Tag: garam masala

Mughlai Curry

Admittedly, the list of ingredients is long. However, most everything is store cupboard staples and this really is a wonderful curry.

1″ fresh ginger, peeled
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. chili flakes
4 tbs. ground almonds
1/2 cup water
4 tbs. vegetable oil
3 lbs. skinned, boned chicken thighs, cut into pieces
5 cardamom pods, bruised
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
2 bay leaves
4 whole cloves
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tbs. sugar
1 tsp, salt
3/4 cup toasted, slivered almonds

Put the ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander and chili flakes in a food processor and blend to a paste. Add the ground almonds and water and blend. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the chicken in batches to seal and slightly brown. Remove the chicken and set aside.. Tip in the paste from the food processor and cook over a gentle heat for 2-3 minutes, then add the cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves and shallots. Cook for a few minutes until the shallots are soft, then return the chicken to the pan and add the yogurt, stock, cream, raisins, garam masala, sugar and salt. Bubble gently for 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through.

Transfer to a serving bowl land scatter with the almonds.

Serves 8 – 10.

Spiced Nuts

This recipe appears in Nigella’s Christmas book where it is titled “Seasonally Spiced Nuts”. They are so delicious, they should not be limited to the holidays.

4 cups mixed nuts of your choice
1 1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. celery salt
2 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. light brown sugar
3 sprigs rosemary, needles finely chopped
Maldon or other sea salt, to sprinkle

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Heat a large skillet over a medium heat. When hot, tip in the nuts along with the garam masala and celery salt. Push them about for 3-4 minutes to toast lightly. Add the olive oil, brown sugar and rosemary. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes to coat all the nuts evenly. Tip onto the baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.