Topic: PRE COOKED CHICKEN THE BENGAL T/A AND BIR WAY

[natterjak]

All went well and I cooked up 4kg of Asda smart price chicken breasts (with added water). Some gorgeous smells and I have a lot of confidence that the precooked chicken will taste great even though haven't tried any yet.

I agree with other comments that the cooking liquor is too good to throw away. I reduced it down on a high heat for ten mins after removing the chicken and ended up with a paste of the consistency of a thickish curry and some nicely seasoned oil which separated out as the sauce reduced. I'll freeze both in an ice cube tray and add to curries to give a flavour boost:

[JerryM]

natterjak,

the effort has really put a drag on this recipe for me. i read from others to make more and freeze. i'm well pleased with your result - 4kg would make the effort well worth it. i'm certainly going to up the amount from now on and freeze it.

will be interesting how the ice cubes do. i've tried it in base and have not taken up finding no significant difference in the final dish albeit a small taste difference in the base itself.

[natterjak]

Cooking 4kg of chicken to this recipe worked fine using the quantities listed so I'm fairly sure ifindforu meant to include "kg" in the ingredients. Certainly I can't see any BIR pre cooking 4 or 5 chicken breasts at a time.

The chicken is nice and tender in finished dishes and the flavour, although subtle, does come through. I simply piled the cooked meat into a big 2.6l lock n lock container and froze. Defrosting a portion of chicken involves chiselling 6 or 7 chunks (175g) from the frozen block by inserting a spoon handle between the gaps and twisting. But it's nothing like as awkward as it sounds and having a full 4kg of precooked chicken in a nice space efficient box in the freezer is very convenient.

My "ice cubes" of 1 tablespoon measure reduced cooking residue are also being pressed into use, adding flavour to the occasional curry when I feel it needs a boost. Don't go chucking that residue down the sink!!!

[natterjak]

Does anyone know how the cooking time for this recipe should be adjusted when cooking lamb instead of chicken?

[natterjak]

I've found another use for the flavour packed cooking residue of this recipe. Add water and use the mix to pre cook potatoes for Bombay aloo. I boiled around 1.5kg of spuds this way yesterday after making a 4kg batch of pre cooked chicken and the cinnamon, Asian bay, onion and tomato flavours made for a great Bombay aloo when I later finished the BA off. I had also added some Panch phoran at the frying stage of this recipe, which goes well with the chicken as well as potato.

[Unclefrank]

How much-  ginger/garlic paste
                  mixed powder
                  tomato puree
                  turmeric

What are the measurements in teaspoons or tablespoons.
Thanks.

[curryhell]

How much-  ginger/garlic paste
                  mixed powder
                  tomato puree
                  turmeric

What are the measurements in teaspoons or tablespoons.
Thanks.

UF, this is how i would interpret the quantities if i was going by eye.  But i find it easier to use a chefs spoon and a dessertspoon a lot of the time anyway when i'm cooking.  Besides, this isn't an exact science after all.   Terry does say in one of his threads that his dessertspoon measurements are rounded.

                  ginger/garlic paste - 2 heaped tsp or a rounded tbsp
                  mixed powder - 2 heaped tsp or a rounded tbsp
                  tomato puree  - 2 rounded tsp or a level tbsp
                  turmeric - 2 rounded tsp or a level tbsp

[Unclefrank]

Thanks CH.

[uclown2002]

How long is the chicken boiled initially in the tumeric?  I know it will probably differ for most people but  is 5 mins
about right?

[Peripatetic Phil]

How long is the chicken boiled initially in the tumeric?  I know it will probably differ for most people but  is 5 mins
about right?

The colour and the firmness are your best guide; almost no signs of pink, just firm on the outside, still soft in the middle.  I would have thought somewhere between two minutes and five minutes, depending on the ration of turmeric water to chicken (because of thermal inertia).

** Phil.