Curried Ragu

You know how Italians have a pasta sauce, a bolegnese or ragu sauce, rich and intense, well here is my Bengali Style alternative. That’s because we love pasta too!

I love a traditional ragu but I love spices. The two marry in my house.
They are so loved up that what is created with this marriage is divine.

It’s a quick simple recipe. No fancy tedious steps. Just a quick prep and of you go.
If you like restaurant style sauces this is up there. A rich, robust tomato sauce infused with spices for a tangy and meaty flavour.

This recipe uses convenience foods for speed but the ingredients not in the conventional Italian style but infused heavy with spices and tomato which gives it depth of flavour and taste. The twist is the Tandoori masala that takes it in another diection and works fab with the tomato. Pasta needs it in my view. This recipe makes the pasta jump out crying for the sauce.

The only ask is get the rough coarse diced chicken or meat. It always works better. My local Asian butcher always sells it. A cm size diced chicken thigh works great but shoulder cut of mutton diced works much better for the meaty flavour!

Don’t be alarmed by the spice quantity, it takes it for a rich sauce needed with pasta.
For the amount of chicken/meat it works.
The sugar is needed as it compensates for the lack of sweetness in ready fried onions but that’s where speed comes in. It’s really effort less but big on taste!
Garnish as you like, coriander, parsley or just simply without.

By all means serve on bed of mash or new potatoes, even polenta.

Serve it with spaghetti or pasta shells which cup the ragu. I served it with linguine today!

INGREDIENTS:

40g tin tomato puree
400g tin plum tomatoes blitzed or Pasata
2 teaspoon salt
2 heaped tbsp Curry powder
1 tbsp cumin 2 cups ready fried crispy onions
1 tsp chilli
3 green chillies blitzed
1 inch ginger blitzed
5 cloves garlic blitzed
1 kg cm diced chicken or meat peices
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp Tandoori Masala
4 tbsp oil
400g tin of chicken stock water

METHOD:

In a food processor blitz the garlic, ginger and chillies.

Start with non stick pan. Heat the oil. Add the garlic/ginger/chilli paste and give it a quick stir.

Add the chicken and fry. Whilst this is happening you will notice water being released. Add the fried onions, salt and stir in well. The onions will soften and absorb the water and help dry out chicken. Cook untill the oil splits.

Fry chicken in garlic, ginger and chilli

Soon as the oil separates when you part the chicken add the spices. Continue to cook this covered on med low heat stirring frequently untill the oil separates again.