Topic: What are you going to be cooking tonight? :)

[Micky Tikka]

Cheers

[curryhell]

That all looks delicious CH. we need to get you posting videos of how you get such a nice texture to your dishes.

Thanks for the compliment Chris. Alas, no video camera so currently unable to oblige .  But if i do acquire such a gaget i'll give it a go but i don't think you'd see anything  different being done to that already shown in the many videos available.  Since Zaal's i've really focused on technique and have viewed our videos and those of kindly provided by CBM when behind the scenes and those of CT.  I get something new out of them at every viewing or at least something i need to check out

Can you point me towards Ifindforu's precook method please? There seems to be great variation in opinion on how to precook meat, with some people oven roasting it, others boiling in water and some boiling in base sauce. I've been wondering which is most effective since I normally just use tikka meat in everything.

Yep, there are a few different methods of cooking chicken alright.  IFFU's method is here:

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=7611.0

I too use tikka in certain dishes but i prefer my madras (becoming a regular eater of it now), vindaloo and jalfrezi with just plain chicken.  The tikka is nice but it does change the taste of the dish slightly or should i say it introduces another layer of flavour ;D ;D

For chicken this really does produce soft tender succulent pieces of subltly flavoured meat and a wonderful smell in the kitchen ;D.  I've yet to try it with lamb as I am more than happy to use the  slow cooker method here:

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4852.msg63100#msg63100

But i will give it a try at some stage.  The secret to the IFFU method is just adding half a cup of water, keeping an eye on it while it's cooking and just adding enough water when things start to catch.  Come the end of the cooking there should be minimal liquid left, just a lovely golden homogenised thick liquid of melted onions, tomatoes and spice.  And it tastes absoutely delicious.  Sorry no pics of this as i wouldn't have thought anybody would be interested Cooking time varies depending on whether you're using frozen chicken or fresh.  I find fresh chicken need cooking no longer that 25 mins.  Hope this helps.

[Peripatetic Phil]

IFFU's method is here.  I find fresh chicken need cooking no longer that 25 mins.

I found this very interesting : I have not yet tried IFFU's method, but have just read it to familiarise myself with the process, and also read your own comments on it.  There is just one part I would like to query.  IFFU writes "(For) 4/5 BREASTS OF CHICKEN : ADD THE CHICKEN STIRING INTO THE MIX IN THE SAUCEPAN ADD SMALL AMOUNTS OF WATER TO REDUCE DOWN BUT NOT BURNING COOK FOR ABOUT 30 MINS" and you also suggest no more than 25 minutes, whereas I normally pre-cook for less than 10 minutes.  Is the difference explained, do you think, by the fact that I normally cook only one or two breasts at most, or do you think there is some other reason why IFFU's method requires 25--30 minutes ?  I should add that my own pre-cooking always takes place at a low temperature, so it cannot be the temperature that explains the difference.

** Phil.

[976bar]

IFFU's method is here.  I find fresh chicken need cooking no longer that 25 mins.

I found this very interesting : I have not yet tried IFFU's method, but have just read it to familiarise myself with the process, and also read your own comments on it.  There is just one part I would like to query.  IFFU writes "(For) 4/5 BREASTS OF CHICKEN : ADD THE CHICKEN STIRING INTO THE MIX IN THE SAUCEPAN ADD SMALL AMOUNTS OF WATER TO REDUCE DOWN BUT NOT BURNING COOK FOR ABOUT 30 MINS" and you also suggest no more than 25 minutes, whereas I normally pre-cook for less than 10 minutes.  Is the difference explained, do you think, by the fact that I normally cook only one or two breasts at most, or do you think there is some other reason why IFFU's method requires 25--30 minutes ?  I should add that my own pre-cooking always takes place at a low temperature, so it cannot be the temperature that explains the difference.

** Phil.

I marinated 6 chicken breasts yesterday, then put them into a pre-heated oven at 180 C for 12 minutes only. I don't want my chicken cooked all the way through as I like to finish it off in the final curry. Never had nothing but tender moist chicken breast.

[curryhell]

I found this very interesting : I have not yet tried IFFU's method, but have just read it to familiarise myself with the process, and also read your own comments on it.  There is just one part I would like to query.  IFFU writes "(For) 4/5 BREASTS OF CHICKEN : ADD THE CHICKEN STIRING INTO THE MIX IN THE SAUCEPAN ADD SMALL AMOUNTS OF WATER TO REDUCE DOWN BUT NOT BURNING COOK FOR ABOUT 30 MINS" and you also suggest no more than 25 minutes, whereas I normally pre-cook for less than 10 minutes.  Is the difference explained, do you think, by the fact that I normally cook only one or two breasts at most, or do you think there is some other reason why IFFU's method requires 25--30 minutes ?  I should add that my own pre-cooking always takes place at a low temperature, so it cannot be the temperature that explains the difference.

** Phil.

I usually cook 3-4 breast.  These are more like turkey breasts than chicken from my local halal butchers   I'm struggling to think of any other reason for yours to cook so quickly Phil other than you cook a much smaller amount   Whenever i've cooked chicken i've always cooked at least 600gms ++  Even with smaller breasts it's taken me 15 - 20 minutes to cook it properly.  I know i probably could get away with less relying on finishing it in the curry itself. But that's just personal taste or maybe caution :  Like you i cook it at a low simmer other than first bringing it to a boil.  Not sure if any of this helps though   I'd definitely give IFFU's method a go.  IMHO it's the best pre-cooked chicken recipe i've used todate.  Can't comment on your oven method Bob.  But i will give it a go sometime although i'm more likely to try you lamb tikka method first ;D  I seem to be developping rather expensive tastes and wanting mutton curries more often : ;D

[natterjak]

Thanks for the info CH. will give IFFU method a try even though it seems quite elaborate. Guess I can't knock it till I've tried it.

[curryhell]

Elaborate .  To be honest Chris I didnt' find this any more complicated than many of the recipes for pre-coooked chicken on the site.  The only main difference was the cooking of the chicken with turmeric before the cooking process begins.  But the logic behind this is borne out in  a couple of other threads on the site.  I do urge you to try it.  I've not had better results yet

[Peripatetic Phil]

Even with smaller breasts it's taken me 15 - 20 minutes to cook it properly.  I know i probably could get away with less relying on finishing it in the curry itself. But that's just personal taste or maybe caution :

OK, that is probably the primary difference, then; I am aiming for part-cooked chicken, knowing that it will have another eight or so minutes (maybe ten) in the final curry, and as I prefer under-cooked to over-cooked, I too err on the side of caution, but for me caution implies less, not more !  Just for comparison, when I cook chicken with chilli and black-bean sauce (for which I use pieces of thigh and drumstick, the latter chopped on the bone), I estimate that the total cooking time for the chicken is 12 minutes.

** Phil.

[976bar]

Had to be CA's Vindaloo with a few twists..

Sainsbury's have a good deal on at the moment for extra lean casserole Beef, 3 for

[fried]

The lamb tikka turned out lovely. I used a 'gigot' don't know what that is in the U.K.but really tender meat which we normally eat pink. I cooked the tikka the same and nobody even touched the chicken.

So after a day of leftovers, North Indian special lamb tikka and CA's Chicken tikka Ceylon, I'm having some homemade (what else) Thai fish cakes, sticky rice and dips.