Quick and Easy | RecipeTin Eats

Singapore Chicken Vermicelli Noodles

Nagi — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Here’s an easy version of Singapore Noodles made using chicken and bacon instead of having to hunt down Chinese BBQ Pork and peel fresh prawns. Same sauce, same vermicelli noodles, just as delicious. You can make this tonight!

The finished dish photos in this post were taken by Rob Palmer.

Singapore chicken vermicelli noodles

These noodles are a simpler “I can make this tonight!” version of Singapore Noodles, a firm takeout favourite here in Australia. It’s made with yellow curry flavoured vermicelli noodles stir fried with vegetables, egg ribbons, Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu) and fresh prawns. It’s fast to make – if you happen to have the pork and prawns on hand. Which I never do.

So here’s a version you can make using more regular weekly grocery items. Bacon, chicken, baby spinach and bean sprouts (useful no-chop vegetables I always have). Plus red capsicum strips and egg ribbons (literally just a thin omelette cut into strips), both of which are Singapore Noodle staples, all tossed in the Singapore Noodle curry flavoured sauce.

Ingredients in Singapore vermicelli noodles

This one’s a great versatile recipe you can make with whatever vegetables you’ve got on hand. I think you’ll also like that there’s a good amount of vegetables in it, so it’s a well-rounded complete meal.

The proteins

A mix of chicken, bacon and egg keeps things interesting. Feel free to change the chicken to another protein. But I really urge you to use the bacon. It adds a great flavour pop that replaces the little bits of Chinese BBQ Pork that you get in traditional Singapore Noodles.

Chicken – I like to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they are juicier than breast and tenderloin, though they work just fine too. We only use 150g/5 oz, which is around one large thigh. Don’t forget we have bacon and egg too!
Curry powder and salt – To season the chicken. Simple but never boring, because we get flavour from the sauce too! For the curry powder, you just need the regular kind you get from grocery stores, like Clives and Keens (Australian brands). No need to hunt down an obscure Singaporean curry powder! Avoid hot curry powder – unless you want your noodles spicy.
Bacon – Streaky bacon, for the best flavour. Though lean bacon will work too (we call it “shortcut bacon” here in Australia, the round eye part that’s devoid of flavour – oops, I mean fat 😂).
Eggs – Two eggs which we will use to make a thin omelette crepe which we then slice into ribbons. Signature feature of traditional Singapore Noodles which we’re keeping!

FOR THE STIR-FRIED NOODLES

Vermicelli noodles – The thin white dried “pokey” noodles that are prepared by soaking in hot water. Very common these days, in the noodle or Asian aisle in grocery stores.
Not to be confused with glass noodles / bean thread noodles which are the clear kind (see Glass Noodle Salad recipe for a closer look at these). While you can make this recipe with glass noodles, it is not quite as good because the noodles are so slippery, the sauce doesn’t stick to them very well!
Garlic and onion – Stir fry staples!
Capsicum (bell pepper) – I like the red strips in traditional Singapore Noodles so I kept them for this recipe.
Bean sprouts and baby spinach – “Grab and toss” vegetables that helps make this recipe fast to make while adding more vegetables so it’s a well rounded me. Feel free to use more of either, or substitute with other cook-able leafy greens. Or you could be a real rebel and make the effort to chop some vegetables yourself!

SINGAPORE NOODLE SAUCE

And here’s what you need for the sauce, which is the same as the sauce used in traditional Singapore Noodles.

Soy sauce – Use either light or all purpose soy sauce. But not dark soy sauce – flavour is too strong and the colour is too intense! More on which soy sauce to use when here.
Chinese cooking wine (“Shaoxing wine”) is an essential ingredient for making truly “restaurant standard” Asian noodles. Without, the flavour is missing something. Substitute with Mirin, cooking sake or dry sherry. Non alcoholic substitute – 1/3 cup (80 ml) low sodium chicken stock. Expect to toss the noodles for an extra minute or two as it will require a little extra time for the sauce to reduce.
Curry powder – Just the regular stuff you get from grocery stores, like Clives and Keens (Australian brands). Avoid hot – unless you want the heat!
White pepper rather than black is the standard in Asian cooking. The flavour is a little fresher than black pepper, and you also cannot see it. Whereas if you use black pepper (which you totally can) you will see little black specks on the noodles.

You just need a curry powder form regular grocery stores in this recipe. These are two popular brands here in Australia – Clive of India and Keen’s.

How to make Singapore Chicken Vermicelli Noodles

As with all stir fries, have all the ingredients chopped and ready to toss into the pan. Because once you start cooking, there is no time to stop!

Soak vermicelli noodles

Prepare the vermicelli noodles per the packet directions. Usually it says to soak in warm or boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes, then drain. Nice and easy!

TIP: Don’t soak the noodles until you’re ready to start cooking. The longer the noodles sit around, the more prone they are to breaking. This tip applies to most noodles.

MAKING THE STIR FRIED NOODLES

Once your ingredients are chopped and measured out, it takes around 10 minutes to cook from start to finish. Nice and fast, as most stir fried noodles are!

Toss the chicken in the curry powder and salt, then set aside. There’s no need to let it marinate because the chicken pieces are so small and each piece is coated in the tasty curry powder.
Mix the sauce ingredients in a small jug.

