Click for English version Dve leti je že mimo od kar sem se vrnila iz potovanja po Indoneziji in Singapurju. Moram priznati, da sem bila navdušena nad tamkajšnjo kulinariko. Indonezijska hrana je zelo močnih okusov in arom. Ni pa tako pikantna, kot se nam Slovencem zdi na prvi pogled. Vsakič, ko sem pripravljala doma kaj bolj eksotičnega, sem iz drugega konca sobe zaslišala vprašanje/pogoj – “Pa saj ne bo pekoče?!”. Ne ne bo. Bodo pa okusi bolj izraziti in polni, kot smo jih vajeni v našem ričetu, pečenki, praženem krompirju in solati.

Ta teden me je spet zamikalo, da bi pripravila kaj vzhodnjaškega. Zanimivo, odločila sem se za jed, ki izvira (tako pravi Wiki) iz Velike Britanije: Piščanec tikka masala (piščanec v koščkih z omako masala). Jed je kar krepčilna, spominja me na mešanico med piščančjim curryjem, ki sem ga pripravljala na kuharskem tečaju v Indoneziji in našim paprikašem. Mislim, da bo všeč tudi tistim, ki na kuhinjskih vratih sumljivo sprašujejo: “Sej ne bo pekoče?”

PIŠČANČJI TIKKA MASALA

za 4 osebe

SESTAVINE:

500 g piščančjih beder brez kosti in kože (lahko kupite tudi piščančja prsa)

1 žlica oljčnega olja

2 žlici stopljenega masla (nujno ga moramo segreti in stran pobrati belo penico, ki se nabere na vrhu. Tako se nam ne bo smodilo, ko bomo pekli)

1/2 žličke soli

2 žličke curryja

1/2 žličke 5 kitajskih začimb 1

2 žlički sladke paprike (dobra je tudi prekajena paprika, če je pri roki)

1 žlička mlete kumine

1 žlička mletega kardamoma

1 žlička kurkume

1/4 žličke kajenskega popra

1/8 žličke črnega popra

1 čebula zrezana na večje kose

1/2 kokošje kocke (2 dl jušne osnove)

1 žlica paradižnikovega koncentrata iz tube

200 ml paradižnikove mezge ali pasate

voda

200 ml smetane za kuhanje / lahko tudi kokosovo mleko iz konzerve

2 stroka česna

(svež ingver po želji)

basmati riž kot priloga

POSTOPEK:

Vse začimbe zmešamo v skodelici. Začimbe in olje dodamo k mesu in jih dobro porazdelimo.

Na ponvi segrejemo (že prej stopljeno in posneto) maslo. Na njem popečemo meso. Dobro je, če uporabljate posodo, ki ni teflonska, torej tako, na katero se malo prime 2. Ko meso pečemo približno 8 minut na visoki temperaturi ga umaknemo iz ponve in damo počivat na krožnik.

Znižamo temperaturo na srednje in na ponvi popečemo čebulo. Ko je čebula že steklena in smo jo pražili že kakih 8 minut, v ponev dodamo paradižnikov koncentrat, ki jo popražimo, da malo počrni. Dodamo še sesekljan česen (in ingver po izbiri) in ga popražimo samo toliko, da zadiši (ne več kot 1 minuto). Nato vlijemo ponev paradižnikovo mezgo, dodamo polovico jušne kocke in malo vode po potrebi.

(Damo kuhati riž.)

Meso zrežemo na kose in ga dodamo nazaj v omako. K vsemu dodamo še smetano za kuhanje in kuhamo še 15 minut na nizki-srednji temperaturi, da se meso pokuha in zmehča. Vzamemo poljubno količino in uživamo v kulinarični izkušnji:)

Meni je kosilo zelo teknilo. Je prav poseben spin-off našega paprikaša. Recept je dokaj enostaven in ne zahteva veliko časa. V eni uri je bilo pri nas vse pripravljeno in postreženo. Potem pa je sledil samo še najboljši del – pokušina.

