Chicken Jalfrezi

[Psycho Sonny]

Naan cooking - although I usually do these under the grill, given recent wok discussion,
maybe the cast iron wok, could have a dual life cooking naan's, could probably get 2 in, stuck on wok sides ? ..keeping the lid on wok.

i don't see that working out well the top wouldn't be cooked even with the lid on.

the way to solve that would be have the wok lid off on highest possible heat. slap the naan onto the wok. then at the same time use a blow torch / flame thrower to cook the top. i've done the same before using a thava. it works extremely well.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

memorable thread on oils/ghee worth reading ... even broaching coconut So it turns out I've been using the wrong kind of coconut oil
... no refined coconut oil yet jumped into my basket though

rapeseed oil and another using vegetable oil - i thought people on here knew how to cook?

nothing but coconut oil or ghee for indian cooking. sometimes groundnut oil if i run out.

it's not only far healthier it's the best way to fry anything. it stops everything from burning.

so i was right then? i use ktc - refined coconut oil, groundnut oil or somethimes ghee.

all of which are the best for frying and healthier than anything else. as confirmed by people in that thread that actually know what they are talking about

 

[robj20]

i don't see that working out well the top wouldn't be cooked even with the lid on.

the way to solve that would be have the wok lid off on highest possible heat. slap the naan onto the wok. then at the same time use a blow torch / flame thrower to cook the top. i've done the same before using a thava. it works extremely well.

I'd use my pizza oven so would be cooked in about 2 minutes.

Are you going to post some of your most successful restaurant recipes then? Im always after new ones to try.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

I'd use my pizza oven so would be cooked in about 2 minutes.

Are you going to post some of your most successful restaurant recipes then? Im always after new ones to try.

i tend to adapt online recipes to my own style when i'm doing something new. i also never measure anything accurately or use exact measures.

one of the above pictures is of something i reckon most of you will never have made so i might do a full picture write up this weekend if i make it. keema peas (mince and peas). because my wife is vegetarian i use frozen lamb mince, obviously fresh is better. but it's hassle to have to go out and buy it fresh when i have the time and opportunity to make it. i might have a birthday on this weekend which is why i can't guarantee i will even make it this weekend.

 

[robj20]

i tend to adapt online recipes to my own style when i'm doing something new. i also never measure anything accurately or use exact measures.

one of the above pictures is of something i reckon most of you will never have made so i might do a full picture write up this weekend if i make it. keema peas (mince and peas). because my wife is vegetarian i use frozen lamb mince, obviously fresh is better. but it's hassle to have to go out and buy it fresh when i have the time and opportunity to make it. i might have a birthday on this weekend which is why i can't guarantee i will even make it this weekend.

Didn't you say you ran a restaurant? Or am I getting confused with someone else.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Didn't you say you ran a restaurant?

yeah - i had to fill in as a chef. but restaurant is very different to cooking at home. in the restaurant everything is prepared before hand. it's simply mixing stuff which has already been pre-cooked by the chefs during non busy periods, heating it up and then getting it out. the only stuff made from scratch to order are naan's, kebabs, etc.

doing it at home is all from scratch. home cooking is far superior in that regard.

it's why i don't eat out a lot these days- no point when i can cook it and it tastes 100 times better when i make it.

dare i say it - i've only ever had a good curry on less than 5 occasions whilst eating out and i've eaten out likely thousands of times.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

as a follow up. cooking to me is an art form not a science.

you wouldn't ask picasso how many brush strokes it takes to make a skyline. it takes what it takes.

so things like cook for x mins i never follow. i watch the food. things like 1 teaspoon of this. i could add more or less.

also the ingredients i use you cannot buy. all my spices are home made fresh by mother in law. so the garam masala and chilli powder i'm putting in is 100 times better than the ones you are putting in. not even restaurants use the quality of the stuff i use. as it's too time consuming and cheaper to buy it in bulk

 

[jpaul]

i don't see that working out well the top wouldn't be cooked even with the lid on.

yes you're right ... more research .... seems I need to invert the wok how to bake Naan bread with wok
that's going to be a work-out ... one up on a pancake flip

 

[robj20]

yeah - i had to fill in as a chef. but restaurant is very different to cooking at home. in the restaurant everything is prepared before hand. it's simply mixing stuff which has already been pre-cooked by the chefs during non busy periods, heating it up and then getting it out. the only stuff made from scratch to order are naan's, kebabs, etc.

doing it at home is all from scratch. home cooking is far superior in that regard.

it's why i don't eat out a lot these days- no point when i can cook it and it tastes 100 times better when i make it.

dare i say it - i've only ever had a good curry on less than 5 occasions whilst eating out and i've eaten out likely thousands of times.

