u/MacSamildanach

At many restaurants, they will have a pot of something cooking on a back burner to feed the staff. Sometimes, they will even let you try some. As the title suggests, it is often referred to as 'the staff curry'. That was how I got hold of a basic recipe about 12 years ago - I asked, and they told me what was in it.

It seems odd that it includes peas, but those were definitely in the one I sampled at that restaurant the first time.

For the chicken, I used a mixture of skinless 'niblets' (aka drumettes, which many Asian butchers sell) and skinless thigh.

I made one this afternoon. Here's the recipe:

• 2 tbsp Ghee
• 2 tbsp Rapeseed/Canola Oil
• 3 Indian Bay Leaves
• 6 Green Cardamoms
• 2-inch piece of Cassia
• 1 Star Anise
• 4 Cloves
• 3 Onions (blended)
• 2 tbsp Garlic/Ginger Paste
• 1½ tbsp Coriander powder
• 1 tbsp Cumin Powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 1 tsp Kashmiri Basaar
• 750g Chicken on the bone
• 5 Green Chilis (sliced lengthways)
• 250mls Chicken Stock
• 3 Tomatoes (blended)
• 1-2 tbsp Kasuri Methi
• Frozen Peas to taste

Heat the oil, and sizzle the bay leaves, cardamoms, Cassia, star anise, and cloves for 30 seconds. Then add the onions, and cook for about 8 minutes until becoming golden, stirring to make sure it doesn't catch. Then add the garlic/ginger paste and cook for a minute to become fragrant.

Add the coriander powder, cumin powder, Kashmiri chili, turmeric, and basaar. It will catch easily now, so use splashes of hot water to prevent it burning. Stir for a few minutes to cook out the spices.

Add the chicken and green chilis, and stir until the chicken is white all over. Add more splashes of water, as it will easily catch.

Add the chicken stock and the tomatoes, stir, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes. I did mine in the oven to prevent catching.

Near the end, crumble in the Kasuri Methi between your palms and stir in.

When it is done, add the frozen peas to taste. My written recipe also includes potatoes, but I hadn't used them in this one so doubled up on the peas. Allow them to thaw out on a gentle simmer (about 5 minutes), then stir through some chopped coriander.

I think they are, but any idea which type?

They're growing in grass around a large Silver Birch tree. I've never seen a Bolete with an upturned cap before. That one is about 8 inches/200mm across.

Location: Nottingham, UK.

These have all sprung up following the break in the drought. I've never had this many before (there are around ten large ones).

Thank in advance.

I have a Yum Asia Panda rice cooker. It's a 'mini', so no huge banquets. This made enough for 2 or 3 people.

I'm still fine tuning this recipe for Chicken Biryani, but this one I made this afternoon was pretty good.

• 2 cups Basmati

Soak in cold water for 30 minutes.

• 350-400g Chicken
• 1 tbsp Ginger/Garlic puree
• ¼ tsp Turmeric
• 1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli
• ½ tsp White Pepper
• 1½ tbsp Biryani Masala
• 2 tbsp Yoghurt
• 1½ tsp Salt

Mix all together to coat the chicken and marinate for 30 minutes. For the chicken, I used one skinless/boneless thigh cut into 4 pieces and 2 niblets/drumettes.

• 1 onion (sliced thinly)
• 1 tbsp Ghee
• 1 tbsp Rapeseed Oil
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 Star Anise
• 1 inch Cassia/Cinnamon
• 2 Green Cardamoms
• 2 Cloves
• 1 Birdseye Chilli (sliced lengthways)
• 1 Tomato (finely diced)
• small handful each of chopped Coriander and fresh Mint

In a pan or wok, heat the oil and fry the onion until softened and just turning golden. Add the Bay Leaf, Star Anise, Cardamoms, Cloves, Cassia, and Birdseye Chill and stir fry for two minutes.

Add the chicken and tomato and cook until the water has gone and the oil separates out. Stir in the Corainder and Mint. Then transfer to the rice cooker bowl.

