Street Food, Street Life – Manchester

When we asked King Adz, author of Blek le Rat – Getting Through the Walls, The Urban Traveller’s Sketchbook and The Urban Cookbook, to contribute to our new blog, we were expecting a one off post.. instead we’re starting a regular series of some of the best street food recipes from around the world.

I’ve been around the world thrice times, and a good deal of those journeys were for my publisher – Thames & Hudson – looking for the street shit, getting up with an array of talented people, and eating everything in sight. This is part one of my favourite recipes from those travels…

Manchester
I’m starting here in the UK as there is a great culture of street food (ok, take-a-way food) here, and for me there is no better city to begin in, than Manchester. From Vegan veggie to supreme Indian and Pakistani dishes, this city has it all covered and with its baggy history coming to life in the very laid-back Northern Quarter. This is where I try to spend as much time as possible usually with Sam from Central Station and one place I eat every time I’m here is the Café Marhaba (36 Back Piccadilly) which isn’t a restaurant, but more like a corridor, serving the best halal tandoori cuisine this side of Karachi. When I asked the cook about his food he described it as ‘Manchester Curry’ but it’s much more than that. The place has a guy whose sole job is to make naans and then slap them into the tandoor. A bowl of curry and a naan is all you need here. I usually go for the chicken karahi, but their chicken tikka kebab is killer.

Chicken Karahi
8 chicken thighs
4 tsp Garlic & Ginger Paste (invest in a jar of this)
4-5 green chillies chopped (vary this amount to suit you)
4 tomatoes, finely chopped
2 tsp. black pepper, ground
2 tsp. coriander powder
1/2 tsp. white cumin seeds
2 tbsp. garam masala
4 cardamons
¼ pack coriander leaves (finely chopped)
2 tsp. Salt
50g butter

Heat oil in a medium sized pan. Add chopped ginger and green chilli, stirring frequently fry for 2 minutes.

Add chicken and salt. Fry for 7-10 mins, add chopped tomatoes and cardamons, stirring frequently fry the meat mixture for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes are reduced to a pulp. Add a little water if to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Keep frying for 10 more mins and add the rest of the spices.

Reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Sprinkle with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Naan bread.

Next time – Cheese and Spinach Arancini all the way from Rome.