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BEEF STIFADO

2024-09-20T07:51:00.000+01:00

BEEF STIFADO

This is traditionally a Greek winter dish and it's delicious!

Ingredients:

1 tblsp olive oil

100g butter

1 onion finely chopped

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 mug dry red wine

1 tblsp wine vinegar

pinch cumin

pinch cinnamon or 2"piece of cinnamon stick

700g stewing steak

700g small white onions

2 tblsps tomato puree

1 tsp salt

1 large bay leaf

Method:

Heat 50g butter and the olive oil in a casserole pot and fry the onions and garlic for five minutes.

Gently brown the meat on all sides, then stir in the tomato puree for a further minute.

Now add the cumin, cinnamon, bay leaf and salt. Mix well.

Add the red wine, the wine vinegar and gently cook for five minutes. Now add enough hot water to almost cover the meat, cover and simmer on a low heat for about two hours until the meat is tender.

Meanwhile soak the small onions in hot water for five minutes and peel the skin off.

Drain well and fry the onions in the remaining butter until browned. Set aside.

Once the meat is cooked through add the onions and cook for a further 30 minutes.

Taste, adjust seasoning and serve.

BEETROOT, FIG & RED ONION SALAD

2024-09-20T07:47:00.000+01:00

BEETROOT, FIG & RED ONION SALAD

I copied this recipe from the Michael Moseley's Fast 800 diet book and it is delicious!!

Ingredients.

2 tblsp Olive oil

2 tblsps Balsamic Vinegar

300g Cooked Beetroot cut into wedges

2 Ripe Figs quartered

1 Red Onion quartered

30g Walnuts cut into small pieces

60g Feta Cheese crumbled

Good handful torn fresh Basil

Method.

Heat the oven to 200c

Spread the Beetroot and Red Onion in an oven proof tray with raised sides,

Drizzle over the oil and Balsamic Vinegar.

Cover the tray with foil and bake in the oven for 20 mins.

Remove from the oven and take off the foil,

Scatter the figs and stir in the Walnuts, season with Salt and Pepper.

Put back in the oven and cook uncovered for another 20 mins.

Allow to cool down, then sprinkle over the Feta and stir in the Fresh Basil. That's it!

Enjoy!

Fiery Goan Chicken Jalfrezi

2022-08-04T08:57:00.000+01:00

Fiery Goan Chicken Jalfrezi

OK, so this is a bit of a mashup, but, it's delicious!

For this dish I used The Spice Tailor Fiery Goan curry pack.

Follow the instructions on the pack, then in a separate pan, heat a tablespoon of oil until shimmering and add a green pepper, in bite size pieces, a chopped onion in bite size pieces and a finely chopped chilli. Sprinkle over a Teaspoon of Garam Masala and fry until the onions start to brown on the edges.

When the chicken is cooked, stir in the fried onions and pepper, garnish with coriander and serve!

Tip: To zing it up a bit add a couple of slices of lemon 5 minutes before the end of cooking.

Roasted Red Pepper & Butternut Squash Soup

2021-11-10T13:38:00.000+00:00

Roasted Red Pepper & Butternut Squash Soup.

This is a simple, deliciously healthy recipe,

that you can eat as part of a low carb diet.

Ingredients

2 tblsps Olive Oil

4 Red Pepper, de seeded and halved

400gr Butternut Squash, diced

1 Medium Onion, diced

500ml Vegetable Stock

½ tsp Chilli Flakes

Salt & Black Pepper to taste.

Method

Heat oven to 180c

Place the peppers, onions and Butternut Squash in an oven tray. Season well and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of oil over.

Cook in the oven until the edges of the peppers blacken ( 20-30mins).

Allow to cool, then dice the peppers.

In a large saucepan, heat the remaining oil and add the roasted veg. Pour in the veg stock and chilli flakes. Bring to the boil and simmer for 25mins, until the veg is soft.

Now just blitz it in a food processor, until smooth. Check for seasoning and serve.

Delicious!

Chickpea & Lentil Curry.

2021-09-05T11:34:00.010+01:00

Chickpea and Lentil Curry.

This is a very tasty side, or even a main dish if you prefer, packed full of flavour and goodness!

