Chettinad Chicken Curry

I love this curry!! It has fast become my favourite one to make and of course eat....
You can make it as spicy as you like, by adding more chillies. It has desiccated coconut in it, but that is optional if you don't want the syns.

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves peeled
2 inches ginger peeled
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs with all fat removed quartered
1 tsp turmeric
1 onion chopped
2 red chillies sliced
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 tbsp desiccated coconut toasted optional 9 syns
2 cinnamon sticks
400ml vegetable stock

Spice Mix

fennel seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds 2 tsp of each.
1 long dried chilli
1 star anise

Method

Blitz the garlic and ginger with a tsp water until smooth, then mix with the turmeric and massage into the chicken, leave to marinade for at least an hour, if possible over night.
Toast all the whole spices in a pan until aromatic, then grind.
In a pan sprayed with frylight, fry the onion and red chilli seasoned with salt until soft, add the chicken, tomato purée, cinnamon sticks, coconut if using and spices, fry for 2 minutes, pour in the stock and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.

I served it with rice and Mushroom and Green Bean Bhaji.

No Butter Chicken Curry

Butter Chicken on Slimming World, who'd have thought, ok so technically there isn't any butter in it, but it melted like butter and was so flavoursome!!

This has got to be one of the most tastiest currys i have had. You can make it as spicy as you want, by adjusting the chilli flakes. Get this it is SYN FREE!! yes i said syn free on extra easy.......

The batch i made served 4

Ingredients

4 chicken breast diced

2 red onions chopped

2 inches of grated ginger 

1 tsp sweetener

2 tsps cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric

2 tsp chilli flakes

1 tbsp garam masala

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp tomato puree

500 ml chicken stock

salt and pepper

handful chopped coriander leaves

½ cup fat free yogurt optional, i didn't use it.

Method

In a large pan sprayed with frylight, fry the onions until soft and golden, to stop them burning before they are soft, every 5 minutes, i put a dash of water in with them and cover the pot for 2 minutes, this helps them become soft like butter, you will need to fry them for about 30 minutes.

Add the ginger and the next 7 ingredients stir into a paste and cook for 1 minute, then add the chicken, stir to coat the chicken and cook for 3 minutes, stir in the stock and season, bring to a boil then simmer over a low heat for 1 hour.

If using the yogurt, remove from the heat and stir it in then serve. I served mine with Butternut Squash and Coriander Fried Rice, and sprinkled it with the coriander leaves.

Scotch Eggs

Perfect for breakfast, lunch, a picnic or snacks, low syns, but that all depends on the sausages you use.
I used Tesco's cumberland low fat sausages for these, it took 1.5 sausages to wrap the egg, so it worked out at 1.5 syns each.
I like to soft boil the eggs, so they are still soft and creamy when completely cooked.

Preheat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 5

Ingredients

4 large eggs
6 low fat sausages
salt and pepper
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp italian seasoning

Method

Put the eggs in a pan of cold water, bring to a boil then time 3 minutes, for soft boiled eggs.
Rinse in cold water immediately.
When cold peel and rinse off any shell, dry in paper towel.
Peel the skin off the sausages and mix together with the rest of the ingredients, divide into four equal portions. Lay out some clingfilm and place one of the portions in the middle cover with another piece and flatten the meat until it's big enough to cover the eggs, fold around the egg and roll into a ball using the cling film. It stops the meat from sticking to your hands.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, lay on a baking tray sprayed with frylight and spray again, bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.

Beef Chilli

This is a tasty beef chilli, spicy, rich and full of vegetables.
Syn free on extra easy.
Great with rice, jacket potato and as Chilli Cheese Fries, or just by itself!

Serve 8

Ingredients

2 onions chopped
3 carrots chopped into small dice
2 red peppers diced
8 oz mushrooms chopped
1 kg extra lean mince beef 5% fat or less
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 red chillies finely chopped
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp celery salt
2 tsp red chipotle powder or hot smoked paprika
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tube passata
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 litre beef stock
salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a large pot sprayed with frylight, brown the mince then remove, respray the pot then fry the onions for 2 minutes, then add the carrot and red peppers fry for 2 minutes, add the mushrooms, garlic and chilli fry for 1 minute. add all spices and herbs, stir in then add the tomato puree, passata, chopped tomatoes and beef stock, return the beef to the pan and bring to a boil the simmer for at least 2 hours, season to taste, if the chilli gets a bit dry add more water.

Chicken Vindaloo

A Chicken Vindaloo, doesn't have to always be blow your head off hot, you can control how much heat you like, by the amount of chilli you add.

This recipe is syn free on extra easy.

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 Onions thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves crushed
1 inch piece of ginger finely chopped
½ pint chicken stock
2 tsp turmeric
2 tomatoes skinned and deseeded

Vindaloo Paste

2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp chilli flakes (about madras strength, adjust to taste)
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cardamom seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp sweetener

Method

To make the paste put all the whole and dry spices into a spice grinder and grind to a powder, mix with the rest of the paste ingredients.

Cut the chicken into chunks and rub the paste into it, marinade for at least an hour.

Spray a large pan with frylight and fry the onions till soft and golden, add the garlic and ginger, fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the stock and boil for 10 minutes, stir in the turmeric and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the chicken, tomatoes and ¼ pint water, bring to a boil then simmer for 45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and the sauce has thickened.

Serve with boiled rice or on a baked potato, with a lovely bowl of salad.