1. Mešanica 5 kitajskih začimb, ki jo uporabljam jaz so začimbe v prahu. Mešanica je sestavljena iz cimeta, zvezdastega janeža, semen koriandra, popra in koromača.

2. Ko pripravljamo meso v omaki, je dobro uporabljati ponev, ki nima prevleke proti prijemanju. To pa zato, ker se meso malo zapeče na ponev. Potem ga umaknemo iz ponve in na ponev zlijemo malo tekočine. Lahko je to jušna osnova, voda, vino, smetana ali paradižnikova mezga. S tem bomo deglazirali ponev (tista rjava podloga se bo odlepila od ponve in zmešala z našo tekočino). Tako bomo dobili najbolj okusno mesno omako. Nadaljujemo tako, da dodamo meso nazaj in še malo pokuhamo. To je postopek, ki se uporablja pri večini priprav mesa v omaki.

Visiting the east, no wait the west- Chicken tikka masala

It’s been two years since I returned from my trip to Indonesia and Singapore. I have to admit I was so excited about the culinary adventures I had there. The food is strong flavoured and the aromas are incredible. It’s in not as spicy, as we seem to think thou. Every time I made something more exotic at home I heard the same question: “Is it going to be spicy?”. No it’s not. But the flavours will be more full and aggressive (not in a bad way) than we are used to in our Slovenian cuisine.

So this week I was tempted to prepare something exotic again. Interesting enough, I decided to prepare a typical “British” dish (so Wiki says): Chicken tikka masala. The dish is quite strong. It reminds me of a local Slovenian dish: paprikaš and of a chicken curry I prepared in the cooking class we took in Indonesia. I think that everyone will like it, even the ones that are checking what’s going on in the kitchen, asking you: “It’s not going to be spicy, right?” .

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

4 portions

INGREDIENTS:

500 g of skinless, boneless chicken thighs (you could also use chicken breast)

1 tbs olive oil

2 tbs of melted butter – skimmed (you need to melt it before and skim off the white foam at the top, so there will be no smoke when you will heat it on the pan)

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp curry

1/2 tsp Chinese five spices powder 1

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp curcuma

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 onion cut in bigger pieces (squares)

2 dl chicken stock

1 tbs tomato paste

200 ml crushed tomato

water

200 ml cooking cream / you can also use coconut milk from a can

2 cloves of garlic

(fresh ginger if you like it)

basmati rice as a side dish.

PREPARATION:

Mix all the spices together in a bowl. Add the meat and the olive oil and mix well.

Take a skillet (better the one without a non stick cover) 2. Heat the before melted and skimmed butter. Bake the meat in the butter. Cook until brown (on high heat). Than place the meat on a plate and leave it to rest.

Lower the heat to medium. Add the onions to the skillet and cook it until it’s nice and tender (about 8 minutes). Add the tomato paste and cook a little so it gets a bit brown. Add the chopped garlic and ginger if you want. Make sure not to burn the garlic. Add the crushed tomato and the chicken stock. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Set the rice to cook.

Cut the meat into bigger pieces and put it into the sauce. Pour in the cooking cream and cook for about 15 minutes until the meat gets soft and tender. Plate the dish and enjoy this culinary break.

I really loved this lunch. It is a special spin-off of the Slovene paprikaš. The recipe is quite easy to follow and it doesn’t demand too much time to prepare it. I had everything prepared and plated in under an hour. Than I only needed to finish what I have started by eating the delicious dish.

1. The Chinese five spice powder I’m using is a mixture off: cinnamon, fennel, star anis, coriander seeds and pepper.

2. When preparing the meat with a sauce to go with it, it’s good to use a skillet that doesn’t have a non-stick surface. That is because you let the meat brown in your skillet. You remove the meat from the skillet and set it aside. Pour some liquid into the skillet (wine, cream, tomato paste, stock, water…). by doing this you deglaze the skillet (the brown thing on your skillet will nonstick and mix with the liquid). This is how you get the perfect meat sauce. You can cook the meat in the sauce a little bit more. The procedure is similar with most of the meat sauces.