INGEDIENTS

1 Tblsp Veg Oil

1 Tsp Mustard Seeds

5-6 Curry Leaves

1 Large Onion chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped

2 Tomatoes, seeds removed and chopped

1 Red Pepper deseeded and sliced into strips

1-2 Fresh Green Chillies, finely chopped

2 tsps Garam Masala

½ tsp Turmeric

½ 400g tin Green Lentils, drained washed

½ 400g tin Chickpeas, drained & washed

1tsp Salt

1tsp Ground Black Pepper or to taste

METHOD

Heat the oil on medium and add the mustard seeds and curry leaves.

When the mustard seeds start to pop add the onions and fry until soft and golden in colour (about 5-8 minutes).

Now add the garlic and green chillies.

Fry for another 2 mins, then add the turmeric, pepper, salt and 1 tsp of Garam masala, stirring to make sure the spices don't catch, turn the heat down a little.

Fry for a minute, then add the chopped tomatoes, red pepper and a splash of water. Cook the tomatoes until that break down to form a thick Masala sauce, add more water if needed. Now add the Chickpeas and Lentils and allow to cook in the sauce until it all comes together. Break down some of the chickpeas with the back of a spoon.

Finally add the other tsp of Garam Masala, taste for seasoning, stir and serve.

Tandoori Chicken

2021-08-31T07:47:00.000+01:00

Tandoori Chicken

This is a delicious recipe.

The chicken is marinated overnight to infuse the spices. It goes really well with a nice salad and a yogurt & mint raita.

Ingredients:

4-6 chicken thighs (bone in, skin removed).

1 tblsp cooking oil

Juice from 1 lemon

3 or 4 Garlic cloves

2cm piece of grated Ginger

1 Green chilli chopped

200ml of Greek style Yogurt

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Garam Masala

1 tsp Cumin seeds crushed

1 tblsp Red Kashmiri Chilli powder

1 tblsp Dried Fenugreek leaves.

Method:

Slash the chicken a couple of times down to the bone.

Blend or pound the Garlic, Ginger and Green Chilli to a pulp.

Put the chicken in a large bowl and mix in the Garlic, Chilli and ginger mix.

Now stir in the Lemon Juice and Cooking Oil.

In a separate bowl mix the yogurt with all the other ingredients.

Add this mixture to the Chicken and mix well using your hands.

Once mixed, cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight or for a minimum of 2 hours.

Next, place under a hot grill and cook, turning occasionally, allowing to blacken slightly to give that authentic charred look.

Make sure the Chicken is cooked right through and juices run clear.

Enjoy!

Healthy Ham and Cheese Salad

2021-08-10T10:50:00.001+01:00

Healthy Ham & Cheese Salad

Serves 1.

Nice and easy, healthy lunch with a touch of the Mediterranean.

Ingredients

1 little gem lettuce torn into pieces

3 Cherry Tomatoes halved

2 Spring Onions chopped

¼ of a Cucumber cut into chunks

30g Hard Cheese (Cheddar or similar) cubed.

3 slices of Ham cut into strips

A small handful of Pumpkin Seeds

4 or 5 Green Olives halved

Juice of half a Lemon

1 Tblsp Olive Oil

3 Tinned Anchovies cut into pieces

Salt & Pepper to taste

Method

Spread the salad ingredients on a plate

Layer with ham and cheese

Mix the lemon juice and olive oil and drizzle over the top.

Finally top with Anchovies, Olives and pumpkin Seeds

Season well and enjoy!

Punjabi Chicken Curry!

2021-05-18T14:39:00.000+01:00

Staying in tonight, how about a nice curry?

Try a Punjabi Chicken recipe, it's delicious!

You will need:

500g Chicken pieces bone in

15g ginger chopped

8 cloves of garlic sliced

4 green cardamoms

2 black cardamoms

2" piece of cinnamon

4 cloves

salt to taste

3-4 green chillies whole but pierced

1 large onion sliced

3 tomatoes

1 tbl spoon of ground coriander

1.5 tsps of ground cumin

half tsp turmeric

quarter tsp chili powder

handful of chopped coriander leaves

To Cook:

brown the onions well in 5 tablespoons of veg oil for about 8mins

meanwhile in a blender blitz the tomatoes, garlic and ginger with a little water until smooth

add the cardamoms, green chillies, cinnamon and cloves to the pot and cook for a further 2 mins.

remove skin from the chicken and add to the pot and brown for 5 mins.

add the blended ingredients powdered spices and salt with half a cup of water cook for a further 5 mins.

add enough warm water to come half way up the chicken and cook on a low heat for 20 mins or until the chicken is cooked turn off the heat and add the chopped coriander and serve.

