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Posts Tagged ‘Indian’

Aubergine and Cherry Tomato Curry

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Indian, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 23 June 2020| 2 Comments »

Aubergine and Cherry Tomato Curry

This is delicious and so simple. A perfect summer curry. Serve with yoghurt and naan bread. It’s versatile too as it is lovely on its own with some rice, or as a side, or part of a larger feast.

Wine Suggestion: a light grenache red is our pick, either a simple Spanish bottle such as Bodegas Monfil in Cariñena or something more sophisticated like Domaine Cébène’s ex Arena from Faugeres.

Aubergine & cherry tomato curry – serves 4

  • 3 tbsp rapeseed or groundnut oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 green chilli, finely chopped
  • 4cm ginger, finely grated
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 300g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 1½ tsp ground cumin
  • 1½ ground coriander
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 large aubergine, quartered, then cut into ½ cm thick slices
  • coriander leaves, to garnish

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan with a lid.

Add the onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until soft. Add the chilli, ginger and garlic and cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring. Add the cherry tomatoes, then cover with the lid and leave over a low heat for 10 minutes until the tomatoes have softened.

Stir in the salt, turmeric, cumin, coriander, tomato purée and sugar. Mix well, then add 150ml warm water, then the aubergine. Stir to coat the aubergines in the tomatoes, then cover again.

Cook for 15-20 minutes over a medium heat or until the aubergine is tender and soft enough to cut with a wooden spoon.

Season to taste and garnish with coriander leaves.

(Original recipe from Made in India by Meera Sodha, Fig Tree, 2014.)

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Beetroot & Feta Samosas

Posted in Food, Indian, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 22 June 2020| 3 Comments »

Beetroot & feta samosas

These are so simple to make and you can stash them in the freezer and cook from frozen so great for a snack or starter with drinks.

Wine Suggestion: We’ve tried these with a few different wines and prefer them if the wine is chilled. Quite a few whites worked really well, but interestingly the best combination was a chilled red made from Grignolino from the Piedmont in norther Italy. Light bodied and yet dry with hints of (in balance) pippy bitterness and structured, light tannins. From a bottle a friend brought over and made by Olim Bauda; a nice discovery.

Beetroot & feta samosas – makes 18-24 samosas

  • 400g fresh beetroot
  • 200g feta cheese, cut into 1cm cubes
  • 4 scallions, finely chopped
  • 30g coriander, finely chopped
  • 1 green chilli, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • ½ tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp toasted cumin seeds, crushed
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 2 x 270g packs of filo pastry
  • 100g unsalted butter, melted
  • onion seeds (nigella seeds), to garnish

Boil the beetroot until tender when pierced with a sharp knife, this can take an hour or more depending on what size they are.

Trim the beetroot and peel off the skin (you might like to wear gloves), then roughly mash.

Put the mashed beetroot into a hot frying pan over a medium heat and heat for 5 minutes to remove excess moisture, then transfer to a bowl.

Stir in the feta, scallions, coriander, green chilli, garlic, chilli powder, cumin, garam masala and salt.

Lay a sheet of the filo pastry out with the long side towards you (cover the rest of the filo with a damp tea towel). Brush the left hand side of the pastry sheet lightly with the melted butter. Fold the right hand side of the sheet over the left so you have a double layer of pastry. Cut the pastry into 3 long strips with a sharp knife.

Place a heaped tbsp of the beetroot mixture at the bottom of a pastry strip, then fold the bottom right hand corner up over the filling to make a small triangle. Flip the triangle over as you move up the pastry strip, the filling will eventually be sealed inside. When you get to the end, brush the end of the pastry strip with a little melted butter and press to seal.

Continue like this until all of the beetroot mixture has been used, you might not need all of the filo pastry.

If you want to freeze the samosas at this stage you can set them on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, then place in tray in the freezer. When the samosas are frozen you can transfer them to a bag.

