Slow Cooker - The Recipe Collection

Curry_Queen

Smiley_Mum wrote:

Grabbit while you can, Coolhandluke!!!! :-)

Curry_Queen,

Do you have any recipes for curries, do you make your own? I just wondered as I love kormas and passandas, stuff like that and I did have a good recipe round somewhere but it's gone, don't know where. Wondered if you have good recipes for mild coconutty, almondy, creamy curries, mild ones. Also any recipes for chapattis. Appreciated, TIA

Sorry Smiley_Mum, just noticed this post

Yes I do make my own curries although I'm not keen on coconutty, almondy, creamy ones ... like kormas

It's very easy to adapt to add these ingredients though as I always use a base onion sauce and then add whatever spices I want for a particular curry to it when I add the meat. I'll go dig out my little book with the exact ingredients in it for you and post back in a while

Ticklemouse

C_Q. Even on high, I think you'd be pushing it if you want to eat before 10. You could always experiment, watch it and see, knowing that if it takes too long, you can finish it off and eat it tomorrow.

I left mine on high (accidentally) today. It was full to brim (literally), although the meat was already cooked (leftovers) and I blasted the root veggies in the microwave for a few mins. Turned it on at 10.30, meaning to leave it on high for about 1 hour. However, came home at 4ish and some peppers or toms were just starting to catch, so stirred it and left it turned off until we ate. Everything was well done, so 5 1/2 hours on full was more than enough, even though bowl was overfilled. (As is my tum just now - yum)

Curry_Queen

Well mines only just about half full so I guess 4 hours is a possibility on high as I browned off the mince first anyway and gave all the veggies a quick fry up. I've got a bad habit of not eating all day then grabbing a late meal, especially when I'm on my own, so eating after 10pm wouldn't be unusual for me

I'll see how it goes as I don't feel particularly hungry right now so will no doubt just re-heat it for tomorrow's dinner and freeze the rest.

Cheers :beer:

ancasta_2

One thing that is *really* confusing me and OH, we want to buy a slow cooker as we like the idea of leaving the food to cook all day while were out. He loves casserole and hot pot type meals.

We need to know if the meat and veg has to be browned/par cooked before we bung it into the cooker.

If i brown say sausages in a casserole how long (just a guess) would i cook them for in the slow cooker?

Come on people help a clueless Katie! :rotfl:

moggins

Sometimes I brown it, most times I don't. I browned my brisket because someone else said theirs had gone hard but I normally just fling it straight in without browning.

ancasta_2

thank you! *kisses*

Curry_Queen

Smiley_Mum wrote:

Curry_Queen,

Do you have any recipes for curries, do you make your own? I just wondered as I love kormas and passandas, stuff like that and I did have a good recipe round somewhere but it's gone, don't know where. Wondered if you have good recipes for mild coconutty, almondy, creamy curries, mild ones. Also any recipes for chapattis. Appreciated, TIA

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you with this, but I have a memory like a seive

Ok, basic curry sauce first, which is what I use to make all my curries, and add various spices, meat and veggies after. I make a large quantity and freeze what I don't use into individual portions but you can reduce the recipe to what you need ...

Curry Sauce (makes 8 main course dishes)

1 kg onions
50g ginger
50g garlic
1.5 litres water
1 tsp salt
225g tin tomatoes (or passata)
8 tbsp veg oil
1 tsp tomato puree
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika

Method

Stage 1

Peel and slice onions, garlic and ginger (if cheating and using minced ginger/garlic from a jar miss next bit out) and put chopped ginger and garlic in a blender with half pint water and blend till smooth.

Place onions, blended ginger/garlic and rest of water into a large saucepan.

Add salt and bring to boil. Turn heat down and simmer on very low, with lid on, for 45 mins. Leave to cool.

Stage 2

Once cooled, blend onion mixture (do half at a time) in a blender until perfectly smooth (this is important).

Can be frozen at this stage.

Stage 3

If using tin tomatoes give them a blast in a blender until smooth (I use passata as I'm lazy LOL!).

Put oil, tomato puree, turmeric and paprika. Stir in blended tomatoes and bring to boil. turn down heat and cook for 10 mins, stirring occassionally.

Add onion mixture to saucepan and bring back to the boil. Tuen down again to very low and simmer for 20-25 mins, stirring occassionally. During the cooking process a froth will appear on the surface which needs to be skimmed off.

The sauce is now ready to use or can be refigerated for up to 4 days. I've also frzen it at this stage and it's been absolutely fine.

I know it sounds like a long, complicated process, which is one of the reasons I make it in bulk batches, but it really is worth the effort if you want to make curries like the ones they serve in Indian restaurants/take-aways


The curries themselves only take 10 mins to cook (if using pre-cooked chicken/lamb) and the basic method is to heat the oil and curry sauce to boiling, add meat and cook for 5 mins, add spices and turn down to simmer for 5 mins. Add any cream or yoghurt and fresh chopped coriander you want and serve!

