Sweet Yellow Chicken Curry

I came across this really great recipe by Jamie Oliver over on his website. The recipe was called 'Pukka Yellow Curry'. As it turned out, I had all of the ingredients to hand and figured, why not? And just like that, dinner was sorted. Granted that I never follow a recipe to the letter, I do think that I stuck pretty close to the original... With a few exceptions here and there, of course. I love the sweet warmth this recipe brings and it was a major hit with the kids; I didn't even get any complaints about it being 'chicken, again!'

You will need:

Conservatively serves 5

• 10 Quality chicken drumsticks, skins on
• 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil
• 1/2 A teaspoon of salt
• 2 Yellow bell peppers, one half grated/finely sliced; the remaining, roughly others chopped
• 2 White onions, skins peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tablespoon of minced ginger
• 60g Fresh coriander, leaves and stems (save a few of the leaves for garnishing)
• 1 Teaspoon of turmeric
• 1 Tablespoon of medium curry powder
• 1 Chicken stock cube
• 1 Tablespoon of runny honey
• 1 Teaspoon of tomato puree
• 1 400g can of chickpeas, water drained
• A pinch of black pepper
• 500ml of hot water
• Some plain natural yoghurt for serving, optional

How To:

1. Begin by preparing your vegetables and spices and ready them to one side.

2. Heat the coconut oil in a large wok and brown the chicken, seasoning with some salt and a pinch of black pepper. Using some tongs, remove the chicken from the wok and let it rest aside on a plate.

3. Add the grated yellow peppers, half of the onions, minced garlic, ginger, finely chopped coriander stems to the juices left in the wok and cook for 5 minutes. Then add in the curry powder, turmeric, tomato puree, chicken stock cube, runny honey and chickpeas. Stir continuously on the heat until you have an even mixture. Add in the rest of the yellow peppers, onions and hot water. Bring to the boil.

4. Add the remaining yellow peppers and onions to the wok and stir. Now, lay your chicken in the wok and give it another good stir, spooning all of the ingredients over the drumsticks. Arrange the chicken so that the pieces fan outward.

5. Lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes or until the chicken is tender and the liquids have reduced to a nice, rich and thickened consistency. Scatter the last of the coriander leaves and quickly spoon some yoghurt (in a circular motion) over the curry and you're good to go.

Your 'Sweet Yellow Chicken Curry' is now ready to be plated up or you can can bring it to the table and impress your guests by allowing them to self serve.

We are serving our curry with some white fluffy Basmati rice. Or, for something a little more fragrant, why not try my 'Flavourful Basmati Rice' recipe, which you can find here.

Zing-Tastic Baked Chicken Thighs & Mushrooms

 

I just L.O.V.E quick and easy-to-make recipes! Especially when I'm pushed for time and there are hungry mouths to feed. Well, these zesty chicken thighs are just the the ticket. I know, you're probably thinking 'not another chicken recipe,' right? I can assure you, we don't eat chicken everyday. In fact, we don't even eat all that much meat these days and certainly not on a daily basis. However, chicken -- along with fish -- does seem to be our meat of choice (over things like beef, lamb and pork). I will certainly be posting more vegetarian/vegan friendly articles in the near future especially given the fact that we are becoming far more conscientious of animal welfare/cruelty as a family.

For 9 servings, you will need:

• 9 Quality chicken thighs (skins on and bones in)
• 10 fresh white mushrooms, halved (do not remove the outer skins, simply wipe away any dirt using a kitchen towel)
• 5 Cloves of garlic (skins on)
• 5 Sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 Whole lemon (sliced lengthways into 8 wedges)
• 1-2 Large ripe tomatoes (cut into 8 wedges)
• 1 Level teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 Level teaspoon of salt
• Varying amounts of boiled water from the kettle

How To:

1. Begin by preparing all of your ingredients to save time. Then heat a large wok on a medium- high heat. Lay the chicken thighs skin side down in the wok. Using a skillet/spatula, apply pressure to the thighs by pressing them down. This should help to release the oils from the skin relatively quickly. This will be the only oil you use in this recipe.