If you want to cook the freshly made samosas, preheat the oven to 200ºC/400°F/gas 6. Brush the samosas on both sides with melted butter and sprinkle a few onion seeds over the top. Put onto a lightly greased baking tray and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

To cook from frozen. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400°F/gas 6. Brush both sides with melted butter, sprinkle a few onion seeds over the top, and put onto a lightly greased baking tray. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until crisp and golden.

(Original recipe from Made in India by Meera Sodha, Fig Tree, 2014.)

 

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Indian Summer Salad

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Healthy, Indian, Shellfish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 21 June 2020| Leave a Comment »

Indian Summer Salad

Try this on the side next time you make a curry. It’s fresh, crunchy, delicious and also slaw-like, so would be good in a naan bread with some spicy chicken or lamb.

Indian Summer Salad – serves 6 (easily halved but the leftovers are ok for a day in the fridge too)

  • 3 carrots, grated
  • a bunch of radishes, very finely sliced
  • 2 courgettes, very finely sliced
  • half a small red onion, finely chopped
  • a small handful of mint leaves, roughly torn

FOR THE DRESSING:

  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Put the carrots, radishes, courgettes, onion and mint into a large bowl.

Mix the white wine vinegar, Dijon and mayonnaise and salt & pepper together, then gradually whisk in the olive oil.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

(Original recipe by BBC Good Food)

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Lamb Shank Balti

Posted in Food, Indian, Lamb, tagged , , , , , , , on 8 April 2020| 2 Comments »

Lamb Shank Balti

The only thing missing from this dish was a crowd to share it with, but we’ll keep it in our back pockets for when that can happen again. If, like us, you make for a small dinner party, you can pull the leftover meat off the bone and stir it into the sauce. This allows you to have some tomorrow, or stash some in the freezer for another day. Serve with rice and your choice of naan bread, Indian chutneys or pickles and yoghurt or raita.

You need to marinate the meat the night before – literally 3 minutes work! And if you marinate in an oven tray, which we recommend, then take out of the fridge an hour before cooking to come up to room temperature.

Wine Suggestion: A rich and warm, spiced dish like this needs a similar kind of wine. A red from a warmer climate is our choice and tonight it was the Finca Bacara Pirapu; a Monastrell-Syrah blend from Jumilla in Spain. Juicy, and with a warm, earthy spice of it’s own. The high levels of juicy, soft tannins help with the rich meat. We’ll get this wine again for when we are entertaining properly and cooking this dish as it was a delight.

Lamb shank balti – serves 5 to 6

  • 5-6 lamb shanks
  • 3-4 onions, halved and sliced
  • 100g fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
  • 6 tbsp balti paste (we used Patak’s)
  • 2 tbsp garam masala
  • 4tsp brown sugar
  • a handful of pomegranate seeds
  • a handful of coriander leaves

FOR THE MARINADE:

  • 2 tbsp balti paste
  • 2 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp brown mustard seeds
  • 2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tsp kalonji seeds (nigella or onion seeds)
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

The day before, mix the ingredients together for the marinade. Put the lamb shanks in a roasting tin and rub the marinade all over them (you might want to wear disposable gloves if you want to avoid yellow hands). Cover and chill overnight.

Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.

Roast the lamb for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.

Cover the tray with a double layer of tin foil and scrunch tightly around the edges to make sure it’s sealed. Return to the oven and cook for another 3 hours.

Remove the foil and stir the onions into the juices in the tin, then return to the oven and cook, uncovered, for another 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the ginger, garlic, 1 tin of the tomatoes, balti paste, garam masala and sugar into a food processor of blender. Whizz until smoothish. Stir this paste into the onions and also add the second tin of tomatoes and put back in the oven for a final 30 minutes.

Serve with the pomegranate seeds and coriander scattered over.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

 

 

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Paneer Tikka Masala

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Indian, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 1 April 2020| Leave a Comment »

Paneer Tikka Masala

Being thankful for sunshine and all we have this evening. The clocks will change tomorrow and hopefully things will take a turn for the better soon. In the meantime stay at home and eat well. This is super straightforward but flavour-packed! Serve with steamed basmati rice and naan bread from your local takeaway.

