Chicken Casserole Indian Style

This Chicken Casserole recipe transforms all of the flavours in the dish to create a unique blend of herbs and spices that enhance the taste of the chicken. If a hotter dish is required, either spice it with extra chillies, make as suggested for a medium-hot spiced casserole or leave out the chillies for a more traditional casserole that the whole family will enjoy.

Cooking in the oven for 2 to 3 hours will allow the meat to tenderise and the flavours to blend. Perfect with rice roast potatoes or jacket potatoes to provide a “Winter Warmer” any time of year!

Serves: 2-4
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 mins
Standing Time: 10 mins
Ready In: 3 hours

Ingredients

There are quite a few ingredients included which all add to the flavour but feel free to experiment with your own tastes.

2-4 skinless Chicken Breasts (1 per person recommended)
2-3 rashers of Back Bacon – roughly diced with rind kept separate
650g Italian Passata
200g-400g tin Red Kidney Beans
410g tin Baked Beans
1 large Green Bell Pepper – sliced
1 large Red Bell Pepper – sliced
2 medium to large Onions – sliced
4 medium Vine Ripe Tomatoes
1/2 tsp of Low Sodium Salt
2-3 Red or Green Chilli Peppers – sliced
2 Garlic Cloves – crushed
1/2 Cooking or Eating Apple – skin and pips removed
3 tbs of Lemon Juice
Small piece of Root Ginger – grated
2-3 tsp Whole Cumin Seeds
1-2 tsp Ground Cumin
1-2 tsp Turmeric
1-2 tsp Ground Coriander
1-2 tsp Garam Masala
Slug of Modena Vinegar
12 Cardamon Pods
1-2 tsp Oregano (fresh if in season 3 sprigs, remove from stem)
1-2 tsp Basil (fresh if in season, 12 leaves)
20 plump Sultanas
2 oz of Plain Flour

Method

Roll the chicken breasts in the flour until coated (adds a crisp coat to the chicken and thickens the juice when in the casserole)
In a non-stick frying pan, partially fry the chicken breasts in olive oil for 3 minutes then add the cumin seeds. Fry for a further 2 minutes.
Add the bacon roughly diced. Cut off rind and add this initially (remove when meat is cooked). Add the slightly crushed and sliced garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes until all golden brown.
Add to the casserole dish. Retain the juice.
In a separate frying pan, add the red kidney beans, baked beans and the passata, heating gently and simmer for 5 minutes until bubbling. Turn off the heat. Keep bubbling and stir
Slice the onions and peppers and add to the frying pan that the meat was cooked in, (add the bacon rind again, remove when cooked). Fry lightly until golden brown.
Add the tomatoes, salt on the top, oregano and basil. Cook for 2 minutes
Add the apple for a couple of minutes together with the lemon juice. Once almost cooked but still in shape, add all of the ingredients to the casserole dish.
Fry the grated ginger and mushrooms then add to casserole dish.
Add beans and passata etc to the casserole dish on top of the chicken.
Using a pestle and mortar grind the cardamom pods until they split. Remove the seeds. Discard husk and shell. Add to the casserole.
Slice the chilli peppers, retain seeds. Measure the dry ingredients add to casserole.
Add a good slug of modena vinegar to the top of the mixture and stir. Add sufficient hot water so that the mixture is the consistency of thin gravy so that it will not dry out.
Cook the casserole in the oven at 220 degrees for half an hour
Reduce the heat to 180 degrees and cook for a further hour and a half
Check the liquid level after an hour and gently add hot water if required. When serving it should have juice and be of a fairly thick consistency. Add a little more water 15 minutes before removing from the oven if not.
Allow to stand with the lid on ten minutes before serving.