Thursday 5 September 2013

Easy Gluten Free Chicken Curry

gluten free chicken curry
Chicken Curry From Scratch
I love Indian food but it's not a cuisine that I've experimented with much, well in the cooking sense, I've eaten plenty of it from restaurants and take aways but those days are no more. I think one of the main reasons that I haven't dabbled in making my own Curries previously is because I was a little daunted by all the spices involved, I love making things from scratch (because I know everything that's in it) so a packet of Curry Powder pre-mixed was never going to appeal. Plus, I like a challenge.

Turns out making this was surprisingly easy and I had all the spices I needed in my Swivel Store, I'd just never used them all at the same time previously. My Curry of choice was always a Madras but I knew there was no way that The Glutenite would enjoy one that hot so I made this quite mild, not sure what kind to compare it to so I'll just stick with it's a Curry.


As per usual I went into this blind, no recipe followed just working on instincts and taste bud memories from my gluten days. I nailed the Curry Sauce first time, I'd lost all confidence in my recipe development during the Summer so I'm really pleased with this. If I do say so myself, it's YUM.

Curry Powder Ingredients:

1 Teaspoon Coriander Seeds
1 Teaspoon Cumin
2 Teaspoons Turmeric
1 Teaspoon Ginger Powder
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Chilli Powder
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1 Teaspoon Sugar

Directions:

  • Use a pestle and mortar to grind all the ingredients together
curry powder
Finished Powder With Some Of The Ingredients
Chicken Curry Ingredients:

1 Large Chicken Breast
1 Medium Onion
3 Garlic Cloves
2 Tablespoons Tomato Puree
300ml Gluten Free Chicken Stock (Knorr Stock Pots used here)
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
Curry Powder made with above ingredients
1 Tablespoon Corn Starch

Directions:
  • Dice the chicken breast, put into a bowl and add 1 teaspoon of the curry powder, mix
  • Add the corn starch and mix until all the chicken pieces are covered, leave to one side
  • Peel and dice the onion
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan on high
  • Add the onion and lower the heat to medium
onion
Start Of The Sauce
  • Cook until soft, around 4 minutes
Simples
  • Add the curry powder and stir in so that all the onion is covered
onion in curry powder
Fuzzy, I know
  • Mince the garlic cloves into the pan
  • Add the chicken stock and tomato puree, stir
curry sauce base
Curry Sauce Base
  • Simmer for 5 minutes
  • Put into a mixer/blender and blitz until the sauce is smooth
  • Put 1 tablespoon of oil into the sauce pan and heat on high
  • Add the chicken and stir fry until all sides are coloured
  • Turn the heat to low re-add the sauce to the pan and stir until the chicken is covered
  • Cook for 5 minutes
curry sauce
No Goat
chicken curry and rice
Curry and Rice On The Hob
Printable Version

Being relatively new to Indian cooking I'm really pleased with how the flavours balanced out and quite surprised at how low fat this is. 

I was 20 before I had my first Curry, my Mum has never been a fan of spicy food so has never cooked such things. The family take away of choice was always Chinese food, I was never tempted by Indian, I was quite unadventurous with food back then I guess much like my parents still are to this day.

My first Curry was on the way back from Devon with friends, we stopped in Andover, a place that I hadn't visited before or since. I had Chicken Tikka Masala, it seemed like a good thing to start with for a Curry virgin I was assured. I remember nothing else but I know that I liked it.

The next time I had Indian, which wasn't long after the first, I purred over the menu. So exotic, so hot. I ordered a Madras much to the disbelief of my dining companions who had been eating Indian food for years but had never braved a Madras.

I loved it.

I ate a Madras accompanied by Brinjal Bhaji, Saag Bhaji, Pilau Rice and Cheese Naan every week for about 6 years. Then I moved far away from my favourite Curry House and there was a Curry void.

Void filled homemade style.

I really want to experiment further with Indian food, the spices that once scared me now feel like friendly chums.

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