Chicken Tikka Masala Stoneware-Style!

For Sarah with love...

This is one of the best stoneware curries, its got an authentic Indian taste and you can easily turn the heat up by adding more chilli's.  If you would rather not use a tikka paste you could always follow this Chicken Tikka Recipe but probably wouldn't do it in the stoneware as the raw spices need to be fried off to give off the best flavours.

Chicken Tikka Masala Stoneware-Style!

5 chicken breasts for Deep Dish Baker or Square Baker – (can double ingredients for Rectangular Baker)
¾ jar Tikka Masala paste
250g natural yogurt
I tbs olive oil
1 red onion – finely chopped
1 garlic clove
1 fresh green chilli
1 inch piece root ginger – finely grated or chopped
4 fl oz / 125 ml water
4 fl oz / 125 ml double cream
Bunch fresh coriander – finely chopped
1tbsp lemon juice
2/3 tsp cumin seeds

Method
1. Chop uncooked chicken into bite size pieces using Santoku knife and Cutting Board. Add the chicken to the Classic Batter Bowl. Chop the red onion and chilli using the Food Chopper and add to the bowl.

2. Use the Micro Scraper to take the masala paste out of the jar. Snip coriander with Kitchen Shears into a Prep Bowl, and then add to the bowl. Use the Easy Adjustable Measuring spoon to measure out the olive oil. Squeeze the lemon using the Citrus Press into Prep Bowl.

3. Measure the cream and water using the Easy Read Measuring Cup. Add the yogurt using the Measure-All cup. Crush the garlic with Garlic Press, and then grate the ginger using the Microplane. Combine all the ingredients in the bowl using the Mix’N Scraper.


4. Measure the cumin seeds using Adjustable Measuring spoon and place in a Prep Bowl, add a knob of butter and microwave until seeds pop. Add to mixture, stir and pour into stone on180-200 degrees for 35 mins – make sure curry is bubbling nicely in oven.

5. Serve with Coconut Rice using the Rice Cooker Plus in the microwave.

Makes 8 Servings
• 4 cups Thai jasmine white rice (note that other types of rice do not work for this recipe)
• 3 cups of good-quality coconut milk (regular or light!)
• 4 cups cold water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons dry shredded/desiccated unsweetened coconut

Place rice in rice cooker. Add the water, coconut milk, salt, and coconut. Stir well.

Cover and put in microwave. Give it five minutes on “Full” power and then another 10-minutes on “Medium” (50% power).

Gently fluff with a fork before serving (some of the coconut milk may have risen to the surface - just stir it back into the rice).

The rice should be “sticky” – this is normal.

At one of my Curry Night Special Pampered Chef Shows I take along a batch of Naan bread dough and let each guest cook their own bread.
This is great fun, they all roll out their individual naans with the bakers roller and cook it over a medium heat in the square griddle pan they are delicious and really do make a curry night special.  If you'd like to know how to make them, follow the link here

Any questions? Just ask!

Lamb Dopiaza (Lamb With Onions)

Will pop back later to post a photo, but be warned it has a huge flavour but its not very photogenic!!!

You will need:
6 onions, peeled
7 garlic cloves, peeled
2 1/2 cm cube fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
425 ml water
10 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 cm cinnamon sticks
10 whole cardamom pods
10 whole cloves
1 kg boneless lamb shoulder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
6 tablespoons plain yogurt, beaten lightly
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garam masala

This amount serves 4 adults.

Directions

1. Cut three of the onions into thin sliced half rings, cut the fourth finely. Keep the two types of onions separate.
2. Put the garlic and ginger into a blender add 100ml of the measured water and blend until fairly smooth.
3. Heat the oil in a wide heavy saucepan over a medium heat. When hot, put in the sliced onions. stir and fry for 10-12 minutes until the onions turn a reddish-brown colour. You may have to turn the heat down towards the end of this cooking period.
4. Remove onions when cooked and spread them on a paper towel lined plate.
5. Put the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves into he hot oil. Stir them for about 5 seconds, now put in the meat and brown the meat on one side.
6. Turn it over and brown on the other side. Remove the meat and put in a bowl.
7. Put the chopped onion into the remaining oil. Stir and fry on a medium heat until the pieces turn brown at the edges. Add the garlic-ginger paste. Stir and fry it until all the water has boiled away and you can see the oil again. Turn the heat down and add the coriander and cumin. Stir for 30 seconds.
8. Now add 1 tablespoon of yoghurt, stir and blend, add all the yoghurt this way, blending well.
9. Put all the meat and accumulated juices and remaining water into the pan. Add the cayenne and salt, simmer, covered on a low heat for 40 minutes or until the meat is tender.
10. Add the fried onions and the garam masala. Stir to mix.
11. Cook, uncovered for another 2-3 minutes.
12. Turn off the heat and let the pan sit for a while. the fat will rise to the top, remove it.
13. This dish is great prepared ahead of time and reheated

This is quite high in onions but is  great meal and worth it if served with low carb veg and no rice!

