AROMATIC CHICKEN CURRY

My family love curries, all sorts of curry. Part of the fun of eating it is having all the accompanying breads and poppadoms to dip in the sauce. 

Today I cooked an aromatic chicken curry. I can't eat too spicy so this is on the mild side. It won't make you reach for a drink with every spoonful nor numb your tongue. This is not of any particular style of curry but just how I cook curry. I am not very good with remembering a lot of ingredients so there's only a few here. 

The first stage of cooking is crucial to the success of the dish. If you sauté the ingredients well in the beginning, the sauce and the meat will taste great. Patience for the first few minutes is required but the rest is very easy. 

The only way for me to know if the food tastes right is if people can't wait for me to take the photos so they can eat the food. This curry makes one pot but I just had to take a bit for the shoot so that the rest can be eaten by the hungry crowd.

Ingredients:

4 cloves of garlic
1" x 1" piece of ginger
3 medium onions
1/4 c. cooking oil
1/4 c. butter
1 tbsp. ground coriander seeds
1/4 chilli powder
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. mild madras curry powder
1 big cinnamon stick
4 segments of star anise
1 whole chicken cut into portions
2 tbsps. brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. anchovy paste or shrimp paste
1 cup tinned chopped tomatoes
2 c. water
1 c. coconut milk
3 potatoes, cut into quarters
2 tsps. salt


Method:


Chop the garlic and ginger in a food processor. Cut the onions into big chunks and chop in the food processor with the garlic and ginger. 

Heat up a big pot and add the cooking oil and butter. This amount of fat is necessary to get the desired taste but it can be skimmed off at a later stage. When hot, add the chopped garlic, ginger and onions. Add 1 tsp. of salt and stir. Cover the pot with a lid and lower the heat to soften the onions. This will take about 10 minutes. When the onions have softened, take the lid off and increase the heat a bit to caramelize the onions. You have to stir this to prevent it from sticking. This stage is very important. You have to do this well as this will make a difference to your cooked dish. The taste of softened onions is very different from caramelized onions. 

Add 3 tbsps. water to the ground coriander, chilli powder, paprika and curry powder in a bowl to make a spice paste. Add this to the pot, together with the cinnamon stick and star anise, when the onions are light golden brown in colour. Stir for 1 minute until fragrant. 

Add the chicken, brown sugar and anchovy paste and stir, on high heat, until the meat changes colour. Add the chopped tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about half an hour. Skim off most of the fat that floats to the surface. 

Add the potatoes and coconut milk and the last tsp. of salt. Simmer until the potatoes are done. 

I serve this with rice, an assortment of flat breads and cucumber raita.

Ingredients for the Cucumber Raita:


1 c. plain yoghurt
1/2 c. coarsely grated cucumber
1 tsp. garlic granules
3 tbsps. skimmed powdered milk
2 tsps. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar


Squeeze out the juices from the cucumber with a clean kitchen cloth or a potato ricer. Mix all of the ingredients together.

All rights reserved ©Adora's Box Copyright 2011. 

You might also like

Simple Fish Curry 

Tamarind fish and Coconut Rice (Nasi Lemak)

Lamb Hotpot with Apricots and Honey

http://spiciefoodie.blogspot.com/p/your-best-recipe.html 

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SHELL-ON CRAB AND CORN CHOWDER

 

We can't seem to have enough of crabs. While it's in season, we eat a lot of it. Today, I made a crab and corn chowder. I've left the meat in the shells. The shells makes the soup taste so rich, briny and really crabby (!). Also, this is supposed to be a quick and easy to cook dish. I don't want to slave all day picking the flesh off the crab shell. Flaked crab meat tends to fall apart when cooked leaving you just mush to chew on rather than the big tasty morsels that you coax off the shell.

TAHITIAN PORK (PORK WITH STAR ANISE AND PINEAPPLE)

This is a dish that I used to cook a lot when I was young. If I remember right, I found the recipe in one of those women's magazines. I had a collection of clippings and I still have some of them up to now. 

Food then had funny titles like these. A lot had names of places but in no way are they connected. Pineapples seem to conjure scenes of the tropics so the names Tahitian, Polynesian, Hawaiian were often used as suggestive tags. 

WHITE CHOCOLATE AND MANGO MINI SANS RIVAL

Sans Rival is a classic Filipino dessert which simply means without rival. It is unrivaled in decadence because of the amount of butter, eggs and nuts it contains. Several layers of meringue with chopped cashews are frosted and filled with cream mousseline (eggyolks, sugar syrup and butter). More chopped nuts pepper the whole cake. It is truly delicious but too rich and too sweet.

