Chicken Curry for American Kitchen

Chicken Curry for American Kitchen

Many request me for chicken curry recipe now and then.
Before i share one, lemme tell you. Curry has changed from what it used to be and what it is today.
Every country adds its own flavour to Curry.

Its obvious that it is difficult to find all the spices which goes into a curry. And also is difficult to really understand the role of each spice and the control over its flavour. You will have to do a lot of playing with these spices to understand them.

I am giving you a simple recipe with minimum ingredients. And most importantly to match American palate.

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
• 1 medium tomato (finely chopped)
• 15g garlic paste
• 30g curry powder
• 20g cilantro finely chopped
• 100ml heavy cream
• 30g butter

• 400g chicken 2inch dices
• 5g cumin powder
• 30g yogurt
• 15ml oil
• seasoning

Procedure

Marinate the chicken with cumin powder, yogurt, seasonings and oil.

bake it in oven till done.

On a pan or skillet. Saute garlic and onion in butter till soft.

Add tomato and cook for another 15min or till the fat starts to separate.

mix in the chicken cubes and cilantro. cook for 2minutes and mix in cream.

cook for a minute or two and serve it with steamed rice or Indian breads 

The Crowne Plaza Kitchen

New york cheese cake

Chefs special tortilla crust salad

Breakfast Mellon

Banana slice gateaux

Vegetarian Delight

 

Honey cured ham

Carving station

crowne Breakfast

Feta Cheese and asparagus lasagne

Instant food - A convenience at a Cost

Modern life style is all about easing everything around you.

Technology has covered every aspects of our life. Talk about work or leisure.

Even food thats on your plate is a product of the modern technology.

But all these come for a cost. The additives and the preservatives added to these product to keep up its shelf-life until it reaches your table.

Studies show that, Some modern synthetic preservatives have become controversial because they have been shown to cause respiratory or other health problems. Some studies point to synthetic preservatives and artificial coloring agents aggravating ADD & ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) symptoms in those affected.

But yet, instant foods are most popular both in household and commercial kitchens.
Products made from scratch are actually cheaper and most are better tasting. 

Chicken Nuggets 

Ingredients 

• 200g chicken breast
• 2 eggs (beat it and season it)
• Bread crumbs for crumbing
• seasoning
• oil for deep fat frying

Preparation

• clean and fine mince the chicken breast
• add seasonings
• shape it into small 2 inch patties or roll it into 4 inch fingers
• dip it into egg and then roll it into bread crumbs.
• deep fry till golden.

variation : Cheese filling in it will be a good option.

Consommé a real Science and an Art

Science was never confined just to labs.

We don't realise it, but we do play with science every day at work, play or home.

The understanding of science behind a recipe, procedure or ingredient is a key to a creation.

Right from adding salt into boiling water for eggs to using an egg in soups to clarify consommé.

Science of cooking is all chefs do to wow you every time.

Ever wondered why add oil while boiling a pasta?

Some applications are simple and some needs precision and instinct.

And most chefs work with these.

Of course these days we do have equipments and gadgets making kitchen life easier.

Yet, cooking is more about understanding the science than measurements.

Given an example

Consommé; the clear amber soup that you sip in wondering where all that flavour comes from.

Consommé is a type of clear soup made from a flavoured stock or bouillon that has been clarified by egg protein.

Shrimp Consomme

It takes year of experience and understanding to master the art of consommé making.

A consommé is made by adding a mixture of ground meats, together with mirepoix, tomatoes, and egg whites into either bouillon or stock. The key to making a high quality consommé is simmering; the act of simmering, combined with frequent stirring, brings impurities to the surface of the liquid, which are further drawn out due to the presence of acid from the tomatoes. Eventually, the solids begin to congeal at the surface of the liquid, forming a 'raft', which is caused by the protein in the egg. Once the 'raft' begins to form, the heat is reduced, and the consommé is simmered at a lower heat until it reaches the desired flavor, which usually takes anywhere from 45 minutes to over an hour. The resulting concoction is a clear liquid that has either a rich amber colour or a very pale yellow colour. It is then carefully drawn from the pot and passed again through a filter to ensure its purity, and is then put through a lengthy process where all of the visible fat is skimmed from the surface.

Beef Goulash

A good beef stew with some bread loaf or noodle... hmmm !
According to Wikipedia, Goulash (plural: goulashes) is primarily a soup, also existing as stew, usually made of beef, onions, vegetables, spices and ground paprika powder. The name originates from the Hungarian gulyás, the word for a cattle stock-man or herdsman. In Slovakia goulash is also popular and the word "guláš" means mishmash.


Friends trying to substitute paprika, careful, chili powder is definately NO!. Paprika gives that flavor and colour and has hardly any hot taste. You can throw in a spoonful in your mouth and still smile at your boss' jokes. 


Ingredients

• 750g boneless beef, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 30g flour
• 15g butter
• 2 medium  chopped white onion
• 5g  garlic
• 15ml white wine
• 30g paprika
• 15ml vinegar
• 3 medium plum tomatoes chopped
• 5g caraway seeds, crushed
• 2  bay leaves
• 300ml beef stock
• 500g potato peeled and diced 1 -inch cubes
• 200g carrot peeled and diced 1 -inch pieces
• 5-6 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Coat beef cubes into flour with some seasoning
Bake the meat till well done
Saute onion and garlic in butter till light golden
Glaze it with white wine.
add the tomatoes.
Mix vinegar and paprika together and add it to the pan.
Keep the mixture moist, sprinkle some water if needed
Add caraway seeds and bay leaf.
Add Beef and the stock. Adjust the seasoning
Simmer till the meat is just cooked
Add the potatoes, garlic pods and the carrots. cook till the liquid reduces to a saucy consistency
serve it with some noodle or a loaf of bread

On request for my friend Bandaru Baburao