Food, glorious food!
Take Away Style Curry
Take Away Style Curry
This method is adapted from the best selling ‘Curry Secret’ book by Kris Dhillon. I highly recommend this book for the full method and many more recipes but this is my take with a few corners cut.
Base Sauce
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp groundnut or vegetable oil (groundnut is best)
700g Bottle of Passata (keep the bottle for storing unused sauce)
150ml water
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp salt
1. Sweat the onions in the oil on very low heat until transparent and very soft but do not brown the onions. Add the garlic towards the end of cooking.
2. Add turmeric and salt and stir to dissolve.
3. Add the passata and water and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Blitz the sauce in a food processor until completely smooth. Pass through a sieve if you want to be sure.
This is your basic sauce. From this you can make any restaurant style curry.
Cooking your Meat (for 500g meat)
3 tbsp groundnut or vegetable oil
4 tbsp base sauce
4-500g chicken or lamb, trimmed of any fat or sinew
1. In a smallish non-stick saucepan heat the oil over medium heat then add 4 tbsp of the base sauce, be careful that it doesn’t spit too much.
2. Allow the sauce to darken in colour a little before adding your meat.
3. Put on a tight fitting lid and lower the temperature to a slow simmer. Cook chicken for 25 minutes or lamb for 35 minutes.
4. Remove from the cooking liquor and set to one side. Discard the liquor.
Lamb or Chicken Saag
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp groundnut or vegetable oil
1 inch ginger, grated
½ tsp ground cumin (buy cumin seeds, dry fry for a couple of minutes then grind)
1 level tsp chilli powder (more or less to your taste)
Half of the remaining base sauce (about 500ml)
4-500g prepared meat (as above)
1 tsp Garam Masala
5 or 6 balls of frozen spinach
1. Heat the oil and fry the onion until just starting to colour, add ginger and continue to stir for a minute.
2. Add cumin and chilli powder and stir for another minute.
3. Add the base sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add the meat and simmer for another 10 minutes then add the spinach and garam masala.
5. Allow to simmer until the spinach has dispersed through the sauce and it is piping hot. Serve!
Chicken Korma
4 tbsp groundnut or vegetable oil
½ tsp ground cumin (buy cumin seeds, dry fry for a couple of minutes then grind)
Half of the remaining base sauce (about 500ml)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 level tsp chilli powder (or to taste)
½ tsp ground coriander (buy coriander seeds, dry fry for a couple of minutes then grind)
½ tsp garam masala
4-500g Chicken prepared as above
6 tbsp single cream
1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
1. Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan, and stir in the cumin. Fry for a few seconds and add the curry sauce. Bring the sauce to the boil.
2. Add the paprika, salt, chilli powder and ground coriander and continue to cook on high heat stirring frequently for about 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
3. Turn down the heat and stir in the garam masala . Simmer for about 3 minutes.
4. Add the chicken and simmer for about 5 minutes to heat the meat.
5. Stir in the cream and simmer for a further 2 minutes.
6. Serve scattered with the fresh coriander.
Perfect Basmati Rice (serves 4)
1 cup basmati rice
2 cups water
1. Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold running water.
2. Put rice in medium sauce pan with tight fitting lid then add the water.
3. Bring to the boil then immediately fit the lid and turn heat onto the lowest you can, listen to the pan and make sure it is slowly simmering.
4. Time the rice for exactly 10 minutes from fitting the lid then turn off the heat and leave for another 10 minutes. Do not remove the lid at all during this process.
If you want to make Pilau rice instead of plain boiled rice then use chicken or vegetable stock instead of water and sweat half a finely chopped onion in 1 tbsp groundnut oil, before adding the rice and stock and 4 cloves, 3 green cardamom pods, half a stick of cinnamon and a bay leaf during the cooking process. Otherwise follow the recipe above.
Pork and Lemon Polpettine
Pork and lemon polpettine
These are gorgeous little balls that we normally serve over steamed white rice. The ingredients list is flexible and sometimes I use this as the basis for pork burgers. I am reproducing this recipe on-line because it has disappeared from the BBC’s archive :-(
Authors: Nigel Slater, "The Kitchen Diaries"
Serves: 2
50 g fresh white breadcrumbs
400 g pork mince
1 lemon
handful parsley; roughly chopped
6 sprigs thyme
2 tbsp parmesan cheese; grated
6-10 (according to taste) anchovy fillets; chopped
flour
To cook:
2 tbsp olive oil
200 ml chicken stock
To serve:
Steamed rice and/or a green salad
Put the breadcrumbs and pork in a mixing bowl and grate in the lemon zest. Halve the lemon and squeeze. Add the lemon juice to the pork with the parsley and the thyme leaves stripped from their stems. Tip in the parmesan and the chopped anchovy fillets. Season with a little salt and black pepper, and mix thoroughly.
Make about 18 small balls of the mixture, using a tablespoon of pork for each one, and place on a floured baking sheet.
