Topic: I Think I May Need Help!

[Naga]

I think I may be turning into a BIR-curryholic since I started actually making some of the recipes from this site.

I've had home-made curry 5 nights out of the last seven. 

Last Thursday/Friday, I had 976bar's excellent Garlic Chilli Chicken and, on Saturday/Sunday I had Unclebuck's superb Chicken Pathia. Monday/Tuesday was the turn of PanPot's Ashoka Chicken Jaipuri, which I have made and thoroughly enjoyed previously.

I maybe let the side down last night when I made a Paella Valenciana for the family, but perhaps I recovered the situation a little tonight when I prepared a kedgeree using smoked haddock and my own rod-caught mackerel.

Is there any hope for me, of should I just surrender to this sensual slide into spicy Shangri-la?

[976bar]

I think the moderators should set up a "Therapy Clinic" section, where Curryholics can get help with their addictions!!!  ;D ;D

Any curry Psychologists out there?

[PaulP]

Hi Naga,

I'd love to see your Paella Valenciana recipe please?

Paul

[Stephen Lindsay]

embrace the dark side Naga

[Tommy Timebomb]

At that very stage...
So far I've found that the best way of weening yourself off is to suck on an onion bhaji when you go out.
It's a bit like them dummy cigarettes, a sort of comfort buffer!

[ELW]

I think I may be turning into a BIR-curryholic since I started actually making some of the recipes from this site.

Nice one,  but what do you need help with?   ;D

Regards
ELW

[curryhell]

Use the power of the force Naga.  You now know the power of the dark side  ;D

[colin grigson]

I think if you still have 2 non BIR days you are indeed in trouble .. we must eat curry every day .. that's the law. I propose you start by filling a corn plaster with 0.25 TSP of mix powder and apply much like a nicotine patch .. wear it all day and simply empty into your chosen dish in the evening ... within a month you'll be like the rest of us curry 24/7 !!

Good luck !!   

[Naga]

...I'd love to see your Paella Valenciana recipe please...

Hi, PP. This is my take on Paella Valenciana. I don't claim complete authenticity as I'm quite a lazy diner, so the chicken is deboned and the prawns are frozen and pre-cooked. Other than that, I think it comes pretty close to the taste and texture of the paellas I get in SW France and Spain.

It can be difficult to source authentic paella seasoning or sweet, smoked paprika (dulce pimenton) in the UK. I know that Tesco and Swartz do paella seasonings, but I use the Spanico and Paellero brands which I pick up when I'm over on the continent. I also get the sweet, smoked paprika when I'm over. The "La Chinata" and "El Avion" brands are available by mail order here. Sainsbury's used to stock the "La Chinata" brand, but I haven't seen it now for a good few years. I generally use the paella seasoning, though, and reserve the paprika for my chicken stroganoff.

I would also add that the ingredient quantities have been tweaked over the years to suit my family's taste, so, if you think there's too much of one thing or too little of the other, just adjust the quantities accordingly.

PAELLA

Serves: 2 hungry people (with some left over!)

Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 20 to 30 mins

Ingredients

100ml olive oil
1 large chicken breast or 4 chicken thighs, chopped into bite-size chunks
25g butter
1 large onion, diced finely
half a bulb garlic, finely chopped or 3 heaped teaspoons of garlic paste
100g smoked bacon lardons or smoked streaky bacon cut to lardon size
half a chorizo sausage, cut into thin slices
half a red pepper, diced
half a green pepper, diced
half a yellow pepper, diced
pinch of dried red chilli flakes
1 tsp (5g) paella seasoning or sweet, smoked paprika
200g calasparra or other paella rice
600ml hot chicken stock
pinch of saffron strands
sprig of thyme
80g frozen peas, defrosted in boiling water and drained
100g king/tiger prawns, cooked
2 tbsp flatleaf parsley, chopped
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Heat half of the olive oil in a paella dish or heavy-based cook's pan/saucepan.

Add the chicken pieces and saut

[Naga]

...I propose you start by filling a corn plaster with 0.25 TSP of mix powder and apply much like a nicotine patch...

That sounds like an eminently sensible proposition, Colin, but I might end up eating the corn plaster!