If using raw chicken/lamb then fry it in oil first before adding sauce, same with any added raw veggies like onions, peppers, mushrooms etc.

Chicken Korma (serve 3-4)

4 tbsp veg oil
425ml curry sauce
450g cooked chicken
2 tbsp cashew nuts, roughly chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
150ml coconut cream
2tsp finely chopped coriander


Chicken Bhuna (serves 3-4) (my fav!)

50g mushrooms, sliced
1/2 green pepper, sliced (fry both of these in oil before adding sauce)
6 tbsp veg oil
425ml curry sauce
1lb cooked chicken
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chilli powder
11/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried fenugreek
1 tbs finely chopped coriander

One you might like which is mild and creamy is ...

Chicken Moghlai

6 tbsp veg oil
425ml curry sauce
1lb cooked chicken
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 eggs
150ml single cream
11/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
4 mango slices, tinned or fresh
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander

After adding meat, turn down and simmer 5 mins ... whisk eggs and add to cream ... spoon off excess oil on surface and stir in eggs/cream. Add spices and simmer further 5 mins. Serve with sliced mango on side.

You also asked about chappatis ... very easy to make but you need proper chapatti flour which you can get at your local ethinic foodstore or several places online sell it, along with all the spices you need etc.

Chappatis

225g chappati flour
110ml water (approx)

Place flour in bowl and slowly add water, bringing it together with fingertips, until you have a soft pliable dough. Knead with wet hands for a couple minutes then leave to rest for 15 mins.

Heat up a hotplate/griddle type thing to cook them on. Roughly divide dough into 8-10 pieces and with flour-dusted hands, roll each piece into a ball. Press flat and dust flour on both sides then roll out into circles approx 6" diameter. Place on hot griddle and cook for approx 30 seconds each side. Remove from griddle and using tongues hold over a meduim flame and it will puff up in seconds. Wrap in clean tea-towel to keep warm.

I also make my own naan bread, which again is very easy to do ...

Naan Bread

450g SR flour
1/2tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2tbsp veg oil
4 tbsp plain yoghurt (beaten)
2 eggs (beaten)
150ml water approx

(can add garlic, herbs, spices to flavour)

Sift flour, salt, baking powder into bowl and add oil, yoghurt and eggs (plus any herbs/spices you want to add) and mix. Add water slowly, using hands to bring together until you have a soft dough. Knead with wet hands for a couple mins then leave to rest for 15 mins.

Pre-heat oven to highest temp and place baking tray in to heat up.

Divide dough into 6 equal portions, and with floured hands roll each piece into a ball in palms of hand. Pull each ball out into a tear shape and place 2 at a time onto hot baking baking tray and return to oven immediately for about 3-4 minutes. Remove tray from oven and place under hot grill for about 30 seconds to brown and crisp top lightly. Keep warm in clean tea-towel.

Hope these will keep you busy ... I posted a recipe on for Pilau rice to go with curries on the rice thread here



Right, I'm off to grab a :coffee: now after all that typing! LOL!

squeaky

Curry_Queen wrote:

Ok, basic curry sauce first, which is what I use to make all my curries, and add various spices, meat and veggies after. I make a large quantity and freeze what I don't use into individual portions but you can reduce the recipe to what you need ...

PRINTED

Printed because this is going into my menu planner for next week.

As for keeping it - I use an old photo album, the type that has a clear plastic sheet over the photos. I've never in my life been able to make a recipe without splashing something all over the cookery book - but now I've got all my printed faves under wipe clean sheets.

Curry_Queen

squeaky wrote:

As for keeping it - I use an old photo album, the type that has a clear plastic sheet over the photos. I've never in my life been able to make a recipe without splashing something all over the cookery book - but now I've got all my printed faves under wipe clean sheets.

That's an excellent idea as you can usually pick them up cheap from the poundshop or market stalls. I had thought of getting a laminator or using the clear plastic pockets in a ring binder but your idea sounds much more :money: thanks

squeaky

Curry_Queen wrote:

That's an excellent idea as you can usually pick them up cheap from the poundshop or market stalls. I had thought of getting a laminator or using the clear plastic pockets in a ring binder but your idea sounds much more :money: thanks

Well if you do, it's a good idea to pick a loose leaf ring binder one.

A) Because you then only need to take the one page you need into the kitchen instead of the whole book

Because sooner or later you'll decide to keep things alphabetically, or by type, or both, or some other way...

As for the thanks - thanks

I'm enough of a newby to still great great pleasure in being thanked and because I'm a newby I sometimes miss the post I was thanked in. Is there a way to track "thanked" posts?