D.I.Y Curry

One of my 2012 resolutions was to cook properly - well, at least twice a month - and last night I got cracking on my first meal. I'm a big fan of Indian food (incidentally, six weeks until I go!) and with a little help from Hare's Moor (and Olly), a yummy Timatar Masala was made.

The kits contain all the spices, vegetables, bay leaves, chillies etc to make your curry - in the right quantities - but it's all fresh so you have to prepare everything yourself, such as peeling and grating the ginger and garlic, and deseeding and chopping up the chillies.

(If you want it HOT, remove the membrane, chop the chillies up, but add the seeds into the curry instead of discarding them.)

All you need to buy is the meat you want to use, tomatoes, your rice and any side dishes you may want. It says on the packet serves 2-3, but I'd say 3 would make the portion sizes a little bit stingy... Or, maybe we're just really greedy?

After preparing all the ingredients, you place the first spice pack and the curry leaves into a heated oil pan, then add the chopped onions. Cook until the onions are soft and light brown, for about 10 minutes, then add the chili, ginger and garlic.

Cook for a few minutes, then add the next spice pack, a tin of tomatoes and some salt. After a few minutes you can add the meat. We used three chicken fillets, chopped up into bite-size chunks

Stir, then add enough water so that the chicken is half covered. Bring to boil and simmer with the lid semi-on for about 25 minutes - remember to keep stirring!

About five minutes before you take off the lid, start cooking your rice. We did basmati rice which we seasoned with salt, red bell peppers, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, turmeric, cloves, bay leaves and fennel, and we also popped a garlic and coriander naan bread in the oven (I will learn to make this!) to mop up the yummy curry sauce.

Once your 25 minutes are up, add the final spice pack and stir well. You can now serve it up, but make sure you remove the cassia bark before you do. {^_^} Absolutely yummy.

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