Brinjal, Paneer & Spinach Curry

2021-05-08T13:18:00.000+01:00

Brinjal, Paneer & Spinach Curry

I had an Aubergine in the fridge, so I thought I'd try and cook up a new recipe and it turned out really well. Full of flavour, with the added luxurious taste of coconut milk.

INGREDIENTS

1 Large Aubergine plus veg oil

2-3 tblsps oil

1tsp Black Mustard seeds

1 tsp Cumin seeds

8-10 Curry leaves

5cm Cassia bark

1 Red Onion finely sliced

4 Garlic cloves chopped

1 thumb size piece of Ginger finely chopped

3-4 mild green Chilli's finely chopped

1tsp ground Cumin

1tsp ground Coriander

1tsp Kashmiri Chilli powder

½ tsp turmeric

1tsp Salt or to taste

3 Tomatoes chopped

100gr Baby Leaf Spinach

150gr Paneer diced

3 tblsps Coconut Milk

1tsp Garam Masala

Handful chopped Coriander

METHOD

Aubergine.

Heat an oven tray in a hot oven 220c

Slice aubergine into 10mm slices, then each slice into 3 batons.

Toss the Aubergine in some oil in a bowl.

Tip into the hot tray and roast until browned but not burnt. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Masala Sauce.

Heat the oil over a medium heat

Add the Mustard seeds, Cumin seeds, Curry leaves and Cassia bark. Cook until Mustard seeds begin to pop. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 10mins.

Now add the Garlic Chillies and Ginger.

Cook for around 2mins, then add the ground spices and salt, stir, cook for a minute, adding a splash of water.

Throw in the chopped tomatoes and cook on low-medium heat until the tomatoes break down. Add a splash of water if the sauce starts to catch.

To Finish.

Stir in the Paneer and 3 tblsps of coconut milk. Cook for 5mins on low, then add all the Spinach. Cover the pan and cook on low until the Spinach has wilted down.

Now stir in the roasted Aubergine, warm through, add the Garam Masala, stir and remove from the heat. Add the chopped Coriander and serve!!

My Homemade Wholemeal Loaf.

2021-05-08T07:50:00.000+01:00

My Homemade Wholemeal Loaf.

You will need:

2lb Bread tin

Mixing bowl

2 jugs.

INGREDIENTS

400g Wholemeal Flour

100g Strong Plain Flour

50g Softened Butter

1 Tsp Salt

1Tsp Nigella Seeds

15g Active Yeast

1Tsp Caster Sugar

300ml warm water.

METHOD

Make up 150ml of warm water in a small jug, sprinkle over the yeast and sugar.

Whisk well and leave until the top froths to about 5-10mm.

Place the flour, salt & Nigella Seeds into a large mixing bowl and using a fork, mix well.

Now add the butter, using your fingers, rub in well, until you almost have a breadcrumb mixture.

Add the yeast mixture and the rest of the warm water. Bring together to form a dough.

Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and begin to knead.

Knead for 5 - 10mins until the dough becomes smooth but pliable.

Return the dough to the bowl,(tip: wipe a little oil around the bowl first) cover with cling film and leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size. Up to an hour.

Turn your oven on 200c/180c fan,

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead again for 5-10mins.

Shape dough and place into your bread tin, cover with lightly oiled cling film or a damp tea towel. Leave to rise, so that it is just above the bread tin.

Remove the cling film, dust with a little flour and put on the middle oven shelf.

Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Turn the bread out onto a wire rack and allow to cool.

Enjoy!

Delicious Vegetable Curry!

2021-05-02T10:09:00.000+01:00

Vegetable Curry

This is a very tasty but simple dish that can either be a main or side.

For this I've used courgette, green beans and carrots, but any leftover veg will do.

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsps veg oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 Bay leaf

1 dried red chilli

2 cloves

3 green cardamom

1 large onion, sliced

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp salt or to taste.

1 green chilli (optional).

1 large tomato chopped.

