Tips for a Curry/Cooking Novice

Kosmiche

Kosmiche

Kosmiche

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North Wales
I'm making a jalfrezi curry tommorrow evening using chicken and a jar of jalfrezi stir in sauce.

Any tips on how I can jazz it up and make it a winner?

I have a lot of spices I can use although I don't know which would work, I think ginger?

I also have fresh tomatoes I can add.

Thanks :o :D
 
Thanks I think I actually have all that stuff apart from the green pepper.

Seems easy enough I will have a go :)

Could I replace the sliced chilies with chili powder? Sorry if its a stupid question.
 
Let us know how you get on, I wouldn't mind doing that one too.

My issue is I never have any of the cupboard ingredients. I have a River Cottage veg book and the ingredients list is 90% of the page. Annoys me that it costs so much to make good fresh food.
 
It's not really expensive, just to start with. 90% of the ingridents will last months, you don't use an entire jar of spice for one meal. Once you have your cupboard ingriedents, it's cheap to keep it stocked, it's just stocking it in the first place.

Don't skimp on fat/oil, many spices and especially chili is only fat soluble, so you try removing fat your curry will fast of nothing.
 
Indeed, once I am finally in my own kitchen (living with 2 other guys currently and space is a premium) then I will do a massive cupboard shop and stock up. Then the cooking trials commence.
 
liquid I just ate the recipe you linked, was pretty good :)

I did not have ginger or green peppers.

I was not expecting the tomatoes to dissappear, I would have liked some texture which I guess is what the peppers would have provided.
 
i would use a jar of pataks curry paste rather than a full sauce.


1/2 jar of paste
2 onions
1 pepper
3 chicken breast
2 red chillis
1 tin chopped toms
1 tin coconut milk if you fancy
1 tins worth of water.

cook onion, peper and chili till onion soft

add the chicken and the paste. get it all coated.

add toms, coconut milk and water and season with salt and pepper

simmer till sauce thickens and chicken cooked.

easy curry and much better than a jar of sauce.

(ive never made a jalfrezi so dont no if you need coconut milk)
 
I picked up a few spice kits from a foodie fair, the kits contained freshly roasted and ground spices plus instructions on how to make their "secret sauce" base. Think the instructions made enough base for three curries, you can then freeze some for later use. Was really impressed with the results and saved having loads of spices knocking about not getting used, like coffee they really do seem to taste est freshly roast and ground.

http://www.bitspicy.com/ is their website, they have the special sauce recipe up there so you can see what's involved. Not the cheapest way to do things if you're going to stick at it but we got good results as a tester.
 
I usually make a base from chopped onion and tinned chopped tomatoes.

Find an Asian super market for cheaper spices.

Use fresh garlic, ginger and chilli's.
Natural yoghurt, lime juice, a slab or two of creamed coconut, sugar, salt and crushed black pepper are good to have handy to balance flavour.

And buy:
Kasoori Methi (fenu greek)
Cumin
coriander
Tumeric

You can make some awesome curries from this, experiment with the ingredients, I've never managed to make the same curry twice!

If it tastes bitter add sugar and salt, if its too sweet, add lime juice or lemon.

Add yoghurt or milk to thin the sauce out or to calm the chillis down.

Once the sauce is good add some pre pan fried chicken/other meat, or put the meat in from the start so it slow cooks as your building the sauce up from the tomato/onion base.
 
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