Egg omelette – First up, make the egg ribbons. Heat a tiny amount of oil in the pan – just enough to spread across the base. Then once hot, pour the whisked eggs in and swirl so it covers the base of the pan. Leave it on the stove until the surface sets but is still a bit wet – it literally takes around 30 seconds.
Egg ribbons – Flip or slide the omelette onto a cutting board. Once it’s cool enough to handle, roll it up like a cigar then slice thinly. Voila! Egg ribbons!

Stir fry – The order in which things are added into the pan is very deliberate! First, the bacon. It needs a head start and also I like to get some of the fat melting into the pan so it flavours everything else. After a minute, add the onion and cook until it’s starting to wilt, about 2 minutes. Then add the chicken and cook until the surface is seared (the inside will still be raw).
Capsicum and garlic – Next, the capsicum and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, by which time the chicken will be cooked through, the onion is translucent and the bacon is golden. Perfect!

Noodles and sauce – Add (in this order) the baby spinach, bean sprouts, noodles then sauce. The idea being that the noodles weigh the fluffy veg down! Then toss for a good 2 minutes until the sauce reduces and stains the noodles a lovely yellow(y) colour. Heads up – there may be some noodle breakage, with some noodle brands breaking more easily than others. And that’s totally ok.
Egg ribbons – And finally, gently toss through the egg ribbons just to disperse. Then serve!

Today’s photos – shot by Rob Palmer!

Before I sign off, I just want to make mention of the photos in today’s post. The finished dish photos were taken by Rob Palmer who is a professional photographer here in Sydney I have worked with on various projects, including my cookbook. These photos were taken at my house in a make-shift studio we set up for the day.

Getting Rob to take the photos for my website is part of my longer term plan to try to get a better work-life balance. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’ve been struggling in recent years with my workload as my team, business and activities has expanded. And I am determined to fix it! Life is too short, and I am genuinely worried I will burn out.

There will be a transition period. And I’d always like to do some of the photos because I genuinely enjoy it. But I hope to eventually have Rob taking most of the photos for the website. Plus, we can do more photos with Dozer and I in them!

I’d like to do a bit of a RecipeTin-world update soon, because there’s actually a lot that’s been happening which is why I’ve been publishing less than my typical 3 new recipes a week. So I won’t go into more details today, I’ll sign off here.

For now, please enjoy today’s new recipe! I really hope you try it. It’s a terrific complete-meal stir fry that’s simple to make, with adaptable ingredients and just requires a trip to your everyday grocery store. Enjoy! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Easy Singapore Chicken Vermicelli Noodles

Recipe video above. This is just a downright delicious and easy noodle stir fry that channels the flavours of everybody's favourite Singapore Noodles. Same sauce, same egg ribbons, and strips of red capsicum. But with chicken and bacon instead of having to make or hunt down Chinese BBQ Pork and peel fresh prawns! I've also added bean sprouts and baby spinach for extra no-chop veg quota to turn this into a complete meal.

This might not be traditional but it's quick, easy, tasty, and you can make it tonight!

Course Main

Cuisine Asian

Keyword easy singapore noodles, rice noodle stir fry, rice vermicelli, vermicelli noodles

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Servings people

Calories 517cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

100 g/3.5 oz dried vermicelli noodles (not glass noodles)

Singapore noodles sauce:

3 tbsp light soy sauce , or all-purpose soy (not dark soy) (Note 1)
3 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine, Note 2)
3 tsp curry powder (Note 3)
1 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp white pepper (sub black pepper)

Chicken:

150g/ 5 oz skinless boneless chicken thighs (sub breast or tenderloin), cut in half lengthways then finely sliced into 5mm / 1/5″ strips
1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
1/2 tsp curry powder (Note 3)

Stir fry add-ins:

2 tbsp plain oil (canola, veg, peanut)
2 eggs , whisked
100g/3 oz streaky bacon , chopped into small pieces
1/2 brown onion , finely sliced
3 garlic cloves , finely minced
1 red capsicum (bell pepper), deseeded and finely sliced
1 very heaped cup bean sprouts (or more leafy greens)
1 very heaped cup baby spinach (or other cook-able leafy greens or more bean sprouts)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Sauce – Mix the sauce in a small bowl or jug.
Season chicken – Toss the seasoned chicken ingredients in a bowl.
Egg ribbons – Heat a small amount of the oil in a large non stick pan over medium high heat. Pour the egg in a swirl to make a thin omelette. Once the surface is set (literally 30 seconds), slide or flip it onto a cutting board. Cool so you can handle it, roll it up into a cigar then cut into 7mm / 1/3" strips. Separate. Voila! Egg ribbons!
Stir-fry – Heat the remaining oil in the same pan over high heat. Add the bacon and cook for 1 minute. Add the onion and cook until it starts to wilt and the bacon is light golden (about 2 minutes). Add the chicken and cook until the surface is seared. Then add the garlic and capsicum and cook for another 2 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
Noodles – Add (in this order) the baby spinach, bean sprouts, noodles then sauce. Using 2 spatulas, toss well for 1 1/2 minutes or until the sauce stains the noodles. There will be noodle breakage – that's normal.
Finish – Toss through the egg ribbons (gently, just to disperse) then serve immediately!

