Quick Indian Curry Sauce…. using it for Chicken Dhansak and Pilau Rice.

Ingredients

2 onions chopped
2 good tablespoons of curry paste (more if you like it hotter)
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 chicken stock cube
1 tablespoon mango chutney.
1 can of water. Wash out the tomato remains.

Method (this is my “base” curry)

Sweat the chopped onions in a little oil until soft. Add the curry paste and stock cube, stir in and continue to sweat.
Add the chopped tomatoes, sugar, mango chutney and water. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and blitz with a hand blender.

Great for freezing. When you are happy with the strength, up the quantities and have some in the freezer.

Chicken Dhansak

Extra ingredients/Method

Chicken Breast sliced up and fried off.

1/2 cup of Yellow split peas. Best to soak in cold water for a few hours to rehydrate. Add to a pan with 3 cups of water. Boil for 5 minutes, reduce heat and simmer for another 30 minutes. When the split peas are tender add with your cooked chicken to your base curry sauce.

If that still sound like a lot of preparation….. crack open a can of chick peas (wash in a sieve) and use them instead.

Chicken is optional if you want to go veggie with either.

Pilau Rice…… John’s way.

Ingredients

1 cup Basmati long grain rice
1/2 an onion finely chopped
3 tablespoons of veg oil
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 chicken stock cube
1 teaspoon curry powder
Boiling water
Pot with a lid that has a good seal

Method
Add the oil and onion to the pot and sweat for a minute. Add in the cup of rice and stir through to coat the rice in the oil.

Add in the spices and stock cube, stir through and continue to “roast” the rice for a couple of minutes. It will sizzle as you turn it.

Have the kettle boiled. Pour the boiling water into the pan to cover the rice by an inch or so. It will bubble up…. be CAREFUL.

Cover with the lid, reduce heat to minimum and simmer. About 8-10 minutes. You will see the water evaporate. Gently turn with a fork in the last couple of minutes as the rice dries, checking for the rice to be cooked through.

Again freezes well. I always make extra and have some for another time. Neuk for a few minutes in the microwave.