Diona of Tita Flips and I are the hosts this month at the Kulinarya Cooking Club. We have chosen a white theme for the wedding month of June. I have chosen to simplify and deconstruct the elaborate sans rival (nearly destroy also). I have made meringue wafers instead of sheets, filled with mango curd and drizzled with white chocolate ganache. They are not as impressive in looks as a big gateau but what they lack in looks is made up for by the taste.

Ingredients for the meringue wafer:


1 cup of egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 cup of chopped cashews
1/2 tsp. vanilla


Method:

Draw 3" circles on a sheet of paper to make a template for your meringue wafers. 

Cut sheets of non-stick baking parchment to line your baking sheets with. Put the template in between the baking sheet and baking parchment. You will need about 4 sheets of baking parchment. 


Prepare your meringue. Whisk the egg with an electric mixer until frothy. Gradually add the sugar and whisk until stiff. Fold in the chopped nuts and vanilla extract. Transfer to a piping 
bag with a plain nozzle.


Using the template as a guide, pipe circles on the baking parchment, starting from the edge then going towards the center. Keep the nozzle close to the paper to make thin discs. Pull out the template before putting the pan in the oven and use the template for the rest of the baking parchment sheets. 

Bake at 230° F/ 110° C for 30 minutes or until crisp and dry. Let the meringue cool down before carefully peeling off the paper.




Transfer to a cooling rack. Prepare the filling.










Ingredients for the mango curd:


1 1/2 c. mango purée
1/3 c. sugar
7 egg yolks
1 tbsp. corn flour (corn starch)
1 tbsp. water
2 tbsps. butter


I used tinned sweet Alphonso mango purée for this that's why it's darker in colour. You can puree fresh mangoes. 

Put the mango purée, sugar and egg yolks in a sauce pan and blend together. Cook on low heat until it boils. Mix the corn flour and flour together and add to the mango mixture while stirring. Continue cooking until thick. 

Transfer to another bowl and set a circle of parchment paper on the surface to prevent skin from forming. Leave to cool, then refrigerate.


For the white chocolate ganache:


100 mls. double cream
200 gms. white chocolate


Chop the white chocolate roughly and transfer to a mixing bowl. Put the cream in  a microwaveable container and heat for 45 seconds. Pour over the chocolate and whisk until it melts and the mixture becomes smooth. Leave to cool.

To assemble:

You'll need 5 wafers per mini cake. Spread a little bit of mango curd in between the wafers. I put a bit too much. It tastes nice but made the wafers soft. 

Drizzle with the ganache. Decorate as you like. I used slivers of dried mango and chopped cashews. Refrigerate, then serve chilled.

This post is  for the KULINARYA COOKING CLUB theme for June 2011: White.

See the posts of the other members by visiting their blogs.

All rights reserved ©Adora's Box Copyright 2011. 

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You might also like 

                                                Peach and Mango Trifle

Peach and Mango Biscotten Torte

Red Bean Swirl Ice Lollies

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LUMPIANG SHANGHAI

There are a lot of Filipino dishes which have place names attached to them even if they have no connection to them whatsoever. Lumpiang Shanghai is one of such dishes. 

Lumpia means spring roll in Tagalog. It can be a fresh vegetable filled one or a fried one with a variety of fillings. This one is a fried mini spring roll with a mixture of pork and prawn filling. I think what the name merely means is that it is cooked in the Chinese style. 

CHICKEN ALA JAO (CHICKEN ADOBO IN LIVER SAUCE)

This dish, although not one of the town's classic fares, was invented in Marikina. It was the innovation of a couple named Henry and Naty Jao who were poultry retailers at the town market. The chicken is mildly flavoured with adobo seasonings then is sautéed with chopped onions and ground chicken liver. 

My Mum took such a liking to this dish and cooked it so often. In the end, her dish evolved into one that was very different from the original even if it had the same ingredients. She did apply a distinct secret twist that she shared with me. She adds a tiny pinch of curry powder, unidentifiable but enough to make people say, "Hmmm, what is that?" (to borrow Rachel Ray's immortal words). 

Sad to say, people who miss this dish will now have to cook it themselves. This is the first time it is being written and shared. I have added my own twist by using chicken thighs instead of a whole chicken and using liver paté instead of chicken livers. I hope I did justice to my Mum's version of Chicken ala Jao.

