Tonight I cooked another recipe from Lucy Boyd's very nice book ... her pic above not mine btw
It's one of those recipes that I have looked at a few times but always ended up not doing thinking that it didn't look quite interesting enough.
Well I was wrong and I'm glad that I decided to do it ... its curry-ish without being a full on curry. It's got some good spice going on but it's also light and lemony.
The rice makes a really great accompaniment .. its a very simple spin on a well known dish but its really very nice.
The overall verdict was that this recipe is a keeper.
nb I used ready made garam masala.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1
medium-size chicken, jointed into its various parts (the butcher will do this
for you) we actually used ready cut pieces.
20g
fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped into small chunks
3
cloves of garlic, peeled
¼
tsp ground turmeric
2
tsp coriander seeds
2
tsp cumin seeds
¼
tsp cayenne pepper
3
tbsp olive oil
1
fresh green chilli, stalk removed, then finely chopped (deseed if you prefer it
less hot)
The
juice of 1½ lemons
1
small bunch of fresh coriander, leaves picked from their stems, washed, dried
and finely chopped
Method
Put
the ginger in the food processor with two to three tablespoons of water and
blend to a paste.
Put
the garlic, turmeric, coriander, cumin and cayenne pepper in a pestle and
mortar and pound together.
Season
the chicken pieces well all over with salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of the
olive oil in a shallow, heavy-based pan, add the chicken pieces and brown them
on all sides. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl.
Put
the garlic and spice mixture into the still-hot pan (you may need to add a
little more oil) and stir to release their flavours. Add the ginger and chopped
chilli and stir-fry for a minute or so.
Add
the chicken pieces and any juices that have been released, then add eight
tablespoons of water and the lemon juice. Stir, then turn up the heat and bring
to a boil, cover with a tight-fitting lid and turn the heat right down to a
gentle simmer.
Cook
for 15 minutes until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Remove the lid
and scatter the chopped coriander over the top. Serve with spiced basmati rice.
Basmati rice
Serves
4 (generously)
Ingredients
300g
basmati rice
2
tbs olive oil
1
small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1/2
small fresh green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2
garlic cloves, finely chopped
500ml
chicken stock
sea
salt
For
the Garam Masala (or use bought stuff)
1
tbs cardamom pods, husks removed, leaving 1 tsp cardamom seeds
1/2
cinnamon stick
1
tsb black cumin seeds
2
whole cloves
1/4
whole nutmeg, grated
1/2
tsp whole black peppercorns.
Method
Grind
all the ingredients for the garam masala together in a pestle and mortar or
coffee grinder.
Put
the rice in a colander or sieve and wash under cold water until the water runs
clear.
Put
the rice in a large bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak for 30 mins,
then to drain for 20 minutes or so.
Heat
the olive oil in a heavy based ban over a medium heat, add the onion and fry
gently until light golden in colour.
Add
the chilli and garlic and cook for a further 2 – 3 mins. Add the garam masala
and cook for a further minute or so, then add the rice and stir together well,
so that the rice is coated with the spices and oil.
Add just enough chicken stock to
cover the rice (or exactly twice as much stock as rice – measure it in cups) and
season with a little salt, then cover with a lid and bring to the boil.
Turn the heat down and simmer
over a very low heat for 5 mins.
Take off the heat and leave
covered for 10 mins – the steam will keep the rice nice and fluffy. Taste to
check the rice is ready. It should have a little bite.
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