Today's Lunchbox: Morocan Chicken Stew

I modified this stew recipe from the traditional Moroccan tagine - the only difference is, I didn't use beans because I didn't like them much. It's great with bread or rice, but even better with couscous.



Moroccan Chicken Stew
(Makes 3 servings)
2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot, cut in chunks
1 red pepper, cut in 1-inch chunks
1 can peeled tomatoes
Equal portion of chicken or vegetable stock
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp coriander
1 cinnamon stick
Juice of one lemon
Olive oil
Salt

1. Heat oven to 150. Coat onion slices with a pinch of salt and then coat with 1 tsp of olive oil. Place in a baking pan and roast for 30 min. Stir every 10 min
2. Coat pepper and carrot chunks with another tsp of oil and then join with the onions after they are done. Re-roast for another 20 min.
3. Once all the vegerables are roasted, Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a stewing pot and lightly brown the chicken
4. Add all the roasted veges, along with the spices, canned tomatoes, lemon juice and stock. Let it come to a boil, cover and simmer for Half an hour.
4. Serve over rice or couscous! (Hint: Drain some of the hot liquid for use in the couscous!)

Cost per serving: $2.20
Breakdown:
Chicken breasts: $4
Vegetables (onion, carrot, pepper): $2
Lemon: 50c

Tags: budget recipe, chicken stew, tagine, Moroccan stew recipe

Today's lunchbox: Thai Fish cakes and a quick pilaf

First post for the new year! In today's lunchbox I made a quick pilaf (flavoured rice) and a thai-inspired fish cake.



Thai Fish Cakes
1 kg white fish fillets, minced
3 tbsp Curry paste (store bought or home-made, it doesn't matter!)
1 lemongrass, (flesh only, minced)
1 bunch of coriander, chopped
1 egg
Oil for frying

1. Mix everything except the egg and oil together in a bowl and leave in the fridge to marinade for at least two hours.
2. Crack in the egg and mix well. Form patties or cakes from the paste.
3. Fry fish cakes under 1 cm of oil with medium-low heat, approximately 2-3 min on each side (depending on thickness of patty). Drain well. Makes 6 burger-pattie sized fish cakes

Cost per serving: $1.80 for two patties
Breakdown:
1 kg fish: $3.40 for a pack of frozen fish fillets
Curry paste: $1.50 (that's ready made. Cheaper if you make your own curry paste!)
Coriander: $0.40 a bunch
Egg: $0.20

Quick Pilaf
1 cup of rice (long grained, preferably)
1 cup of water
1 cup of diluted chicken stock
Chopped onions and tomatoes
Dash of olive oil (or any other flavoured oil)

1. Mix everything into a pot and cook under low heat for 15-20 min. Fluff before serving. Serves 2-3.

Tags: Thai fish cakes, Quick pilaf, rice, budget recipe, Fish recipe

One-pot Briyani

I know I've blogged about Briyani before, but it never hurts to revisit an oldie-but-goodie. This isn't a cheaters, budget version, but something a little more authentic to the Dum Briyani, which means the meat and rice are cooked together in the same pot. Besides the usual range of spices, you'll also need a slice of papaya for the marinade. I read somewhere that the compounds in papaya serves as a natural meat tenderiser and so would be great for tough meats like mutton and beef as well. Notice there's no tumeric in this recipe too - the nice brown colour is caused by the brown onions.

Ingredients
4 large onions, thinly sliced
3 chicken drumsticks
1 cup of long-grained rice (basmati recommended)
1 slice of papaya, mashed
2 red chillis, chopped
1 stick of cinnamom
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp fennel

1. Marinade the chicken with the mixture of papaya and chilli for at least an hour
2. Brown the onions in a pot with a little salt, until soft. Remove most of the onions but reserve a layer to coat the bottom of the pot.
3. Pour a third of the uncooked rice over the onions, followed by the marinaded chicken, another layer of rice, and then alternate rice and onions.
4. Pour one and 3/4 cups of water, ensuring all the rice grains are submerged underwater.
5. Cover and cook in low heat for 20 min or until the rice is cooked. Serves 3.

Cost Per Serving: $2.30
Breakdown:
Chicken: $3 for three pieces
Spices: $0.50 (averaged)
Rice: $1 for a cup (basmati)
Papaya: $0.70
Onions: $1.50