Cooking with Jonny69: CURRY!!!
- Thread starter Jonny69
- Start date
To those who poach their chicken for curries: how long for and any other tips?
Never done it like this myself but I always figured that's how my fav local place (linky) gets theirs so juicy. Cooking a curry tonight so if I get a response I'll be trying the poaching method.
Thanks in advance!
Never done it like this myself but I always figured that's how my fav local place (linky) gets theirs so juicy. Cooking a curry tonight so if I get a response I'll be trying the poaching method.
Thanks in advance!
Last edited:
Turned out ok in the end, poached the chicken breasts for around 15 mins in veg stock before adding them to the sauce. Lovely and juicy and added a touch of seasoning.
Didn't take any pics during cooking but here's one of it after people had started helping themselves:
Clockwise from top left is The Curry, Saag Aloo (will post that recipe up if anyone's interested), hiding under the kitchen roll are Peshwari Naan and Popadoms, finally a microwave meal that needed eating (half price at the moment in Sainsbury's fridge bit, not very nice IMHO).
Not pictured Mango Chutney, Raita and King Kobra. Not the best pic (iPhone), actually looked quite tasty in the flesh.
Didn't take any pics during cooking but here's one of it after people had started helping themselves:
Clockwise from top left is The Curry, Saag Aloo (will post that recipe up if anyone's interested), hiding under the kitchen roll are Peshwari Naan and Popadoms, finally a microwave meal that needed eating (half price at the moment in Sainsbury's fridge bit, not very nice IMHO).
Not pictured Mango Chutney, Raita and King Kobra. Not the best pic (iPhone), actually looked quite tasty in the flesh.
I like cooking this as it usually only requires buying some spinach, always seem to have potatoes and onions and the other bits are things that just sit in the cupboard.
Will add some pics next time I make it.
Saag Aloo (Bombay Potato with Spinach)
Ingredients
- 1/2 Onion (sliced)
- 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, crushed/finely chopped (not essential)
- Potatoes (Sainsbury’s Basics Salad Potatoes are actually good for this, or any waxy/new potatoes really)
- Bag of Spinach (washed and drained)
- 2tsp Mustard seeds (approx, add more if you like it)
- 1tsp Turmeric Powder
- Chili Powder (to taste, probably 1 or 2 tsp)
- Oil for cooking
Method
- Peel and chop the potatoes to the size you like (around an inch cube is good, maybe a little smaller). Add to a pan of water (with a little salt if you want) and bring to the boil, check after 10 minutes but might take a bit longer. Can be a little bit hard in the centre as we’ll be cooking them a bit more, the outside should be a bit "fluffy" so they soak up the spices.
- While they’re boiling heat up a frying pan or wok to medium/high (6/7 out of 9 on mine) with some oil (and add some more anytime things start to stick)
- Slice the onion and throw into the pan.
- Once the onion is softened and starting to brown (~5mins) add the Mustard Seeds (should start to pop, if not turn the pan up a bit), Turmeric Powder, Chilli Powder and Garlic.
- Give it a good stir, as mentioned the Mustard seeds should start to pop and the oil, Tumeric Powder and Chilli Powder should be forming a coating for the onions (and subsequent ingredients).
- Once the onions are coated and browned a bit more (another ~5mins at a guess) add some of the Spinach, gradually add more of the spinach as it wilts and stir it in with the onions and spice mixture.
- After the spinach has wilted your potatoes should be about cooked, drain them off and add them to the frying pan.
- Give them a good stir and they should start to pick up the colours (and flavours) of the spices, cook through until the potatoes start develop an almost crusty look.
As long as nothings burnt (keep it moving, add oil if its sticking) and the potatoes aren’t raw it’s hard to mess up!
Optional
Chuck in some fresh chilli, Tomato Puree or other spices at the same time as the dried spices, or some fresh tomato slices with the Spinach, add a bit of fresh Coriander at the end. Alternatively replace the potatoes with some (par boiled) cauliflower or leave the spinach out if you don’t have/like it.
