Aloo Chicken – A Beginner’s Curry

Ingredients

Chicken  (Halal is best)         1kg of Chicken Thighs,  or one breast Fillet per person
Onions                                    2 medium
Vegetable oil                          0.2l
Ginger                                    2 inch cube
Garlic                                     4 cloves
Chilli powder                         1.0 teaspoon +
Turmeric                                1.0 teaspoon
Cumin seeds                          1.0 teaspoon
Salt                                         1.5 teaspoon
Tinned tomatoes                    1
Black cardamoms                  2
Cinnamon bark                      3  pieces
Tomato puree                        2  teaspoon
Green chillies                        1 +
Fresh coriander                     1/3 bunch
Potato (Aloo)                         1 medium-large

Method
Throughout : Keep the heat as low as possible, but sufficient to maintain the process of cooking (bubbling).  If the heat is too high everything will dry out or burn/stick to the pot.

1)    Chop the onions into very small pieces and add to the saucepan with the oil.
2)    Peel the ginger and grate it, chop the garlic finely, add to the onions.
3)    Add water if the mixture sticks or dries until the onions are softening to a mash.

This is the important part, 20 minutes or so, until the mixture turns to a mash…the Masala.
From here you can add anything you like (e.g. Prawns, Mushrooms) to make Curry variants.

4)      Add the chilli powder, turmeric, salt, tomatoes, cardamoms, cinnamon, cumin and tomato puree.
5)    Cut the chicken into 2cm (approx) pieces, add to the Masala.
6)      Peel the potato and chop into ‘cubes’ about the size of the chicken pieces, add to the Masala
7)    Chop the green chillies and the coriander and add to the Masala.
8)    After ten to fifteen minutes :  with the point of a knife, test to see if the potatoes are soft: if so, they are ready, and so is the chicken.
9)      Serve with Rice.

Boiled Rice

One cup of rice per person is more than enough.

If you are not patient with the rice at the beginning you will ruin the entire meal by cooking a stodgy mess.

The secret to successful rice is in the rinsing.

1)  Place the rice in a bowl of cold water and mix it around with your hand to release the starch.

2)  Sieve to drain and repeat the process until the water in the bowl stops turning white.

With a microwave you cannot go wrong.

3)  In a glass bowl, or approved microwave cooking bowl, place the rinsed rice with two cups of cold water.

4)  Microwave on full power for 11 minutes.

5)  Drain the rice using the sieve and rinse again in cold water.  Drain off the cold water.

6)  When the Curry is nearly ready, reheat the rice for a further two minutes.

If no microwave is available, use an open pan.

(Avoid using a microwave to cook or reheat Curry – the salt may ruin the dish.)