The title is taken from the last text on the subject “what do you fancy for dinner?” The reply came as “chicken” – no due diligence for what I was supposed to do with said fowl. My immediate response was “Have we any?”, to wit came an emphatic, “yes!”
I set about drafting a ‘one size fits all’ generic curry (of the chicken kind) recipe, to satisfy the working classes, after a heavy day in the various salt mines. Deciding upon a ‘Chinese’ style, because its a safe bet in this house. Mildish curry, full of flavour & goes nicely with the obligatory “‘alf ‘n’ ‘alf”!
As I entered the larder and began my forage in the ‘meat freezer’, I turned to “Pablo the Super Pug” and uttered a paraphrase of that other doomed explorer, Captain Lawrence Oates ( see Scott of the Antarctic) – “I’m going inside Boy. I maybe some time!”
Like the heroic captain, I too, though noble in my attempt, failed dismally in my quest. Pork, beef, fish and all manner meat alternatives, but no pieces of poultry. I almost did what Chris Bonington did on Everest according to the commercials – “We boiled up snow and ice to make hot beefy Bovril”, feeling the cold somewhat & craving an oxo beef tea (mmm oxo!!!).
At last I settled upon a half kilo bag of diced lean steak and set about making my “no chicken” chicken curry.
Ingredients
- 500g diced meat (chicken, beef etc)
- ‘Traffic light’ bell peppers deseeded & coarsely chopped (red, orange & green)
- 1 green Chilli pepper deseeded and chopped finely
- 1 large onion diced finely
- 1 clove of garlic thinly sliced
- 1/2 inch of root ginger minced
- 1 courgette cut into small chunks
- 100g fresh Samphire (thoroughly rinsed) – chopped finely as it is coming to the end of its season and is becoming a little ‘woody’ but you DO NOT ADD ANY SALT as the Samphire gives adequate saltiness.
- 2 large carrots peeled and julienne.
- 250g passata (or chopped tomatoes blitzed)
- Kettle of boiled water on standby
- 2tbsp mild curry powder
- 2tbsp Turmeric
- 2 tsp Nutmeg
- 4 Cardamon pods crushed
Method
- In a deep thick pan with a good lid, start by braising the beef for about 5 minutes until cooked on the outside.
- Add the onions, garlic and ginger, combining well, then covering with the pan lid for a further 3 minutes or so.
- Add the carrots, toss and cover for another 3 minutes.
- Add the passata and mix well.
- If needed add a little hot water.
- Now add the peppers, courgettes & samphire.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Add more water if the curry looks a little dry.
- Simmer for 15 minutes approximately then remove the heat but leave the pan to continue cooking using the residual heat.
- Gently re-warm in the pan when required.
Serve with your favourite rice (mine’s garlic at the moment) & air fried skin-on chips for that fakeaway experience.
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Tags: Beef, Chicken, Diet, Easy, Fakeaway, Family, Food Optimising, Free Foods, Low fat, Mild, Samphire, Slimming World, Tasty