New Year in July - MWM curry - there's more …

… and a few hints and tips.

If you want to serve the curry on the day you slow cook it then make it as early in the day as possible – the longer those aromats get to do their thing the better it'll be - set it aside in a cool place, in the slow cooker (covered of course) and then re-heat gently when required. If you want to spread your workload you could of course make it the day before and fridge it.

Alternatively if you cook this curry ahead in readiness for your bash or just for a Saturday night treat you can “box” it into portions to suit and freeze it – you shouldn't have to cook on a Saturday!

How to make the most of your time and effort. I've made this curry with half the amount of chicken fillet but with the quantity of sauce as the recipe states. I separated half the sauce and froze it to use at a later time. Thank you freezer – again.

You don't have to use chicken – as I've already mentioned use Quorn pieces for a veggie alternative or you could use fish or prawns.

You could just make the curry sauce on its own and freeze it – again, preferably in amounts that will suit you. Don't forget the curry flavours will continue to develop whilst frozen – it's a win win!

I just love being able to produce food, unflustered at any time, but especially in this case, for your New Year in July celebration.

In conclusion three “cook ahead and freeze” dishes for a New Year in July get together – all you have to do is take them out of the freezer – oh and decide on your choice of sides and they are coming up!

New Year in July – Dish 3

Here's my final contribution for your New Year in July bash - a creamy chicken curry :

I first came across a version of this recipe years ago by Madhur Jaffrey, here's mine :

Dish 3 - Malai wali murghi

(aka MWM)

1.35kg/3lb chicken fillet, diced

*1½ tsp salt

*2 tsps cumin

*2 tsps coriander

*½ tsp turmeric

*½ tsp cayenne pepper

ground black pepper

6/7 garlic cloves or equivalent paste

2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled

and chopped finely or equivalent paste

300ml water

6 tbsp vegetable oil

110g onion, chopped finely

175g passata

1 tsp garam masala

200ml double cream (heavy USA)

If you are using raw garlic and ginger then blitz them in a blender, add a drop or two of the water and blend until smooth. Alternatively mix both the garlic and ginger pastes together.

Mix the spices marked * above.

Using a large frying pan add the vegetable oil and heat. Seal the diced chicken on both sides and set aside in the slow cooker.

Fry the onion for 2/3 minutes and add black pepper. Add the garlic and ginger paste then the spices and fry for 2/3 minutes. Mix the passata with the remaining water and add to the mixture, bring to the boil and transfer to the slow cooker – cook for 2/3 hours.

15 minutes before the end of cooking time add the garam masala and the double cream to complete the dish.

If you prefer a vegetarian or vegan version you can use Quorn pieces. If you use Quorn pieces they take 12 minutes to cook from frozen. Cook the sauce on the hob for 30 minutes, adding the Quorn after 18 minutes, with the garam masala and cream at the same time, simmer for the remaining 12 minutes.

You'll not be disappointed – there's more …

New Year in July – Dish 2 – method and extras

 

Dish 2 – Posh Chilli

method

Seal the diced steak in batches in a large frying pan using a drop of rapeseed oil then set aside in your slow cooker.

Gently fry your onion and garlic, using another drop of rapeseed oil if necessary. Add the spices and cook together so that the spices are able to release their deliciousness!

Add the passata and the chilli sauce and bring to the boil. Add to the sealed diced steak and then slow cook for 4 hours. Turn off, leave to cool and then freeze.

Defrost thoroughly in your fridge. Re-heat gently on the stove adding your kidney beans, sweet baby peppers and/or chorizo.

the extras

Use a large frying pan and fry the chorizo gently so that it releases its oil. Set the chorizo aside, leaving the oil in the pan.

Sauté the sliced, sweet baby peppers in the chorizo oil.

If you enjoy a spicy hit you can use mixed beans in a chilli sauce instead of ordinary red kidney beans.

Serve with rice if you like but I think it's fab in a bowl with a blob of sour cream served with some rustic bread of your choice on the side or with wraps with bowls of relish of your choice – mango would work well.

Again, freezing serves dishes like chilli very well – the freezing process allows the spices to develop.

I've made this Posh Chilli recipe as part of a New Year supper party for my friends and family and it went down a storm – I'd like to bet it will become part of your lip smackingly good list!

My final contribution ...

New Year in July – Dish 2

This is, after all a celebration and calls for top notch food.

You might not think of chilli as “top notch” - what makes this chilli special, nay posh, is it uses diced steak and slow cooks it. The only remaining task is to add the red kidney beans and any garnishes. A word of warning – just in case you've forgotten – do not slow cook the kidney beans.