Ingredients:


8 chicken thighs or 1 whole chicken cut into portions
1 tbsp. fish sauce
2 tbsps. light soy sauce
2 tbsps. vinegar
2 tbsps. sherry
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp. black pepper
cooking oil for shallow frying
2 tbsps. butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 c. liver paté
1/2 tsp. curry powder
2 tbsps. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. water


Method:


Put the chicken halves or thighs in a pan and season with the fish sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, sherry, garlic and ground black pepper. Leave to marinade for at least half an hour. 

Add 1/2 c. water. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for half an hour, turning the chicken pieces over at half time. When done, take the chicken out of the sauce. Reserve the sauce. 

Pan fry the chicken until lightly browned. Set aside. 

In a clean pan, sauté the chopped onions in the butter until softened. Add the liver paté and sauté until it is lightly browned. Add the curry powder and brown sugar and stir for a minute. Add the chicken pieces, the reserved sauce and 1 c. water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about half an hour or until the chicken is tender. A bit more water may be added if the sauce gets too dry. This is now done. 

I served it here with rice and a simple mixed vegetable stir fry. I love it as pan de sal (Filipino bread rolls) filling, too.

All rights reserved ©Adora's Box Copyright 2011. 

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This post is on Foodbuzz top 9 for June 13, 2011

You might also like

Asado Balsamico 

Crispy Adobo with Chinese Mushrooms and Chives

Fely's Estofado

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SALTED DUCK EGGS (ITLOG NA MAALAT)

Salted eggs can be bought ready prepared. It is sometimes sold in the Oriental shops salted but uncooked. In the Philippines, it is sold already cooked and coloured a very deep pink to differentiate it from chicken eggs. We call it itlog na maalat which simply means salty eggs. 

They are traditionally buried in salty clay for several days after which they absorb the salty taste through their porous shells. The egg whites are salty and creamy and the egg yolks are firm,  bright yellow and rich tasting, with oil exuding from them after boiling. The whole egg yolks are prized by the Chinese and are used as filling for mooncakes to symbolize the moon. 


It is a very common side dish by itself or can also be mixed with diced tomatoes as a kind of salsa to accompany fried dishes or added to salads to add a salty creamy taste similar to feta cheese. It is also used as a topping for rice cakes. Commercial salted eggs are sometimes far too salty for my liking. I sometimes make it at home so I can make it less salty. 

Ingredients:


up to 12 duck eggs
5 cups of water
1 1/2 c. salt
red or dark pink food colouring
1 tbsp. vinegar


Bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 1/2 cups of salt and stir  until most of the salt has dissolved. Leave the solution to cool, then transfer to a glass or plastic jar with a lid. 

Make sure that the eggs are free from cracks. Add the eggs. The eggs has to be completely submerged in the liquid. Put a cup on top of the eggs and let it fill with liquid to weigh down the eggs and prevent them from floating to the surface. 

Keep in a cool dark place (such as a cupboard) for 21 days. You can boil one egg at this point and taste it. If you want it saltier, you can keep it in the salt solution for a day or two more. 

Drain the water off and rinse the eggs with water. You can store the eggs in the fridge like this and boil them before serving.  You can also boil them all and keep in the fridge. They are preserved by the salting process and can last for several months in the fridge.

To cook, put eggs in a sauce pan, cover with water and simmer on low heat for five minutes. You can add a few drops of food colouring if you want an authentic bright pink colour. Add 1 tbsp. of vinegar to make the colouring adhere to the egg shells. 

All rights reserved ©Adora's Box Copyright 2011. 

Salted eggs go well with

Sweet and Spicy Beef Tapa

Bibingka with Mozarella and Cheddar
(substitute the mozarella with salted eggs)

Steamed Rice cake with Salted Eggs

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FISH STEAKS WITH SWEET LIME AND CORIANDER SAUCE

An idyllic life for me and my family would probably be living near the sea. We just love fish and all types of seafood. It is not easy to access fresh fish in London but we are lucky enough to have a few good sources in our area. We eat fish as much as we can, usually at lunch time and always with rice. That, for us, is the perfect combination.  

PAPRIKA RICE (JAVA RICE)

This rice dish is my version of a very popular rice dish in the Philippines called Java rice. It is in no way connected to the place Java. It was popularized by a restaurant called Aristocrat which is known for their barbecue chicken. A lot of people have fond memories of family meals in that  restaurant. Although they have a lot of excellent dishes, most people don't bother to read the menu because they know what they came for: barbecue chicken. Bone-in chicken portions threaded on bamboo skewers are served with this rice and and green papaya pickles. This rice goes so well with any barbecue dish. I have added salami to this one but you can add any meat (ham, bacon, cooked minced pork) you like or none at all. 