1 or 2 courgettes sliced

1 carrot sliced

Handful of green beans topped and tailed.

1-2 teaspoons sugar.

1 tsp Garam masala.

METHOD

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the mustard seed, along with all the whole spices.

Cook until mustard seeds start to pop.

Now add the onions, lower the heat and cook until golden brown, ( about 10 minutes). Add a splash of water from time to time to avoid burning the onions.

Now add the ground spices, salt and green chilli.

Stir and cook for a minute. Now add the tomato and a splash of water and cook on a medium, low heat until the tomato breaks down.

Add the remaining vegetables and the sugar. Cook on a low heat, with a lid on until the vegetables are cooked. Check frequently to make sure the mixture doesn't stick, adding water if necessary.

Finally, when the dish is ready, stir in the garam Masala and serve. Delicious!

Lamb & Spinach Curry

2021-04-16T19:35:00.002+01:00

Lamb with Spinach

Another Hari Ghotra inspired dish, this Lamb curry is delicious!

A little spicy with a deep flavour and well worth the effort.

INGREDIENTS

350g Diced Lamb

3 cloves of garlic

1" piece of ginger chopped

1 tblsp coriander seeds

½ tsp salt

2-3 tblsps oil

1 large onion sliced

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp chilli powder

1 red chilli chopped

1 tsp salt

3 tblsps plain yogurt

100grs baby spinach

METHOD

Grind the Coriander seeds in a spice grinder and place in a pestle and mortar

With the garlic, ginger and salt.

Work into a paste and add to the diced lamb, mix well and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onions, cook until we'll browned on a medium to low heat. Remove a tblsp of onion and set aside.

Add the lamb mixture and cook on high for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the turmeric, chilli, chilli powder and salt, stir and cook for 2 mins.

Turn the heat down slightly and add a tblsp of yogurt, stir and cook until absorbed into the mixture, repeat until all the yogurt is used. Now add the spinach, cover the pan, turn the heat to its lowest setting and cook for 40 - 50mins stirring from time to time until the lamb is cooked through. Add a little hot water if the sauce becomes to dry or starts to stick. You should end up with a nice creamy sauce.

Serve with some of the saved onion sprinkled on top. Delicious!!

A TASTE OF SPAIN!

2021-04-06T19:27:00.003+01:00

SPANISH STYLE CHICKEN WITH CHORIZO

This is absolutely delicious and full of the flavour of Spain.

INGREDIENTS

3 TBLSPS EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

1 SMALL ONION CHOPPED

1 CLOVE GARLIC FINELY SLICED

200g GOLDEN POMODORINI (Small sweet Tomatoes) TOMATOES HALVED

100g CHORIZO SLICED

4 SKINLESS CHICKEN THIGHS

3 SMALL TO MEDIUM PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS SLICED

1 TBSP SPANISH SHERRY VINEGAR

HANDFUL FRESH BASIL TORN

SALT AND GROUND BLACK PEPPER

METHOD

Heat the oil on a moderate setting in a large shallow pan, add the Onion and Garlic.Fry for five minutes until soft and add the Chorizo, cook for a further two minutes or until the Paprika from the Chorizo is released. Add the Chicken and continue to cook until browned turning occasionally (about 6 – 10 mins). Now add the Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Sherry Vinegar, Fresh Basil, Salt and Ground Black Pepper. Cook on a high heat for 5 minutes stirring from time to time so that the chicken doesn't stick. Now pour in enough hot water to come half way up the chicken, bring to the boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer gently for 30mins. Stir the pan occasionally to avoid sticking. If you like it a little spicy, make sure your Chorizo is picante or even add a chopped mild red chilli.

Uncover the pan and continue to cook until the sauce becomes a little thicker, dress with a few spare Basil leaves and Serve with Spanish Style fried potatoes. Delicious!

Creamy Saag Paneer!

2021-04-01T17:36:00.002+01:00

Creamy Saag Paneer!

For all you vegetarians out there, I've recently cooked this dish following the Hari Ghotra recipe and it's delicious!

If you like curry, but you're a vegetarian, then download the Hari Ghotra app from your app store, you will find a whole selection of delicious meals that you can cook at home!

Hari's recipes are easy to follow and in my opinion, the best curry recipes anywhere!

BANANA BREAD!

2021-03-26T10:14:00.000+00:00

Banana Bread.

