Super Easy Bulk Curry Recipe

[GasSavers_maximilian]

I just wrote this up and thought I'd share since it's a time and effort saver. Goes well with basmati rice (Shaws has a sale on this right now, at least around here - I got 66 lbs ).

The following recipe is extremely easy and freezes well; it has really displaced a lot of my more involved Indian dishes. It's modified slightly from one I saw in a book to make it less fattening and a little easier, but it still tastes great. The listed quantities make about twenty servings, with a single serving weighing about 180 g, containing around 350 calories, and going well with 1/2 cup (before cooking) of rice. Try and freeze the curry in even multiples of your serving size for greater convenience. Don't buy spices at the grocery store as they really nail you on the price, instead check out natural food stores where they usually have big spice jars. I've included weights for some ingredients in case you have a kitchen scale. You can pre-measure the dry ingredients for several batches at once and store them in small containers to reduce setup time.

Chicken Curry

6 pounds boneless, skinless chicken
1 cup Promise (or equivalent butter substitute) (200 g)
2 cups chopped onion (approx. two medium onions)
1/4 cup curry powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp minced garlic (pre-minced is what I used)
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp chicken bouillon granules
2 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour (152 g)
4 cups water (967 g)
4 cups milk (1005 g)
2 tbsp lemon juice (28 g)

1. Cut chicken into roughly 1" cubes and cook over a medium heat until no longer pink (20-30 minutes). Be sure to stir occasionally. Alternately you can toss the chicken in a crock pot filled with water and brown it that way. The cooked chicken can be frozen for future use, providing a nice way to divvy up the preparation process and allows you to prepare multiple batches at once to minimize cleanup (a lot of recipes use cubed chicken, so my current record is 30 lbs in one session).

2. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook while stirring for about five minutes. Add curry powder, ginger, garlic, sugar, chicken bouillon, and salt; cook while stirring for another two minutes. Add flour and cook while stirring for another two minutes. Mixture should be like a paste in consistency. Gradually add the water and milk; cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened (I use a self stirring pot for this). Add lemon juice once the sauce has thickened and cooled.

3. Add sauce to chicken. No kidding?

[GasSavers_Pete]

I add a handful of fenugreek seeds to all my curry dishes. They really add an authentic curry flavour. Store in a sealed container and they will last forever ...well almost.

I am fortunate in having a shop close by selling Indian produce (spices , cooking equipment , Bollywood DVD's , rice etc.) to a large Indian population so their stuff is always fresh and authentic.

And you are right about where to buy spices too. Some places really hit you hard.

A couple of mixes I have used with great success:

Red Curry Paste:

1 Tablespoon each: Cumin seeds, peppercorns , coriander seeds , turmeric.
1 cup chopped red chillies.
2 onions chopped
4 cloves garlic crushed
3 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice.

Grind dry ingredients , add other ingredients into a smooth paste.
Store in jars with layer of oil on surface and keep refrigerated.
Lasts about one month.


Tandoori Mix:

1 tablespoon each:
ground ginger , cumin , coriander , paprika , turmeric , salt , cayenne pepper , garam masala.

1 teaspoon chilli.

Mix ingredients and use as a rub
Add natural yogurt and use as a marinade.

The Tandoori mix is not a genuine one but it uses readily available ingredients and tastes great as a bonus.

Pete.

[GasSavers_maximilian]

Awesome! Thanks. My naan experiments have been disappointing, mostly because of the extremely sticky nature of the dough. Considering making a rolling device out of two teflon rolling pins.

I also make Satay Chicken and Swimming Rama. Both recipes are pretty rough and ready. Chicken Vindaloo is my most complicated recipe, and it's still pretty easy, just lots of measuring of various spices. Being able to control the level of hot is nice. Want to try out Chinese Pork Buns next. Freezability is a big requirement fore me cuz I'm lazy.

I'd find a trading group for these bulk meals, but it's very isolated here. Also, there's a reasonable chance it'd have roadkill in it...

[GasSavers_Pete]

This is the recipe and method I use for naan bread.