Notes

1. Soy sauce – Use either light or all purpose soy sauce. But not dark soy sauce – flavour is too strong and the colour is too intense! More on which soy sauce to use when here.

2. Chinese cooking wine (“Shaoxing wine”) is an essential ingredient for making truly “restaurant standard” Asian noodles. Without, the flavour is missing something. Substitute with Mirin, cooking sake or dry sherry. Non alcoholic substitute – 1/3 cup (80 ml) low sodium chicken stock. Except to toss the noodles for an extra minute or two.

3. Curry powder – Just the regular stuff you get from grocery stores, like Clives and Keens (Australian brands). Avoid hot – unless you want the heat!

4. Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge. Not suitable for freezing.

Nutrition per serving.

Nutrition

Life of Dozer

Ahh, poor Dozer! He’s had a rough week. Rough few months, actually!

In the last week, he’s been to the vet 7 times due to what was finally determined to be acute gastro, though at one stage there was a concern it was a much more serious issue (such as megaesophagus). In the almost 12 years I’ve had him, I’ve never seen him in such distress, pain and not to mention the floods of un-controllable💩 (the words “explosion” and “flood gates” come to mind).

There’s been a handful of midnight hospital visits, a couple of all-nighters, and much time spent trying to figure out food he’ll eat that’s laryngeal paralysis* and gastro-friendly.

Let’s just say canned dog food doesn’t make the cut. I know, I know, no one is surprised!

* This is the condition he was diagnosed with earlier this year in which his larynxes are paralysed which means he is at high risk of food getting into his lungs. This causes lung infections which can be deadly. So he is on a special diet these days.

Canned dog food – hard pass!

Working through the options to see what I can get him to eat!

Another one, rejected

Anyway, in a nutshell, it’s been a rough week for poor Dozer. Well, actually, it’s been 10 days now. He seems to be at the tail end of it now though still not back to his normal self. Right now he’s sitting under the table at my feet, clearly feeling a little nauseous though nowhere near as extreme as it was last week. (He has anti-nausea pills. I skipped this morning thinking he was ok. I’ll be putting him back on them for a while, I think!).

But he is much, much better than he was on the weekend which was pretty horrific. The worst part was seeing him in such pain, finding him curled up in the middle of the night under a bush in the far corner of the garden. I knew something was really wrong. 😢

I’m so thankful he’s feeling better now!

Oh – but finishing with a little fun: here he is in the early stages of his gastro when I resorted to man-buns:

But by the time the weekend rolled around and after the 20th butt wash, we caved and shaved his butt. You don’t need to see a photo of that. 😂

Hope to bring more positive Dozer news in the next post! – Nagi x

The post Singapore Chicken Vermicelli Noodles appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Lemon garlic salmon tray bake – easy & healthy!

Nagi — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 06:13:43 +0000

This is a tasty salmon tray bake recipe that’s as simple as it is healthy. Salmon is slathered with an assertive lemon garlic paste that adds a stack of flavour, then cooks in just 11 minutes alongside parmesan asparagus and blistered cherry tomatoes. Sheet pan oven dinner. No stove splatter – yay!

Lemon garlic salmon tray bake

I am a little fussy about baked salmon recipes because a pale, colourless salmon fillet just doesn’t rock my boat. Give me caramelisation! A sticky glaze! A crunchy crust!

Thus, I tend to default to the stove. Also, crispy salmon skin. Yessss!

But for those days when I want to keep things simple – no stove splatter, no separate vegetable side – this salmon recipe is one I’ve made repeatedly over the past year. The secret is a bold lemon garlic slather-marinade. I know the word “slather” is not the most flattering, but that’s what this is and that’s what makes this oven salmon so tasty. It infuses the flesh with flavour but it’s also thick enough to stick to the surface of the salmon so it adds plenty of flavour even if you don’t have an hour to marinade.

Lemon garlic marinade-slather

Parmesan asparagus and cherry tomatoes cooked on the same tray

Also – proof of moist flaky flesh. ⬇️ No overcooked dry salmon in pursuit of surface browning!

Ingredients

Here’s all you need to make this salmon tray bake.

The salmon and marinade-paste

Salmon – It doesn’t matter if it’s skinless or skin on as the paste isn’t slathered on the underside. The skin won’t go crisp so if this bothers you, just eat the flesh off the skin. There’s enough paste to use for 4 fillets up to 200g/7oz. The standard serving size is 180g/6 oz of salmon per person. Substitute: recipe also works perfectly with trout.
Dijon mustard – This thickens the marinade into a paste that sticks to the salmon as well as adding a little mustard tang. You can’t really taste it, to be honest.
Garlic – The garlic cloves are grated finely so they almost dissolve into the paste. I prefer this to finely chopping so you don’t get little burnt lumps on the salmon, though if you don’t have a microplane or fine grater then just really finely mince the garlic.
Lemon – We’re using both the zest and juice. Zest for actual lemon flavour, and juice for tang. (Because lemon juice really is mostly just sour, most of the lemon flavour is in the zest).
Oil – Helps give the salmon colour.
Salt and pepper – Fish likes salt! Don’t shortchange yourself.

The vegetables

I’m using asparagus and cherry tomatoes because they cook in the same time as the salmon. Try to use thicker asparagus, else it will get a little too soft. If you can only find thin ones, consider adding them onto the tray partway through the cook time.