Warm the olive oil and butter in a heavy-based pan. Roll the patties lightly in the flour on the baking sheet, then fry them in the oil about 8 at a time, for 4-5 minutes, until they are crisply golden on each side. Lower the heat and leave to cook through to the middle - a matter of 6-8 minutes more. Turn them no more than once or twice during cooking, so they develop a crisp, slightly sticky exterior.
Tip the fat from the pan then pour in the chicken stock. Leave to bubble for 2-3 minutes, scraping and stirring the pan stickings. Let the stock bubble down a bit,
Pile steamed rice onto 4 plates then divide the patties between them and spoon over the juices from the pan.
Serve with a green salad!
Garlic Lamb Stew
Ingredients
1 whole head of garlic
500-750g leg or shoulder of lamb de-boned and diced into approx. 1.5" chunks
3 tblsp olive oil
1 x 400g tinned chopped organic tomatoes
1 tblsp organic tomato puree
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon
Rice & green veg or side salad & a favourite rustic bread to accompany.
Directions
1. Drop the whole bulb of garlic into a pan of boiling water and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Then remove from the water and allow to cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large heavy based saucepan and brown the lamb.
3. Add the tomatoes and tomato puree to the pan and partially cover the lamb with additional water.
4. Squeeze the garlic bulbs out of their skins and into the pan with the lamb & tomato.
5. Bring to a simmer then cover with a tight fitting lid for at least 45 minutes.
6. Remove the lid for 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
7. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the pan and allow to bubble for another 5-10 minutes.
8. Adjust seasoning to taste.
9. Serve into warmed bowls with steamed rice and your favourite green veg or a nicely dressed side salad with a rustic !
Italian Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
4 Skinless and Boneless Chicken Breasts
100ml Olive Oil
30ml White Wine or Cider vinegar
1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tsp Dried Oregano
½ tsp Dried Thyme
½ tsp Dried Parsley
¼ tsp Caster or White Sugar
Black Pepper & Salt to taste
80-100g Bread Crumbs
Fresh salad leaves and mixed olives to serve!
Directions
1. Wash the chicken breasts and partially slash the flesh with and put them into a close fitting bowl or dish.
2. Mix together all the other ingredients except the bread crumbs. I find it easiest to do this in a clean jam jar. The dressing should be herby and zesty.
3. Pour the dressing over the chicken so it is all covered. You don't need to use all the dressing it can be kept in the jar in the fridge for a couple of weeks and used to dress salad leaves.
4. Allow the chicken to marinade for at least ½ hour but an hour or more is best.
5. Heat the oven to about 180°.
6. Transfer the chicken to an ovenproof tray or small roasting tin.
7. Mix the breadcrumbs with the residue of the dressing in the marinade bowl and then stack the breadcrumbs on top of the chicken breasts patting it down so it sticks to the meat.
8. Roast in the oven for 30-40 mins until the juices run clear when spiked with a fork.
9. Serve with fresh salad leaves and olives.
Chicken or Beef Enchiladas
Ingredients
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
3-4 Chicken Breasts cut into small bite-sized pieces or…
400g Lean Steak Mince
1 Bell Pepper (green or red or half of each)
3 Fresh Tomatoes chopped
150g Sliced Mushrooms or 1 tin Red Kidney Beans
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1-2 tsp Hot Chilli Powder (check the heat before adding too much!)
2 tsp Dried Oregano
700g Bottle of Passata
8 Corn Tortilla (can use flour tortillas but corn are better)
Jar of Sliced Jalapeño Chillies (optional)
100g Cheddar Cheese (reduced fat is fine)
50g fresh breadcrumbs softened with a little olive oil
Directions
1. In a large saucepan or hob proof casserole heat 1.5 Tbsp olive oil over high heat.
2. Turn down the heat to moderate and add the onion and garlic, soften for 5 mins or so. Don’t let them colour.
3. Turn the heat up a bit and add the chicken or mince, just sealing the meat.
4. Add the pepper, tomatoes, mushrooms or beans, herbs and spices and sauté for a further 3 minutes stirring to combine the spices with the other ingredients.
5. Add the passata, turn down to low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Add salt & pepper to taste and adjust the heat with a little more chilli powder if needed…
7. Heat the oven to 180ºC / 350ºF / Gas Mark 4.
8. Prepare an oblong shaped oven proof dish (approx. 30cm x 20cm) by rubbing with the remainder of the oil to prevent sticking.
9. Now fill each of the tortillas with a large spoonful of the meat sauce, reserving some of the tomato base for covering later.
10. Roll the tortillas loosely as you go and place into the dish side by side until they are all snug in the dish.
11. Top with the tomato base and make sure every bit of the tortillas has been touched by the sauce even if they are not covered. This stops them burning.
12. Top with rows of sliced jalapeño chillies, you can leave some of the dish chilli free for those who prefer it less hot!
13. Top with cheese, breadcrumbs if using a little salt and freshly ground black pepper.
14. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and the crumbs are beginning to brown.
Serve straight from the casserole on the dining table with nachos and/or corn bread and a green salad. People will love to chisel the crispy bits from the dish as they go!
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