RECIPES

Method

1. To marinate the chicken cubes: Wash the chicken cubes and pat them thoroughly dry. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken cubes with all the ingredients for marinade. Rub the spices into the chicken cubes well and set aside for 20 minutes.
2. To prepare the tomato puree base: In a saucepan, boil the tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, garlic, ginger, green cardamom, and clove until the tomato skins begin to peel away (about 5 minutes of boiling). Drain and allow the tomatoes to cool off. Peel the tomatoes and remove the skins. Blend the cooked tomatoes with all the boiled aromatics into a smooth puree, without adding water, and set aside.
3. To sear the chicken: Heat about 3-4 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Add the marinated chicken and fry over medium-high heat until the pieces are slightly charred and cooked through (not to overcook the chicken).Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
4. To prepare the butter chicken gravy: Remove most of the residual oil from the pan, leaving about 2 tablespoons. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Stir in the chopped onions and sauté until softened. Add the chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder, and black pepper. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant and stir in the chicken stock cubes till dissolved.
5. Pour in the blended tomato puree and cook until the sauce begins to thicken. Add 1½ to 2 cups of water and simmer to reach the desired consistency and add the Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves). Return the seared chicken to the pan and simmer briefly on medium heat.
6. Lower the heat and stir in the Kara UHT Coconut Cream. Continue to stir briskly until the coconut cream is fully incorporated and the gravy is heated through.
7. Adjust the taste with an extra pinch of garam masala if needed and add the lemon juice. Garnish generously with coriander leaves. Remove from the heat immediately to preserve the texture.
8. To prepare the coconut bechamel sauce: Add Kara UHT Coconut Cream into 2 cups of warm liquid chicken stock, and whisk in thoroughly.
9. Melt the butter in the same saucepan used for cooking the tomatoes. Whisk in the flour to form a smooth roux; cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously.
10. Gradually pour in the liquid chicken stock with coconut cream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Allow to thicken a little bit, add up to half a cup of the grated mozzarella cheese and stir till melted through, then add the white pepper powder and nutmeg. Simmer until the sauce is thickened and glossy, then set aside.
11. Lasagna Assembly: Preheat oven to 180°C.

1. First Layer: Spread a thin base of butter chicken (sauce only), then top with lasagna sheets. Follow by a generous amount of butter chicken, coconut bechamel sauce, a dusting of chili powder, and grated mozzarella cheese.
2. Second Layer: Repeat the sequence with pasta, the rest of the butter chicken, coconut bechamel sauce, chili powder, and more grated mozzarella cheese.
3. Top Layer: Add a final layer of pasta topped with the remaining coconut bechamel sauce, coriander leaves, a sprinkle of chili powder, and all the remaining grated mozzarella cheese.

1. Place the lasagna in the preheated oven on a lower rack. Bake uncovered for the 10 minutes to let the cheese begin to melt. Cover the dish tightly with foil and continue baking for 25 minutes until the pasta is tender. Then remove the foil and baked uncovered for another 5 minutes to achieve a perfectly golden, bubbling crust.
2. Allow to rest on the countertop for 15-20 minutes before cutting.
3. Ready to be served.

Notes

• Easy-peel tomatoes: To ensure the skins slip off effortlessly, use a sharp knife to remove the stem and then score a shallow ‘X’ on the bottom of each tomato before boiling. Once the skin begins to pull back at the ‘X’, it is ready to be peeled under cold running water.
• Adjusting saltiness of coconut bechamel sauce: When preparing the sauce, we use liquid chicken stock in this recipe, which is already salty, so make sure to use unsalted butter to avoid the sauce end up overly salty. Alternatively, you may use unsalted broth and add salt to taste. If, for any reason, your sauce seems too salty, you can balance it by adding a little sugar.

• Viscosity of coconut bechamel sauce: The sauce will thicken further in the baking process so it should not be as thick as traditional dairy bechamel sauce.

• Layering with coconut bechamel sauce: Ensure the sauce is spread all the way to the edges of the pasta sheets. This moisture is what “cooks” the pasta during the bake, preventing hard or crunchy edges.
• Spice Control: Dusting of chili powder between layers adds a “hidden heat.” Adjust the amount based on your preference for a mild glow or a bold kick. The chili powder also acts as a flavour balancer, cutting through the richness and offsetting the saltiness of the sauce layers and the cheese.
• Resting Period: Letting the lasagna rest for 10–15 minutes after baking allows the layers to firm up, ensuring clean, beautiful layers in every square.

Source & Credits: https://www.youtube.com/c/RecipesaresimpleVideos