Home Cooking Ideas, Tips and Recipes

[HAL9000]

Chicken Tikka Masala (Anglo-Indian Style)

The story goes that a customer of a restaurant in either Glasgow or Birmingham, depending on who is telling the tale, unfamiliar with Indian cuisine ordered chicken tikka expecting a typical curry. When served with a dry chicken dish he demanded a sauce for it. The Bangladeshi chef, not knowing what the customer wanted, prepared a spicy sauce with yoghurt and a can of Campbell?s condensed tomato soup ? thus the ubiquitous chicken tikka masala was born.

Today, one in seven curries sold in the UK is chicken tikka masala ? 18 tons of it are consumed every week. It has been dubbed "Britain?s true national dish".

There is no standard recipe for chicken tikka masala; a survey found that of 48 different recipes, the only common ingredient was chicken.

The following is the authentic recipe used in most UK Indian restaurants (simplified for preparation at home) ? the quantities given serve two.

The Chicken - marinade overnight (in the fridge):

Two skinned chicken breast fillets in a mixture of:

Quarter cup of lemon juice

One tblsp of any proprietary tikka spice mixture [or any mild/medium curry powder]

One tblsp ginger paste

One tsp garlic paste

Grill at high temperature and slice into bite-size pieces

The Sauce - blend the following ingregients into a smooth puree:

One medium onion - sliced and well fried in vegetable oil until soft and brown

One 400g tin of Italian peeled plum tomatoes (with the juice)

Half a cup of single cream [or yoghurt]

One heaped tblsp desiccated [or creamed] coconut

One heaped tblsp almond powder

One heaped tblsp Patak?s tikka masala paste [or any mild/medium curry powder]

One heaped tblsp tomato puree

One heaped tblsp sugar

One tsp garlic paste

One tsp ginger paste

One tsp ground black pepper

Salt to taste (typically 1/2 - 1 tsp)

(Add a little water or cream if the resulting puree is too thick)

Chicken Tikka Masala

Heat 3-4 tblsp of a 50:50 mixture vegetable oil and ghee (clarified butter) in a large frying pan on a medium to high heat:

Add the grilled tikka chicken pieces and stir-fry for one minute [see short cut below]

Add the sauce puree and fry with constant stirring until the oil begins to separate from the sauce (approx. 8-10 minutes)

Take care not to over cook or allow the sauce to stick

Serve hot (each portion garnished with a dash of single cream) with pilau rice and naan bread

[short cut ? slice raw chicken fillets into bite-size pieces, stir-fry in hot oil/ghee until cooked then add the sauce mixture and continue as above. In my experience, most people cannot tell whether tikka-grilled or plain stir-fried chicken is used in this dish - it?s delicious either way.]

Substitute lamb fillets or king prawns for the respective tikka masala dishes.

I?d appreciate feedback from anyone who tries this recipe.

[Lawrence]

To be honest, although most of that recipe sounds nice it's about as authentic as my Lamb Pruna Bhuna.

A real survey would find the widespread use of pataks finished sauce. This recipe is complicated for the home not simplified. Have you tried this recipe or is this a paste job. I cannot understand how you make a good tikka out of "any mild/medium curry powder" with cream and toms from Italy.

Chicken means chicken

Tikka means pieces

Masala means spice blend

No way was this invented in Glasgow by one guy seeking publicity.

Lamb pruna bhuna, but not made with lamb

?

3-4kg or so manky old sheep on the bone, shanks good, leg good, shoulder best but get extra kg as it's bony and fatty, cheap too

?

Season the hell out of it and roast it, slowly for say 4 hrs till it just shreds apart. Not dry though. ?Say 170c 3hrs under foil?but turn it up at end to brown if needed

? -you?should spice?rub it and shove some garlic in there etc. Its important to cook it quite brown and get a really good stock as the meat is not cooked in the sauce. Brownie points if you seared the beast till nice and brown at the start and then did the chilli rub

?--------------------------

Pull?the meat apart when its still warm,?but well rested and not hot.Get rid of the bones and any thing?else you don't want your wife and friends to chew.??Really important to save the juices(seive) and quite a bit of the fat, and try to keep chunks of meat whole. If this hard to do you have undercooked and should call a chef, if you baked it to death call a takeaway.

