Chicken Stir-fry ingredients

 

Yesterdays dinner: Chicken stir-fry.

Here are the ingredients that i've used.

oil
butter
1 chicken breast
4-5 mushrooms
250 g beans
1 onions
2 garlic
salt
pepper
noodles
vegetable stock
1 tbsp chilli sauce
½ tbsp oyster sauce
Italian seasoning
Herb & garlic seasoning
snowpeas

The recipe for the marinade I made for the chicken will be published later.

Chicken badami

 

Badami means almond, and this dish is typical of Moghlai cuisine, which favours using raw nuts to make a thick and creamy gravy. Serve this dish with basmati rice and plenty of naan bread, as you want to mop up every last bit of the flavourful almond sauce.

 

 

 

Serves: 4

 

Ingredients:

 

500 g boneless and skinless chicken (thighs or breasts), cut into 2 cm pieces.

4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

2 cm ginger, peeled and finely grated

1 tbsp lemon juice

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

25 g silvered almonds

2 tbsp ghee or melted unsalted butter

2 onions, peeled and finely chopped

1 cinnamon stick

4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed

3-4 cloves

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground turmeric

50 g finely ground almonds

300 ml natural yoghurt

 

Method:

 

1. Put the chicken pieces into a large bowl with the garlic, ginger, lemon juice and some seasoning. Mix well, cover the bowl with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

 

2. Place a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the silvered almonds and dry-toast them until they are light golden brown, remembering to toss them every once in a while to avoid burning the nuts. Tip on to a plate and leave to cool.

 

3. Return the pan to the heat and add the ghee or butter and the onions. Cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Add the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves and fry for 2-3 minutes before adding the cumin, coriander, turmeric and ground almonds. Add the chicken to the pan and stir well to coat the meat in the spices. Turn the heat up slightly and stir frequently until the chicken turns opaque.

 

4. Reduce the heat to low and gradually stir in the yoghurt. Bring to a slow simmer, cover the pan and cook for another 20-30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the chicken is tender.

 

5. When ready to serve, ladle the chicken into a serving bowl and sprinkle over the toasted almonds to garnish.

 

 



 

Vanilj & Citron Smör

Ingredienser:

250 g grädde

½ citron, rivet skal

¼ tsk citronsaft

¼ tsk vaniljsocker

½ vaniljstång, urskrapad

liten nypa salt

Arbetsbeskrivning:

1. Vispa grädden i en skål tills den blir grynig och alldeles vattnig.

 

 

2. Häll bort vätskan.

3. Tvätta dina egna händer, och samla ihop smöret och spola sedan kallt vatten och knåda smöret så att det tvättas ordentligt. Byt vatten 2-3 gånger. Vattnet skall vara ofärgat och klart när det är färdigt.

4. När vattnet är rent så häll av.  Samla ihop smöret.

5. Riv av det gula skalet från citronen, ta inte med det vita då det ger en besk smak.

6. Dela vaniljstången och ta ur vaniljen, blanda in ordentligt i smöret tillsammans med citronskalet.

7. Tillsätt de övriga ingredienserna och rör om så allt blandas.

Tips:

Smöret kan kryddas efter egen smak, och för en mjukare konsistens så tillsätt lite olja.

Kan förvaras i kylskåp högst två veckor.

Passar bra till matbröd och scones.



Beef Biryani

This biryani, which uses beef, is a speciality of the Muslim community. The recipe may seem long, but biryani is one of the easiest and most relaxing ways of cooking, especially when you are entertaining. Once the dish is assembled and placed in the oven, it looks after itself and you can get on with greeting your guests.

Serves :4

Ingredients:

2 large onions

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2.5 cm fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

1 fresh green chilli, seeded and chopped

small bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro)

4 tbsp flaked (sliced) almonds

3 tbsp water

1 tbsp ghee or butter, plus 25 g butter for the rice

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp sultanas (golden raisins)

500 g braising or stewing steak, cubed

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tbsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp ground fenugreek

good pinch of ground cinnamon

175 ml natural (plain yogurt, whisked

275 g basmati rice

about 1.2 litres hot chicken stock or water

salt and black pepper

2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered, to garnish

chapatis, to serve

Method:

1. Roughly chop one onion and place it in a food processor or blender. Add the garlic, ginger chilli, fresh coriander and half the flaked almonds. Pour in the water and process to a smooth paste. Transfer the paste to a small bowl and set aside.

2. Finely slice the remaining onion into rings or half rings. Heat half the ghee or butter with half the oil in a heavy flameproof casserole and fry the onion rings for 15 minutes until they are deep golden brown. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.

3. Fry the remaining flaked almonds briefly until golden and set aside with the onion rings, then quickly fry the sultanas until they swell. Transfer to the plate.

4. Heat the remaining ghee or butter in the casserole with a further 1 tbsp of the oil. Fry the cubed meat, in batches, until evenly browned on all sides. Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside.

