard to achieve the levels used in studies from diet alone, so talk with your doctor about taking a separate supplement.

Garlic is also good for blood pressure: This bulbed wonder contains more than 70 active plant chemicals, including allicin, which many studies have shown decreases high blood pressure by as much as 30 points. It is possible to reap garlic's BP-lowering benefits if you eat a couple of cloves a day; if you can't or don't wish to eat that much, talk with your doctor about trying a separate supplement.

Did you know...

Researchers in the United Kingdom looked at vitamin C intake in 4,025 women and found that those who ate more had fewer wrinkles (eg Citrus fruit, brussels sprouts, peppers, and leafy greens. Dosage: 75 mg a day for women, though some experts recommend as much as 200 mg a day).