Wine Suggestion: A lager style beer. To be a little “craft”, even though they’ve been brewing since 1824, we chose the C&A Veltins Grevensteiner Helles which had character and smoothness in equal proportions.

Paneer tikka masala – serves 3

  • 3 tbsp curry powder (the recipe suggests tikka curry powder, we had hot so that’s what we got)
  • 2 tbsp natural yoghurt
  • 200g paneer, cut into small cubes
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 1 tbsp groundnut oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp grated ginger
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed
  • 400g passata
  • 2 tsp tomato purée
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • 4 tbsp double cream
  • a knob of butter
  • a handful of chopped coriander
  • steamed basmati rice and naan bread (to serve)

Mix the 1 tbsp of the curry powder and the yoghurt together in a bowl, then stir in the paneer and peppers and leave to marinade while you make the sauce.

Heat the oil in a pan, then add the onion and cook until soft and starting to brown a little. Add the ginger and garlic and continue cooking for a couple of minutes.

Stir in the remaining 2 tbsp of curry powder and stir until fragrant, then stir in the passata, tomato purée and sugar. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in the cream and cook for another couple of minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the grill to high. Spread the paneer and pepper out over a non-stick baking tray or a tray lined with foil, then place under the grill until charred and sizzling. Turn everything over to brown on both sides.

Tip the panner and peppers into the sauce, add a knob of butter, the coriander and some seasoning and cook for a couple of minutes. Serve the curry with rice and naan.

(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in BBC Olive Magazine, March 2020)

 

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Paneer, Tomato and Kale Saag

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Indian, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 13 March 2020| Leave a Comment »

Paneer, Tomato and Kale Saag

This is from Meera Sodha’s amazing veggie book, East. We have Meera’s Indian recipe books and we often cook the recipes she writes for the Guardian. This book has an Eastern, but not exclusively Indian, influence and the recipes are mouthwateringly good. We’ve noticed people have mixed reactions towards kale, if you’re on the fence we reckon this is probably the best kale-based dish we’ve ever eaten. We served with naan bread from the local takeaway.

Panner, tomato & kale saag – serves 4

  • 500g kale, discard the stems and roughly chop the rest
  • rapeseed oil
  • 450g paneer, cut into 2cm dice (if you’re buying 200g packs just buy 2)
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 2 cm ginger, peeled and grated
  • 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 2 green finger chillies, finely chopped
  • 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1½ tsp ground coriander
  • 1½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp brown rice syrup (we used runny honey)
  • 1 x 400ml tin coconut milk

Blitz the kale in a food processor and chop it very finely. Unless your food processor is huge you will need to do a few batches.

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large, nonstick frying pan, that you have a lid for. Fry the cubes of paneer for a couple of minutes on each side or until they have taken on a nice golden colour. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Heat another 2 tbsp of oil in the same pan and cook the onions over a medium heat for about 10 minutes or until soft. Add the ginger, garlic and chillies and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.

Stir in the tin of tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes or until reduced to a paste. Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric, salt and honey (or brown rice syrup) and mix in well.

Stir in a handful of kale at a time. It will seem like you have too much but it will wilt in perfectly. Stir in the coconut milk, then bring to a simmer, cover with a lid, and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

Add the paneer to the pan and cook for another 10 minutes with the lid on. Keep an eye that it doesn’t dry out and add a splash of water if necessary.

Taste to check that it has all come together and the kale is tender. Remove from the heat and serve with warm naan bread.

(Original recipe from East by Meera Sodha, Penguin Books, 2019.)

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Vegan Achari Brussels Sprout Curry

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Indian, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 8 January 2020| Leave a Comment »

Vegan Achari Brussels Sprout Curry

Sprouts are not just for Christmas. They’ll be around for ages yet and we love them. This is also a useful dish for those choosing a spell of Veganism. Serve with yoghurt (non-dairy if you wish) and naan breads.

Wine Suggestion: tonight we opened a German white lager, the Grevensteiner Naturtrübes Helles. A slightly cloudy and smooth beer with fruit hints and a refined malty touch. This has character and roundness and is a good foil to the curry and a compliment to the Brussels.