So you must have some recipes from the restaurant, spice mixes and so on. Your not telling me they just googled Madras and did that.
Fair few of usus here go out of our way to recreate the takeaway taste.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

yes you're right ... more research .... seems I need to invert the wok how to bake Naan bread with wok
that's going to be a work-out ... one up on a pancake flip

use a flame thrower - trust me use wok for cooking base. flames for the top. it's why a wood fired pizza oven is best. the flames cook the top

 

[Psycho Sonny]

So you must have some recipes from the restaurant, spice mixes and so on. Your not telling me they just googled Madras and did that.
Fair few of usus here go out of our way to recreate the takeaway taste.

oh now the full time chefs knew it all off the top of their head. it was their day job.

however cooking at home i like to try new recipes (authentic from india) and see what they do differently from my own style.

my restaurant recipes wouldn't work for you. okay i'll write one out to explain it.

chicken bhoona

add pre made tomato tharka to pan (pre mixed cooked onion, ginger and garlic with tomato puree) and fry with oil for 1 minute.
add base curry sauce (pre made curry sauce consisting of onions, water and spices) and fry for another minute
add fresh tomato
add pre-cooked chicken
fry for another minute
add coriander and spring onion and 1 fresh tomato mix and pack/serve

it just doesn't work or taste nice at home. it's bland. fresh spices and use of (refined) coconut oil is a must for me. also frying everything seperately and adding stuff one at a time in the right order rather than a blend all at once. plus it takes all of 4 minutes to make a bhoona in the restaurant but if i wanted to make it at home it'd take me around an hour and i'd be doing everything from scratch.

this is why restaurant recipes don't work.

 

[robj20]

as a follow up. cooking to me is an art form not a science.

you wouldn't ask picasso how many brush strokes it takes to make a skyline. it takes what it takes.

so things like cook for x mins i never follow. i watch the food. things like 1 teaspoon of this. i could add more or less.

also the ingredients i use you cannot buy. all my spices are home made fresh by mother in law. so the garam masala and chilli powder i'm putting in is 100 times better than the ones you are putting in. not even restaurants use the quality of the stuff i use. as it's too time consuming and cheaper to buy it in bulk

That's sounds very condescending. You have no idea what ingredients I use, or anyone else on here. I bet you can buy the spices you use, sorry mother in law.

I make my own spice mixes from scratch, my own mixed powder, tandoori powder, and garam massala.

I'd love to know what secret ingredients you use that we are unable to purchase.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

That's sounds very condescending. You have no idea what ingredients I use, or anyone else on here. I bet you can buy the spices you use, sorry mother in law.

I make my own spice mixes from scratch, my own mixed powder, tandoori powder, and garam massala.

I'd love to know what secret ingredients you use that we are unable to purchase.

you are an exception then much like me.

as in the ingredients are boguht raw. then dried out in an oven (low and slow) then milled / ground up in a coffee / spice grinder. 99% of folk just buy the packets at the supermarket or asian shop.

 

[robj20]

you are an exception then much like me.

as in the ingredients are boguht raw. then dried out in an oven (low and slow) then milled / ground up in a coffee / spice grinder. 99% of folk just buy the packets at the supermarket or asian shop.

You obviously dont visit this sub forum very often then. Check out the BIR Curry thread, think you will be suprised.

I buy all mine in bulk, measure out and roast the grind. I get fresh items like methi from the market.

I make my own base sauce, onions, stock, spices.
I i was making your bhuna for example it would be ginger and garlic (i have these frozen in 2 tablespoon portions), then some mixed powder, tomato puree, base sauce. Fresh tomatoes, onions. Then in goes the base sauce, keep stiring in the caramilesed edges. Then just before serving a pinch of garam massala and dried methi leaves.
So restaurant recipes definitely work on here, you just need the other thread.

Its always good to hear from people that have different recipes, and experiences.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

i've started to use stuff i've never really used before now recently. cinnamon sticks for instance, bay leaves, cardamon pods. which is why i have now started to look at online recipes rather than stick to what i usually do.

i'm trying to see if my style can be improved or not. if something works or doesn't i'll remember and learn from it. constantly improving.

i honestly don't like the restaurant style. i hate it. authentic home made all from scratch for me. the only cheat i sometimes use is i'll throw in a jar of pre made sauce from the likes of llyod grossman to just add more sauce with flavour rather than a small carton of passata / chopped tomatoes.

i don't use tomato puree at all. normally fresh or tinned / cartons of tomatoes. which where i'll adapt recipes if they ask for tomato puree for instance. like i said it's more an art form than exact science. the best thing you can do if you want recipes is youtube videos of indian chefs who actually live in india.

my wife wanted a vegan recipe book off amazon. i refused to buy as all recipes can be found for free on youtube these days.

