Going Indian IV

Hello! I invite you to go Indian again, with a delicious korma, chicken korma. I must say chicken is not the best of meat but it is light and if freshly cooked, delicious. All kinds of meat are good as long as they are eaten with moderation. I found out that myself, long time ago, when exaggerating with meat, I felt so sick, I hated the sight of it for weeks. Well, when it is too much, it is too much. I don’t want to be boring or get bored, although sometimes, both happen, at the same time. It is just a passing moment. 🙂 Continue reading, please. 😉 Or not.

Before I get to the actual recipe, I would like to recommend something. I just don’t know how to introduce it. It goes well with this recipe and any Indian and Asian food: “The Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights”. I started reading it and got immersed into a very different world, beautiful and unique, quite like Indian food. They both come from Asia, in the books there are several references and stories about India so, yes, it goes down well. Like a good wine, imho. I so amazed by this book that I started reading it after so many years. When I was a child I read a few stories, and now, getting some volumes of it (I don’t have them all, and what I read is really from a 1987 Romanian edition) I love it. Read it yourself and I think you would love it too.

Back to food, that is an important part of the Tales. Here it comes chicken korma, with a home made korma. I got the recipe from “Cookshelf Chicken” by Tom Bridge, looong time ago.

Chicken Korma

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients:

• 750 g (1 lb/ 10 oz) chicken meat, cut into cubes
• 300 ml (1/2 pint / 1 1/4 cups) double (heavy) cream
• 1/2 tsp garam masala

Korma Paste:

• 2 garlic cloves
• 2.5 cm (1 inch) fresh ginger root, coarsely chopped
• 50 g (1 3/4 oz / 1/3 cup) blanched almonds
• 6 tbsp chicken stock
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 4 cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp ground cumin seeds
• pinch cayenne
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• coriander, to garnish

Method:

• Place all the ingredients for the korma paste into a blender or food processor and blend together until a very smooth paste is formed.
• Place the cubes of chicken in a bowl and pour over the korma paste. Stir to coat the chicken completely with the paste. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours to allow the flavours to permeate the chicken.
• Simmer the meat in a large saucepan for 25 minutes, adding a little chicken stock if the mixture becomes too dry.
• Add the double cream and garam masala to the pan and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Allow the korma to stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish the chicken korma with fresh coriander and serve with basmati rice.

Bon appetite!

 

C’mon Inner Peace, I Don’t Have All Day…

Happy Easter to all Cristian  Orthodox and less Orthodox! It is a time for forgiveness and peace in our hearts and minds. They go together always. Otherwise, the mind will drive you insane, and will make you unhappy. Trust your heart and go with it. I asked my heart what shall I do? It answered back to return to the state I was some years ago and it felt happy suddenly. But then my mind turns me around and gives me trouble. If I can’t find peace for a while then I must go through this. I accept and pray for peace in my heart and mind. Where are you, peace? Please, please, come back to me! Talking to myself sometimes helps and I even manage to make myself laugh. ;)) Just imagine me talking aloud or in my mind makes me smile. I remember a pic I found on the internet some time ago. It describes perfectly the state I am in: C’mon inner peace, I don’t have all day… God, I am so restless… In fact I have all day as this is a unique process for every person. 🙂

It helps if I do something I enjoy so I thought of writing on my blog and whinge a bit. I am soo good… I kiss myself… I make myself smile and laugh even. Thanks myself. xxxxxxxxx

And now back to writing a delicious recipe for hot days. I can not say summer days as hot days start in April now or even March. This weather!  If you don’t want to stay in the kitchen but still want to eat something good why not try this Mediterranean Chicken Parcels recipe? The source is “Cookshelf Chicken” by Tom Bridge, 2000. I recommend it for your kitchen, and you can find it zucchinihere,  too. And of course I made it once upon a time…and eat it too.

Mediterranean Chicken Parcels

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 6 skinless chicken breast fillets
• 250 g (9 oz/ 2 cups) Mozzarella cheese
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz/ 3 1/2 cups) courgettes (zucchini), sliced
• 6 large tomatoes, sliced
• 1 small bunch fresh basil or oregano
• pepper
• rice or pasta to serve

Method:

• Cut 6 pieces of foil each about 25 cm (10 inches) square. Brush the foil square lightly with oil and set aside until required.
• With a sharp knife, slash each chicken breast at intervals, then slice the Mozzarella cheese and place between the cuts in the chicken.
• Divide the courgettes and tomatoes between the pieces of foil and sprinkle with black pepper. Tear or roughly chop the basil or oregano and scatter over the vegetables in each parcel.
• Place the chicken on top of each pile of vegetables then wrap in the foil to enclose the chicken and vegetables, tucking in the ends. To aid cooking, place everything on the shiny side of the foil so that once the parcel is wrapped up, the dull surface of the foil is facing outwards. This ensures that the heat is absorbed into the parcel and not reflected away from it.
• Place on a baking tray (cookie sheet) and bake in a preheated oven, 200 °C/ 400˚F, Gas Mark 6, for about 30 minutes.
• To serve, unwrap each foil parcel and serve with rice or pasta.

Bon appetite!