2. Add some boiled water from the kettle and let it sizzle for 1 minute. Then quickly throw in your garlic and 2 sprigs of thyme. Sprinkle over the salt and black pepper. Now give the wok a good shake to get the ingredients coated all over the chicken. Add more water as necessary (making sure not to let the wok cook dry) and keep the heat high. Cook skin-down for 5-7 minutes and then turn the thighs, repeating the same procedure. Remember to add hot water incrementally and as needed.

3. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Celsius.

4. Remove from the heat and transfer the chicken into a large baking tray (skin side up), retaining the juices in the wok. Leave the chicken to rest. Bring your attention back to the wok. Remember those mushrooms? This is where they come in; add them to the wok and cook for 5 minutes in the chicken juices but do not let the wok run dry. Add in the last 3 sprigs of thyme and give everything a good stir.

5. Add the mushroom and any juices into the tray with the chicken arranging everything neatly flat and side-by-side. Add the tomatoes and lemon wedges to the tray and bake in the oven (reduce heat to 200 degrees Celsius) for 30 minutes or until cooked.

Your main dish is ready to be plated or served family-style at the dinner table. Why not try serving alongside some baked baby potatoes and crunchy chunks of bell peppers sautéed in a splash of white wine vinegar and soy sauce.

Perfectly Roasted Chicken

Finding it difficult to come up with an alternative to the usual Turkey dinner this festive season? Look no further. I have the perfectly roasted chicken recipe for you that will put a smile on your guests faces. I served this a couple of Christmases ago and the kids loved it; it has been my go to roast for weekends or whenever we have friends or family over for a big feast. And the best part, it's a no oil, fuss free kind of recipe! Feel free to substitute the lemon for oranges to capture that more familiar festive feeling.

For a small-medium whole bird, you will need:

• 1 Whole chicken with skin and bones, halved lengthwise
• 3 Cloves of garlic, freshly minced
• 2 Whole lemons, one juiced for drizzling and one sliced for serving
• 1 Teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 Teaspoon of fine salt
• A pinch of sea salt flakes for serving

Final Touches: Reserve one lemon for slicing and wedging into the chicken before sprinkling with sea salt and serving.

How To:

1. Prepare a roasting tray large enough for your bird to lay flat in the oven.

2. Clean any excess fat and feathering from your bird and cut it down the middle, lengthways. Lay flat, skin side up, into your roasting tray.

3. Pierce the entire chicken to the bone with a knife.

4. Sprinkle the fine salt and black pepper all over the chicken - try to do this evenly - and then rub in the minced garlic by massaging all of the seasoning into the cuts you have made.

5. Cover gently with some foil and bake in the middle of the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes. Check your progress at this point, uncover and cook for a further 10-15 minutes.

6. Once cooked, removed from the oven and pour the freshly squeezed lemon juice over the chicken. Wedge your lemon slices into the creases of the chicken and lightly sprinkle with some sea salt flakes.

Serve with boiled baby new potatoes, steamed veggies and a green leafy salad. A quick and simple, wholesome family meal. Enjoy!

Wishing all a bright and joyous Yule.

- The Storms

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs Marinated in Yoghurt

I honestly don't have a name for this recipe; I can only credit this amazing dish to my long-standing friend and fellow 'mum of three' club member, who made this for me when I was pregnant with my first daughter, Eden. That was seven years ago! I loved this lightly spiced chicken so much that it was practically all I ate during my first pregnancy. Thank you, Farida!

Obviously, for best results, I'd recommend marinating the chicken in the yoghurt and spices overnight in the fridge. But it is not a necessity, in fact, I haven't done it this time and it turned out just fine. This was our dinner last Friday night.

This is a great recipe for the whole family, which is why it is lightly spiced. I am known to be a little heavy handed with the chilli but I've only used a single fresh one here (with a pinch of black pepper) and my three year old son eats it with no hassle. So, if you are heat sensitive, you can easily forgo the red chilli.

