Jo’s Poached Chicken Breast with Okra and Tomato Stew Served with Homemade Chapatis

JO’S Poached Chicken Breast with Okra and Tomato Stew

Serves 2

This is a great, healthy mid-week meal, and great favourite in the Rawson house.

Poached chicken breast, smothered in a medium spicy, tomato and coconut gravy. Served with homemade Chapatis to mop up that beautiful gravy

1.     Cook two chicken breast in water, in a slow cooker for 3 hours on low.

2.     Forty minutes before chicken is ready, make the Chapatis as they need to rest. (see recipe at the end)

While proving make the okra and tomato stew as follows:    

 Okra and Tomato Stew

1tsp olive oil      1/2Tsp black mustard seeds      1/2Tsp cumin seeds

1 onion thinly sliced      1 green chilli deseeded and finely chopped      1Tsp garlic and ginger paste      200g chopped okra      good pinch of salt         1/4Tsp Turmeric powder      3Tsp coriander powder     

1/4-1/2Tsp Kashmiri paprika      250g chopped fresh tomatoes      1/2Tbsp tomato puree      Another good pinch of salt      ¼ Cup water    2Tbsp coconut milk powder     1/2 cup of water

                 

1.     Heat the oil over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the mustard and cumin seeds until they start to pop.

2.     Add the onion, chilli, garlic and ginger paste. (Take care when adding the paste, sometimes it spits back.) Fry until the onions are translucent.

3.     Add the okra and a pinch of salt. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally checking that the heat is not too high. You can now start rolling out your Chapatis.

4.     Add the spices, tomatoes, salt and water and stir gently. Then add the coconut powder and remaining water. Stir gently, cover and cook for another 5 minutes.  Or until the tomatoes are soft and sauce thickened. Cook the Chapatis.

5.     Take the chicken out of the slow cooker, place on plate and smother with the okra and tomato. Serve with my homemade Chapatis.  

    

Homemade Chapatis  

Serves 2

125g plain flour      1/2Tsp salt      100ml water      oil for greasing

1.     Place the flour and salt in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Gradually add the water. A little at a time, and mix to form a soft supple dough.

2.     Knead the dough on a lightly floured work surface for 10 minutes and then cover the dough and leave in a cool place for 30 minutes.

3.     Knead again and then divide into four pieces.

4.     Roll out each piece of dough, with a Rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface. You want them reasonably thin, otherwise they will not puff up.

5.     Grease a heavy based frying pan (or griddle) with a little oil over a moderate heat. Add one chapati at a time, pressing down firmly with a fish slice. You will see the dough start to blister and puff up. Turn and repeat on the other side. Place inside a clean tea towel to keep warm and soft. Repeat with all the other pieces of dough.

IF YOU WANT TO BE NAUGHTY! THEN BRUSH EACH CHAPATI WITH MELTED BUTTER/ OR GARLIC BUTTER, BEFORE SERVING.   

    

Jo’s Homemade Tandoori Chicken

If you have been reading my restaurant reviews, then you know MR R is a big Tandoori chicken fan.

As it is monsoon here in Goa, his favourite restaurant, for what he claims the best tandoori @ Ryan’z Bar, Candolim, Goa, has closed for a while, why the boys take a well-earned break. Consequently he is craving a tandoori fix.

Therefore, today I pulled out my homemade recipe and he was one happy little bunny.

Jo’s Homemade Tandoori Chicken.

Serves 2

GET WHAT YOU NEED

2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

FOR THE MARINADE

3 cloves     

1 Tsp coriander seeds     

1 Tsp cumin seeds    

Seeds from 3 cardamom pods     

1 small onion     

¼ Tsp ginger & garlic paste         

 ¾ Tsp turmeric      

½ green chilli seeded     

½ Tsp Garam Masala      

1 Tsp Kashmiri paprika     

 Salt & pepper

4 Tbsp. plain yoghurt

NOW MARINATE!

1.     Firstly, score each breast, several times with a sharp knife.

2.     Put the chicken into a freezer/food bag, add the lemon juice. Seal the bag and shake well, so all of the chicken is coated in the juice.

3.     Put the bag into a bowl, and pop into the fridge for 1/2hr.

While you are waiting, now make the spice mix.

1.     Roughly chop onion and put into a processor/grinder with the all the spices, ginger & garlic paste, green chilli, salt and pepper. Blitz for a little while then add the yoghurt. Grind until smooth.

2.     When the ½ hr is up, tip the spiced yoghurt into the bag with the chicken. Seal and shake well.

3.     Put bag back into bowl and into the fridge for a few hours min (You can even leave it in the fridge for 24 hours, if you want to prepare it the day before.)

Why do I keep stressing, about putting the bag back in the bowl? Cross contamination of raw chicken is dangerous.

A.    This means never use anything that has come into contact with raw chicken on cooked foods without washing them thoroughly first. This includes your hands, chopping boards, knives, kitchen cloths, dishes and plates, barbecue tongs, basting brush. 

B.    Never wash chicken. Water or spray-back from the tap is one of the easiest ways of spreading the bacteria.

C.     Cover raw chicken well and store it on the bottom shelf of the fridge to lower the risk of any raw juices potentially dripping on other items in your fridge.

D.    Use an antibacterial sanitiser on any kitchen surface or fridge space that happens to come into contact with raw chicken.

                     Better to be safe than sorry!

NOW COOK

1.     Preheat oven, 200/400/gas 6

2.     Transfer the marinated chicken to a roasting tin, or oven proof dish. Make sure you get all that marinate out of the bag.

3.     Cook for 25-30 minutes. However check the chicken is cooked right through first.

4.      Preheat the grill and place the chicken still in the tin or dish and grill until crispy.

5.     Serve with a cucumber Rita and salad.  You can also serve on a bed of rice or noodles.  Chips, and/or Indian bread.

For the Rita, you can make as much as you want. It’s just yoghurt and shredded cucumber.  I tend to use 6 Tbsps. yoghurt and ½ a shredded cucumber for 2.

Salad: I prefer to shred: cabbage, white radish, carrot, beetroot and chopped spring onions mixed together with apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper.