Chicken Jalfrezi

This recipe comes from Kolkata, where jalfrezi was frequently served to the members of the East India Company.

Serves 4

Ingredients :

1. 1 medium sized chicken
2. Juice of 1/2 lemon
3. Salt to taste
4. Oil
5. 1 large onion- finely chopped
6. 3 tsp of garlic paste
7. 3 tsp of ginger paste
8. 1/2 tsp ground cumin
9. 2 tsp ground coriander
10. 1 tsp chili powder
11. 150g canned chopped tomatoes
12. 2/3 cup warm water
13. 1 large clove of garlic - finely chopped
14. 1 small red bell pepper - seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
15. 1 small green bell pepper - seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
16. 1 tsp garam masala

Method

1. Cut the chicken into smaller pieces and marinate with salt and lemon juice. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for overnight.
2. Heat oil. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 8-9 minutes until lightly browned.
3. Add garlic paste and ginger paste and cook, stirring for 3 minutes. Add the turmeric, cumin, coriander and chili powder and cook and stir for 2 minutes.
4. Add tomotoes and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until the oil separates from the spice paste.
5. Add marinated chicken, increase heat. Stir till the chicken changes colour. Add the warm water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
6. Hear oil in a small saucepan. Add the garlic and cook, stirring grequently until browned. Add the bell pepers and stir fry for 2 minutes, then stir in the garam masala.
7. Fold the bell peppers mixture into the curry.
8. Serve immediately with rice or even Indian bread.

Fried Chile Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients

1. 1/2 chicken
2. 3 tbsp lemon juice
3. Salt to taste
4. 5 garlic - chopped
5. 5cm fresh ginger - chopped
6. 1 Onion - chopped
7. 2 fresh chilies - chopped
8. 3 cm fresh turmeric
9. Oil
10. 1/2 tsp chili powder
11. 1/4 warm water
12. 3 fresh green chilies

Methods :

1. Marinate the chicken with lemon juice and salt. Set aside for about 2 hours.
2. Process the garlic, ginger,onion, red chilies and turmeric in a blender. Add a little water, if necessary.
3. Fried the chicken until brown. Drain on paper towels.
4. Fry the fresh spice paste with chili powder and reduce heat to medium.
5. Keep stirring for 5-6 minutes.
6. Add chicken - stir then add the warm water.
7. Bring to boil and cook fro another 20 minutes
8. Reduce heat to medium and let it boil for another 10 minutes. Keep stirring so that the thick sauce won't stick to the wok.
9. Add in slices of green chilies - served.
   
   

Spiced Potatoes, Cauliflower and Peas

Ingredients

1. 250g of potatoes
2. Small head of cauliflower (about 1/2kg)
3. 1 small yellow onion - chopped
4. 5cm of ginger-peeled and chopped
5. 3 cloves of garlic
6. 1 chile - seeded and chopped
7. 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
8. 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice
9. 1/2 teaspooon of sugar
10. 60ml of oil
11. 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
12. 1 teaspoon ground coriander
13. 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
14. 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
15. 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
16. 1 cup of frozen green peas
17. 1 tablespooon minced fresh cilatro.

Methods :

1. Peel potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes. Put in boiling water and boil until they are soft ie about 6 minutes. Drain into a colander, rinse under cold running water and set aside.
2. Trim and core the cauliflower and separate into 1 inch florets.
3. Blend onion, ginger, garlic and chile until smooth paste. Put aside.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the tomato paste, lemon juice, sugar and 1 cup of water and put aside.
5. Heat the wok. Once the wok is hot, put in the oil. Add onion paste and saute till it turns brown ie about 4-5 minutes. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne amd 1.5 teaspoons salt and stir to mix. Add cauliflower and saute until well coated ie about 2 minutes.
6. Reduce the heat to medium low and stir in the tomato paste mixture. potatoes and peas. Cover and simmer, stirring occassionally until vegetables are tender and liquid has has evaporated about 10 minutes.
7. Once cook, garnish with minced cilantro.

Burmese Meat Curry

Serves 4

Ingredients

1. 1/2 kg of meat - fat trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes (Chicken/Beef or even pork)
2. Salt to taste
3. 4 tbsp oil
4. 1cup of warm water
5. Green chilies cut into strips - to garnish
6. To blend : 8 garlics/2 inch fresh ginger/5 cili padi/10 shallots/2 inches fresh turmeric

Methods

1. Marinate meat with salt and set aside for over night
2. Blend the ingredients (item 6) until fine.
3. Heat up wok, add oil and fry processed ingredients for 5-6 minutes at medium heat.
4. Continue for another 8-10 minutes at low heat BUT stir occassionally to prevent the spices from sticking to the bottom of the wok.
5. Add marinated meat, increased heat to medium and stir until meat changes colour.
6. Pour warm water and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 1 hour, stirring several times especially towards the last 20 minutes to prevent the sauce from sticking.
7. Remove from the heat and garnish with strips of green chilie.

Nasi Tomato

INGREDIENTS (for 2 person)

1. 1 cups Basmati rice or long grain rice (washed and drained)
2. 2 tablespoon tomato paste
3. 2 tablespoon ghee/butter
4. 10 small onions, sliced
5. water
6. 1/2 can of evaporated milk

Spices:
2 candlenuts, ground
1 star anise
2 cloves
2 inches cinnamon bark

COOKING METHOD

1. Spoon in the ghee/butter into the cooking pot and allow to cook for a minute.
2. Add in all the spices and cook for about two minutes.
3. Then mix in the rice, and cook for also about 2-3 minutes.
4. Then add water, milk and tomato paste and mix and blend them together with the rice. Boil the mixture until the rice is fully cooked.
5. When the rice is cooked, serve.