I saw this recipe on the back of a flour bag, so I thought, I'm going to have a go at this.

I mean, it sounds perfect if you're watching your weight. It's full of sugar and butter, it's even got real bananas in it! Perfect!!

Seriously this is a tasty treat, so why not give it a go?

Firstly set your oven to: 190c, Fan 170c

INGREDIENTS

200g Butter

200g Sugar

1tsp Vanilla extract

3 Medium eggs

200g Self raising white flour

2 Ripe Bananas mashed.

METHOD

Rub some butter round a 2lb loaf tin.

Put the butter and sugar into a bowl and beat until nice and creamy then stir in the vanilla extract.

Break the eggs into the bowl one at a time beating as you go.

Add half the flour to the bowl and beat well.

Now add the mashed bananas and beat again.

Mix in the rest of the flour and spoon the mixture into the loaf tin.

Smooth over the top.

Bake in the oven for 55 minutes.

Allow to cool for 20 minutes before turning the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool further.

That's it, enjoy!!

Beef Kofta Bhuna

2021-03-20T09:39:00.000+00:00

Beef Kofta Bhuna

This is my own take on an Indian kofta recipe, made using beef rather than lamb and I have to say its pretty damn tasty.

Feel free to have a go, add more chilli if you like it hot!

This recipe serves 2-3.

INGREDIENTS

For the Koftas

2 tblsps oil

300g mince beef

Handful fresh mint chopped finely

Handful fresh coriander chopped finely

1 garlic clove minced

1tsp chilli powder

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp salt

The Masala

3 tblsps oil

2" piece of cassia bark

2 Black cardamoms

4 green cardamoms

4 cloves

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 Bay leaf

1 Dried Kashmirri chilli

1 Onion chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

1 fresh green chilli

1 thumb sized piece ginger finely chopped

3 large tomatoes chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp turmeric

½ tsp hot chilli powder

1 tsp salt

½ cup frozen peas

1 dsrtsp mango chutney (optional).

Method

Place the mince in a large bowl

Along with the fresh herbs and spices including the salt.

Mix well using a fork, mashing the mince as you go.

Take small pieces of mince and roll into balls a little smaller than a golf ball.

You should end up with around 20 pieces.

Heat the oil on a medium heat in a large pan. Fry the Koftas in batches until browned and lift from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the rest of the oil to the same pan

And heat all the whole dry spices until fragrant.

Now add the onion, cook for five minutes and add garlic, ginger and green chilli.

Cook for about ten minutes adding a splash of water to avoid sticking.

Now stir in the ground spices and salt, stir and lower the heat.

Add the tomatoes, a splash of water and cook down until you have a nice Masala sauce.

Add the Koftas and enough water to almost cover them, bring to a boil, lower the heat and put a lid on.

Cook for around twenty minutes, remove the lid, add the peas and mango chutney if using. Turn the heat up and cook until the sauce thickens to your liking.

Taste for seasoning. That's it, enjoy!

Creamy Saag Aloo!

2021-03-13T07:33:00.001+00:00

Along with Bombay Aloo, Saag Aloo has to be one of my favourite Indian side dishes.

The creamy taste of potatoes and spinach, along with garlic, ginger, mustard seeds and cumin make this dish stand out.

Here's my version, I hope you enjoy.

INGREDIENTS

4-5 Charlotte or new potatoes

1 tblsp oil

1tsp Mustard seeds

1tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp turmeric

2 garlic cloves sliced

1 tblsp ginger finely sliced

1 large tomato chopped

1 small bag baby leaf spinach

1-2 small chillis chopped

1tsp salt

1 tsp Garam masala

METHOD

Boil the potatoes in their skins until just cooked through, set aside and allow to cool.

Once cooled, remove the skin and cut into bite size chunks.

Heat the oil on a medium heat in a shallow pan and add the mustard seeds.

Once they start to pop, add the cumin followed by the garlic, ginger and turmeric, reduce heat and cook for a couple of minutes adding a splash of water to stop it catching in the pan.

Now stir in the tomatoes, chilli and salt.

Cook down to form a Masala paste or until the tomatoes break down.

Add the spinach, stir, lower the heat, put a lid on and cook until the spinach has wilted down.