Vegan Achari Brussels Sprout Curry – serves 2

  • 750g brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered or halved depending on size
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp nigella seeds
  • rapeseed oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • 2 green chillies, very finely chopped
  • 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • 1-2 tbsp lemon juice

Bash the mustard, cumin, coriander and fennel seeds together in a mortar as finely as you can, then stir in the nigella seeds.

Heat a large frying pan, then add 2 tbsp of oil. When hot, add the onion and fry for 5 minutes before adding the spice mix, then continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until the onions are soft and browning. Stir in the ginger, garlic and chilli and cook for a few minutes more.

Add the tomatoes, tomato purée and the salt, then cook for 15 minutes. Add 400ml water and the sprouts, cover with a lid and leave to simmer for until just tender – start checking after 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with lemon juice before serving.

(Original recipe by Meera Sodha in The Guardian, Saturday, 21 December 2019.)

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Spicy potatoes

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Indian, Potato, Side dish, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 16 June 2019| 1 Comment »

Spicy potatoes

We loved these Indian spiced potatoes and they were great for bulking out some leftover saag paneer that definitely would not have satisfied our hungry bellies.

Spicy Potatoes – serves 4

  • 800g potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 140g frozen peas

Cover the potatoes in cold salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 mins or until just tender, then drain and allow to steam dry for a few mins.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the spices for a minute until fragrant. Throw in the potatoes and toss well so they are coated in the spices. Gently fry for 5-10 mins until golden, then add peas, mix well and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Season well before serving.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Mughlai Lamb with Turnips – Shabdeg

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Lamb, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 3 November 2018| Leave a Comment »

Mughlai Lamb with Turnips - Shabdeg

Our local supermarket has perfect sweet turnips with purple and white skin and green tops so when flicking through Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cooking we just couldn’t go past this unusual lamb curry. The cooking method goes against many of our instincts but, not wanting to mess with Madhur Jaffrey, we followed the instructions to the letter and the result was amazing! Great with steamed rice or serve with Mushroom Pullao, Spicy Green Beans and Yoghurt with Walnuts and Coriander for a fabulous Indian feast.

Wine Suggestion: We like many struggle to match Indian food with wine. Tonight we had a clean lager which fitted the bill for us, though some more adventurous beers would be good too.

Mughlai Lamb with Turnips  (Shabdeg) – serves 6

  • 10 small turnips, weighing 750g when the leaves and stems have been removed (halve the turnips if they are larger)
  • 5 medium onions, peeled
  • 8 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1kg stewing lamb shoulder cut into 4cm cubes (include some bones if you have them)
  • 285ml plain yoghurt
  • 2.5 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and very finely chopped
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 2.25 litres water
  • ½ tsp garam masala

Peel the turnips and prick them all over with a fork. Put them in a bowl and rub with ¾ tsp of salt, then set aside for 1½-2 hours.

Cut the onions in half, lengthwise, and then across into very thin slices.

Heat the oil in a large, wide, and preferably non-stick pot over a medium-high heat. When hot, stir and fry the onions for about 12 minutes or until they are reddish brown in colour (this took longer than 12 minutes on our hob). Remove the onions with a slotted spoon, squeezing out and leaving behind as much oil as you can. Spread the onions out on a plate.

Add the meat, yoghurt, ginger and 1 tsp of salt to the pot. Stir and bring to a boil, then turn the heat up to high. You should have lots of fairly thin sauce. Cook on a high heat, stirring now and then, for about 10 minutes or until the sauce is fairly thick and you just begin to see the oil (be patient as we cooked for more like 20 minutes to get to this point). Turn the heat down to medium-high and keep stirring and frying for another 5-7 minutes or until the meat is lightly brown and the sauce has disappeared. Turn the heat to medium-low, then add the turmeric, cayenne, and coriander. Stir for a minute.

Add the water and 1tsp of salt. Drain the turnips and add them to the pot. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat to medium-high and cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes or until you have less than a third of the liquid left (this stage took closer to an hour for us). Stir the pot occasionally as it cooks.

