Gord's Bullsh*t Curry

One of my new years goals is to learn to enjoy curry. Teena loves them. I avoid them but admittedly, have made a couple of mild curries which. I liked. So perhaps, maybe it's time to experiment with this multi-national dish.

Thinking along these lines, I promised Teena I would make us a curry for Saturday supper. This was on Wednesday, so I didn't have much time to find a recipe and shop. After some online searching, I finally found one. Astonishingly, it was on the Campbells soup website, called Chicken Curry in a Hurry. I call it Gord's Bullsh*t curry as it is far from any recipe for a proper curry, which I promise to make Teena in the coming weeks.

Ingredients

I modified it slightly, so here is the way I did it. Here are the ingredients and portions I used. 

.592 kg             : Skinless, boneless chicken thighs

2 tbsp               : Olive Oil

1.5 tbsp            : Curry Powder

1- 284ml can    : Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup

1- 400ml can    : Coconut milk

4  cups              : Fresh cut, cubed Potatoes

The recipe also calls for spinach, but peas could also be used. I used neither as we didn't have any in the house.

Directions: 

Slice and dice the potatoes. Season the chicken with a little salt and cut into bite size chucks. Portions should be about 50/50. 

Heat the oil in a pan, I used a wok, on medium-high. Add the chicken. Cook until browned and cooked through. Remove and set aside in a bowl.

Leave some juice in the pan and add the curry powder and stir for 20-30 seconds to get all that flavour into the oil and juices. Add the soup and coconut milk. Stir until smooth. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. I needed an extra 5. 

Return the chicken to the skillet along with the juices which would have dripped into the bowl. Cook for 5 more minutes. Taste, then season more if needed. 

Plate and serve. Here's proof that we enjoyed it.

I think next time, and there will be one as this is so easy to make, is I would use 2 tbsp of curry instead of the 1.5. Hmm .... maybe more.

It's a recipe worth trying.

Recipe - Slow Cooker Madras Beef

Lately every Sunday has been a crockpot day. The cookbooks I have been using say they are for slow cookers not crockpots. So, what's the difference between a crockpot and a slow cooker?

According to Foodal.com: A true slow cooker consists of the same three components as a crockpot: glass lid, pot, and heating element. However, instead of the ceramic or porcelain pot of the crockpot, slow cookers generally have a metal pot.

This means the two Teena and I own are crockpots! The recipes are for both.

Today I'm making Madras Beef using a recipe from Donna-Marie Pye's Cookbook, Easy Everyday Slow Cooker Recipes.

The ingredients:

2 tbsp-            vegetable oil
2 lbs (1 kg)-    stewing beef cubed 
2-                    shallots (fine dice)
1 10 oz           can (284 ml) - condensed cream of tomato soup
2 tbsp-            madras curry paste (mine was not madras)
1/2 tsp-           curry powder or garam masala
1/2 tsp-           paprika (I use smoked paprika)
1/2 cup-          plain yogurt   

Finely dice the shallots. Then in a bowl combine the tomato soup, curry paste, curry powder and paprika. Set both aside.

Then in a large fry pan, heat half the oil on medium high heat. It's best to cook the beef in smaller batches as if they are crowded together in the pan, they steam instead of saute. I did mine on two batches. Turn meat often so it cooks quicker.

Spoon meat into the crockpot with a slotted spoon. Once the beef has all been cooked and added to the pot, saute the shallots in the remaining oil/juices and, once they are translucent, spoon over the beef.

Pour the sauce mixture over the meat and stir in.

Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Stir in the yogurt, turn off and let sit for 5 or 10 minutes. Spoon over rice.

Madras Beef has a very earthy taste. It's comfort food with a little snap. I'm not sure if using Madras curry paste and garam masala spice would kick it up a notch or change the flavour profile. I do know Teena is quite happy that there is enough left for a couple lunches!

A Fragrant Chicken Curry for Teena

Teena really loves curries. I don't but feel I should try to expand my tastes. To accomplish this, today I made a Fragrant Chicken Curry in our crock pot. I found the recipe in our Best of Bridge Slow Cooker Cookbook, which promised an authentic, mildly spiced, aromatic creamy curry. I like the mild part.

Here are the ingredients required:

8           skinless bone-in chicken thighs
1 tbsp   vegetable oil
3           bay leaves
1           2 inch (5cm) cinnamon stick
2 tsp     cumin
3           shallots (recipe says to thinly slice but I did a fine dice)
4           cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp   mild Indian curry paste
1 tbsp   tomato paste
1 tbsp   all-purpose flour
1 cup    chicken broth
1/2 cup plain or Greek yogurt

Place chicken into a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker (crock pot).

Heat oil in a skillet over a medium high heat. Add cinnamon stick, bay leaves and half the cumin. Do not stir. The cinnamon stick should uncurl after 30 seconds.

Turn down the heat to medium. Stir in the onions, the rest of the cumin, garlic, curry paste and tomato paste. Simmer for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Stir in flour, then add broth and bring to a boil.

Pour over the chicken.

Turn chicken so all sides are coated. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. I did it right in the middle at 5 1/2. Leave. Do not stir.

Remove bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Take out 1/2 cup of the liquid from the crock pot and place it in a bowl. Add the yogurt to the bowl and mix. Stir into the crock pot. As you stir it in, you will find the chicken is so tender, it breaks up.

Turn up to high for 20 minutes. Here it is finished in the pot and ready to serve.

We had it with basmati rice that Teena cooked.

Teena loved it and had seconds, a sign she didn't lie. I thought it was okay. I didn't hate it which for me, which shows I'm growing as a foody.

In fact, Teena enjoyed it so much, she wants me to make it again. Now I know it's a success!

It's easy to make and warming on a cool autumn day like this.