Chicken Korma

There are so many variations of Chicken Korma. This is my version.

Popular curry dish in Britain and a curry night favourite.

Takeaway Kormas are generally tasteless - over sweetened and inauthentic.
This dish is warming, aromatic, less sweet and contains very much less oil.

You can control the heat by using more or less chilli
powder according to your taste.
A healthier option is to use half the oil, reduced fat coconut milk
and greek yoghurt to replace the cream.

serves 6

ingredients

1 kg boneless chicken (cubed)
1 tbsp grated ginger
1tbsp grated garlic
150 ml plain yoghurt
1/2-1 tsp red chilli powder

2 tbsp oil

2 onions (finely chopped)

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp garam masala (ground)

1 tsp salt

black pepper

bay leaf

3 green cardamoms

5 whole cloves

1/2 tin coconut milk

1/2 tin tomatoes

2 tbsp ground almonds

2 tbsp cream (double or single)

fresh green coriander

method

In a bowl, mix the chicken pieces, yoghurt, ginger, garlic and chilli powder

Leave to marinade in fridge anywhere from 20 mins to overnight

Fry the onions gently in oil in a pan until starting to brown slightly

Pour in the marinated chicken and stir

Add all the rest of the spices (ground and whole), salt and grind in a generous amount of black pepper

Cook for few minutes

Blend the tin tomatoes in a food processor or liquidiser 

and pour in along with the coconut milk

Stir in the ground almonds 

Bring back to boil and simmer on low heat until the chicken is cooked (about 20 mins)

Stir in the cream and chopped coriander

Season to taste

Serve with plain rice or naan bread

Spicy Bean Burger

Our family is taking part in Live Below The Line

where we live on £1 a day per person, to help highlight the fight against global hunger.

Our final dinner - a quick and tasty spicy bean burger. 

The total cost 28p per burger.

 serves 6 

ingredients

tbsp (20ml) olive oil

1 onion (chopped finely)

1 tsp ground cumin (jeera)

2 cloves of garlic

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 egg

2 tins of beans (mixed, or kidney)

2 slices of bread made into breadcrumbs

handful of chopped coriander

method

Drain and rinse the beans

Mash using a potato masher

Add the chopped onions, spices, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, coriander and egg

Mix it all together thoroughly

If the mix is too wet for some reason, add a couple of tablespoons of cornflour

Divide into six balls and shape into patties

Heat up a small amount of oil in a frying pan 

Fry for about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown

Serve in a wholemeal bun with salad and garlic mayonnaise

cost

oil 6p

onions 4p

garlic 10p

tinned beans 66p

spices, salt and coriander 15p

egg 13p

breadcrumbs 8p

wholemeal buns 48p

salad 10p

sauces 2p

-----------------------------

174p / 29p per burger

Moroccan Harira Soup And Garlic Baguette

Our family is taking part in Live Below The Line

where we live on £1 a day per person, to help highlight the fight against global hunger.

This was our fourth dinner. Moroccan harira soup (vegetarian version) with chickpeas and homemade garlic baguette. A Ramadan favourite - delicious, warming and nutritious.

The total cost of the soup 25p per bowl and 9p for half a baguette of bread.

serves 6

Moroccan Style Harira 

ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion (chopped)

small piece of fresh ginger

2 cloves of garlic

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp whole or ground cumin (jeera)

1l water

1 vegetable stock cube 

1 carrot

1 stalk of celery

tin of cooked chickpeas

handful of red split lentils (30g)

handful of rice (30g)

1 tin of tinned tomatoes 

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 nest of fine noodles (50g)

few sprigs of coriander

  salt to taste

method

Gently fry the chopped onion in olive oil

 for few minutes on a low heat

Add the grated ginger and garlic, cumin, turmeric and curry powder 

Cook for few more minutes then pour in 1 litre of water

Add the stock cube, the cubed carrot and celery

Add the rinsed tinned chickpeas, rice and lentils

Simmer on a lowered heat for about 15 minutes until the rice and lentils are cooked

Add more water as it cooks to get right soupy consistency 

Blend tinned tomatoes in a food processor or blender

Pour the tomatoes into the soup 

Sprinkle in the cinnamon

Break-up the noodles and add to the soup

Cook until the noodles are done (about 4 mins)

Add chopped coriander

Season to taste

***

 Garlic Baguettes

ingredients

600ml lukewarm water

35g fresh yeast (or 2 sachets of fast action dry yeast)

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp salt

2 cloves of crushed garlic

1 tsp olive oil

about 1 kg bread flour  

method

Mix together water, yeast, sugar and half of the flour

Leave aside until it starts bubbling (about 5 mins)

Add crushed garlic, salt and the rest of the flour

Knead until soft and pliable 

Leave to prove in warm place until doubled in size

(this takes about 45-60mins)

Turn the dough onto a floured surface

Knock back the air and knead for few minutes

Divide the dough in 4 pieces

Shape into baguettes

Leave to prove another 20 mins on baking trays lined with baking paper

(usually 2 fit in a tray)

Score the tops gently with a sharp knife

Brush with a little milk

Bake in the middle of the oven in 220° for 20 mins until golden brown

cost

Harira

oil 3p

onions 5p

ginger, garlic 7p

tinned tomatoes 31p

spices, salt and coriander 15p

carrot and celery 21p

chick peas 33p

lentils and rice 10p

noodles 20p

stock cube 10p

-----------------------------

155p / 26p per portion

Bread (for 8)

flour 67p

oil 3p

sugar, salt, garlic 3p

-----------------------------

73p / 9p per portion

[TIP: you can get free fresh yeast from some supermarket bakeries if you ask nicely]