 

[Merlin5]

I had a go at my own mild curry tonight, inspired by ElliorR and based a little on his recipe and also a recipe I saw online. It came out delicious with a lovely coconut aroma. I would say though that I over reduced the sauce, I could have stopped cooking it earlier, or perhaps not used the flour, but you live and learn.

Here's my recipe and the all important pics.

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a frying pan.
Sautéd one chopped onion till golden, added 1 and a half cloves of grated garlic and half a tspn of grated root ginger. Stirred and cooked for 2 minutes.
Added 2 chopped tomatoes, stirring and cooking till soft.
Stirred in and cooked 1 tbspn medium curry powder for 2 minutes.
Added 450g of chicken thigh. I thought I'd bought chicken without the bone but I hadn't, only skinless. So I deboned it, got rid of any fat and gristle and diced it.
Threw it in the pan, seared it, added a tspn salt and half a tspn black pepper. Stirred and cooked till golden.
Covered the pan and cooked for 2 to 3 minutes more. Since I don't have a frying pan lid, I improvised by putting a baking tray over it.
Added 90ml water, stirred, covered and cooked for another 10 minutes on low to medium heat.
Added 200ml of coconut milk, quarter tspn of garam masala, and quarter tspn of salt. I added a spoon of flour and cooked until thickened.
Cooked 90g of Basmati rice, rinsed off under hot water tap, then spread in baking tray and cooked for 5 minutes or so to dry off excess water.

 

[ElliorR]

I had a go at my own mild curry tonight, inspired by ElliorR and based a little on his recipe and also a recipe I saw online. It came out delicious with a lovely coconut aroma. I would say though that I over reduced the sauce, I could have stopped cooking it earlier, or perhaps not used the flour, but you live and learn.

Here's my recipe and the all important pics.

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a frying pan.
Sautéd one chopped onion till golden, added 1 and a half cloves of grated garlic and half a tspn of grated root ginger. Stirred and cooked for 2 minutes.
Added 2 chopped tomatoes, stirring and cooking till soft.
Stirred in and cooked 1 tbspn medium curry powder for 2 minutes.
Added 450g of chicken thigh. I thought I'd bought chicken without the bone but I hadn't, only skinless. So I deboned it, got rid of any fat and gristle and diced it.
Threw it in the pan, seared it, added a tspn salt and half a tspn black pepper. Stirred and cooked till golden.
Covered the pan and cooked for 2 to 3 minutes more. Since I don't have a frying pan lid, I improvised by putting a baking tray over it.
Added 90ml water, stirred, covered and cooked for another 10 minutes on low to medium heat.
Added 200ml of coconut milk, quarter tspn of garam masala, and quarter tspn of salt. I added a spoon of flour and cooked until thickened.
Cooked 90g of Basmati rice, rinsed off under hot water tap, then spread in baking tray and cooked for 5 minutes or so to dry off excess water.

Other than the coconut milk, not a fan of coconut, it looks good.

I’m making a Dopiaza today, that I’ve made many times, and it’s my simple to make go to curry.

 

[jpaul]

yes you're right ... more research .... seems I need to invert the wok how to bake Naan bread with wok
that's going to be a work-out ... one up on a pancake flip

so it would appear - wok on !

I promised some photos the next time I made this, and knocked up 1KG of dough yesterday to make naans!

Now this dough is only +8 hours, 3 out of fridge, 5 in the fridge, I couldn't resist cooking some last night when we came home from a night out! Stick a wok on the hob, full heat, wait for it to smoke (no oil or anything), stick the naan in, wait a good 30-40 seconds, turn over, cook until you're happy with the level of char. Job done.

I doubled the amount of onion seeds for this batch, and it tastes much better than his default recipe.



It'll now sit in the fridge until Sunday when we'll use more, and the rest will be rolled into balls and frozen. Freezing this naan means you can have fresh naan in under 6 minutes, defrost in the microwave and roll out, cook in same way you normally do!

 

[Psycho Sonny]

@Wizzfizz still waiting on that feedback i provided my half of the bargain

 

[NickK]

Quarantine by Hotpods is a good additional heat sauce for jalfrezi - it’s chilli, smoked onion and tomato base matches well (in case you get some like it hotter.