Sunday 14 August 2011

Pressure Cooker Chicken Korma

This is a classic, mild, Indian-style curry (said to have been invented either in Manchester or Birmingham) that's been adapted to be cooked quickly in a pressure cooker.

Pressure Cooker Chicken Korma

Ingredients:

675g chicken breasts, cut into 3cm cubes
120g ground almonds
3cm length of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 fresh green chillies, chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp ground turmeric
4 green cardamom pods
4 cloves
3cm length of cinnamon
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
300ml Greek yoghurt
juice of 1/2 lemon
25g creamed coconut
salt, to taste
2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

Method:

Combine the almonds, ginger, garlic and chillies in a mortar and pound to a paste.

Heat the vegetable oil in the base of your pressure cooker. Add the onion and fry for about 6 minutes, or until golden brown then stir in the turmeric, cardamom, coriander seeds, cloves and cumin seeds. Fry for 1 minute then add the almond paste and fry for 1 minute more before stirring in the yoghurt and chicken pieces. Stir to coat in the yoghurt mix then add 300ml water.

Secure and lock the lid then bring to pressure over high heat. Reduce the heat to stabilize the pressure and cook for 12 minutes. Take the pressure cooker off the heat, place under cold, running water to reduce the heat quickly. In the meantime, mix the cornflour to a slurry with 2 tbsp water. Whisk this into the curry mixture in the pressure cooker then bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered until thickened.

Stir in the lemon juice, creamed coconut and coriander leaves then season to taste with salt. Cook until the coconut has melted into the sauce then serve hot, accompanied by rice.

See the following page for more classic pressure cooker recipes.

For all the curry recipes on this blog, see the curry history and curry recipes page.

Friday 12 August 2011

Macaroni with Minced Meat and Bechamel Sauce recipe from Cyprus

The following is a classic Cypriot dish:

Macaroni with Minced Meat and Bechamel Sauce

Ingredients:

For the Béchamel Sauce:
1l milk, boiling
60g butter
6 tbsp plain flour
2 eggs
90g Halloumi cheese, grated
pinch of salt

500g thick, long, macaroni (sometimes called tubular spaghetti)
650g minced pork
5 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp onion, grated
flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
200g Halloumi cheese, grated
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

grated Halloumi cheese, for sprinkling.


Method:
Begin with the Béchamel sauce. Bring the milk to a boil then take off the heat and set aside. Melt the butter in a pan, scatter over the flour and stir to form a smooth roux. Gradually whisk in the boiling milk until smooth and completely incorporated. Heat until thickened then take off the heat and set aside for 2 minutes to cool.

Beat the eggs in a bowl. When the sauce has cooled, add two ladlefuls into the eggs then whisk the egg mixture back into the sauce. Add the grated Halloumi cheese and stir to combine then set aside.

Now prepare the meat mixture. Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the minced pork and onion. Season to taste and fry over medium heat until the meat has released its liquid and this has evaporated away and the meat is browned.

Add the parsley and stir briefly then take off the heat. In the meantime, bring a pan of lightly-salted water to a boil and add the macaroni. Cook for about 12 minutes, or until just tender. Drain the macaroni then return to the pan. Add the butter, the eggs and the Halloumi cheese and stir to cook in the heat of the pan (do not put on the hob).

Spread 4 tbsp of the Béchamel sauce in the base of an oven-proof dish (about 28cm square). Lay half the macaroni mixture on top then spread 5 tbsp of the Béchamel sauce on top. Cover with the meat mixture then lay the remaining macaroni on top of the meat. Top with the remaining Béchamel sauce and scatter grated Halloumi cheese on top.

Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 170°C and bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown on top and bubbling. Serve hot with a crisp green salad and rustic bread.


If you want to see more traditional Cypriot recipes, then here you can find More traditional recipes from Cyprus

Zarzuela, a traditional Spanish Seafood dish

Today's recipe is for a classic Spanish seafood dish, Zarzuela:

Seafood Zarzuela


For the Seafood:
12 mussels, scrubbed clean and de-bearded
12 clams, scrubbed clean and rinsed
250ml dry white wine
250g monkfish fillets, skinned and sliced into large chunks
250g halibut fillet, sliced into large chunks
6 king prawns, peeled (but with tail fins left on)
5 tbsp virgin olive oil
6 cooked langoustines (Dublin bay prawns)
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
2 lemons cut into wedges, to garnish

For the Picada:
2 slices of white bread, fried and cubed
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
9 almonds, coarsely chopped
125ml extra-virgin olive oil

For the Sofregit:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tsp sweet paprika
200g tinned, chopped, tomatoes
1/2 tsp saffron threads, crumbled and soaked in 1 tbsp boiling water
3 bayleaves
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Method:
Begin with the picada. Combine the fried bread, garlic and almonds in a small food processor. Process finely, then, with the motor still running, slowly add the oil to form a loose paste.

For the shellfish, place the wine in a large pan and bring to a boil. Add the mussels and clams, cover and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes (shake the pan frequently), or until the shells have opened. Arrange a colander over a bowl and pour in the mixture. Transfer the shellfish to a bowl and cover loosely. Reserve the stock to make your sofregit.