Start this about an hour before the meats done

Pan- oil/ghee- hot- no burn- add;

?

Little 1 tsp each - 3Cardomom, clove, cinnamon, tumeric

Lot?? 3+ tsp each- Coriander powder, Garam masala, cumin

To taste- chilli powder, pepper,

?

Fry up for a few min till they smell good, Don't burn but they need a good blast

?

Add;

4/5 +fine chopped? big onion cook in spices till clear and soft, don't be shy about adding butter here

Add, and fry a bit;

Garlic, 2 + whole head mashed

Bay leaves 8

Ginger big chunk mashed or blitzed

then;

3+ tin toms no juice

Prunes 1or 2 tins to eye, drain well, buy? low sugar ones, I would put more in if there were lots of other choices of food

Feel free to mod these amounts if meat seems excess, fresh chillis, some fresh toms are nice.

?

Cook all this up for a bit taste it for salt, chilli, if it has no 'go' then you better have spice rubbed that lamb!

Get the meat juice in there and a bit of lamb fat and meat. It should not be too wet, fresh coriander?

Any good? If not it is all your fault! Pataks booster is your only hope.

?

All you have to do is roast a good bit of spicy meat, and make a good sauce. Try at home using two? lamb shanks.

Can be done well ahead and reheated.

?

Best

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This recipe was requested from me by a loyal customer, it pays homage to genuine Indian food but is about as authentic as me.

Tried and tested, enjoy.

[Horsebox]

Surely

is the ONLY lamb curry one should be cooking...and it comes with a catchy song (6)

[HAL9000]

Spanish Tongue (Jewish Cuisine)

The Sauce:

1/4 lb mushrooms

2 celery stalks

1/4 lb peas (fresh or tinned)

1 green pepper

1 large onion

2 tomatoes (large)

1 cup tomato puree or tomato soup

2 tblsp sugar

2 tblsp vinegar

salt

pepper

paprika

Slice celery, green pepper and onion

Fry in oil until brown

Add chopped tomatoes, puree, salt, pepper and paprika to taste

Add sliced mushrooms and peas

The Tongue:

2 1/2 - 3 lb tongue (beef)

Cover with cold water

Add 2 tblsp of salt

Boil until tender (2-3 hours)

Peel and slice into 1/4-inch pieces

Pour sauce over tongue and serve hot ? B?tayavon

[Ladymuck]

Sri Lankan Fish Curry (Malu Curriya)

I am posting this because, once you have obtained all the necessary ingredients, it is such a doddle to prepare. Takes less than half an hour - so don't forget to put your rice on.

2lbs of fish

3 onions thinly sliced (recipe actually says 1 - but I don't think that's enough)

2 tsp. salt (I use only one - personal taste)

2 tsp. chilli powder (I use fresh chillies - far superior flavour)

2 tsp. coriander (I prefer to pound the whole seed rather than use the ready ground stuff - adds intensity to flavour)

1 tsp. cumin (again, I prefer to pound the whole seed...mmmm, the smell)

half tsp. turmeric

garlic (oddly, recipe doesn't mention this ingredient: as much as you want...I use about 5 cloves)

1 2" piece of cinnamon

2 bay leaves

3 cups coconut milk

1 tbs. lemon juice

fresh coriander leaves (strangely, recipe doesn't mention this either...but I love the stuff)

Cut fish into small chunks and wash well. Place in saucepan with all the other ingredients except coriander and lemon juice. Stir to blend spices. Start cooking over moderate heat and then simmer (gently) for 15 - 20 mins. Just before serving add the lemon juice and fresh coriander leaves. Serves 4 - 6. SO easy and authentic.

Also works well with prawns (the big fat juicy ones) - in which case leave the prawns out till the final few minutes.