To help with timing if you're cooking a few dishes boil the potatoes ahead of time as they will warm through when you add them to the frying pan.
Will add some pics next time I make it.
Saag Aloo (Bombay Potato with Spinach)
Ingredients
- 1/2 Onion (sliced)
- 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, crushed/finely chopped (not essential)
- Potatoes (Sainsbury’s Basics Salad Potatoes are actually good for this, or any waxy/new potatoes really)
- Bag of Spinach (washed and drained)
- 2tsp Mustard seeds (approx, add more if you like it)
- 1tsp Turmeric Powder
- Chili Powder (to taste, probably 1 or 2 tsp)
- Oil for cooking
Method
- Peel and chop the potatoes to the size you like (around an inch cube is good, maybe a little smaller). Add to a pan of water (with a little salt if you want) and bring to the boil, check after 10 minutes but might take a bit longer. Can be a little bit hard in the centre as we’ll be cooking them a bit more, the outside should be a bit "fluffy" so they soak up the spices.
- While they’re boiling heat up a frying pan or wok to medium/high (6/7 out of 9 on mine) with some oil (and add some more anytime things start to stick)
- Slice the onion and throw into the pan.
- Once the onion is softened and starting to brown (~5mins) add the Mustard Seeds (should start to pop, if not turn the pan up a bit), Turmeric Powder, Chilli Powder and Garlic.
- Give it a good stir, as mentioned the Mustard seeds should start to pop and the oil, Tumeric Powder and Chilli Powder should be forming a coating for the onions (and subsequent ingredients).
- Once the onions are coated and browned a bit more (another ~5mins at a guess) add some of the Spinach, gradually add more of the spinach as it wilts and stir it in with the onions and spice mixture.
- After the spinach has wilted your potatoes should be about cooked, drain them off and add them to the frying pan.
- Give them a good stir and they should start to pick up the colours (and flavours) of the spices, cook through until the potatoes start develop an almost crusty look.
As long as nothings burnt (keep it moving, add oil if its sticking) and the potatoes aren’t raw it’s hard to mess up!
Optional
Chuck in some fresh chilli, Tomato Puree or other spices at the same time as the dried spices, or some fresh tomato slices with the Spinach, add a bit of fresh Coriander at the end. Alternatively replace the potatoes with some (par boiled) cauliflower or leave the spinach out if you don’t have/like it.
To help with timing if you're cooking a few dishes boil the potatoes ahead of time as they will warm through when you add them to the frying pan.
Last edited:
I'd watch a load of videos on youtube if I were you. Each fish needs to done differently, method and time-wise. Just saw an excellent one from a young Marco Pierre White in the late 80's. Made Seabass stuffed with a scallop mouselline and served with ratatouille and a red pepper sauce. That's a michelin standard dish and didn't look too tricky.
- Joined
- 3 May 2004
- Posts
- 17,705
- Location
- Kapitalist Republik of Surrey
Looks pretty good, you should have started a fresh thread for this but I'll be able to find it easily here
I've cooked saag aloo before without the mustard seeds and turmeric but with a little curry powder and it comes out pretty much how my local place does it. This looks better and I'll give it a go next time I do a feast from the east
Thought about it but I didn't take any pics of the cooking process at all but will take some next time I make it.Looks pretty good, you should have started a fresh thread for this but I'll be able to find it easily here
I've cooked saag aloo before without the mustard seeds and turmeric but with a little curry powder and it comes out pretty much how my local place does it. This looks better and I'll give it a go next time I do a feast from the east
Mustard seeds are pretty essential IMHO but different curry houses do vary the recipe quite a bit. Some have quite a bit of tomato in but I think the style I posted above has the spices and consistany to compliment a nice wet curry.
When my grandma makes a curry, she cooks the chicken in the spices with the onions etc first and then adds in water for the sauce. It tastes amazing \o/
Pinch o sugar will sort that out. Just add it a little bit at a time till it's mild enough.