Return the browned onions to the pan and add the garam masala. Stir gently to mix and turn the heat to low. Cook gently, uncovered, for another 10 minutes. Stir it now and then but be careful not to break up the turnips.

Spoon off the fat that floats to the top and serve hot with rice and other Indian dishes (see above).

(Original recipe from Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey, Baron’s Educational Series, 2002.)

 

 

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Mushroom Pullao – Khumbi pullao

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Indian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 3 November 2018| Leave a Comment »

Mushroom Pullao - Khumbi pullao

A gently spiced rice dish flavoured with mushrooms. The perfect accompaniment to a meat curry.

Mushroom Pullao (Khumbi pullao) – serves 6

  • 450ml long-grain rice (use a jug to measure)
  • 1.2 litres plus 600ml of water
  • 150g mushrooms, sliced into 3mm thick slices
  • 1 small onion, peeled and sliced very thinly
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • ½ tsp peeled, finely grated fresh ginger
  • ¼ tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp salt

Wash the rice in several changes of water, then drain. Put the rice in a bowl with the 1.2 litres of water and leave to soak for 30 minutes, then drain.

Heat the oil in a heavy pot over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions and garlic and stir-fry for about 2 minutes or until the onions start to brown at the edges. Add the mushrooms and stir for another 2 minutes, then add the rice, ginger, garam masala and 1 tsp of salt. Turn the heat to medium-low, then stir and sauté the rice for 2 minutes.

Pour in the 600ml of water and bring to a boil. Cover very tightly, turn the heat to very, very low and cook for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and sit, covered and undisturbed for another 5 minutes.

(Original recipe from Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cooking, Barron’s Educational Series, 2002.)

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Spicy Green Beans – Madaledar sem

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Indian, Side dish, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 3 November 2018| Leave a Comment »

Spicy Green Beans - Madaledar sem

These green beans are full of Indian flavour and make a great side for curries and other Indian dishes but they would also add interest to a roast chicken. Chopping them up small changes the texture in a nice way too.

Spicy Green Beans (Masaledar sem) – serves 6

  • 750g green beans, trimmed and cut into 5mm lengths
  • 4cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 10 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 350ml water
  • 5 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 dried hot red chilli, lightly crushed in a mortar
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped (to peel the tomatoes drop into boiling water for 15 seconds after which the skins should come off easily)
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste
  • 1 tsp ground, roasted cumin seeds

Put the ginger and garlic into a blender or food processor with 120ml of the water and blend until fairly smooth.

Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pot over a medium-high heat. When hot put in the cumin seeds, and 5 seconds later the crushed chilli. As soon as it darkens add the ginger-garlic paste, then stir and cook for a minute. Stir in the coriander, then add the chopped tomato. Stir and cook for 2 minutes, mashing the tomatoes with the back of a spoon.

Add the beans, about 1¼ tsp salt and the rest of the water, then bring to a simmer. Cover, turn the heat to low, and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the beans are tender.

Remove the cover. Add the lemon juice, the ground roasted cumin seeds, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Increase the heat and boil away the liquid while gently stirring the beans.

(Original recipe from Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cooking, Barron’s Educational Series, 2002.)

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Yoghurt with Walnuts and Coriander – Akhrote ka raita

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Indian, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 3 November 2018| Leave a Comment »

Akhrote ka raita

We’re sad to say that we’ve finally used up the enormous stash of walnuts we couldn’t resist at a French market. When we got home we thought we’d never get through them. This dish was a fitting end for the last few handfuls and we need to plan another trip. Try this raita with Indian dishes as a refreshing change from the usual cucumber raita.

Yoghurt with walnuts & coriander (Akhrote ka raita) – serves 6

  • 600ml plain yoghurt
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
  • ½ a fresh hot green chilli, very finely chopped
  • 1 scallion, very finely sliced
  • 65g shelled walnuts, roughly broken into small pieces

Put the yoghurt into a bowl and beat lightly with a fork or whisk until smooth and creamy.

Add the rest of the ingredients plus a good grinding of black pepper and about ½ tsp of salt. Stir to mix.