My Own

You want a quick, easy and simple recipe for chicken meat? Here is one that I make when I feel like and it is so tasty. It doesn’t need much labour and sweat in the kitchen, just a nice aroma floating in the house and outside. I recommend you close the doors and windows. 😉 So here it is:

Fried chicken breasts

Ingredients:

• 2 skinless chicken breasts, cut into 5-10 cm pieces
• salt
• pepper
• white wine (optional)
• butter (80-82% fat, unsalted preferably)
• oregano (or any other spice you like, optional too)

Method:

• Season the chicken with salt, pepper and spices.
• Heat in a medium pan about 2 tbsp of butter and a little splash of wine. When it is sizzling, add the chicken, cook stirring until golden brown, 2-3 minutes on each side. Repeat the action until you finish all the pieces and don’t forget to add more butter and wine when it is finished in the pan, in the process.
• Serve warm with boiled  or mashed potatoes with mint or any spice you prefer and a nice glass of white wine. I admit I don’t know much about wine so you can recommend me a special one that you think goes very well with this dish.

Bon appetite!

Chicken Veronique

I remember that I have made this recipe for the first and only time in London, when we were waiting for a guest. This chicken Veronique seemed tasty, exquisite and elegant for a party. And it proved it was. I found it in “Good Housekeeping All Colour Party Cookbook” 1992. I really love this recipe. It is fit for a king and I would eat it often. If you really want to make an impression on somebody, try this out for a romantic dinner or not. And prepare your nose and your tongue for an indulgence. Because you’re worth it!

Chicken Veronique

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 50 g (2 oz) butter
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon (or 2 tsp dried tarragon)
• finely grated rind of 1 lemon
• 1 garlic clove, skinned and crushed
• 1,5 kg (3 lb) chicken
• 300 ml (1/2 pint) chicken stock (or water, but it won’t taste the same)
• 150 ml (1/4 pint) dry white wine
• 150 ml (5 fl oz) double cream
• 175 g (6 oz) green grapes, halved and seeded
• salt
• freshly ground pepper

Method:

• Soften the butter in a bowl with the tarragon, lemon rind, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Put half the mixture in the cavity of the bird.
• Truss the chicken with the thread or fine string. Spread the remainder of the mixture over the outside of the bird (especially the legs), then stand on a rack in a roasting tin. Pour the chicken stock under the rack.
• Roast the chicken in the oven at 200°C/ 400°F, Gas Mark 6 for about 1 1/4 hours or until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer. Turn the bird and baste every 15 minutes or so during roasting.
• Carve the chicken into neat portions, then arrange on a warmed serving platter, cover and keep warm.
• Make the sauce. Blot off any excess fat from the roasting tin with absorbent  kitchen paper, then place the tin on top of the cooker. Pour the wine, then boil to reduce to about half the original volume, stirring and scraping the tin to dislodge sediment.
• Stir in the cream and continue simmering and stirring until thick, smooth and glossy. Add the grapes and heat through, then taste and adjust seasoning.
• Pour a little of the sauce over the chicken, arranging the grapes as attractively as possible on each portion. Serve immediately, with the remaining sauce and grapes handed separately in a sauceboat, accompanied by crisply cooked mange-touts or French beans and a simple dish of plain boiled rice. Don’t forget about a chilled dry white wine. 🙂

Bon appetite!

Cashew Chicken With Noodles

For those who live in Romania and speak English as their native tongue or for those who love cooking and want the recipe in original, I will add here recipes that are all taken from the Internet or magazines and cookbooks in English, all tried and eaten very quickly. Why? Because I found them either easy or interesting to make and very tasty. You will excuse my grammar mistakes and other English error and I will be grateful if you take notice of them and tell me about it.

My first recipe that has introduced me in this miracle world of cooking is a Chinese recipe, cooked in January 2005 in London, to celebrate the Chinese New Year. All you need is love! I know, a little patience and hunger. You don’t want to cook all that food without eating it. Though I have to say that by the time I cook anything, my hunger is over, the smell of it feeds me already. 😉

Let’s get to work now. Enough talking. If you live in Romania you may find some ingredients missing but if you live abroad you are lucky. For those who still want to cook, I have made some changes, so you can have replacement and your recipe will taste with a twist: Romanian.

Cashew Chicken With Noodles

Serves 4

Takes 20 mins

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or sherry (or sunflower oil)
• 1 tsp sesame oil (or sunflower oil)
• 1  1/2 tbsp light soy sauce (just plain soy sauce)
• 1/2 tsp cornflower (flour)
• 4 tbsp water

The rest:

• 250 (9 oz) pack medium egg noodles
• 1 tbsp groundnut oil (or sunflower oil)
• 4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-5 cm (1 in) pieces
• salt
• 50 g (2 oz) cashew nuts
• 2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into large pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 bunch spring onion, halved

Method:

• Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a jug ready to use.
• Cook the noodles in a large pan of boiling water for the length of time recommended on the packet. Drain and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat, until smoking hot. Season chicken with salt and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Remove form pan and set aside.
• Add the cashews and red peppers to pan and stir-fry for 1 minute. Then, add the garlic and spring onions and cook, stirring, for another minute. Return the chicken to the pan. Pour in the sauce. Cook for 3-4 minutes until chicken is cooked and red pepper tender.

Plate up the noodles and serve topped with the cashew chicken.

COOK’S TIP

Try experimenting with this recipe by adding bean sprouts, mange tout, asparagus tips, cubed tofu (fry with garlic and onions) or shiitake mushrooms.

Bon appetite!