Balti Seitan Madras Recipes

AUTHENTIC CHICKEN MADRAS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add cloves and cardamom pods and wait until they sizzle, about 1 minute. Add onions and fry until dark brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Add chile peppers, ginger, and garlic; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ground chile pepper, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until blended in, about 1 minute more.
• Stir chicken and water into the pan with the spice mixture. Cook, while stirring, until water is incorporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomato puree and nutmeg and cover the pan with a lid. Cook until chicken is tender over medium heat, about 20 minutes. When ready to serve, sprinkle with garam masala and cilantro.

BALTI SEITAN MADRAS

Steps:

• Mix the tomato paste, fennel seeds, ginger, coriander, garlic, chilli powder, curry powder, turmeric, lemon juice, salt, and water in a bowl.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and cook the onions until they are softened.
• Pour the spice mixture into the pan and let simmer.
• Break the seitan into pieces and add to the pan.
• Let the seitan simmer for about 10 minutes, until much of the liquid has been absorbed by the seitan or has evaporated.
• Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the chopped chiles, and serve.

CHICKEN MADRAS

Steps:

• Blitz 1 quartered onion, 2 garlic cloves, a thumb-sized chunk of ginger and ½ red chilli together in a food processor until it becomes a coarse paste.
• Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large saucepan and add the paste, fry for 5 mins, until softened. If it starts to stick to the pan at all, add a splash of water.
• Tip in ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander and 1-2 tsp hot chilli powder and stir well, cook for a couple of mins to toast them a bit, then add 4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks. Stir and make sure everything is covered in the spice mix.
• Cook until the chicken begins to turn pale, adding a small splash of water if it sticks to the base of the pan at all.
• Pour in 400g can chopped tomatoes, along with a big pinch of salt, cover and cook on a low heat for 30 mins, until the chicken is tender.
• Stir through small pack of coriander and serve with rice, naan and a big dollop of mango chutney.