Monday, February 18, 2008

Nigella Lawson's Chicken Mughlai

I've never really been very ambitious to try anything to do with curries, because of the inordinate amount of work involved, if you do it from scratch. That means no using of curry pastes, etc. And furthermore, our cook at home makes wonderful curries, so why bring sake to Japan, or why bring waffles to A&W?

However, I've always been curious to try THIS particular recipe, because 1. It's by Nigella Lawson, and curry is afterall, England's National Food. 2. She looked so seductive making it, I wondered if I could look sexy too. 3. I was hosting dinner for friends who've eaten my stuff countless times, and I had run out of repertoire. Like a has been lounge singer who keeps repeating New York New York every night.

So, I actually made an almost entirely new menu, when I hosted dinner for the Woman I Am Scared Of. (she insisted I cook for her, and she wanted to meet my "new friends", so any of you old fellas out there reading this, you weren't invited not coz of me).

The dinner menu was something like this. Paprika's Lasagne Al Forno Con Melanzane, minus the lasagna sheets, since I couldn't fit them in, and therefore only used egg plant as the layering. Sorry to plagiarise your recipe dahlink.

IMG_6233
(Photo courtesy of Lyrical Lemongrass, since I forgot to take)

For soups, wife made a shrimp bisque, also her first time. Not something you'd want to attempt without domestic help. Peeling 2 kg of shrimp is not my idea of culinary fun.

For mains, we had Pan Seared Scallops on a bed of Aragula and Frisee, With Balsamic Honey Mustard Dressing, accompanied by Quails eggs, A Zuchinni and Mushroom Pie, Store Bought Briyani Rice, Embellished with Wasabi Cashews and Plump Golden Raisins, and Nigella Lawson's
Chicken Mughlai .

Here's the recipe.

Group 1
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried chili

Group 2
4 tablespoons ground almonds
1/2 cup water

Group 3
5 cardamom pods, bruised
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
2 bay leaves ( I omitted, coz forgot to buy)
4 cloves

Group 4
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1.7 kg boned chicken thighs, each cut into 2

Garlic & Onions
4 cloves garlic, peeled

2 onions, finely chopped

Group 5
1 cup Greek yogurt (beyond my budget, so I used Nestle Natural Yoghurt)
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream

Group 6
1/2 cup sultanas (golden raisins)
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Group 7
3/4 cup flaked almonds, toasted, to garnish


1. Process of blend group 1 ingredients, and add group 2 until it forms a gloriously orangey paste.
2. Fry the chicken pieces until slightly brown, just to seal in the juices.

3. Using the remaining chicken oil, and vegetable oil, fry the garlic and onions. Chuck in the group 3 ingredients.

4. Add the paste (group 1&2) and fry together until the aroma hits you like the sweet embrace of a buxom woman.

5. Add the yoghurt, half portion at a time, chicken stock and then the cream.

6. Add the chicken pieces, and simmer for about 1/2 an hour. Take off the heat, cool and refrigerate. Best when kept overnight, or longer. Before serving, sprinkle toasted almonds. Serve with basmati rice, pilaf rice, or BRIYANI, which you can easily buy anywhere.




Photobucket

10 comments:

Henry Yeo said...

I must say, I rather just eat curry here then in England...absolutely dreadful at times.

HairyBerry said...

who doesn't like nigella? seductive vocabulary, full lips, luscious physique...gorgeous...your curry appeared similar to the one on her show...sexspired, i see...

ny, ny is part of my karaoke repertoire since forever now...*shame, nic*

JOjo said...

As always, your food looks absolutely delicious, enhanced by LL's photgraphy skill. =p

The recipe looks complicated, with lots of different ingredients. I doubt i will ever attempt it. Prefer baking to cooking.

Btw, what's cardamon huh?

Anonymous said...

She looked so seductive making it, I wondered if I could look sexy too.

Yeah. Absolutely. 99.9%. You just need to improve on your accent.

"Joe" who is constantly craving said...

oh dear me..i think i almost puked the curry out when u thought u could b like nigella..u need to work out ur breasts..oops chest way harder then u r now mate..

fatboybakes said...

nipples, i might have to borrow yours should i need to showcase them.

LL, dahlink, you want me to be even less of an accident scene issit, with a prohper english ack sent>

jojo, cardamom is a little pod, that looks like an oval pea. actually, for an asian kitchen, (like ours), all these ingredients were readily available at home.

nic my dear chap, hahaha, re the NY NY... did you watch that episode where she cooked this dish?

henry, i was kidding when i said one reason was coz curry is england's national food....of COURSE our curries here should be far better.

Precious Pea said...

2kgs of prawns?? I should have asked you to save those shells for me as am collecting it to make prawn mee at home. What a waste...aiiii...

HairyBerry said...

yupe, i did watch that episode...though the main purpose was to stare and well, be "stared at", i did remember asking myself, "is this curry for real?...if it's curry to begin with"...looks like i was wrong..haha!

fatboybakes said...

haha, nic, ya, she does have that effect. but actually from the ingredients, i was pretty sure the taste would be fairly decent. in any case, one doesnt want to compete with the maids to make a good local curry la.

precious pea, hallo, you think i'd throw away the shells? opcors not. it was used for the stock lar.

Rarebeet said...

Heard about your deewine chicken mughlai. Must attempt this recipe! Glad you enjoy the lasagne. Can't go wrong with fried auberinge hai mo?