(Original recipe from Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cooking, Barron’s Educational Series, 2002.)

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Spiced Paneer and Pea Rice

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Indian, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 17 October 2018| Leave a Comment »

Spiced Paneer and Pea rice

This is barely a recipe, more a quick assembly of things that happen to be lying around. Typical of the sort of meal we have near the end of the week, when ingredients are running low. The paneer cheese bulks out the rice and the cool yoghurt negates the need for a sauce.

Spiced paneer and pea rice – serves 2

  • 200g pack of paneer (Indian cheese), diced
  • 2 tbsp curry paste (we like Patak’s Madras)
  • a pouch of ready-to-eat brown basmati (or use can cook your own)
  • 100g frozen peas, defrosted
  • 4 tbsp natural yoghrut
  • a handful of mint, chopped
  • naan breads and lemon wedges to serve

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan, then fry the paneer until golden.

Add the curry paste and fry.

Heat the rice in a microwave according to the pack instructions, then tip into the pan with the peas and toss together.

Mix the yoghurt with the mint and season.

Serve the rice with the yoghurt, naan bread and lemon wedges.

(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in Olive Magazine, September 2017.)

 

 

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Prawn & Spinach Curry

Posted in Asian, Food, Gluten-free, Indian, Prawns, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 30 July 2018| Leave a Comment »

Prawn & Spinach Curry

An easy weeknight curry and perfect for using up that bag of frozen prawns in the freezer. Serve with steamed rice.

Wine Suggestion: As it was a hot night and we needed cooling down, a bottle of beer (Peroni to be precise) from the fridge hit the spot with this. Refreshing and we just like beer with curry.

Prawn & Spinach Curry – serves 4

  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp hot curry paste (we like Patak’s Madras)
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 300ml vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 200g carton creamed coconut
  • 400g raw peeled tiger prawns, defrosted
  • 250g baby spinach leaves
  • large handful of frozen peas
  • bunch of coriander, roughly chopped

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions for about 5 minutes to soften, then stir in the curry paste and fry for another minute. Add the tomatoes, stock, sugar, and coconut cream, then season. Cook gently for 15 minutes until thickened.

Add the prawns and spinach, then cook for a few minutes. Stir in the peas and heat for another few minutes. Sprinkle with coriander and serve with steamed rice.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food Magazine, July, 2005)

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Need Veggie Inspiration? Try your Indian cookbooks

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Indian, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 15 January 2018| Leave a Comment »

Sweet potato vindaloo

It hasn’t happened just yet but there will come a time when we will grow tired of all the winter root veg and will be hankering for spring and some lighter dishes. If you start to feel this way we recommend turning to cookbooks inspired by India which often contain some of the most interesting and delicious veggie dishes. Don’t be put off by the fiery connotations of ‘vindaloo’, this is a spicy dish but nothing too scary and is tamed by the additions of fluffy white rice and cool yoghurt.

Sweet potato vindaloo – serves 4

  • 4 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 6 cloves
  • 1 star anise
  • 20 black peppercorns
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 6 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 4cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
  • 5 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • ¾ tbsp chilli powder (feel free to adjust to your own tolerance level)
  • 2 medium onions, finely sliced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 x 400g tin of plum tomatoes
  • 1kg sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size cubes
  • yoghurt, to serve
  • steamed white basmati rice, to serve

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large frying (for which you have a lid) over a medium heat, then add the cloves, star anise, black peppercorns, cinnamon stick and cumin seeds. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant and then remove from the heat and grind in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar. Add the garlic, ginger & vinegar and continue to grind to a smooth paste, then mix in the chilli powder.

Heat the remaining 3 tbsp of oil in the same pan over a medium heat, then add the onions. Cook for 15 minutes or more until brown and caramelised. Add the spice paste, salt and sugar, then cook for another couple of minutes before tipping in the tomatoes and crushing with a wooden spoon. Fill the empty tomato tin half full with water and add to the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for around 5 minutes, then add the sweet potatoes.