Asparagus – No need to trim the asparagus with a knife! Did you know the ends will naturally break at the point where the woody end is. Try it, it totally works! (But not with limp old ones).
Cherry tomatoes – Well, grape tomatoes actually! I use one standard punnet (200g/7 oz).
Salt, pepper and olive oil – For seasoning.
Parmesan – For showering at the end. Instant face lift!

Alternative vegetables – Anything that can cook in the same time as the salmon, such as green beans or thin broccolini (split thick ones in half lengthwise). I love how the florets go crunchy!

How to make this Lemon Garlic Salmon Tray Bake

It may become my mission in life to create more recipes that require only FOUR step photos.

(Though, we both know it’s not going to happen. I’ll get bored. I need to throw in challenges every now and then!!)

Lemon garlic slather – Mix the lemon garlic paste ingredients together then slather onto the surface and side of the salmon. Use all the paste – there should be just enough to coat all the surface. No point doing the underside, it will just sweat off.
Marinade for 1 hour if time permits, the flavour will infuse the flesh. If not, proceed to the next step (the paste has a lot of flavour so it will compensate for not marinating).
Toss the vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Prepare tray – Put the salmon on the tray with a bit of space between each one. Arrange the vegetables around it. Spray the salmon with oil.
Oven grill / broil for 11 minutes or until the salmon is cooked. The flesh should flake, and if you’re being accurate (which I like to be), the internal temperature should be 50°C/122°F for optimum juiciness.* Also by this time the asparagus will be cooked and the tomatoes will be wrinkled and some will have appealing charred spots.
To serve – Transfer the salmon and vegetables onto plates. Grate parmesan over the vegetables, squeeze lemon over everything, sprinkle with parmesan if using then dig in!

* 50°C/122°F pull temp out of the oven is optimum juiciness for salmon, the default to which chefs and restaurants cook to. It will rise to 53°C/127.4°F after resting for 3 minutes which is medium rare. For medium, pull at 60°C/140°F, it will rise to 63°C/145.4°F after resting. A little more done and slightly less juicy

There you go! Nice and simple. Tasty. Healthy. No greasy stove splatter to deal with. (Let’s ignore the periodical oven clean we all like to pretend doesn’t need to happen).

I usually just toast bread and add that to the plate for the starch quota, to fill out the meal and smear with the charred burst tomatoes. Though if I’m trying to “be healthy” I increase the volume of vegetables on the tray, skip the carbs, then do my very very best not to stick my hand in the cookie jar later that evening…. – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Lemon garlic salmon tray bake – easy & healthy!

Recipe video above. A tasty salmon tray bake recipe that's as simple as it is healthy. Salmon infused with an assertive lemon garlic marinade cooks in just 11 minutes alongside parmesan asparagus and blistered cherry tomatoes. No stove splatter – yay!

Green beans would also work great, or thin broccolini stems (and the florets go crunchy!). Shower with parmesan and squeeze of lemon for an easy finishing touch.

Course Main

Cuisine Western

Keyword baked salmon, broiled salmon, easy salmon recipe, sheet pan recipe, tray bake recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 11

Optional marinading time 1

Servings

Calories 364cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

4 x 180g/6 oz salmon fillets , skin on or off, doesn't matter (Note 1)

Marinade slather:

1 tsp lemon zest (1 lemon)
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard (Note 2)
2 garlic cloves , grated using microplane (Note 3)
1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Vegetables (optional):

3 bunches asparagus , woody ends snapped or trimmed off (Note 4)
200g/ 7 oz cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes, 1 Aussie punnet)
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

Cooking & serving:

Olive oil spray
Parmesan , finely grated
Lemon wedges or slices , optional
Parsley , finely chopped, optional
Crusty bread or toast , for serving

Instructions

Lemon garlic paste – Mix the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Slather onto the top and sides of the salmon. If time permits, marinade for 1 hour. Otherwise, proceed with recipe.
Preheat oven grill / broiler to 280°C/525°F or as high as yours goes. Place the oven shelf 20 cm /8" from the heat source.
Prepare tray – Toss the asparagus and cherry tomatoes with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread out on a large tray then clear space for the salmon. Place salmon on the tray leaving a bit of space between each. Spray surface of salmon with oil.
Cook – Grill/broil for 11 minutes or until the salmon is done – the flesh should flake, the internal temperature should be 50°C/122°F (Note 5).
Serve – Transfer salmon and vegetables to plate. Grate parmesan over the vegetables. Squeeze lemon juice over the salmon, sprinkle with parsley. Eat!

Notes

1. Salmon – the skin won’t go crisp so if this bothers you, just eat the flesh off the skin. Recipe also works perfect with trout, direct sub.

2. Dijon – This thickens the rub into a paste that sticks to the salmon.

3. Garlic – Grating finely makes it mix into the paste better than finely chopping so you don’t get little burnt lumps.

4. Asparagus – Ends will naturally break at the point where the woody end is. Try it, it totally works! (But not with limp old ones)

5. Internal cooked temperature for salmon:

Medium rare – pull out at 50°C/122°F which will rise to 53°C/127.4°F after resting which is medium rare. This is the optimum point of juiciness and level of doneness chefs/restaurants will cook to by default.
Medium – pull at 60°C/140°F, will rise to 63°C/145.4°F after resting. A little more done and slightly less juicy.

