Yudhika’s Masala Chicken Casserole….

Did somebody press the freeze button? I spent a few days in Cape Town and it seemed like the weather gods have been creating havoc….snow, rain and the worst part…the wind. The weather was awful but I still love Cape Town…and not even the weather could dampen my spirits. My colleague and GIBS Goldman Sachs graduate, Dudu Mofokeng and I were asked to join the UN Women and Facebook as panelists on the ‘Boost Your Business’ workshop! I was and am truly humbled to be a part of this initiative and will be posting more information about it in my next blogs.

Competition time…The AMC 30cm Skillet worth R3200

There is some other news too…today we announce the winner of the fabulous AMC skillet…just another way that AMC Cookware and I share our happiness and love for food! The prize is worth R3200 and will be a beautiful addition to an existing set of pots or as the first one in your AMC collection….and the winner is…..ta daaaaa….YAAVNA MOODLEY! Congratulations, Yaavna…we will be in touch to arrange the delivery! I would like to thank all of you who entered the competition and follow the blog…stay tuned for the next competition!

With the weather being this awful, I thought I should also share a recipe that is slightly different to our usual curries….stock cubes and tinned tomatoes are not standard ingredients in the Indian pantry but have become part of my kitchen must-haves. I suggest serving this casserole with mashed potatoes and bread too. The bread is great for mopping up the spicy sauce.

Happy cooking, everyone….stay warm and hearty!

Masala Chicken Casserole

1,4kg chicken portions, thighs and drumsticks
15ml sunflower oil

30ml sunflower oil
1large onion, thinly sliced
4 green chillies, sliced
10ml cumin seeds
20ml coriander seeds
4 cardamom pods
10ml black pepper
25ml crushed ginger and garlic
20ml red chilli powder
2ml turmeric
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
200ml boiled water
1 stock cube
Salt, to season
50ml full fat yoghurt, optional
Fresh coriander, to garnish

Here’s how

Heat a 28cm AMC Chef’s Pan and pour in the sunflower oil.
Seal the chicken skin side down in batches until deep golden in colour.
Remove the chicken from the pan and leave aside.

Heat the sunflower oil in a 30cm AMC Gourmet Pan.
Saute the sliced onion until pale golden in colour.
While the onion is cooking, place the cumin, coriander, cardamom and black pepper in a mortar.
Ensure the cardamom is finely pounded and leave aside.
Once the onions are golden, add the green chillies.
Stir the ginger and garlic into the onions and fry for a few seconds.
Add the red chilli powder and turmeric, mix to heat the spices for a few seconds.
Place the sealed chicken into the pan and stir to coat in the red chilli.
Add the pounded spices and stir well, taking care not to burn them.
Add the chopped tinned tomatoes and boiled water.
Crumble the stock cube into the pan and season very lightly with salt.
Simmer on a low heat until the chicken is tender.
Dilute the yoghurt in 30ml cold water and add to the chicken.
Once the sauce thickens and coats the chicken pieces, garnish with fresh coriander.