Now prepare the sofregit itself. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and garlic and fry gently for about 8 minutes, or until soft and golden brown. Stir in the paprika, tomatoes and the saffron water. Now pour in the reserved shellfish stock (leave any sediment behind). Add the bayleaves and season with salt and black pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 10 minutes (add water or wine if the mixture becomes too thick).

Season the fish and prawns liberally with salt and black pepper. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan, add the monkfish and halibut pieces and fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside to keep warm. Stir 3 tbsp water into the pan to deglaze and pour this liquid into the sofregit then wipe the pan dry.

Heat the remaining 3 tbsp oil in the pan and when hot add the king prawns and fry until just pink. Add the langoustines and heat through for 1 minute, turning them frequently during this time. Now pour in the sofregit mixture and add the monkfish and halibut back into the pan before stirring in the shellfish. Allow to gently heat through for a few minutes.

Add a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid to the picada then fold this mixture into the seafood sauce. Turn into a large serving dish and accompany with the lemon wedges.

You can find many more classic and traditional Spanish recipes on the Celtnet site, as part of the site's Southern European recipes collection.

Saturday 6 August 2011

Greens, Beef and Peanut Stew From Madagascar

Today's recipe is a classic stew of greens, beef and peanuts form the island of Madagascar:

Greens with Peanuts and Minced Beef Recipe


Ingredients:
1.5kg kale or cabbage leaves (use savoy cabbage)
1 tbsp salt
2 medium onions
500g minced beef
400g tinned, chopped, tomatoes (with juice)
1 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp curry powder (or to taste)
1/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper (or to taste)
120g raw peanuts

Method:
Place the kale (or cabbage) leaves and salt in a pan. Cover with water, bring to a boil and cook for about 2 hours until they are no longer bitter and have reduced to the consistency of a paste (add more water as needed and stir frequently).

In a separate pan, fry the onion in the oil for about 5 minutes, or until soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 8 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to break down. Stir in the beat, breaking any large clumps as you do so. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the meat is done through. Now stir in the curry powder and black pepper then cover the pan and take off the heat then stir in the peanuts.

When the greens have cooked, make the liquid in the pan with them up to 500ml (either add or remove liquid). Stir in the beef and peanut mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until the peanuts are al dente and the sauce is thick and reduced.

Adjust the seasonings to taste and serve hot on a bed of rice.

On the Celtnet recipes site you can find more classic recipes from Madagascar, as well as thousands of beef-based recipes and many hundreds of greens-based recipes.

For more African Recipes, see the Celtnet Recipes Blog African Recipes page.


Recipes of Africa eBook
This list of African regions and African recipes is brought to you in association with the Recipes of Africa eBook. With over 1000 recipes covering each and every country in Africa, this is the most comprehensive book of African recipes available anywhere.

If you love African food, or are just interested in African cookery, then the Recipes of Africa eBook is a must-buy. You get information about every region of Africa and every African country along with a selection of classic and traditional recipes from that country.

This is a must-get book for anyone interested in food. Learn about a continent that to this day remains mysterious to many people. The recipes presented here are written by someone who has travelled extensively in Africa and who is a published Author. The book is a properly-produce and published eBook and the collection is immense.

Don't delay, get yourself a copy of the Recipes of Africa eBook today!

Wednesday 3 August 2011

Classic Senegalese Fish Recipes (Sea Bream Stuffed with Peanuts)

With an extensive Atlantic coastline, Senegal in West Africa has a long tradition of fishing and the preparation of fish-based dishes.

This is a classic recipe from Senegal for sea bream stuffed with peanuts and chillies that's cooked in a coconut milk base.


Sea Bream Stuffed with Peanuts Recipe


Ingredients:

1 large sea bream
300g fresh peanuts
2 slices of white bread, crusts removed
100ml coconut milk
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 hot chilli, finely chopped
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
juice of 1 lemon

Method:
Scale and clean the fish then wash thoroughly and set aside.

Soak the bread in the coconut milk then squeeze out any excess and crumble into a bowl. Grind the peanuts as finely as you can and add to the bowl along with the tomato purée and chopped chilli. Season with salt and black pepper to taste and stir to combine.

Season the fish liberally inside and out with salt. Use the stuffing to fill the body cavity of the fish then sew it closed. Set the fish in an oven-proof dish and drizzle over the lemon juice. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for 40 minutes, basting frequently with the pan juices.

Serve hot, accompanied by white rice.

For more classic Senegalese recipes, see the Senegalese recipes page part of the Celtnet West African recipes site.

For more African Recipes, see the Celtnet Recipes Blog African Recipes page.


Recipes of Africa eBook
This list of African regions and African recipes is brought to you in association with the Recipes of Africa eBook. With over 1000 recipes covering each and every country in Africa, this is the most comprehensive book of African recipes available anywhere.

If you love African food, or are just interested in African cookery, then the Recipes of Africa eBook is a must-buy. You get information about every region of Africa and every African country along with a selection of classic and traditional recipes from that country.

This is a must-get book for anyone interested in food. Learn about a continent that to this day remains mysterious to many people. The recipes presented here are written by someone who has travelled extensively in Africa and who is a published Author. The book is a properly-produce and published eBook and the collection is immense.

Don't delay, get yourself a copy of the Recipes of Africa eBook today!
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