Authentic chicken curry & Naan bread... any ideas??

[thesouthsbelle]

I want to make one, which starts off nice and mild but that I can add more spices to to make it as hot as poss. (or do I need to do 2 separate ones?)

currently in my store I have:-

cumin
mild curry powder
fennel seed
whole chilli
tumeric
paprika
nutmeg
vindaloo powder
bay leaves
basil
rosemary
mixed spices for cakes.

we have a local asian shop I can go in for others if needed.

flour wise i have the standard plain and self raising. also baking powder.

real novice! lol. but want a nice easy one, which as I say you can add to to make it hotter.

thanks.

x

x

No replies!?

I can't do naan bread. Have tried various recipes, all very nice, but not quite what I have in mind.

As for curry, I do a onion-ginger-garlic-chilli blend, fry them, add curry powder, add meat, add tinned tomatoes, simmer. No precise measurements, sorry. Or I do a Madhur Jaffrey curry which involves bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardomen. Her ones can start off not hot at all, which is how my kids prefer it. All very easy but you might just need a proper recipe if you haven't done them before!

This is a delicious chicken curry and quite simple. I usually do it without any chilli, but you could add as much as you want.

Chicken Karahi

a dollop of ghee or oil and butter
1 onion sliced
2 cloves garlic chopped
1tsp dried mint
2tbsp garam masala
half tsp cumin
1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
8 boneless chicken thighs, cubed
half a pint of chicken stock
2 bay leaves

Creamed coconut (optional)

1. Heat the ghee/oil and butter and fry the onions and garlic.
2. Once softened, add the spices and fry for a minute or so. (add chillis at this point if you want)
3. Add chicken, stock and bay leaves.
4. simmer until the chicken is cooked (about 15-20 minutes).
5. Stir in a small amount of creamed coconut at the end if you wish.

This is very easy and delicious and we make it again and again as it is always popular.

No idea about naan sorry! Chappatis are just atta (chickpea) flour and water though.

hiya, i have a link to a naan recipe somewhere but tbh honest without a tandoor they are a bit more like fat pitta breads than proper naans

chappattis are atta (wheat flour) and water, with a drop of oil to make it more malleable the first few times you make it but def not with chickpea flour thats besan and the flour used in pakora/onion bhaji coatings

do you want a tomatoey curry?

Many apologies, I stand corrected!

Thanks littleducks

You need fenugreek seeds for the authentic curry flavour.

thanks guys,

little ducks - not so worried if it's tomatoey or not just the option to have it mega hot (think madras type I think it was last time he had) but i'm your korma girl.

I have a standard electric oven - no good then?!

I love this website for Pakistani recipes:

Desi Cookbook

Yes, fenugreek, seeds or the dried leaves are my secret weapon in a curry. They defo give you that authentic flavour, oh and my nan makes her own special blend of garam masala so I get a supply of that every time she makes up a new batch......I think I might pick her brains about the ingredients and proportions then see if I can post it up here for everyone to try at home!

Naan is pretty unachievable at home, the closest you can get is a tandoori roti, if you have an old style gas grill, then instead of cooking the roti/chapatti in a frying pan or Tuva - you can stick it under the grill so it bubbles up and chars slightly. Tandoori roti is basically chapatti made in the tandoor. You just need wheat flour and water to make the dough, then roll out the chapatti's to an attractive size, the thinner they are, the lighter and fluffier they will be......pop it in the already warmed up pan or tuva on a medium heat, and flip as soon as you see the dough change colour, cook the second side for a little longer, turn up to see how its doing but you want it to speckle with brown, then flip over again pressing lightly so that it inflates like a balloon, or if you are a bit of a dab hand, then toss it straight onto the gas and let it ballon up that way. Takes practice. Or, you could try to make it tandoor style, and after initially putting it in the pan, when you flip it over stick it straight under the grill to bubble up.....and flip on the other side and repeat....

jamie olver ministry of food fab for curries. i have made pretty good naans with madhur jaffrey receip - google it (that hos i found it )

good luck

I use Jamie's recipe in Happy Days with the Naked Chef. It's amazing.

my panasonic bread maker makes a pretty good naan dough (IMHO) and then grill under a very hot grill. I can hunt out the recipe for you but not much point if you don't have a breadmaker.

I got this recipe for naan in the Chicago Tribune, of all places.

About 6 ozs hot milk
2 teaspoons each: white granulated sugar, active dry yeast
30 ozs plain flour (not self raising)
1 teaspoon each: salt, baking powder (not soda)
2 Tablespoons veg oil plus more for bowl
5 - 6 ozs plain yogurt, lightly beaten
1 large egg

Put milk into a bowl, add 1 teasp sugar and all yeast. Stir to mix. Set aside until yeast dissolves and mixture froths.
Sift flour, salt and baking powder into another (large) bowl, add remaining 1 teasp sugar, the yeast mixture, 2 Tbs veg oil, yogurt and egg. Mix and form into a ball of dough.
Knead dough on a clean surface about 10 minutes. Form into a ball. Pour a few drops oil into a large bowl and roll the ball around in it to coat. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to rise somewhere warm and draught free for about an hour or until doubled in bulk.
Heat oven to high. Heat a heavy baking tray or cast iron pan in the oven. Punch down the dough and knead it again for a few minutes. Divide into 6 balls. Take one to work with and keep the rest covered while you roll the ball into an oval shaped naan about 10 inches long and 5 inches wide.
Remove the hot baking tray from the oven and slap the naan onto it. Immediately place in the oven for about 4 minutes. It should puff up. Remove and keep it warm by wrapping it in a kitchen cloth. Repeat rolling and baking procedure for all remaining balls of dough.

Prep time: 25 mins
Rise: 1 hour
Cook: 4x6 or depending on size and number of sheets/pans
Makes: 6 large naans

You can use an airing cupboard for the dough-rising

I made a curry a few weeks ago and I can't find the recipe anywhere. I am going to try it from memory but wondering if I am missing anything fundamental. How does this sound?

Chicken breast and potato chopped in bite size pieces.

Make marinade with curry powder, oil and garlic and pour over chicken and potatoes.

Later, fry an onion. Add chicken and potatoes and brown. Pour over 400ml coconut cream/milk and cook for half an hour.

Anything missing?