De Neils Curry

This is a mish mash curry that takes influence from both India and S.E. Asia. This is a home devised recipe but is a real corker.

Curry is a well favoured meal in the UK but there is no need to turn to a tin or take-away as it is dead easy to rustle up your own top notch curry and it is possible to make your own creations like this one of mine.

Ingredients

Spice mix
1 onion
2 tbs groundnut oil
4 cloves
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fenugreek
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp cinamon
1 tsp paprika
3 cardomon pods
3 red birds eye chillies (de-seeded and finely chopped)
3 tsp garam masala

Curry
2 chicken fillets
one sweet potatoe
3 tomatoes
300ml coconut milk
one tsp tamarind paste
4 green birds eye chillies (whole)
250ml reduced fat creme fraiche

Method

Start by making the spice mix. Put all the ingredients (except the oil and onion) in a mortar and pestle and pound to a paste as far as possible (whole cloves are nasty if you crunch on one when trying to enjoy your curry so at least make sure these are bashed a bit).

Heat the oil in a frying pan and start to saute the onions then add the pasted spices fry off for a good fie minutes or so - stirring regularly. This gets the spices working and is an importnt stage in the process.

Remove from the heat and set aside whilst the rest of the dish is created.

For the curry

Peel the sweet potatoe and slice into small discs the thickness of a 1 pound coin but the size of a 10 pence piece. Add these to the frying pan and cook off for a few minutes. The add the cubes chicken and add three tomatoes (quartered). Cook until the chicken is sealed all over then add the stock. To make this warm the coconut milk with the tamarind. Add the spice mix that was created previously and the whole green chillies, stir well. Cook for 20 minutes at a low simmer in the pan, or so until the chicken is cooked.

Just before serving add the creme fraiche and stir through - natural yoghurt could also be used if desired. To finish sprinkle with freshly chopped coriander.

I served with Naan bread a great product for mopping up any left over sauce.

Curried Potatoes

Curried Potatoes

Great by themselves with chapatis - I served as an accompaniment to my Roast Chicken (see next post).

Ingredients

1 onion
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garam masala
small potatoes
2 tablespoons sunflower oil

Method

Finely slice the onions and mix with the spices in an oven proof dish. Add the oil - mix well and place in a hot oven for 10 minutes. This softens the onion and gets the spices working. Add the potatoes (diced) and put back in the oven for 20 minutes.

Spiced Roast Chicken

This is an own creation that relies on a good dry spice rub to flavour the chicken with.

I use free range, corn fed chicken - it costs more than a battery bird but is well worth the additional expense.

Ingredients

1 corn fed free range chicken
a lemon
2 kafir lime leaves
2 pieces galangal
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp ginger powder
6 cloves
1 star anise
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp fenugreek
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt

Method

squeeze half the juice of a lemon over the chicken. Put the other half inside the bird with the galangal and kafir lime leaves (this helps keep the bird moist).

Mix the dry spices in a mortar and pestle. Rub the spices over the bird (if you want to avoid hands that look jaundiced either don't add the turmeric or use a piece of clingfilm over your hand!

Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in tin foil. Place in a preheated over at 180 degrees for about an hour and a half (remove the foil for the ast 30 minutes) - to check whether the bird is cooked prize a leg from the breast and check that the juices run clear.

Let the bird rest (wrapped in foil) for 10 minutes before carving - this lets the meat relax and absorb juices in the cavity.

I served with my curried potatoes, French beans and sweet and peppered parsnips (see previous post).

Spicy Lentils

Heat a tablespoon of groundnut oil in a small skillet pan.

When hot add 3 crushed cardomon pods, sprinkle of fenugrek, sprinkle of coriander powder and some crushed chillies. After a minute or so add a chopped red onion and fry until soft.

Add a good portion of dried red lentils (I use the variety that do not require overnight soaking).

Stir the lentils into the onion and spice mix and start to add some stock. Keep adding the stock a little at a time (a bit like a risotto method) topping up when the lentils have absorbed the previous stock.

Towards the end throw in a few green beans.