CHICKEN BIRYANI

INGREDIENTS
750g chicken thighs, cut in about 3cm chunks
1/2 cup tikka masala paste
2 brown onions, finely sliced
20g butter
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
2 1/4 cups hot chicken stock
1/4 cup of currants

2 tbsp flaked toasted almonds
1/4 cup fresh chopped coriander 

METHOD
In a bowl mix together chicken and paste. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan-forced).
Melt butter with oil in a non-stick frypan over low to medium heat, then add onions. Fry off onions until starting to caramelise, about 15 minutes.
In another ovenproof pot (I use  a non-stick anodised pot) add chicken.  Then spread cooked onions over the top of the chicken.

Place rice into a sieve. Rinse under cold water until water runs clear. Sprinkle rice evenly over onions. Pour stock over the back of a metal spoon over rice. Cover with foil then cover with a lid. Bake for 1 hour then stir through currants and almonds. Bake for a further 45 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir through coriander and season with salt and pepper.

 

 

 

SLOW COOKED CHUNKY BEEF STROGANOFF

INGREDIENTS
800g beef chuck steak, diced in chunks
2 tbsp oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
2 tsp minced garlic
500g mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp sweet paprika
2 cups of beef stock
1 tsp cornflour
2 tbsp sour cream

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 160C.
• Over medium high heat, add 1 tbsp of oil and brown off beef.  Transfer to an oven proof dish, add 1 cup of beef stock, cover and bake for 1 - 1 1/2 hours (until beef is tender and stock has almost reduced to nothing).  Hint: Use an ovenproof pan that can go directly from stovetop to oven.

Once the beef is cooked....

• Over medium high heat, fry off onion, mushrooms and garlic with oil in a large non stick fry pan for about 5 minutes.   
• Stir through paprika, tomato paste and 3/4 cup of beef stock. 
• Mix the last bit of beef stock with the cornflour to make a paste. 
• Add to the pan the beef chunks along with any remaining stock and stir in the cornflour mixture.     Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for a further 10 minutes. 
• Stir in sour cream just before serving.   Hint: Give the sour cream a mix before adding to the pan so that it isn't so chunky.   This will make it easier to stir through the sauce.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with rice and steamed beans, mashed potato or pasta.