"The best Curry I've ever cooked"

The Perfect Chicken Curry

Well last night they said, (daughter no.2 & wife no.1) to me that this was the best curry I have ever cooked. It was almost chicken Tikka Massala but not quite, not as sweet, not too hot. Anyway try it for your self. It’s very simple. Serve it with basmati rice and naan (that is if you can find some decent shop bought naan).

Serves 4

Ingredients.

Section 1

3 Chicken Breasts

2 Lime

200ml Live Yoghurt

Salt & Pepper

Section 2

2 tbs Vegetable Oil

2 Onions

2 Cloves of Garlic

1 Good lump of freshginger

I Red Chilli or 1 heaped tsp Chilli Powder

1tsp Ground Coriander

1 tsp Cumin Seed

1tbsp Turmeric

2 tbsp Muscovado Sugar

1 tsp Tomato Pureé

Section 3

2 Tomatoes

100ml cream or crème fraiche

Method

Dice the chicken breast, place in bowl. Squeeze the lime over the chicken.

Coat with yoghurt, season with salt and pepper and leave covered for at least 30 minutes.

Place pan on a medium heat, chop onions medium coarse, add to pan. Make sure the onions do not colour, Chop the remainder of the ingredients in section 2 and add to pan together with the spices & tomato pureé. Cook gently for at least 10 minutes.

Add the chicken & yoghurt mixture to pan and cook for 15 minutes or until chicken is tender & cooked through. Whilst the chicken is cooking, chop the tomatoes coarsely and add to pan for the last five minutes of cooking.

Check the chicken is cooked. Remove pan from heat, add crème fraiche. Return to heat while stirring. Serve with the rice

Yummy Veggie Burgers

Yummy Veggie Burgers

I am not the keenest of vegetarian food fans but I had to find a decent tasting vegetarian burger as it had been requested by a client as part of a barbecue I was catering in June.

The commercial available veggie burgers were either tasteless, (the main feature of Quorn), coated with breadcrumbs, (at which point it is no longer a burger), or containing so many additives and ingredients not known to a simple chef that I felt the only course was to make my own.

I consulted widely (many thanks to KatetheBake) and came up with the following recipe which has a good taste, appearance and consistency but in no way beats 200 grams of the finest minced beef.

Ingredients

1kg Butternut Squash

2 tablespoons olive oil

2  medium onions

2 cloves garlic

I tsp dried or fresh oregano

1 teaspoon ground Coriander

500 grams red kidney beans (either cooked or canned)

Bunch fresh coriander, chopped (or cilantro if you are American)

Juice of 1 lime

150g dried breadcrumbs (or more to taste)

I tablespoon Xanthan gum

2 tablespoons Engevita

150g dried breadcrumbs (or more to taste)

Salt & Pepper to taste.

Method

1) Cut peel and de-seed the squash, cut in chunks, place on roasting tray sprinkle with, salt & pepper & drizzle with Olive Oil. Place in a pre-heated oven, 180c, for 40 minutes or until soft.

2) While the squash is cooking gently fry the onions and garlic till soft but not brown.

3) Place the cooked or tinned kidney beans in a food processor & process into a smooth paste. Add the oregano & dried coriander blitz or a few more minutes. The remove contents of processor to bowl.

4) Process the squash then combine with the kidney bean mixture. Add the lime juice, fresh coriander, Xanthan gum and Engevita. Add salt & pepper to taste. Start adding & mixing in the breadcrumbs until you get a mixture that will hold together in a ball.

5) Make into burger like patties. Heat oil in pan, cook patties for a minute either side or longer if cooking from frozen.

The patties can be frozen & cooked from frozen.