6. Freezing tip – Slather salmon then freeze in a container with space around each piece, or freeze unwrapped until the surface is hard, then wrap. Then reverse for thaw – unwrap and thaw uncovered. That way you won’t lose any precious paste off the salmon skin. No need to marinate before freezing – that will happen as the salmon thaws.

Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Nutrition per serving for the salmon and vegetables.

Nutrition

More salmon recipes

Asian Glazed Salmon

Honey Garlic Salmon

Garlic Butter Salmon recipe

Poached Salmon in Coconut Lime Sauce

Brown Sugar Broiled Salmon

Lemon Honey Glazed Salmon

Marinated Grilled Salmon

Sesame Crusted Salmon

Salmon Salad with Asian Ginger Sesame Dressing

Salmon

Life of Dozer

Giant bone. Dozer likes our new butcher.

The post Lemon garlic salmon tray bake – easy & healthy! appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

One pot chicken risoni with crispy salami

Nagi — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 05:11:21 +0000

This is a cosy chicken risoni (orzo) that’s a complete one pot meal: risoni in a creamy tomato parmesan sauce with swirls of spinach and pops of nutty chickpeas with juicy pan seared chicken breast, sprinkled liberally with crispy salami bits. Describing the dish is lengthy. The making part is not!

One pan creamy tomato chicken risoni with crispy salami

This dish came into existence because I had a stick of salami left in the fridge and wanted to make a dinner out of it. I did end up going to the grocery store for chicken and baby spinach and risoni, but that’s not the point! *She declares insistently* 😂

The point is that I always feel like salami is an overlooked ingredient in cooking and I wanted to use it in a dinner. If you take the time to think about it (and these are the sort of things I fall asleep dreaming about), it’s got the same characteristics as bacon and chorizo: salty, fries up crispy, and makes everything better. Bonus: it doesn’t spit fiery little bits of fat on your arms when you cook it (I’m glaring at YOU bacon!).

So, today’s recipe started with salami. And ended with a risoni in a creamy tomato-parmesan sauce with spinach and nutty pops of chickpeas stirred through, topped with juicy slices of seasoned chicken.

It’s very cosy, very easy, very delicious, and very much a crowd-pleaser that everybody will love.

What you need for this One Pan Chicken Risoni

Here’s what you need to make today’s chicken risoni.

Seasoned chicken

This combination of spices adds a nice savoury flavour to the chicken as well as giving it a warm red tinge. Don’t worry if you don’t have sage, just leave it out. I know it’s not a pantry staple for most people, though if you’ve made my homemade pork sausage patties you should find it in the dark corners of your pantry. (Or homemade Sausage and Egg McMuffins, the pork seasoning mix or chicken burger, for that matter.)

The creamy tomato risoni

The hero ingredient here is the salami which we fry up golden and crispy, then use the fat that renders out to cook the chicken and the risoni sauce. Win, win, win!

Salami – I use a stick of salami so it can be cut into chunky batons. Fries up crispy on the outside with a decent meaty bite to it. Pre-sliced salami will also work but you’ll have a larger volume and they will be crispier, because the slices are thinner. Not a bad thing, and handy because no need to peel the paper off the salami and half the chopping has already been done for you. Substitute with streaky bacon or chorizo. Both have similar frying-up and eating qualities!
Risoni – Also called orzo, small rice-shaped pasta. Find it in the pasta aisle. I like it because it’s small so it cooks quickly, it’s easier to use in one-pot dishes than larger pastas, and there’s no need to rest it after cooking like rice. You’ll need 250g/8oz which is half a standard size 500g/1lb packet. Use the other half for any of these risoni/orzo recipes!
Chickpeas – I added the chickpeas on a whim to add some textural interest and some lovely nutty flavour. It’s also got more nutritional value than risoni pasta (more fibre, protein and it’s low GI) and it takes no effort to crack open a can – so why wouldn’t we? Substitute with other beans or just leave them out.
Chicken stock/broth – The risoni cooking liquid, else the sauce and risoni is bland. Vegetable stock works well too. I use store bought, but if you use homemade chicken or vegetable stock, I will beam with pride!
Cream – Just 3/4 of a cup which we stir in at the end for a creamy touch. Because we’re not relying on the cream to thicken the sauce (the starch in the risoni takes care of this for us), feel free to use low fat cream or evaporated milk.
Parmesan – This adds a hit of savoury flavour into the sauce. It doesn’t make it cheesy.
Baby spinach or kale – For stirring in at the end. Our veg quota!
Garlic and onion – Aromatic flavour base.

Optional extras

Here are optional extras to add into the recipe, if you have them. Don’t make a special trip to the store. Explanation below!

I added these in the first time I made this risoni because I had them and they needed using up: a few limp stems of basil, an aging jar of sun dried tomatoes and wine (well, this was always going to be used up – in cooking or otherwise!). Wine for deglazing the pan, sun dried tomatoes stirred into the risoni and basil for sprinkling.

Then the second time, I didn’t have them, and the dish was still super, super delicious.

While there’s no denying that they add even more to the dish, I consider these optional extras. Don’t go out especially to buy them. Just use them if you’ve got them!

