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Chicken Jalfrezi

Ingredients:

For the curry:

  • 650 grams chicken breast (cut into pieces or diced, you can also cut into strips if you prefer)
  • Half a cup of oil (you can use vegetable, sunflower or olive oil)
  • 1 small/medium tomato (chopped into 4)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato puree
  • 1 medium onion (sliced)
  • 1 red, 1 yellow and 1 green mixed peppers (cut into squares or slices)
  • 1-4 green whole green chilli’s (its up to your personal preference, but I put 3)
  • 1 and a half teaspoon salt
  • 1 and a half teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
  • 1 and a half teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 and a half teaspoon garam masala
  • Half a teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 and a half teaspoon chicken seasoning
  • 1 and a half teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • Half a tablespoon ginger garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 3 green cardomoms

For the sauce:

  • 1/4 cup oil (the type you prefer)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 cup natural yoghurt
  • 2 teaspoons chilli powder
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
  • 2 teaspoons ginger powder
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons tandoori paste (I use the patak’s brand- tandoori marinade paste)
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 small/medium onion (chopped)
  • 4 garlic cloves (chopped)
  • Fresh coriander (optional, to garnish)

You will need either a hand blender or a stand blender for this recipe.

Method:

  1. You will start with the sauce, firstly add your oil in your pot and allow it to heat up then add your garlic and onion and fry until slightly brown then set aside in a mixing bowl if you are using a hand blender, or in a stand blender if that’s what you are using.
  2. Now add your yoghurt in there, the tandoori paste, chilli powder, paprika, ginger powder, brown sugar, turmeric powder then add your cup of water and blend everything, then set aside as you will use this later in the cooking process.
  3. Now you will make the curry, add your oil into a pot and allow it to heat up.
  4. Add your onions and mixed peppers and fry for 2-3 minutes on a medium heat.
  5. Add your salt, curry powder, black pepper, garam masala, cumin powder, green cardomoms and fry for a few seconds then add your tomato puree , mix it in and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  6. Now add your chicken and your chicken seasoning, mix everything together and cook for 5-6 minutes on a medium-high heat.
  7. Then add your white vinegar, mix it in well and add your ginger garlic paste, mix everything in again and add your tomato and green chilli’s.
  8. Now you can add the sauce you made earlier, the kasuri methi also known as dried fenugreek leaves and the brown sugar then you can mix everything in.
  9. Close the pot with a lid and allow it to simmer on a low-medium heat for about 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, stirring once or twice, you can add more salt or chicken seasoning if you wish to do so.
  10. Garnish with fresh coriander (optional)
  11. Serve with rice or naan bread.

Notes:

  1. Use a good flavoured chicken seasoning, I like to use caribbean chicken seasoning from the brands Dunn’s River or Tropical Sun.
  2. You can omit the whole chilli’s if you would like but it does add a nice little kick, the chilli’s in this recipe are whole so the spice released is just a little, do NOT cut the chilli’s as this will make it very spicy and ruin the flavour.. (unless you prefer it that way).
  3. This a great curry to make ahead and freeze, it is suitable for freezing and will taste just as amazing. (I promise!)
  4. When developing and writing out my recipes, I use measuring cups and spoons to ensure consistency of quality and taste with each dish, so I would recommend that you do use measuring cups and spoons, until you have made the dish a few times that you can eyeball the measurements.