Friends come for a curry!

We have been trying to arrange a time to get together for ages, but our busy schedules never quite allow it, but tonight I'm going to cook for and good friend and her son. I've known her for ever, but this is the first time she has been to mine for a meal, we usually catch up with each other while making coffee after Mass on a Sunday morning, so I'm looking forward to catching up and cooking some thing good for them.

I chose leftover Christmas turkey curry with fragrant basmati rice and these quick peshwari naan breads

I used Jamie Oliver's basic curry recipe but didn't use the lentils.

I served it with this basmati rice recipe flavoured with limes and cardamon pods. The peshwari naan bread recipe was also adapted...I added dessicated coconut along with the required ground almonds and sultanas. I tell you, I can't leave a recipe alone, I've always got to add or take away something. But as you can see by the photographs, it turned out just fine!

I served Moscow mules for the adults and coke and ginger ale for the kids.

Desserts were a selection of Carte Dor ice creams which were overlooked (!) for a chocolate fest of After 8 mint selections, black magic and lindt lindor irresistibly smooth milk chocolate truffles and coffee. We talked all night and I really enjoyed it, I hope they did too!

Chicken Sagwala with Plain Cauli Rice

Chicken Sagwalla with Plain Cauli Rice

1lb of diced chicken

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Medium onion, diced

1 large tomato, chopped

1 tsp ground ginger,

4 tbsp water

4 big handfuls of fresh spinach, washed and chopped

2 tbsp butter

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 large cardamom pod, bruised

1 cloves

4 tbsp ground nut oil

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp salt

1. Wilt spinach and squeeze out excess, set aside
2. Fry the chicken lightly in oil for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned and set aside.
3. Heat the remaining oil and add ginger, garlic and onions; sauté until lightly brown.
4. Add tomatoes, salt, cayenne, coriander powder, turmeric, cloves, and cardamom.
5. Cook for 10 minutes on a low heat
6. Stir in the water.
7. Cook for 10 minutes over low heat.
8. Add chicken and simmer until the chicken is tender.
9. Add spinach and garam masala.
10. Cook until spinach until sauce is thick.
11. Remove from heat.
12. Add butter to chicken saag and cover until ready to serve.

Beef Korma & Cauliflower 'rice'

I don't know why but I was expecting this to have a darker sauce. Never the less, it was a rich creamy spicy sauce with chunks of meat that were tender and full of flavour. The cauli 'rice' was a great hit AGAIN!!

Chicken Curry & Nepalese Vegetables

I followed the recipe for Bee’s lamb Curry but used left over chicken and mushrooms instead of the lamb and BNS. The side dish I got from a good friend on the Recipezaar web site. I subbed all the vegetable suggestions in her recipe as they weren’t IPD friendly so used BNS, Eddoes & Courgettes. Fantastic flavours to go with the chicken curry.

Please note: I think I've made a booboo with the Eddoes, I thought they were low carb like the Jerusalem artichoke but I may be wrong about that too! :-/

Chicken with Coriander

In this photo the dish doesn't look that green as I didn't have 6 tablespoons of fresh coriander. This only had about 3 tablespoons in it. It was still very tasty, but didn't have that green colour it usually has. The next time I make it I will add another 'green photo'

Serves 4
1 pint of chicken stock
Large pinch of saffron threads
2-3 tablespoons of sunflower oil
8 skinless chicken thighs or 2lb of diced chicken breast
1 bunch of spring onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1” piece of fresh root ginger peeled and grated
1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
4 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4oz ground almonds
6 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves plus extra for garnish
Salt and pepper
2oz flaked almonds, toasted, to garnish

Bring the chicken stock tot the boil; add the saffron, stir and set aside into infuse.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large flameproof casserole, and brown the chicken in batches. Remove and set aside. Reduce the heat and add the spring onions, garlic, ginger, chilli and coriander seeds with more oil if necessary, and cook gently for 5-6 minutes. Return the chicken to the casserole with any juices. Add all the remaining ingredients except the coriander leaves and flaked almonds and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 25-30 minutes.
When the chicken is cooked, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the coriander. Remove the chicken and keep warm. Whizz the sauce in a food processor, in batches if necessary. Return the sauce to the pan to reheat, and then pour it over the chicken and serve sprinkled with the flaked almonds. Garnish with coriander leaves

Chicken Tikka Masala

Got this recipe of the recipezaars webs site, it's the best Chicken Tikka Masala you'll ever make.