How to make this one-pan chicken risoni

Heads up: this is not the first time I have fried up salami in a recipe and it will not be the last! Try it once and I wager you will be hooked too.

Season chicken – Split each chicken breast in half horizontally so you have 4 thin steaks in total. Thinner = cooks through more evenly (no dry outer band). Mix the spice mix together then sprinkle on each side of the chicken.
Crispy salami – Start off by cooking the salami until crispy and golden. This takes about 2 – 3 minutes over medium high heat. Remove into a paper towel lined bowl using a slotted spoon to leave the salami fat in the pan. We’re going to use this to cook the chicken – free flavour!
ℹ️ You need a pan large enough to hold in the liquid to cook the risoni, at least 26cm/10.5″ wide. I use a 30cm/12″ non-stick pan that is 7cm / 2.8″ deep. I have this Pyrolux one (Australian store, not an affiliate link). I especially like it because it comes with a lid.

Sear chicken – In the same pan, cook the chicken for 3 minutes on each side until deep golden and cooked through. The internal temperature should be 67°C/153°F. It will rise to 71°C/160°F after resting. Remove the chicken onto a plate and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.
Sauté & deglaze – Still in the same pan (one pot cooking, remember!), sauté the onion and garlic. Then deglaze* the pan using the white wine (if using, it’s optional), simmering rapidly until almost evaporated.

*This means dissolving the tasty gold bits left on the base of the pan from searing the chicken and salami into the wine. It’s free flavour and will make our sauce tastier!

Add everything else – Cook off the tomato paste for 1 minute, just to take the raw sour edge off it. Then stir to coat the risoni in the tomato paste, add the stock, chickpeas, salt and pepper.
Cook 8 minutes – Bring to a simmer, then cook for 8 minutes, stirring every minute, until the risoni is just about cooked. At first, the stove should be on medium high so the liquid is simmering. But as the stock is absorbed and the mixture gets thicker, lower the heat to medium so the base doesn’t catch. The mixture should be fairly oozy, but don’t worry if yours is a little thick as the cream will loosen it up.
Cream + wilt spinach – Add the cream, parmesan, sun dried tomatoes (if using) and spinach. Stir until the spinach is wilted. The risoni should still be beautifully oozy.
Serving – Cut the chicken into thick slices. Spoon the risoni into bowls, top with chicken, crispy salami, sprinkle of extra parmesan and basil (if using). Then dig in!
(The alternative option is to serve it help-yourself style on a big platter: risoni topped with chicken, sprinkled with salami, parmesan and basil)

Yum. I love recipes like this. Just something that I made up on the fly one day, perhaps an unusual combination of ingredients (salami + risoni + chickpeas??).

But it just works. It’s easy to make. It’s 100% delicious and the sort of food that everybody loves!

I hope you give it a go. Let me know what you think if you do! – Nagi xx

PS OK, maybe not everybody. Not low-carbers and not gluten-free. Not vegetarians, vegans, those on low-gi or lactose free diets. But saying “this is the sort of food non-dieters without food allergies love!” just doesn’t have the same ring to it. 😂

Watch how to make it

One pot chicken risoni with crispy salami (orzo)

Recipe video above. Risoni – also known as orzo – in a creamy tomato parmesan sauce with juicy slices of seasoned chicken and lots of awesome crispy bits of golden salami! The better bacon – bolder flavour, and it doesn't spit when you're cooking it. The addition of chickpeas adds a soft nutty crunch and another layer of texture to this one-pan wonder that's a cosy bowl of deliciousness! Total crowd pleaser.

Course Mains

Cuisine Western

Keyword chicken and risoni, One Pot Dinner, one pot risoni, orzo recipe

Prep Time 15

Servings – 5 people

Calories 623cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

1/2 tbsp olive oil
100g/ 3 oz salami stick , cut into 3mm / 1/8″ thick rounds then chopped into small batons (Note 1)
2 x 250g / 8 oz chicken breasts (large), each cut in half horizontally to form 4 thin steaks (Note 2)

Chicken spice mix:

1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp sage powder (optional)

Creamy tomato parmesan risoni (orzo):

2 garlic cloves , finely minced
1/2 onion , finely chopped
1/4 cup chardonnay or other dry white wine , optional (Note 3)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 1/4 cups risoni/orzo , uncooked (Note 4)
400g / 14 oz canned chickpeas , drained (or other beans)
3 cups chicken stock , low sodium (or veg stock)
1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup thickened / heavy cream (low-fat ok)
1/3 cup parmesan , finely grated (I use store bought sandy type)
150g/ 5 oz baby spinach (or 4 cups kale pieces)
1/3 cup sun dried tomato , chopped (optional) (Note 5)

