Jamie's Rogan Josh

i was given Jamie's Ministry of Food for Christmas. I've had this cookbook from the library a couple of times and I love it ! I love the concept behind it ... If you haven't read it, you should see if your library has it and check it out ...

Anyway ... I decided to try the Lamb Rogan Josh the other night ... only I did it with chicken. You can buy a Rogan Josh paste or you can make Jamie's paste. I made Jamie's. I had a bit of an issue though. I went to my favorite fruit and veg shop to get fresh coriander and the shop was closed ! So ... I went to the grocery store and they were OUT ! By the time I discovered it, the store was closing (early since it's the holidays) so I couldn't even run out to another grocery store to get it. So ... that was missing. Bummer. I thought I had some of the dried stuff at home which I was going to substitute but it turned out I didn't ... I will for sure have to use that next time.

The ingredients for the paste are :
2 cloves of garlic ... I used 4
fresh ginger, about an inch
75g roasted peppers - Jamie says from a jar but I just roasted my own
1 TBLS paprika
1 TBLS smoked paprika
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 TBLS peanut oil
2 TBLS tomato puree
1 fresh red chilli
small bunch of fresh coriander
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns

Toast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds and black pepercorns over med/high heat til fragrant. Throw them in the pestle and mortar and grind until fine. At this point, Jamie says to transfer to a food processor but I just kept adding the ingredients to the pestle and mortar til I had a nice paste.

For the curry: (As I made it ... )

800g chicken breast, chunks
1 big onion
1 red chilli
fresh ginger, 1 inch
peanut oil
spoonful of butter
4 bay leaves
salt and pepper
2 TBLS balsamic vinegar
400g tin chopped tomatoes
800g chicken stock (I used a litre and it was too much)
paste (see above)
2 handfuls of red lentils
There should also have been a small bunch of fresh coriander but I didn't have it ...

Chop the onion, slice the chilli, peel and chop the ginger, chop coriander. Heat a heavy bottomed pan on med/high heat. Add butter and oil Add onion, chilli, ginger and coriander. Cook 10 minutes til onions are softened and golden. Add the chicken. Salt and pepper. Cook until lightly brown. Add balsamic vinegar. Cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, stock and curry paste. Stir in lentils. Bring to the boil. Turn down heat and simmer with the lid on ... about an hour.

Serve with rice. And greek yoghurt. And naan. Oh ... and coriander on top ... but again, didn't have it.

The naan was good the first night but today when we had it again ... using the dough I made the other night that had been in the fridge for two days, it was even better. Look how much it puffed up under the grill !