Curried Cashew Nut Chicken

So finally after moving and getting the flu, the Robinson clan are back on track.

So one of our first meals when I moved in was Roasted Chicken thighs in a curried cashew nut sauce. It went down a treat and really filled the holes left from moving and unpacking. It was a super easy meal in that you can make it all up and just forget about it.

To feed four hungry mouth, you need:-

4 chicken thighs
1 small onion, diced
2 tbsp ground ginger
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tin (400ml) coconut milk
200ml chicken stock
75g cashew nuts
salt and pepper
little bit of oil

Preheat your oven to 175C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Place your chicken thighs on the tray and season with salt and pepper, give it a good rub in.

While waiting for the oven to heat up put some oil in a sauce pan and sweat your onions for about 5 minutes. Now add all the spices and stir in and cook for around a minute. Pour your coconut milk and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to reduce by a third.

Place your chicken in the oven and cook for an hour until the juices run clear.

To serve, heat the sauce and add the cashew nuts and pour over the chicken. It goes great with rice and naan bread.

It really is that simple, it doesn't take a lot to make good wholesome food for your family and friends.

Enjoy

Beef and Sweet Potato Curry with Cinnamon and Cardamom Scented Rice

I love a good curry, who doesn't? I have cooked many curries throughout my career as a chef, normally though they were Korma, Madras and Tikka. This time I decided to try something a little different, a contrast of spice with some sweetness. The Cinnamon and Cardamom Scented Rice was inspired by several similar recipes online.

You'll find this curry very simple, doesn't require a lot of effort but is packed full of flavour.

This makes enough for four people:-

600g Stewing Beef
200g sweet potato, diced
1 onion, thinly sliced
5g fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2tsp chilli powder
2tsp ground coriander
1/4tsp cardamom
1/2tsp turmeric
1/4tsp nutmeg
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
200g yoghurt (I used Turkish)
juice of half a lime
2tsp cornflour with 2tsp water
2tbsp chopped fresh coriander
100ml water
seasoning
some olive oil

Firstly heat up a little olive oil in a cast iron pot (you can also use a normal pot if you want) and brown the meat with the spices and onion. Once meat is browned and the onions are starting to be soft, add the tomatoes, water and seasoning and reduce the heat and cover, cook for about an hour and a half, until the meat starts becoming tender. Add the sweet potato and cook for another 20 minutes. Then add the cornflour, take off the heat and stir in the yoghurt, lime juice and fresh coriander. Taste and correct seasoning if needed.

For the Rice you will need:-

300g long grain rice
fresh coriander
one cinnamon stick
2tsp cardamom
2tsp turmeric
juice of half a lime
seasoning

In a pot  pour in 450ml of water and bring to boil. Then add the Rice, cardamom, cinnamon and turmeric and cook until tender. Drain and put in a bowl, stir in the lime and sprinkle some fresh coriander on top.

Enjoy, I hope this meal gives you a little extra spice in your food life. Goes great with Naan Bread.