5. Wipe the casserole clean with kitchen paper, heat the remaining oil and pour in the onion, spice and coriander paste made earlier. Cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring all the time, until the mixture begins to brown lightly. Stir in all the additional spices, season with salt and ground black pepper and cook for 1 minute more.

6. Lower the heat, then stir in the yogurt, a little at a time. When all of it has been incorporated into the spice mixture, return the meat to the casserole. Stir to coat, cover tightly and simmer over a gentle heat for 45 minutes until the meat is tender. Meanwhile, soak the rice in a bowl of cold water for 15-20 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 160°C/ 325°F/ Gas 3. Drain the rice, place in a pan and add the hot chicken stock or water, together with a little salt. Bring back to the boil, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Drain the rice, and pile it in a mound on top of the meat in the casserole. Using the handle of a spoon, make a hole through the rice and meat mixture, to the bottom of the pan. Place the fried onions, almonds and sultanas over the top and dot with butter. Cover the casserole tightly with a double layer of foil and secure with a lid.

9. Cook the biryani in the preheated oven for 60-70 minutes. To serve, spoon the mixture on to a warmed serving platter and garnish with the quartered hard-boiled eggs. Serve with chapatis.

Balti Chicken in Saffron Sauce

This is a beautifully aromatic chicken dish that is partly cooked in oven.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

50 g butter
2 tbsp corn oil
1.2-1.3 kg chicken, skinned and cut into 8 pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp crushed garlic
½ tsp crushed black peppercorns
½ tsp crushed cardamom pods
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1½ tsp chilli powder
150 ml natural plain yogurt
50 g ground almonds
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp saffron strands
150 ml water
150 ml single (light) cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C/350 °C/ Gas 4. Melt the butter with the oil in a karahi, wok or deep pan. Add the chicken pieces and fry until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken using a slotted spoon, leaving behind the fat.

2. Add the onion to the same pan, and fry over a medium heat. Meanwhile, mix together the next 10 ingredients in a bowl. When the onions are lightly browned, pour the spice mixture into the pan and stir-fry for about 1 minute.

3.Add the chicken pieces, and continue to fry for a further 2 minutes stirring constantly. Pour in the water and bring to a simmer.Transfer the contents of the pan to a casserole and cover with a lid, or if using a karahi with heatproof handles, cover with foil. Transfer to the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes.

4. Once you are sure that the chicken is cooked right through, remove it from the oven. Transfer the mixture to a frying pan or place karahi on the stove and stir in the cream.

5. Reheat gently for about 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with a fruity pilau or plain boiled rice.

Peda-Indian Sweets

Ingredients:


Instant Dry Milk (Milk Powder) – 2 cups (150gm)
Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1, 14oz can (396gm)
Unsalted Butter – 1, 4oz stick (113gm)

Method:

1. In a microwave safe dish, melt the butter.

2. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

3. Cook in the microwave for 3 minutes, stirring very well after every minute.

4. After the 3 minutes, mix well again and leave aside for the mixture to cool down enough to handle.

5. Once the mixture has cooled down, grease your hands and make balls.

6. Gently press the balls and flatten them to shape…round and flat.

7. Decorate them with colored sugar, almonds, cashews, pistachios or raisins.

8. Let the pedas set and cool down.

9. For a pretty presentation, place them in baking cups and serve.

Tips:

1. Powder some cardamom seeds and add to the mixture for additional flavor.

2. Roll out the peda mixture and cut with cookie cutter for some fun shapes.

3. For best results, store in the refrigerator but serve at room temperature.

Chicken Tikka Masala

This is another of those dishes that is celebrated in the West but less well known in India. It is said to be Britain's favourite chicken dish. In this version, tender chicken pieces are cooked in a creamy, spicy tomato sauce.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

675 g chicken breast portions, skinned
6 tbsp tikka paste
120 ml natural (plain)low fat yogurt
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 fresh green chilli, seeded and chopped
2.5 cm piece fresh root ginger, grated
1 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
250 ml water,
a little melted ghee or butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
fresh coriander (cilantro) sprigs, natural (plain) low fat yogurt and toasted cumin seeds, to garnish
Naan bread or plain basmati rice to serve.

Method:

1. Remove any visible fat from the chicken and cut the meat into 2.5 cm cubes. Mix 3 tbsp of the tikka paste and 4 tbsp of the yogurt into a bowl. Add the chicken and leave to marinate for 60 minutes.

2. Heat the oil in a heavy pan and fry the onion, garlic, chilli and ginger for 5 minutes. Add the remaining tikka paste and fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée and water, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, thread the chicken pieces on to wooden kebab skewers. Preheat the grill (broiler).

4. Brush the chicken pieces lightly with melted ghee or butter and cook under a medium heat for 15 minutes, turning the skewers occasionally.

5. Put the tikka sauce into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Return to the pan.

6. Add the remaining yogurt and the lemon juice, remove the grilled (broiled) chicken from the skewers and add to the pan, then simmer for 5 minutes. Garnish with the fresh coriander, yogurt and toasted cumin seeds and serve on naan bread or with plain rice (basmati).