Bring the curry to the boil, then cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until the sweet potato is completely tender. Serve with cool natural yoghurt and hot basmati rice.

(Original recipe from Fresh India by Meera Sodha, Penguin, 2016.)

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Mango Chutney

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Indian, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , , on 9 January 2018| 2 Comments »

Mango chutney

Mangoes are cheap at this time of year so if you see them on offer pick them up and make this delicious chutney. Very straightforward but you do need to start the night before.

Mango Chutney – makes 700ml

  • 1 tsp each of cumin, coriander and cardamom seeds
  • 4 firm mangoes, sliced
  • 350g golden caster sugar
  • ½ tsp each of cayenne pepper and turmeric
  • 1 green chilli, split lengthways
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • small knob of fresh ginger, grated
  • juice of 4 limes and zest of 2
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 300ml white wine vinegar

Toast the cumin, coriander and cardamom seeds in a dry frying pan, then tip into a bowl with all the other ingredients except the vinegar. Mix together, then cover and leave to macerate overnight (or for a minimum of 3 hours).

Tip the mix into a large pan and pour in the vinegar. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 1½ hours or until sticky, stir regularly as it gets closer to the end of the cooking time to ensure it doesn’t catch on the bottom. Leave to cool, then tip into sterilised jars.

To sterilise jars: wash the jars in very hot water, drip-dry and put into the oven at 160C/Fan 140C/Gas 4 for 10 minutes.

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Goan Fish Curry

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , on 8 January 2018| 1 Comment »

Goan fish curry

This is a light curry but not without a good bit of chilli heat in the background. Serve with some steamed basmati. A perfect dinner for two – when’s Valentine’s day?

Wine Suggestion: Indian food is notoriously tricky to match with wine. We chose a Muscadet-Sevre et Maine (more because it was cold in the fridge than any particular inspiration) and it surprisingly held it’s own brilliantly with this dish. We often turn to Muscadet when serving light fish dishes or mussels and from now on we’ll be serving it with fish curries too.

Goan Fish Curry – serves 2

  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 dried red chilli or 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 onion, halved and sliced
  • a small piece of ginger, finely grated
  • 2 clove of garlic, crushed
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk
  • 1 tsp tamarind paste
  • 1 to 2 green chillies, finely sliced lengthways
  • 300g firm white fish fillets, we used cod, cut into chunks
  • steamed basmati – to serve

Toast the seeds and dried chilli in a dry frying pan, then grind in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder.

Heat a little bit of oil in a deep frying pan and cook the onion with a large pinch of salt until soft and golden. Add the ginger, garlic, turmeric and ground spices and fry for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, the tamarind and the green chillies and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the fish and cook for 3-4 minutes until just cooked. Serve with the rice.

(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, January, 2010.)

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Butter Chicken Curry

Posted in Chicken, Food, Indian, tagged , , , , , , , on 29 May 2017| Leave a Comment »

 

Butter chicken

Not an authentic recipe by any means but really tasty and much healthier than anything available in the local take-away. We have also made this with leftover cooked chicken with good results.

Wine Suggestion: We want to like wine with curry but most times we prefer something cool and bubbly – like beer! With this we had a bottle of Cooper’s Original Pale Ale to remind us of recent travels in Australia.

Butter Chicken Curry – serves 4

  • 500g skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • a thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and grated
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • ½ a lemon, juiced
  • 35g butter
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • curry paste (we used half a jar of Patak’s Madras which is quite spicy but use what you like)
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 2 tbsp ground almonds
  • 175ml full-fat natural yoghurt
  • 150ml chicken stock
  • coriander leaves
  • cooked basmati rice, to serve

Toss the chicken pieces with the turmeric, ginger, garlic, lemon juice and ½ tsp salt. Heat the butter in a large wide pan, then cook the onion for about 10 minutes or until soft and golden. Add the curry paste and tomato purée and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the chicken and cook until opaque (if using cooked chicken just heat through).

Mix the almonds and yoghurt together in a bowl then stir into the curry and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the stock and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Scatter over the coriander and serve with the rice.

(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, April, 2017.)