Optional garnish

2 tbsp roughly chopped basil (optional) (Note 5)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Spice Mix – Mix the ingredients in a small bowl then sprinkle both sides of the chicken.
Crispy salami – Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over medium high heat. Cook the salami for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until crispy and golden. Remove into a paper towel lined bowl using a slotted spoon, leaving the tasty salami fat in the pan.
Cook chicken – In the same pan, cook the chicken for 3 minutes on each side until dark golden and just cooked through (internal temperature 67°C/153°F). Remove onto a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
Sauté – Still on medium high, cook the garlic and onion for 1 1/2 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the wine and let it simmer rapidly for a couple of minutes until mostly evaporated, stirring to dissolve the fond (gold bits) on the base of the pan into the wine.
Risoni (orzo) – Add the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute to cook out the sour raw flavour. Add the risoni and stir to coat in the tomato paste. Add the chickpeas, chicken stock, salt, pepper.
Simmer – Bring to a simmer, then cook for 8 minutes, stirring every minute or so, until the risoni is just about cooked. Lower the heat to medium as it gets thicker so the base doesn't catch.
Cream & spinach – Add the cream, parmesan, spinach and sun dried tomatoes (if using). Stir until the spinach is wilted then remove from the heat. The risoni should be oozy and tender. (Still firm? Note 6)
Finish – Cut the chicken into thick slices. (Bit cool? Note 7) Spoon risoni into bowls. Top with the chicken, sprinkle with lots of crispy salami, parmesan and basil (if using). Dig in!

Notes

1. Bacon and chorizo will both provide similar flavour pops in this dish as well as tasty oil to cook the chicken in.

2. Chicken – Skinless, boneless chicken thighs or tenderloins can also be used, around 500 – 600g / 1 – 1.2lb.

3. Wine – Deglazing the pan with wine adds a slight edge of extra flavour. But it’s still very tasty without.

4. Risoni (aka orzo) – Small rice shaped pasta, find it in the pasta aisle. You’ll need half a standard 500g/1 lb packet, use the rest for another risoni recipe! Rice etc – Recipe as written won’t work with rice, quinoa or dried beans. However, it should work with other very small pasta, like alphabet or star pasta.

5. Basil and sun dried tomatoes – these do add an extra sparkle to this dish but don’t make a special trip to the store for either because it’s 100% great without. I only added them because I had an aging jar of sun dried tomatoes in the fridge and a few limp stalks of basil that needed using.

6. Risoni not cooked? Add a splash of hot water and keep cooking. Risoni is so tiny, it cooks really quickly.

7. Warming chicken – If the chicken has cooled a bit too much for your taste, plonk it on top of the risoni and leave it for 30 seconds to warm through. Then take big scoops of risoni + chicken to serve into bowls.

Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Pasta is not the best for freezing but it does work (3 months). The risoni is really tasty to eat even without the chicken.

Nutrition per serving. It’s a generous amount!

Nutrition

Life of Dozer

2024 is treating Dozer well. Other than a little social media blunder when I captioned the below photo “Dozer wants my thongs!”, in response to which many people laughingly pointed out that thongs means something different in other parts of the world…….!! Google thongs garment if you are a pure soul like me (though I do have horns).

The post One pot chicken risoni with crispy salami appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Qeema – Easy Indian Curried Beef Mince

Nagi — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 03:26:28 +0000

This is an authentic Indian curried beef mince recipe called Qeema (or keema or kheema). It’s a gem of a find because it tastes incredible but unlike many Indian dishes, there are no hard-to-find spices in the ingredients. And it’s super fast – on the table in 20 minutes!

Qeema – Quick & Easy Indian Curried Beef Mince

This recipe is an excellent way to get an Indian food fix without having to hunt down hard-to-find Indian spices.

It’s also an excellent way to change up your usual rotation of beef mince recipes. Spag Bol, we love you, but sometimes it’s nice to try something new!!

And new this is. You probably haven’t seen Qeema on Indian restaurant menus because it’s a home cooking meal. But blimey, it’s a great find! 100% legit Indian flavours, 7 minute prep, 13 minute cook. Get all the spices from regular grocery stores – turmeric, garam masala, cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper.

What you need for Qeema

The key to achieving the bold, authentic Indian curried beef flavour in this quick ‘n easy recipe is a good amount of fresh garlic and ginger, and a generous amount of ground spices.

Here’s what you need:

Beef mince – That’s ground beef to those of you in the States! I’m using lean today, but regular is fine (fattier – juicier). I also made this recipe a few years ago using chicken mince which was terrific.
Fresh garlic and ginger – Key to flavour in this otherwise simple Indian dish, so don’t skip these.
Spices – Garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric and cayenne pepper. You can get all these at regular grocery stores here in Australia. Garam masala is an Indian spice mix which I tell people is the “better curry powder” because it tastes more legit, whereas the curry powders you get at regular grocery stores are very Westernised.
Fresh coriander/cilantro for garnish. (Skip if you’re not a coriander fan).
Green cayenne pepper (optional garnish) – This is for garnish, and it adds fresh chilli flavour without much spiciness because cayenne peppers are not that spicy. But it’s entirely optional, so feel free to omit!

How to make Qeema

Sauté – Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add ginger and garlic and saute for 30 seconds until golden, don’t let it burn! Add onion and cook for 1 minute until it is starting to turn translucent.
Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until it changes from pink to light brown. Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT water. Cook for a further 2 minutes to let the spices bloom.
Cook 10 minutes – Add water, give it a stir, then put a lid on (or cover with a baking tray if you don’t have a lid for your pan). Turn heat down to medium and let it simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated, but still a bit juicy.
Serve over with basmati rice or plain white rice, garnished with extra chilli and coriander/cilantro, and lots of Mint Yogurt. Naan or flatbreads would make it even better, though if time is not your friend, try frozen roti (pictured in post, more on this below the photo).

