Month: October 2014

Layered Achari Chicken Rice

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Ingredients:
50ml Oil
500g large cubes breast chicken
1 tsp tumeric powder
1 heaped tbsp ginger and garlic paste
1 tsp salt
250-300g pasatta
3 tbsp yogurt
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 heaped tbsp achar (pickle)
2 tsp biryani masala (spice factory or box)
2 cups rice (and 1 tsp salt)
Handful of fried onions
Handful of chopped coriander
Handful of chopped mint

Method:
1. Soak the rice in cold water. Heat the oil in a small pot and add the washed and patted chicken with the tumeric, salt and garlic & ginger paste. Let it cook on a high heat till the chicken releases all its water and is mostly cooked.
2. Now add the pasatta, yogurt, mustard, cumin seeds, coriander powder, chilli flakes, lemon juice, biryani masala and achar to the chicken. Mix together and let this cook on a high heat till the mixture is fully cookes and oil bubbles appear at the top, (approx 5-10 minutes). It may still appear a little watery but it’s fine. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile wash the rice and cook it in cold salty water on a medium flame. Remember adding boiling hot water directly into the rice makes for less fluffier rice.
4. Once rice is cooked but not overcooked, layer a medium-sized pot with foil. Put 1/3 of the rice as a layer at the bottom. Now evenly spread half the achari chicken mix (not the soupy bit), then layer on top another 1/3 of the rice and add the rest of the chicken mix and sprinkle half (about 50ml) of the soupy masala evenly over the rice. Lastly add the rest of rice and pour over any leftover soupy masala over the rice evenly. Sprinkle on top the fried onions and freshly chopped herbs. Cover the top of the pot with foil and place over it the lid. If it is a heavy-bottomed pot then put it on a low flame for five minutes. If not then put it on a hot frying pan (tawa) to cook on a low heat for five minutes. Serve with mint raita and poppadoms.

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Zesty Lime Cheesecake

Ingredients:
250g digestive biscuits
100g unsalted butter
1 tin carnation condensed milk (405g)
300ml double cream
Juice of 5 lemon/limes
Zest of 5 lemon/limes

Method:
1. Crush the digestive biscuits and melt the butter. Then mix the two together.
2. Press the mixture into a greased tin and let it chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
3. Now whisk together the condensed milk and cream. Then add the lemon juice and zest. It will immediately thicken itself. After which pour this over the chilled biscuit base and let it set for 1-2 hrs in the fridge.
4. When ready to serve take out of the fridge and decorate the with lemon and lime zest

Jerk Chicken

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Ingredients:
1 medium-sized chicken
1 small white onion
5 sprigs of spring onions
Juice of 1 lime
Zest of 1/2 lime
2 garlic cloves
1 inch piece ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tbs oil
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
50ml vinegar
50ml soya sauce
2 or 3 scotch bonnet chillies

Method:
1. First roughly chop the onion, ginger and garlic. Then blend together.
2. Now grate half the lime skin to create a zest & squeeze all the limes’ juice into the blender.
3. Finally add the rest of the ingredients and blend into a smooth paste. Marinate the chicken in this blend overnight. Roast in the oven when ready.

Classic Gausht (Meat Curry)

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Serves approx. 15 people.

Ingredients:
2 tins chopped tomatoes
3 tsp cumin seeds & 2 tsp for step 2
3 lb chopped onions
1/3 litre oil & 1 cup for step 2
3 tsp salt & 3 tsp for step 4
3 fresh tomatoes chopped
Handful coriander stems
7-9 cinnamon sticks
9 whole cloves
5 – 7 cardamon pods
9 pepper balls
5lb lamb (leg/shoulder)
5 tbsp blended garlic and ginger paste
2 tbsp crushed garlic
3-5 tsp chilli paste
2 pinches saffron
5 bay leaves
4-5 tsp tumeric powder
7-9 tsp coriander powder
5-7 tsp cumin powder
3-5 tsp crushed red chillies
Whole green chillies & freshly chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:
1. Fry whole cumin in oil. Then add the onions and salt. Let it fry till very onions become very brown. Add the tinned & fresh tomatoes. Simmer till oil bubbles for at the top.
2. In a separate pot fry the cinnamon, cloves and pepper balls in a cup of oil till the smell of the spices becomes prevalent. Then add the cumin and cardamon pods. Lastly add the coriander stems.
3. Now add the meat to the whole spice fry. When the colour of the meat add all the garlic, ginger, saffron and bay leaves. Cook on a low heat, covered for about an hour. Stir occasionally.
4. When the meat is fully cooked and all the powdered spices. Let it cook for a few minutes.
5. Finally add the fried onions from step 1. Let the curry simmer for a little while and then garnish with corriander and chillies. Serve hot with naan bread or rotis.