Ingredients:

4 cups of cooked rice

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 medium red or white onion , chopped

1/4 cup of cooked bacon, ham or salami or any cooked meat you like

1 tbsp. tomato puree (tomato paste)

1 tbsp. paprika

1 tbsp. light soy sauce or 2 tsps. salt

2 tbsps. olive oil

Method:

Saute garlic and onions in the olive oil. Add the tomato puree, meat and paprika and stir until blended. Add the rice and fry, stirring to mix evenly with the seasonings, for 5 minutes. Serve with barbecued meat.

All rights reserved ©Adora's Box Copyright 2011.

You might also like

Grilled Lemon and Yoghurt Chicken

Mediterranean Style Barbecue Chicken

Satay Chicken

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BARBECUE LEG OF LAMB WITH ROSEMARY AND GARLIC

Leg of lamb is a family favourite. We have it twice a year: for my daughter's birthday and for Easter Sunday. It can be rather pricey so it isn't something we eat all the time. When I found that leg of lamb was on offer at the supermarket, I decided to take advantage of it and have an extra this year. Lamb is really nice to slow roast on the barbecue. I pre-cooked the marinated lamb briefly in the oven to give it a head start and also make it absorb the marinade as the meat seals. I then had time to prepare the rest of the dishes as the lamb sits in the barbecue. Although it isn't exactly summery and hot on the day we had this, the weather was not too bad. I was even able to take my photos outside. It has been rather stressful taking photos the past few days because the sun always disappears when the food is ready for the photo shoot. Sometimes it even starts raining while I'm taking photos in the garden. Today, I was able to take the photos quickly and then hurriedly whisk the lamb to the hungry crowd.


This is a very good dish for entertaining. I served it with minestrone soup, couscous with apricots, sultanas and toasted pine nuts and a simple green salad.

Ingredients:


1 leg of lamb, deboned and butterflied
4 cloves of garlic
1 medium onion
rind and juice of 1 lime
2 tbsps. sherry

2 tbsps. olive oil
1 1/2 tsps. of chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Method:

Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a food processor and puree. Cut deep gashes into the lamb meat on both sides. Season with the pureed ingredients, pushing well into the cuts. Marinate for at least an hour. Transfer the lamb and the marinade to a roasting tin and cover tightly with foil. Roast for 30 minutes in a pre-heated oven, 350° F/180° C. Prepare and pre-heat the barbecue. Put a grilling/roasting rack  on the barbecue  so that the meat does't sit directly on the barbecue grill. Transfer the lamb to the barbecue and continue cooking, with the barbecue lid on, on low heat until done. This 2 kg. leg was done in an hour and 20 minutes. This would vary depending on the heat and the size of the meat. Check doneness with a meat thermometer or by pinching the meat. The firmer the meat, the more done it is. Lamb is best cooked medium well. Overcooking makes the meat dry. 

All rights reserved ©Adora's Box Copyright 2011 

You might also like 

Braised Lamb Shanks with Olives and Lemons

Lamb Hotpot with Apricots and Honey

Couscous with Apricots, Sultanas and Toasted Pine Nuts

Lamb Caldereta 

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COUSCOUS WITH APRICOTS, SULTANAS AND TOASTED PINE NUTS

Couscous are tiny granules made with semolina which is the staple food of North African countries. Couscous is one of the side dishes that I like serving with grilled meat. Its mild taste makes it a perfect base for other ingredients. 

It is an instant food. After adding boiling water, it is ready in five minutes. You can then add whatever flavouring you like or serve it plain with a drizzle of olive oil and a dash of salt. I like it best mixed with a lot of dried fruits and nuts, good olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. 

It is an ideal side dish for barbecues and stews. Although it is a good cupboard staple, I try not to keep it on stand by for too long as it loses its freshness rather quickly.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. dry couscous
1 1/2 c. boiling water
3 tbsps. extra virgin olive oil
12 apricots, cut into small cubes
1/3 c. sultanas
1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted
2 tbsps. chopped parsley
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsps. ground coriander seeds
2 tsps. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. black pepper


Method:


Put the cous cous in a mixing bowl. Pour the boiling water, add the olive oil and give it a stir. Cover with cling film and leave for  about five minutes. It is ready when the grains have absorbed all the liquid and the grains have plumped up. Fluff up with a fork. Add all the ingredients and stir. It is now ready to serve.

All rights reserved ©Adora's Box Copyright 2011. 

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This will go well with

Barbecue Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic

Mediterranean Style Barbecue Chicken 

Lamb Hotpot with Apricots and Honey

Thanks for dropping by. It would be nice if we could meet up on FACEBOOK or TWITTER.