INDIAN RECIPE OF THE DAY (December 11th 2006): Naan Bread
by Mallika
Ingredients: 3 1/2 cups flour (maida), 1/2 cup yoghurt, 1 egg, 1/4 cup butter, salt to taste, 3 tsp sugar, 3/4 cup water, 1 2/3 tbsp. dried yeast

Method: 1. In a dish, take 5 tbsp. of water, add the yeast and a teaspoon of sugar and stir well. Keep aside for 10-12 minutes. (You will see bubbles on the surface of the mixture which suggests that the yeast is all right). 2. Now, add in the remaining water, sugar, yoghurt, egg, butter, and salt. Stir well. 3. Add the flour to this liquid and make into a smooth, soft, and elastic dough. (It will take about 10-15 minutes). 4. Take a warm bowl, butter all the sides and the bottom of the bowl then place the dough in the bowl, cover with a cloth and keep in a warm place until the dough doubles in height (about 40 minutes). 5. Push a finger into the dough. If the impression remains, then it is ready to be baked. Make the dough into 8 equal balls, flatten them into circles with your fingers such that the edges are thicker than the center. 6. Pull one end of the circle so that the dough circle now looks like a tear drop or a balloon in two dimensions. The length is about a handspan and width about a palm. 7. Heat oven to 450F, and on a non-greased baking tray, place the dough. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Naan goes well with any Vegetable Kormas or Dhansak. Plain fresh yogurt is also served as an accompaniment. (serves 5 people).

From this site:
www.gourmetindian.info

No rolling needed !

Good luck , Pete.

[GasSavers_maximilian]

Making them into balls and then flattening them makes complete sense! That method should be dramatically easier! I was trying to roll them out and it stuck even with flour on the roller. Seems so obvious in hindsight.

Do you think a bread maker's dough setting could be used with this recipe? I'm kinda lazy. Thanks a lot.

[GasSavers_Pete]

Originally Posted by maximilian

Do you think a bread maker's dough setting could be used with this recipe? I'm kinda lazy. Thanks a lot.

To be honest I have no idea but it is worth a try.
Personally I am all for anything making my life easier !

Post how it turns out.

Pete.

[GasSavers_maximilian]

Sorry about the delay; my breadmaker paddle went missing so I had to order a new machine (new paddle wasn't worth the price). My cat claim's innocence, but I'm dusting for paw prints. More likely I need to be looking for dust in my short term memory (often absent minded).

Anyhow, the naan recipe's consistency seems compatible with my breadmaker's dough setting. Can't get "maida" flour here, so I went with standard bread flour. Have to see how it works out. Had to buy a huge thing of yogurt as it was the smallest size available, but if it works I'll churn out a ton of naan and freeze it.

[GasSavers_maximilian]

Naan came out fine! The shape of my cookie sheets necessitated rectangular rather than round (or balloon shaped). Since dough can usually keep for five days or so in the fridge I'd make it up as needed with my toaster oven, but I've got to use the yogurt up before it spoils. I'll experiment with freezing to see if this dough lends itself to it. I think the breadmaker needs less yeast than called for in the recipe. Thanks again, Pete!

[GasSavers_maximilian]

The naan was a little bland and I think there may be a typo on the sugar, since 3 tsp = 1 tbsp, it'd be odd for it to be listed that way, so I suspect it ought to be 3 tbsp. Even if not, it could use the sweetness. In my breadmaker, I just tried reducing the yeast to 2.5 tsp (half as much and what other breadmaker dough recipes call for) and it worked fine. More controlled environment than doing it by hand probably requires less.

[GasSavers_Pete]

Maximilian,
I have been told (by the lady at the Indian spices shop I go to) most of the "Indian" food sold here in the West is basically altered to suit Western tastes with added sugar and salts.
The commercial naan bread I have bought always seemed way to sweet for me which is why I started making my own.

By the way I have found over the years most of the makers of ingredients have websites and free recipe books there for the asking.

I have now got into the habit of checking the labels to see what is on offer.

Cheers , Pete.