What to serve with Qeema

Serve over basmati rice and mint yogurt or plain yogurt (recipe below for mint yogurt). Then mix up the beef into the rice so it flavours the rice, then dig in!

It’s also pictured above with flaky, buttery roti which I stuffed with the Qeema and rice. Not homemade. I always have a stash of frozen ones which you can get at regular grocery stores. I love them because they can be cooked from frozen in a few minutes – how good is that! Ideal to use for any and all Indian / South East Asian saucy foods, like curries.

Though, if I have the time (or foresight to plan in advance), you can’t beat homemade naan. 😊

For vegetable sides, try one of these:

Indian Tomato Salad with Mint Raita Dressing
South Indian Carrot & Cabbage Salad with Coconut is fresh and popping with flavours – love the coconut flavour in this!
Give this Everyday Cabbage Salad an Indian spin by sautéing garlic and cumin seeds in oil before mixing up with other Dressing ingredients.

Indian Tomato Salad with Mint Dressing

Cabbage & Carrot Thoran-style Indian Salad

Everyday Cabbage Salad

I really hope you try this Qeema recipe, the flavour is so authentic! Something a little different to make with that packet of beef mince you threw in your shopping trolley on the weekend. – Nagi x

recipe credit

This Qeema recipe is very slightly adapted from this Authentic Indian Minced Meat Qeema recipe from Scrambled Chefs. I just spied a 5 Ingredient Indian Potato Curry and this Chicken Curry has just jumped to the top of my Must Try list!

Watch how to make it

Qeema Indian Curried Beef

An authentic Indian spiced ground (minced) beef recipe known as Qeema (or keema or kheema). This is a gem of a recipe because it tastes incredible but unlike many Indian dishes, there are no hard-to-find spices in the ingredients. And it's super fast – on the table in 20 minutes!

Serve over basmati rice. Great with plain yogurt, even better with Mint Yogurt.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Indian

Keyword beef mince curry, curried beef, queema

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 255cal

Author Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

3 tbsp vegetable or canola oil , or other neutral oil
4 tsp ginger , finely mince
5 large garlic cloves , minced (about 4 tsp)
1 large onion , finely diced
500g / 1 lb beef mince (ground beef)
3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper or chilli powder (pure, not US chili powder spice mix), omit for not spicy
1 1/4 tsp garam masala (Note 1)
1 1/4 tsp cumin powder
1 1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 cup water

Garnish

1 green cayenne pepper , deseeded, finely sliced
Cilantro/coriander leaves
Plain yogurt or Mint yogurt (below)

Mint yogurt (optional, pictured in post)

3/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup (lightly packed) mint leaves
1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt

Instructions

Sauté – Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add ginger and garlic and saute for 30 seconds until golden, don't let it burn! Add onion and cook for 1 minute until it is starting to turn translucent.
Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until it changes from pink to light brown. Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT water. Cook for a further 2 minutes to let the spices bloom.
Cook 10 minutes – Add water, give it a stir, then put a lid on (or cover with a baking tray). Turn heat down to medium and let it simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated.
Serve over with basmati rice or plain white rice, garnished with extra chilli and coriander/cilantro, and lots of Mint Yogurt. Naan or flatbreads would make it even better, though if time is not your friend, try frozen roti (pictured in post, Note 3).

Mint yogurt

Blitz then stir – Put just 1/4 cup of the yogurt with the mint leaves and salt in a jug just big enough to fit the head of a stick blender. Blitz until mint is very finely chopped. Then stir in remaining yogurt. (Note 4) Refrigerate until required.

Notes

Recipe credit – very slightly adapted from this Indian Queema Minced Beef by Scrambled Chefs.

1. American “Chili Powder” is not pure ground chilli, it contains other spices like paprika and is not very spicy. This recipe calls for pure ground chilli for spiciness, or cayenne pepper.

2. Garam Masala – Spice mix used in Indian cooking, a more legit curry powder. Sold at regular grocery stores in Australia -> Coles, Woolworths, Harris Farms.

3. Roti – Flaky Indian round flatbread that’s sold in the freezer section of large grocery stores these days. Love them because they’re so handy – cook from frozen on the stove in just a couple of minutes. Cheap, tasty, if you’ve never tried it, it’s a game changer! 🙂

4. Mint yogurt – Blitzing makes yogurt watery. So just blitz the minimum to puree the mint, then stir the rest in which thickens the sauce up again.

5. Leftovers keep for 3 – 4 days in the fridge, or freezer for 3 months.

Nutrition for beef only, not including rice or yogurt sauce.

Nutrition

First published April 2016. Republished 7 years later with sparkling new photos, brand new recipe video (couldn’t make them back then!) and of course added a Life of Dozer section!

My easiest Indian recipes

More easy Indian recipes!

Butter Chicken

One-pan Baked Butter Chicken

Oven Baked Tandoori Chicken

Naan recipe – chewy & fluffy!

Chicken Tikka Masala

Beef Biryani

Chickpea Curry with Potato (Chana Aloo Curry)

Indian Recipes

Life of Dozer

He doesn’t realise it’s a vegetable platter. (Yet).

The post Qeema – Easy Indian Curried Beef Mince appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.