In 1809 Sake Dean Mohamet from Bihar in India opened the first Indian restaurant in Britain at 34 George Street, Portman Square in London's West End, and over 200 years later curry is now one of Britain’s National Dishes.
This week as you may have seen, read or heard is National Curry Week. Now in it’s 18th year National Curry Week was started to promote the cuisine and to raise funds for charities concentrating on hunger, malnourishment and poverty. During the week, curry lovers are encouraged to get out and visit their local curry houses, some of which will be staging special events and fun challenges.
Everyone has a favourite type of curry, whether it be Korma, Madras, Jalfrezi, Vindaloo etc, and dishes can be made with chicken, lamb, beef, fish and vegetables. They can come from a wide range of countries and each region has different tastes, but not all curries are super hot and spicy.
To celebrate this week we’ve got 2 recipes for you; one vegetarian, and one with meat.
Butter Chicken Recipe
Serves 6
Ingredients
For the marinade:
* 1 kg chicken breasts, cubed
* 2 tbsp. lemon juice
* 1 Russian garlic clove, minced (or 2 regular cloves)
* 1 tbsp. garam masala
* 1 tsp. sea salt
For the sauce:
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 2 medium onions, chopped
* 2 Russian garlic cloves, mined (or 3-4 regular cloves)
* 2 tbsp. garam masala
* 2 tsp. sea salt
* 2 tsp. paprika
* 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
* 2 cups low sodium diced tomatoes
* 2/3 cup whipping cream (33% milk fat)
* 3 tbsp. salted butter
Additional Ingredients:
* Cilantro, for garnish (optional, but recommended)
* Cooked basmati rice, for serving
Instructions:
1. Place the chicken cubes in a large sealable plastic bag, or in a small casserole dish. Mix together the lemon juice, garam masala, garlic and salt, and pour over the chicken. Shake (or stir) well so the chicken is completed coated. Set aside to marinate while the sauce is made, making sure the bag is sealed or the casserole dish is covered with plastic wrap.
2. In the meantime, get started on the sauce. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, add the vegetable oil and the onions. Sautee for about 15-18 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions should be translucent and only slightly browned at the end of the sautéing, so reduce the heat of they begin to brown too quickly.
3. Stir the garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Then, add the seasonings (the garam masala, paprika, cinnamon and salt) and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly.
4. Stir in the diced tomatoes (with their juices) and cook for an additional two minutes.
5. Stir in the cream, then remove from heat and puree the sauce with an immersion blender (or use a blender and work in batches, being careful due to the heat from the sauce).
6. Return the sauce to heat and add in the chicken. Simmer on low, covered, for about 10 minutes. Check a larger piece of chicken for doneness, and cook an additional minute or two if necessary.
7. Stir in the butter, then carefully season to taste with additional salt (though you may find this step unnecessary).
8. Serve over a bed of basmati rice, and garnish with cilantro.
Coconut Mint Curry Recipe
Serves 3
Ingredients
* 1/2 medium sweet onion, cut into pieces
* 2 cloves of garlic
* 2 inch piece ginger, finely chopped
* 1 cup water
* 1 1/2 cup green beans, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
* 1 cup carrots, cut into bite sized pieces
* 1 cup broccoli, cut into small florets
* 1 cup zucchini, cut into bite sized pieces
* 1 1/2 cup cauliflower, cut into small florets
* 1 can coconut milk
* 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
* 1/2 tsp garam masala
* 1/2 tsp turmeric
* 1 tablespoon curry powder
* Juice of 1 lime
* 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
* 1/2 cup fresh mint, finely shopped
Instructions
1. Add onion, garlic, finer and 1/2 cup water to a blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Pour onion mixture into a shallow pan, cover, and cook on medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Add the green beans and 1/2 cup water; continue to cook covered for 7-8 minutes. Add the carrots and cook for another 5 minutes, or until carrots are soft.
3. Add cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, coconut milk, salt, garam masala, turmeric, and curry powder. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes. Uncover and stir in the lime juice, mint, and cilantro. Serve hot with brown rice.
For both of these great recipe's and many more please head on over to pixel-sprout.com and fromjamestojamie.wordpress.com