For 6-7 servings, you will need:

• 7 good quality, fresh chicken thighs, skins and bones removed
• 250g of plain/natural yoghurt (I've used low fat)
• 1 chicken stock cube by Knorr, chopped small enough to crumble
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed to a mince in a garlic press
• 1 red chilli, seeds removed and chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
• A pinch of ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of Garam Masala* mix
• A handful of freshly chopped coriander, stalks included

1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees Celsius.

2. Once you have trimmed any excess fat, place your chicken aside.

Look for good quality chicken. Most butchers will happily de-bone and skin your meat for you on site.

3. Prepare your marinade by mixing all of the ingredients (except for the fresh coriander) together in a bowl. Next, thoroughly coat each chicken thigh in the mixture.

4. Place your chicken in a flat, single layer into an oven proof dish. If you have any of the yoghurt mixture left over, you can simply spoon it evenly on top of the thigh pieces. Gently sprinkle the freshly chopped coriander on top and place it in the middle of the oven. Adjust the oven's temperature to 220 degrees Celsius. 

5. Depending on how brown you would like the end result, I'd recommend 35-45 minutes in the oven. Remember to turn at least twice to avoid actual burning. The liquids will likely cook away, so if you want a little more sauce, cook for less time, I'd say around 30 minutes should do the trick.

Serve with boiled baby potatoes and some gently steamed broccoli florets for a wholesome and healthy family dinner.

*I use a locally bought store brand of Garam Masala (92g mixture), which is simply a blend of the following: Coriander Seeds 69% | Cumin Seeds 9.9% | Ginger 5.9% | Fennel Seeds, Black Peppercorns, Caraway Seeds, Cinnamon 1.5% | Cloves 1.5% | Cardamom, Celery Seeds and Nutmeg

My Child-Friendly Chicken Saag (Saagwala)

Traditionally a South Asian recipe eaten in the Pakistani and Indian regions of Punjab, saag (or saagwala) is a green leafy based dish, usually made from spinach (the preferred option in this recipe), collard greens, mustard leaves, etcetera. It can be eaten on its own or made with various meats (gosht) of choice, potatoes (aloo), or cheese (paneer). I have used chicken in this recipe and to make it that little bit more filling we are eating our chicken saag in accompaniment with a choice of plain boiled basmati rice or boiled baby potatoes.

For the chicken saag, you will need:

• 3 filleted chicken breasts (without skin), diced into small child-friendly pieces
• 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 4 cardamom pods, cracked to release flavour
• 4 whole cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground fenugreek
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1.5 teaspoons of garam masala
• a thumb sized piece of freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 a cup of plain yoghurt
• 700g of fresh spinach leaves, chopped (or 1kg of frozen spinach can also work just fine)
• 330g of baby plum tomatoes, halved as in this recipe or 2 large ripe tomatoes, quartered lengthwise and core removed
• 2 medium sized white onions, roughly chopped into large chunks
• sea salt (to taste), for seasoning
• pinch of black pepper for seasoning
• coriander and sliced lemon for garnishing

*Remember, You will want to pick out the four cloves and cardamom pods at the end. There is nothing pleasant in biting into one of those, trust me.

This recipe is not made the 'traditional' way as I do not use oil for frying/browning the meat. The fun in cooking and creating your own takes on various cuisines is that you get to experiment and discover your own takes on different dishes. Often, you will find that you've created something far superior to the 'traditional' original. I prefer my variation as it feels lighter whilst filling and not greasy.

Here's how to make my chicken saag:

Once you have your ingredients and portions prepared to one side, begin by placing you diced chicken into a non-stick wok along with the yoghurt, garlic, cloves, cardamom, turmeric, fenugreek,cumin, ginger and garam masala. Mix these together well with a wooden spoon, making sure to coat the chicken well.

Turn on the heat and cook the chicken until the the yoghurt starts to cook off; it will leave behind enough liquid to help wilt the spinach, which you should add to the pan at this point. Mix well on a generous heat for 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes and onions. Stir, lower the heat and cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes, checking halfway through cooking.

Your chicken saag should be ready to serve with basmati rice, potatoes, roti or even eaten on its own. Either way, it won't last long.