Dish 2 - Posh Chilli

Serves 4

500g diced steak

A glug of rapeseed oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of roasted garlic paste or 2 cloves crushed

tsp = teaspoon

half tsp ground cumin

half tsp ground coriander

half tsp ground cinnamon

quarter to half tsp chilli powder (to taste, depends how much of a kick you like – I used a quarter tsp)

500g jar of passata

60ml sweet chilli sauce

390g can of red kidney beans, rinsed

optional extras :

150g small dice or sliced chorizo

sweet baby peppers, de-seeded and

finely sliced

Now for the method and the extras …

New Year in July!

If we can have Christmas Dinner in June then why not New Year in July! If you don't like either idea but want to celebrate, just not in the traditional way, then you might like the following ideas.

I realise I'm tempting fate when I mention that the weather could be warm in July – though even in warm weather we still like hot food.

There are three different dishes coming up – lamb, beef and chicken/veggie and they have one thing in common – they are all cooked in the slow cooker. You can make these dishes when you have time and freeze. All that then remains is to choose your sides.

Lets get this show on the road :

There's a recipe Aromatic Lamb Shank Stew in Nigella Bites which serves whole shanks and includes lentils, served with couscous – this is my version.

Dish 1 - Lamb Stew

4 tbsp rapeseed or vegetable oil

6 lamb shanks

2 onions, finely chopped

4 tsps garlic paste

sprinkle of salt

1 tbsp turmeric

1 tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp dried chilli flakes

2 tsps cinnamon

¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

black pepper

3 tbsps honey

1 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp Marsala

boiling water to cover

Using the oil, brown the shanks and place in your slow cooker. Fry the onion and garlic paste until soft, sprinkling with salt. Stir in the turmeric, ginger, chilli, cinnamon and nutmeg and season with pepper. Add the honey, soy and Marsala. Tip the mixture over the shanks and cover with boiling water. Leave for as long as you like. 4 to 6 hours. Remove the shanks and strip off the meat – add the meat back to the gravy in the slow cooker.

The lamb is ready to serve when you are, fridge until required. You can cook ahead and freeze if that's more convenient, it just gets better!

I serve this “stew” with the biggest pan of roasties I can. There's loads of spicy gravy and roast potatoes somehow fit. New potatoes would work well, just not as crunchy.

If you like the idea of a spicy roast “main” then this is for you, it's worth every second of prep and it's not complicated.

Then there's the posh chilli ...

Christmas Dinner in June … the final bits

 … are the most important.

Congratulations on your menu – I hope that my suggestions and ideas have helped – it has been so long since we've been able to celebrate with our family and friends we've forgotten how.

A final word to you, the cook. What is more important than anything is that you are front and centre of this Christmas Dinner so, now you've chosen your menu take the time to remind yourself of the recipes you'll be using.

From those thoughts and recipes check your store cupboard to make sure you've got all the tiny bits and pieces that get forgotten – then check again!

Now you can make your shopping list – I'd make two – the first list will be non-perishable stuff that you can buy now and the second will be the fresh veggies nearer the time. If however you've included certain dishes that can be made ahead and frozen, don't forget those ingredients too and get cracking!

Having just given you ideas for a Christmas Dinner menu it occurs that not everyone may want to use the traditional route. What follows next is a series of ideas for those who'd like an alternative Christmas Dinner or, better still, lets make a good job of it and why not New Year in July!

Here goes … but in the meantime Merry Christmas!

Two sauces and a pudding – now for the pudding!

Everyone has their favourite “go to” Yorkshire pudding recipe but if you haven't and need one – here it is – it does exactly what it says “in the tin”!

The Yorkshire pudding

This recipe belongs to Brian Turner a well known Chef and Yorkshireman to boot, so well qualified. The recipe's success is because it works not by weight but by volume. Use any size cup but measure each ingredient with the same cup. I'm not sure what the vinegar does but it's his Granny's recipe and it works so if it ain't broke don't fix it!

1 large cup plain flour

pinch of salt

1 large cup of eggs

1 large cup mixed milk and water

1 tbsp malt vinegar

beef dripping for pudding tin – use vegetable

or rapeseed oil if preferred

You'll need a Yorkshire Pudding tin

4x24x24x2cms or 12 hole muffin tin/Yorkshire

Pudding baking pan

Pre-heat oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl.

Add the eggs and beat well with half the liquid until all the lumps have disappeared.

Add the rest of the liquid and the vinegar and allow to stand.

In the Yorkshire pudding tin put a dessert spoon of dripping in each of the 4 sections and place in the oven until it is very hot.

Ladle the batter into the individual sections of the tin and place back in the oven.

Bake for 25 minutes without opening the oven if possible. Serve immediately.

It really is foolproof.

Next up the final Christmas bits and then it's New Year!