Turkey Meatballs (in marinara sauce)

Ingredients:

  • 500 grams turkey mince
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • Oil (I like to use olive oil but you can use your preferred oil)
  • 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 medium onion (chopped)
  • Half a teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 and a half teaspoon chicken seasoning (for the meatballs)
  • Half a teaspoon salt
  • Half a teaspoon of black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato puree
  • 400ml chicken stock
  • 2 teaspoons chicken seasoning (for the marinara sauce)
  • Fresh parsley (to garnish, optional)

Method:

  1. Add your mince to a bowl and add your salt, black pepper, dried parsley, 1 and a half teaspoon of chicken seasoning, cheese, breadcrumbs, onion, egg and then mix everything together.
  2. Use your hands to form nicely shaped round meatballs.
  3. Heat a little oil in a pan on a medium heat and add your meatballs, frying them in the pan for about 7-10 minutes, ensuring that you are turning them so that all sides can be evenly cooked, be careful not to burn them.
  4. Add your chopped garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes.
  5. Add your tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, mix in and simmer for about 5-6 minutes.
  6. Add your 2 teaspoons of chicken seasoning, thyme, oregano, bay leaves and then add your chicken stock and mix it in.
  7. Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat, cover and leave to simmer for about 18-25 minutes stirring once during the cooking process, then in the last 5 minutes add your brown sugar and mix in.
  8. When finished you can garnish with parsley and cheese (optional)
  9. Enjoy with some pasta, spaghetti or rice.

Notes:

  1. I recommend that you use a good quality chicken stock with lots of flavour or you may choose to make your own, a good quality chicken stock is the key to a richly flavoured sauce, I like to use 2 chicken oxo cubes that I mix with 400ml of boiled water for my stock.
  2. The brown sugar may seem unusual but it really does make a difference, it removes the harshness of the taste of the tomatoes and allows all the flavours to come together nicely.
  3. Use a good flavoured chicken seasoning, I like to use caribbean chicken seasonings from the brands Dunn’s river or Tropical Sun.
  4. When developing and writing out my recipes, I do use measuring cups and spoons to ensure consistency of quality and taste with each dish, so I would recommend that you do use measuring cups and spoons, until you have made the dish a few times that you can eyeball the measurements.

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Pan-fried Glazed Salmon

Ingredients:

  • 2 Salmon Fillets
  • Oil (I use either vegetable oil or sunflower but you can use your preferred oil).
  • Spring onions (chopped)
  • Sesame seeds (optional, to garnish)

Seasoning rub:

  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • Half a teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon all purpose seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Glaze ingredients:

  • Half a cup of honey
  • 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons white rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons of ginger and garlic paste

Method:

  1. Prepare your seasoning rub by mixing the spices together.
  2. Add the rub onto your salmon and rub it in nicely on both sides and corners.
  3. Prepare your glaze by mixing the ingredients together.
  4. Add your oil into a pan and allow it to heat on a medium heat then add your salmon skin side up.
  5. Cook thoroughly by cooking on one side, turning after a while so the other side can cook and also the corners (try to be careful when turning so the salmon doesn’t fall apart – your heat should be on a medium-low heat and use a non-stick pan preferably.
  6. When the salmon is cooked you can add your glaze.
  7. Allow the glaze to simmer while basting the salmon with the glaze.
  8. After a few minutes add your spring onions and continue to baste the salmon with the glaze until the glaze thickens and sticks onto the salmon – be careful not too burn the glaze, your heat should be on a medium-low heat.
  9. When finished you can add your sesame seeds to garnish (it’s optional).
  10. Serve with your side of choice, I like mine with sweet potato mash or rice with some veg on the side.

Notes:

  1. I use all purpose seasoning from the brands Dunn’s River or Tropical Sun, if you are somewhere when you cannot find an all purpose seasoning, check on amazon or you can use aromat as a substitute.
  2. I don’t add salt to the salmon as the all purpose seasoning already contains salt and the glaze ingredients (soy sauce and white rice vinegar are already very salty).
  3. Soy sauce and white rice vinegar are used a lot in asian cooking so you can find them in asian food shops or some supermarkets (tesco, asda ect.. if you are in the UK), they are also available on amazon.
  4. When developing and writing out my recipes, I use measuring cups and spoons to ensure consistency of quality and taste with each dish, so I would recommend that you do use measuring cups and spoons, until you have made the dish a few times that you can eyeball the measurements.