[brum]

Now my juices are really flowing. Sounds lovely LM.

Here's my recipe for the day...

Hot smoked peppered mackerel and Scrambled egg on toast (for 1).

2 eggs

1 fillet of mackerel

Seasoning

2 slices of bread

Worcestershire Sauce

Beat eggs. Flake mackerel into egg mix. Add seasoning.

Heat in saucepan and stir till egg becomes scrambled

Add splashes of Worcestershire Sauce

Serve on hot toast.

Takes approx 5 minutes. Its delicious.

[Ladymuck]

brum Wrote:

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Here's my recipe for the day...

>

> Hot smoked peppered mackerel and Scrambled egg on

> toast (for 1)....Takes approx 5 minutes. Its delicious.

So you can cook! And now you've more recipes on this thread. No excuse now Poubelle...I don't want to see you eating any more rubbish!

I might surprise T at the weekend and make him your mackerel and scrambled egg on toast for breakfast. It sounds just up his street. (Makes a change from yoghurt - eh?);-)

[brum]

...and served to him with a cherry on top? ;-)

[Ladymuck]

brum Wrote:

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> ...and served to him with a cherry on top? ;-)

Oooh you ARE awful...but I like you!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97aB71F-430&feature=related

[karter]

Sounds like this thread could turn naughty, AGAIN.

[Ladymuck]

karter Wrote:

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> Sounds like this thread could turn naughty, AGAIN.

Pah! After yesterday's quite unnecessary nastiness...I'll do anything for some light relief. Got any easy/quick recipes Karter?

[karter]

LM i don't i'm afraid, i don't do quick and easy these days. ;-)

[Ladymuck]

karter Wrote:

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> LM i don't i'm afraid, i don't do quick and easy

> these days. ;-)

hmmmmm

*scratches head*

[karter]

Ladymuck Wrote:

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> karter Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > LM i don't i'm afraid, i don't do quick and

> easy

> > these days. ;-)

>

> hmmmmm

>

> *scratches head*

and the naughtiness continues.

*scratches chin*

[Ladymuck]

Oh to hell with it...

*scratches bum*

[SeanMacGabhann]

I wouldn't be quick to dismiss any link between yesterday's "nastiness" and the ease with which threads fall into this kind of tedium on a regular basis

[Ladymuck]

Are you slapping my wrist (again) SeanMacGabhann?

[karter]

i missed yesterdays nastiness and tedium, just as well, i don't fancy getting slapped by sean.

always add olive oil when simmering veg soup.

[Brendan]

I blame February. It's a shit month. Pisses people off.

Not for vegetable soup you understand which is a possible remedy.

[Ladymuck]

karter Wrote:

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i don't fancy getting slapped by sean.

Well who do you fancy being slapped by?

> always add olive oil when simmering veg soup.

Seriously? Why is that?

[karter]

Brendan Wrote:

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> I blame February. It's a shit month. Pisses people

> off.

>

> Not for vegetable soup you understand which is a

> possible remedy.

do you really so Brendan. Chicken soup for February blues and no olive oil.

[Brendan]

Can you put vodka in chicken soup?

There really aren't enough warm, meat based, alcoholic drinks around.

[Ladymuck]

Brendan Wrote:

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> Can you put vodka in chicken soup?

I don't know, but a friend (lives in US) once made a carrot and ginger soup made with drambuie. I don't like drambuie but it worked really well with the soup. Very tasty and warming. Mmmm takes me back.

[brum]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

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> >

> I wouldn't be quick to dismiss any link between

> yesterday's "nastiness" and the ease with which

> threads fall into this kind of tedium on a regular

> basis

There's nothing in the rules against tedium, Sean.... If there were, we'd all be guilty at some point or other! I'd rather tedium than nastiness, any day... (although the odd firework display does go down well!)

[karter]

Ladymuck Wrote:

>

> > always add olive oil when simmering veg soup.

>

> Seriously? Why is that?

it gives it texture and flavor, IMO. extra virgin though.