Topic: CA's Chicken Tikka Masala

[Peripatetic Phil]

Well done, GCC.  CTM is not to my taste, but if you managed to create the flavour that you and your wife seek at a first attempt, then congratulations are fully deserved.  You also appear to have very quickly learned about the need to get the pan temperature correct for each phase of the operation.  Well done.

** Phil.

[G-C-Costanza]

Thanks Phil.  I'm a decent home trained cook so I knew immediately when I messed up.   CTM is not my favorite "Indian" dish either.  My preference is Rogan Josh or the identical (so I've been told) Punjabi lamb curry.   

I'll give the CTM another go this weekend.  I've got the coconut milk powder now and I know the technique.   If it turns out great I'll check that box and move on to the pilau rice.    I'm a good rice cooker because unlike most Anglo Americans my wife and I prefer rice over any other starch.   We get #25 bags of Thai Jasmine rice at the Asian (Oriental in British I think) market.  Just the two of us will go through that bag in 6 months or so.   

After the rice I'll work on naan bread.    That will be a challenge because of what equipment I have at home.   I've made naan once and it turned out OK using a preheated pizza stone in the oven.   In my opinion this will be the toughest nut to crack so to speak. 

Thanks for your comment.  I'm looking forward to the upcoming experiments! 

[Peripatetic Phil]

I'm a good rice cooker because unlike most Anglo Americans my wife and I prefer rice over any other starch.   We get #25 bags of Thai Jasmine rice at the Asian (Oriental in British I think) market.  Just the two of us will go through that bag in 6 months or so.   

Will you be using Thai fragant rice for pulao. or will you switch to basmati ?  My wife (Vietnamese/Chinese) prefers Thai fragant, and I prefer Basmati, so we tend to keep both at home.  If you have a microwave oven and a Pyrex

[G-C-Costanza]

I prefer the Thai "fragrant" rice.   We have a rice cooker and I have the rice/water portions down to a science.   My rice turns out perfect every single time.   I made the pilau rice last weekend as an experiment.  what I did was boiled the spices prior, strained the water, and then used the spiced water in the rice cooker in the proportions that I always use.  1 1/2 cups rice 2 1/4 cup water in the rice cooker.   I went light on the spices in the water not knowing how it would turn out.   I'll go heavier next time. 

[Bobdylan]

Outstanding recipe.

[livo]

Outstanding recipe.

Hey Bob, could you please elaborate on exactly what draws you to the statement that this is an "Outstanding Recipe".  It just looks like any old recipe to me. It might make a very nice curry but why the glowing accolades? Could you please be more specific and explain your reasoning? Photographs of your efforts in reproducing this  recipe will help.

[Bobdylan]

I prefer the Thai "fragrant" rice.   We have a rice cooker and I have the rice/water portions down to a science.   My rice turns out perfect every single time.   I made the pilau rice last weekend as an experiment.  what I did was boiled the spices prior, strained the water, and then used the spiced water in the rice cooker in the proportions that I always use.  1 1/2 cups rice 2 1/4 cup water in the rice cooker.   I went light on the spices in the water not knowing how it would turn out.   I'll go heavier next time.

I never could get along with a rice cooker, I love the feeling and energy I get from perfecting rice. Preferred method is the absorption method.

[Peripatetic Phil]

I never could get along with a rice cooker,

Nor I, although my wife (Chinese/Vietnamese) finds them excellent.  For myself, I too use the absorption method but in a microwave oven

[Bobdylan]

Strangely enough Phil I found myself reading your post and method yesterday. Possible you will understand when you perfect a method it sticks like religion, my interest was aroused.  I may just look out my vintage amber brown glass PYREX.

[Peripatetic Phil]

I also think that cooking rice is a classic demonstration of formative causation / causative formation