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Coconut Fish Curry

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, Indian, tagged , , , , , , , on 8 May 2017| 3 Comments »

Coconut fish curry

We love to serve a fish curry alongside other Indian dishes to serve a crowd. Try this with some chicken tikka, mint & yoghurt chutney, cinnamon lamb curry, steamed basmati rice & some naan bread from the takeaway. Also great on its own with rice of course.

Coconut Fish Curry (Fish moilee) – serves 4

  • 5 cm piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1 green chilli, roughly chopped (deseed if you don’t want too much heat)
  • salt
  • 3 tbsp coconut oil/rapeseed oil
  • 20 fresh curry leaves (optional but handy to buy fresh, then keep in the freezer for dishes like this)
  • 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 big ripe tomatoes, quartered
  • ¾ tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp chilli powder
  • 300ml coconut milk
  • 4 white fish fillets e.g. hake, haddock or cod (we use hake as it’s cheaper)
  • 1 lime, quartered

Put the ginger, garlic,  green chilli and a pinch of salt in a pestle & mortar and bash until you have a paste.

Put the oil into a wide, shallow pan over a medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the curry leaves, followed by the onions and cook for 8-10 minutes or until pale gold. Add the ginger, garlic & chilli paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 1½ tsp salt, the turmeric & chilli powder. Cover the pan and cook for a couple of minutes.

Meanwhile, dilute the coconut milk with 100ml of water and add to the pan. When the milk begins to bubble, add the fish, then turn the heat down, cover and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.

Serve with a squeeze of lime and rice on the side.

(Original recipe from Made in India by Meera Sodha, Penguin, 2014.)

 

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Oven-Roasted Chicken Tikka with Mint & Yoghurt Chutney

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , on 18 December 2016| 1 Comment »

Chicken tikka with mint chutney

From Meera Sodha’s fabulous book, Made in India, we continue to make very successful dishes. We made this for a Christmas party alongside Meera’s Cinnamon lamb curry,  and coconut fish curry. All very straightforward particularly if you get the lamb cooked the night before and serve with a load of rice (cooked and kept warm in a rice cooker if you have one) and a simple salad.

We used small green birds-eye chillies with their seeds removed and while these were hot on their own they gave the right amount of background heat to each dish: think of it as a mild curry with a tiny, perfect kick.

If you prefer you can thread the chicken pieces onto kebab sticks before roasting. You will need to soak wooden sticks in water for about 20 minutes before using to stop them burning in the oven.

The Mint chutney was amazing and not only works with the chicken tikka but is also great with a roast or grilled lamb instead of the usual mint sauce/jelly.

Oven-roasted Chicken Tikka (Murghi na tikka) – serves 4-6 as a starter or with other dishes

  • rapeseed oil
  • 600g skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of any fat
  • 4cm ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1 fresh green chilli, roughly chopped
  • salt
  • 130ml whole-milk yoghurt
  • ½ tsp chilli powder
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • ¾ tsp cumin seeds, crushed
  • ¾ tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp garam masala

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Line 2 oven trays and brush with a very light layer of oil.

Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and put into a bowl.

Pound the ginger, garlic and green chilli with a pinch of salt using a pestle and mortar, until it turns into a paste. Add the paste to the chicken, then add the remaining ingredients to the bowl along with 1¼ tsp salt. Mix well and cover. Leave to marinate for at least 15 minutes or in the fridge for a a few hours if you can.

Shake the excess marinade from the chicken and divide between the lined trays. Cook for about 20 minutes, turning once.

Serve with salad and the Mint & Yoghurt Chutney below.

Mint & Yoghurt Chutney (Fodina anna dahi nu chatni) – makes a small jar

  • 5 tbsp Greek yoghurt
  • 20g fresh mint
  • 1 fresh green chili, deseeded and finely sliced
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • juice of ½ a lemon
  • a pinch of salt

Put the ingredients into a blender and whizz until mixed. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

The chutney will keep for a day in the fridge if you want to make it in advance.

(Original recipes from Made in India by Meera Sodha, Fig Tree, 2014.)

 

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