Nosh Lab : Chicken Rogan Josh.

Unfortunately I haven't got any pictures of the product as it was just too yummy that we chowed down before I even got the chance to reach for a snap... I served it with roti prata which you can buy in frozen foods at an asian/chinese markets. I find it works well with pita or nan bread too.

Chicken Rogan Josh

6 Chicken Pieces (I used thighs with skin)

1tsp Butter

1/2 Chicken stock cube

Spices (To blend the following or pound to a paste):
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Black Pepper
2 tsp Ground Cumin
3 tsp Garam Masala
2 tsp Ground Coriander Powder
2 tsp Chilli Powder
2 tsp Tumeric Powder
3 Garlic cloves
Half small brown onion
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 inch ginger
3-4 fresh green finger chilli

Fresh Corriander
Fresh or Tinned Whole Tomatoes (Quatered)
Sliced Mushrooms

Additional Spices : (optional)
Whole cloves 3-4
Cinnamon stick
Star Anise
3 pods Cardamom



Method :
Season Chicken pieces with salt and pepper and using a hot non stick pan, fry chicken skin side down - till skin turns slightly brown. Cool and remove skins. Drain most of the oil/fat that remains from cooking the chicken away but allowing about a tsp or so to remain.

Fry off spice paste in remaining oil till aromatic and add butter and pre-browned chicken.
Add chicken stock cube and 1/2 pint of tap water and bring to a boil - Reduce heat and either simmer for further 2 hours or use thermal pot. Towards the end of cooking time, add tomatoes and fresh coriander - and remainder of optional spices = simmer a further 5-10 minutes seasoning to taste.

Serve hot with side of Nan or Pita Bread.

Nosh Recipes: Nasi Bryani

Nosh Lab: Creating the Super Ché

Nosh Log : Delish Japanese Bento in a Singaporean Food Court

Nosh Log: Saboche

Vietnamese food will never be the same again

This is where it all happens





My favourite dessert






it's the water chestnut super che
(but apparently there's condensed milk in it)




DIY Rice paper roll
(totally memorable unlikely suspects, starfruit, and raw banana slices, including skin)

Do you know the Muffin Man...?

These muffins are based on a Banana Butterscotch Cake recipe that I tried yesterday and they came out perfect! The recipe comes from a Guardian supplemental on Baking which I've hoarded since last year.

I altered the recipe only slightly, using unrefined sugar (light brown moscavado) and reducing the quantity as I don't really like terribly sweet cakes. I used plain greek yoghurt in the recipe and find that it works well for a lot of cream substitutions and has a better texture than plain yoghurt which tends to be quite liquid. I also added a pinch of salt and used a lot more bananas as we had a whole comb around the house that wasn't being eaten in a hurry. The silicone cupcake "Tins" were from Daiso at SGD$2 per pair - Bargain! (Wish I'd bought more!)

Page 58 of Baking from theguardian supplement of the year (Nov. 2007)
Butterscotch Banana Cake

250g caster sugar
250g banana flesh chopped into 2cm pieces
1tbsp unsalted butter
2tsp vanilla extract
175ml sunflower oil
2 large eggs
150g plain flour
75g spelt, rye or wholemeal flour
2 level tsp mixed spice*
2 level tsp baking powder
1/2 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
50 ml plain yoghurt

(Transcribed and slightly short-handed recipe method)
Butter 20cm square tin lined with non-stick baking paper at the base.
Tip 150g caster sugar into fry pan with 25 ml water and bring to boil cooking till reddish caramel is formed. Add banana, butter and vanilla, simmering till banana breaks up in the caramel and the mixture thickens.

Spoon on to plate and leave to cool. Beat remaining 100g sugar with the oil and eggs till thick and slightly aerated, then beat in bananas and yoghurt. Sift the flours, baking powder, spice and soda together two - three times (throwing the bran back in), then fold this through the banana mixture.

Spoon mixure into the tin, heat the oven to 180C (160C for fan assisted) and bake for about 50 minutes or until inserted skewer comes out clean.


Noshlette notes
I used a small non-stick fry pan and left the ingredients to cool in the pan itself. 100g of sugar in the caramel and 50 g with the eggs works just as well. (Almost reducing sugar in recipe by 100g! However bear in mind I used a lot more ripe bananas which were already sweet by themselves)
*mixed spice is basically a blend of corriander powder, cinnamon powder, nutmeg and ginger.

this is real

The inspiration for this... was a meal from the salad bar at Ponderosa's many years ago. many many choices for salad. and then there was Ice Cream.

Fresh sliced button mushrooms and vanilla icecream.
Mushroom feels like the texture of marshmallow but the sweetness is from the icecream. Best if it's got vanilla pod bits in the ice cream. Chunky, or sliced. Maybe nicer chunky.