I love this new cookbook “My Two Souths: Blending the Flavors of India Into a Southern Kitchen” by Asha Gomez, winner of the Food 52 Piglet 2017 cookbook competition. I did not really follow this contest but took a look at the cookbooks which were nominated. I have already posted Asha’s “Banana Beignets” recipe which I made even a little better with my maple syrup glaze.
Next on my list of recipes to make was this fried chicken. It just sounded super good and different combining the best of Asha’s two cuisines. Can you guess where the fried chicken came from or the waffles? Kerala or Atlanta?
As Asha stated in her introduction ” Its flavors and dishes are characterized and rooted in my deep affection for the resourcefulness and soulfulness of cooking in both by mother country India , in the far southern state of Kerala, and my chosen home in America’s southern, culinary-savvy city of Atlanta, Georgia.”
Low Country, by the way, refers to both South and North Carolina. It is a low-lying region that is part of a southern state extending from the seacoast inland to the Fall Line, or the Sandhills. I guess I gave away where the waffles come from!
Linking these delicious recipes from two parts of the world to Angie at Fiesta Friday #192 and her co-hosts this week Zeba @ Food For The Soul and Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook
Kerala Fried Chicken and Low Country Waffles with Spicy Maple Syrup
Kerala Fried Chicken:
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 10 garlic cloves
- 6 whole serrano peppers, stemmed and seeded if desired for less heat
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro (1 cup)
- 1 bunch fresh mint (1/2 cup)
- 2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 3 lbs.) I used chicken breasts
- canola oil, for frying
- 4 cups AP flour
- 2 tbsp. coconut oil, melted (optional for drizzling over fried chicken)
- 2 stems fresh curry leaves for garnish
Combine the first five ingredients plus 2 tbsp. salt in a blender and puree until smooth. Place the chicken in a shallow container and pour the marinade over it. Toss the chicken to be sure it is coated well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 18 hours and as long as 24 hours.
You can also make the spicy syrup now since it infuses up to 24 hours as well.
Fill your cast iron skillet with about 1-inch of oil and heat until it reaches 350°F. Place a rack over a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. Mix the flour and 1 tsp. of salt in a shallow dish and set aside.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and dab off the excess with paper towels. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour to coat.
Cook the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, or until a meat thermometer reads 165°F. Drain the chicken on the rack and drizzle with melted coconut oil if desired.
Dip the curry leaves in the hot oil until crisp – not very long, maybe 10 seconds or so; drain.
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
Low Country Rice Waffles
Low Country Rice Waffles:
- 1-1/2 cups AP flour
- 1/2 cup white rice flour
- 2 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 6-8 green cardamom pods, crushed and seeds removed
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2-1/2 cups buttermilk
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup jasmine rice, cooked (use your choice of rice)
- nonstick spray
Whisk together the two flours (never realized there was more than one type of rice flour such as brown or red), brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom seeds and salt. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs. Add the buttermilk and melted butter and whisk to combine.
Slowly add the wet mixture into the dry ingredients; then add the cooked rice and stir to combine. Cover and let it rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
Heat your waffle iron and spray lightly with Pam, or any non-stick spray. Cook each waffle until crisp and golden.
Makes 8 waffles
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
White rice flour on the left and AP on the right… Batter has risen and ready to make waffles…
Spicy Maple Syrup
Spicy Maple Syrup:
- 2 tbsp. whole cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp. whole coriander seeds
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes, crushed
- 2 cups maple syrup
Coarsely grind the cumin and coriander seeds. In a small skillet toast the seeds and red pepper flakes about 1 minute. Add the spices to the syrup and allow to infuse for up to 24 hours at room temperature.
Assembly: Place the waffle on a plate, add a piece of fried chicken and top with fried curry leaves. Serve the syrup on the side. I removed the seeds from the syrup and set them aside to add as desired.
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
I’d love to visit Kerala and love the Indian flavours, such a lovely post 🙂 Greetings to Atlanta from Zagreb, Croatia!
Thanks – that’s quite a greeting! I really enjoy this cookbook because Asha ties in both her cuisines – her native land of Kerala and her American home in Georgia. You get the best of both worlds.
And usually the best recipes are like that, combining the best of both worlds, of tradition and modern, of east and west 😀
Mouthwatering! What a great Indian/Kerala twist on fried chicken and waffles. 🙂
Thanks Ronit – I rarely fry chicken but when I saw this recipe I thought it would be fun to make. It was too and very good besides 🙂
Yum!
That sums up this recipe perfectly Liz – a great version of chicken and waffles!
I need to have everything right now! The fried chicken sounds so wonderful with all those aromatic ingredients! I love the idea of the rice waffles along with the spicy maple syrup as well! What a fabulous meal!! Thanks a bunch for bringing at Fiesta Friday party. I hope you are enjoying the party!
Thanks Jhuls – the marinade for the chicken was very flavorful with the buttermilk, peppers, garlic, mint and cilantro. The waffles rose perfectly and with a spicy syrup as well. It was a very good meal! Happy FF!
Ok Judi, I did check your site, and it says that I AM “following” you. So I decided to unfollow and then follow again. Let’s see if this does the trick! Wow what a feast, love, love the idea of a fusion recipe. East definitely meets West in this combination. Love the ingredients, I can only imagine the real thing 🙂 Great job!
WordPress isn’t perfect that’s for sure! Thanks – I thought you would enjoy this post as I have not made a lot of Indian food but this pairing of Kerala and Atlanta was fun to make. I could see how similar the cuisines can be – maybe just a few different ingredients 🙂
What a fantastic and flavorful sounding meal.
Thanks Karen – it was. Fried chicken is not normally a part of my diet – waffles are though. Great recipe to make and taste American food with an Indian twist 🙂
This cookbook sounds so interesting! I love the mix of flavors! The dishes look yummy!Spicy maple syrup? Amazing
Thanks Lynn – I do enjoy my cookbooks as you can find so many different ways to cook things. I would prefer just regular maple syrup but the spicy version was interesting to try!
It sounds very intetesting
This looks fantastic Judi, the buttermilk marinade sounds amazing and the fried curry leaves on top must be so aromatic. Making me hungry – and I just finished breakfast!
Thanks Zeba – It was a delicious meal and certainly a new way for me to serve chicken and of course waffles. We loved it!
What a perfect marriage of the two cuisines, Judi! The flavors compliment each other so well.