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Hiya Lindsay, no I have my own masala, I know most masalas are all of the same sort ingredients, but Ive found that adding or taking away some ingredients, I have created a masala and a masala gravy which I find has a flavour that really hits the spot, I once read a book by pat chapman who was one of the first people to start the curry club, he was the man who inspired me into Indian cookery, and even to this day, I still think of some of the things and ways he does things, the man is a fanatic on Indian cookery, and I myself love cooking Indian food probably thanks to him, so even though Ive had some terrible results in the kitchen, I have found that going back to basics, and starting again from scratch, then thinking what Pat put in his book always inspires me to keep trying different things.

Hi Andy,

did you get this one from the same source as your masala?

Hiya Georgie, I should have said, if you like more sauce, to add some onion and garlic puree and tom puree, hope it turns out ok for you, the thing is jalfrezi is a dish that doesnt really have that much sauce, anyway, if it doesnt turn out just let me know as I have a good recipe for a masala gravy, you could then start this dish with that, that way you would have loads of sauce to start with.

Take care Andy.

Hi Andy, have just made the Jalfrezi and it is looking quite good - I did add a teaspoon of sugar and also added about three tablespoons of pureed tomatoes to beef up the sauce a little (we do like our sauce!). Many thanks!

Late on again Andy, 0.49am. Thankyou for your recipe. I have known it to use evap milk but have never tried it. So pleased you didn't use 12-14 chillies! Well I promised hubby a curry this week . We used to belong to the curry club, his favourite meal . This time it's going to be your recipe and I willnot alter it at all. The only ingredient I need to buy is evaporated milk. Like you I have never used bought ready made curry spices. Now if you were going to keep it a secret it must be tops. Will let you know how I get on and the verdict from hubby. Do you need any Indian desserts recipes? Or have you got enough for the moment? Now can't wait to try it. Will post again soon. Thank's once again. xx

Blondie Ive posted this recipe on the recipe page for others to have a go if they like, and on that one I forgot to mention the star anise just like I have on this one, so just put one star anise in the same time as the garlic, ok! see you soon. Andy.

Hiya blondie, you will have loads of masala left over from this recipe, so you can keep it for another time, or just reduce it accordingly, as this recipe doesnt need much garam masala, but please dont buy the garam masala from the shops, as its nothing short of a basic curry powder ( which is a swear word in my house)



first make up the masala:

Ingredients:

2 t-sp coriander seeds
1t-sp black pepper corns
1 t-sp fennel seeds
1 t-sp cumin seeds
1 t-sp black mustard seeds
1 cinnamon stick 2" apx
5 cardamom pods Green
6 whole cloves
3 bay leaves

all the above must be dry roasted then ground to a powder, then add:

1 t-sp ground ginger
2 t-sp of hot chilli powder,
now mix the two together and put to one side.

ok ingredients for the curry:

3 to 4 chicken fillets cut into chunks
3 to 4 tbl sp of ghee/veg oil
1 t-sp turmeric
10 yes 10 garlic cloves very finely chopped
2 onions very finely chopped
3 green chillies finely chopped
1 tin of evaporated milk ( now thats suprised you )
2 to 3 t-sp or more to taste of sugar
1 tbl sp of chopped pistachio nuts
1 tbl sp of ground almonds
hand full of fresh button mushrooms
1 tea sp of the garam masala powder youve made
good pinch of salt/ salt it to taste really
1 t sp of fenugreek powder
1 t- sp of cumin seeds


Method:

heat the ghee/ oil in a chefs pan or wok type pan, add the onion,add the masala and all other powders,fry these off utill the onions are soft add the garlic, and chillies now simmer for 2 mins, add the chicken and cook for another 5 mins now the rest of the ingredients, but dont salt it as yet, cook out for another 15 mins or so untill the chicken is cooked, now season to taste, and if need be add a little more sugar, the original recipe for this dish that I read years ago says to add some rose water, I never have to be honest, but I will leave that up to you, you can also add some raisins if you like, I never do as I dont like them in curry, let me know what you think of this blondie, as we love it, I was going to keep this one a secret but whats the point we are all friends so you enjoy it, I bet you never thought you would evape milk in a curry did you.

Take good care Andy.