Drain the rice and scatter this on top. Add just under 3 cups of water. Run the normal Long Grain program(me).

Once the cooker switches to 'keep warm', allow the Biryani to stand for about 20 minutes before serving.

I'm just sitting at my desk and I noticed a wonderful smell wafting through the window.

Usually, it is my Indian neighbour cooking - the smell is divine. But tonight it is petrichor. The heavenly smell of rain on dry land/grass.

Not a lot. But enough 😊

There was a post yesterday about someone receiving a suspected scam email.

Scam email : r/nottingham

Nottingham City Council sent this out today.

Another update. I had to render this in HD rather than 4K to get round the 1GB upload limit.

After the staged exits of the first two over the last few days, today saw another four leave the nest - three over over quite a short period during late morning, then another later in the afternoon.

At various stages, you can see the parents outside enticing them out. And you can see some of the fledglings fly off out of camera, then head back to the Birch tree.

There is just one left now.

Great Tits (Parus major), located in Nottingham, UK.

I ought to add that when the last one leaves, I won't have any further excuse not to cut that lawn.

Previous update: 2026 Nesting - Second Brood - Fledging : r/GreatTits

Well, after 18 days since hatching, the first of the seven in the second brood left the nest on 23 June - surprisingly late in the day. At about 6.40pm.

All of the first brood left quite early in the morning and over two days, and previous years' broods have done the same. I think this might be to with the heat wave we're experiencing in the UK (>30°C), and they are waiting until the cooler part of the day.

The second left around 3.05pm on 25 June.

Just waiting on the remaining five now. This is more spaced out than I've seen previously.

Previous update here: 2026 Nesting - 2nd Brood - 9 Days In : r/GreatTits

Location: Nottingham, UK.

We had the first Great Tit brood fledge about a month ago:

2026 Nesting - Game Over : r/GreatTits

Then I noticed she was bringing in more nesting materials, so so began the second brood of the year:

2026 Nesting - 2nd Brood - Five Eggs So Far : r/GreatTits

The number of eggs maxed out at 7 (compared with 10 in the first batch). And today, they have begun to hatch. The video shows the first two chicks.

This is in Nottingham, UK.

Remember the last series of videos about the Great Tit brood?

2026 Nesting - Game Over : r/GreatTits

Well, it looks like we're going to have a second brood this year. That's a first for me.

I got a motion alert from the camera in the box, and she's been in there rummaging all morning and bringing in more material.

This video shows the last three chicks leaving this morning.

This year was quite protracted. Six of them left on 13 May (and even that was spaced out over the whole day - we had sporadic rain showers). The remaining three remained all day yesterday, and finally left early this morning. There was a lot of enticement by the parents.

If you watch the first part closely, the parent is putting food in their mouths, but then taking it out and flying out of the box with it. It's like using a carrot to lead a donkey - she is trying to lure them out.

Nine fledged out of the original ten eggs, and all of them looked healthy and well-fed (we had a runt last year, which couldn't fly when it left).

As usual, they pooped everywhere and I will have to clean the box in the autumn.

When I get time, I will do a time-lapse of the last three days.

They should leave over the next couple of days. They are climbing up to the hole and are restless. Poop splatters are also appearing on the walls - the parents are still removing it, but with the chicks moving around, it gets messy near the end.

Based on previous years, they will leave early in the morning on the day.

There's still 9 of them in there, and the place goes crazy when the parents enter.

The change is dramatic, even just two days after the previous update.

They're getting close to fledging now, perhaps about a week away.

There are definitely 8 chicks, but earlier today I thought could count maybe 9 or even 10 - but they won't sit still, so perhaps not.

Just an update.

They're getting very big now, and their feathers and colours are well-developed.

The size of some of the food the parents bring in is astounding - you can see the chick take a huge green caterpillar, then immediately eject a faecal capsule around the same size.

They are also starting to flex their wings now, and challenge each other for food.

I am still not sure how many are there. Most of the time you can easily see 8 chicks, but I think we might still have the original 10 from what I saw yesterday. So, somewhere between 8-10.