Thank's Andy. Look forward to it.

Hiya Blondie, thanks for your kind words, I will post you that dish tonight when I get home from work, take care chat to you soon, Andy,

Hi bruce, glad you enjoyed it, if you can get hold fenugreek next time put it in, as it has a great flavour, I will post you in the near future, my version of a vindaloo, I cant eat it as it to hot for me, but Ive been told it is very good, so I will post it for you.

Take care Andy.

Hi Andy

Thanks for a fantastic recipe, you should copywrite that one and sell it to sainsbury.

Couldnt get any fenugreek powder (do you think it wouldn't have been as good?), still tasted wonderful though, I love complex tasting food (lots of flavour).

p.s lot's of chilis for us, we are vindaloo type people, so that was never a problem, I added more chili than what was on the recipe.

A keeper!!

cheers.

Hello Andy,0.40am. Just catching up with your news,have not been on much. Very busy and then decorating throughout the night over the last 3 days ready for new carpets. So 4 hours sleep a night's not much fun. Well worth it looking at it now. I would love your Bangladeshi curry. I simply adore kormas. Andy, you are doing so well, I'm so pleased for you. I really and sincerely hope it's a smash hit. Will write again soon. Must catch up on some sleep.

Hiya Blondie, I guess thats how so many dishes have come along way, cos us chefs keep playing around with them, we have just taken bookings for our Indian night for over 20 in the first hour of serving, and we havent even advertised it yet, so Im mega pleased, I have a recipe Ive played with for a Bangladeshi curry, you may want to try it, its a sort of korma dish with a really nice twist, I will look in my recipe folder later and post it, see if you like it.

Take care Andy.

Andy, you are so right , very often the dish ends up better they the original. I never stick to recipes. Always a guide only. If I do come across something I like most of the time I alter it to my own taste.

Bruce if your going to do this dish, just be carefull of the amount of chillis you put in as the masala is also quite powerfull.

Hi Bruce, Im a firm believer in playing around with recipes, the thing with Indian cooking is changing the masala, once you add or take away something the tastes are completely different, I think Ive found a taste in this dish now that is in my opinion
spot for this dish, its still a Jalfrezi, but with a twist.

Hope you enjoy it, let me know what you think.

Take care Andy.

That sounds wonderful, and I think I am going to make your version at the weekend.
The proper version of Jalfrezi is so much easier than that to create though.
Jalfrezi is not Indian but actually a****stani dish.
My****stan friend gave me it, he was holding out saying he could show me, but then he'd have to kill me, he showed me it, hope he's joking about the killing bit though. )

Good job I cheched in again, I forgot to say add the t-sp of cumin seeds at the same time as the garlic and ginger, I must find a new method of putting things down on paper to get these recipes in some kind of fail safe way of posting them.

At least it shows Im not copying from a book eh!

I think thats it now, untilsome one posts reminding me of some thing Ive missed.

Hi guys sorry my cooking is better than my recipe writting, Helen put the chillis in at the same time as the garlic and ginger, its up to you if you leave the seeds in or not, if you do it will be very hot, I dont leave them in as I find it is easier to add heat than take away, I chop the chillis but again you could just slice them into rings if your leaving the seeds in.

Georgie, you must buy dry bay leaves as it is part of the masala, or you could buy ground bay leaves and then just add them at the same time as the chilli powder and ground ginger.

I also forgot to mention to season the with salt as you are cooking the onions, and you may want to add some sugar just before you add the green peppers, it may not need it just taste before you add the peppers, if it is a little sour then just add a couple of t-spoons, I hope ive finely coverd everything.

I will check in later just incase Ive missed anything out.

Take care for now Andy.

Andy, that sounds wonderful and think I might make it on Saturday - quick question on top of Helen's - the bay leaves: do you really mean to dry fry these and grind them? I prefer to use fresh bay leaves - presumably best to put in to mixture during cooking? Or should I buy dried for this dish?

There's also nowhere in the instructions on when you put the green finger chillis or whether they should be chopped, seeds kept or not or whether they should be whole.

Can you let us know? or have I completely missed it?!

Helen

Just realised I forgot to put the chicken in the ingredients, well the recipe is for about 4 fillets cut into chunks.