Now add the potatoes and carefully stir in, cook for a couple of minutes, stir in the garam Masala and serve!

Sweet 'n' Spicy Chicken Jalfrezi

2021-03-12T19:03:00.002+00:00

Sweet n Spicy Chicken Jalfrezi!

One of my favourite takeaways is Chicken Jalfrezi, it's sweet, Sour & Hot!

I used Hari Ghotra's recipe for this, as it's so simple to do.

INGREDIENTS

8 chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces

TOMATO GRAVY

2 tblsps oil

4 small chillies finely chopped

1tsp cumin seeds

4 cloves garlic sliced

1 tsp salt

4 tomatoes chopped

½ tsp turmeric

2 tblsps Greek yogurt

JALFREZI FRY

½ tsp salt

1 tblsp oil

1 Onion cut into chunks

1 red pepper cut into chunks

1 green pepper cut into chunks

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tomato chopped

2 chillis chopped

1tsp Garam masala

METHOD

Heat oil in a large pan and add the cumin seeds, chilli and garlic.

Fry until lightly browned.

Now add the tomatoes, salt and turmeric.

Cook until the tomatoes break down and it forms a thick Masala sauce.

Add the chicken and mix well, reduce the heat, put a lid on and cook for 15-20 mins until the chicken is cooked through.

Stir in the yogurt and carry on cooking on the lowest setting.

In a separate pan, heat the oil, add cumin seeds and cook until fragrant.

Stir in the onions, tomato, Peppers and chilli.

Stir fry for as long or as little as you prefer, it's nice to keep a little crunch.

Stir in the garam Masala.

Once the chicken is cooked and the sauce has reduced, stir in the fried pepper mixture, simmer for a couple of minutes and serve.

Enjoy!

Tarka Dhal

2021-03-03T18:16:00.002+00:00

TARKA DHAL

Tarka Dhal, hmm…. During my last employment, in the sign trade, my old boss would treat us hardworking souls to what was called a corporate Curry night, where far too much beer was consumed for a weeknight, but it was always a great evening.

I first joined said company 25 odd years ago.

The Tarka Dhal for some reason was renamed by the boss as a Tarka Goddam

So I thought I would add this dish as a homage to those days!

I've followed Hari Ghotra's Red Lentil Dhal recipe.

Ingredients:

200g Red Lentils (washed).

900ml water (approx).

1tsp salt.

Masala:

1tblsp ghee or veg oil.

1tsp cumin

1 dried red chilli

1 Bay Leaf

1 Onion chopped

1 garlic clove chopped

2 Tomatoes finely chopped

1tsp Ginger grated

1tsp Turmeric

1 chilli finely chopped

1tsp fenugreek leaves

1tsp Garam Masala

For the Tarka:

1 tblsp Ghee

1 garlic clove sliced

1 green chilli finely sliced

1tsp Mustard seeds.

METHOD

Put the Lentils in a large pan of water and salt. Bring to the boil.

Remove the froth, lower the heat and simmer until the Lentils are soft.

In a frying pan heat the ghee or oil

And add the chilli, bay leaf and cumin seeds.

When the seeds sizzle, add the onion and garlic, fry until lightly browned. Reduce the heat and add the tomatoes, ginger, turmeric, fenugreek and the chopped chilli. Cook gently until it forms a thick Masala.

Add a ladle full of Lentils to the masala and stir to mix well. Then empty the contents of the frying pan into the lentils, it should have the consistency of soup, but if its too thick, just add some boiling water.

NOW FOR THE TARKA

Heat the ghee in a small frying pan

Add the sliced garlic, chilli and mustard seed, cook until fragrant, then add to the Dhal. Stir in a tsp of Garam Masala and add some fresh chopped coriander to garnish… That's it, enjoy!

Chinese Sticky Beef!

2021-02-22T20:48:00.000+00:00

CHINESE STICKY BEEF

I had Roast beef leftover from a Sunday dinner and wondered what to do with it.

So I cobbled this tasty meal together, trust me, it was well worth the effort!

I dished it up with a vegetable Chow Mein and boiled rice.

Ingredients.

1 tblsp vegetable oil

Leftover roast beef

2 tblsps cornflour

2 tsps Chinese 5 spice

1 garlic clove sliced

1 small red chilli, sliced

2 spring onions, sliced

1 sachet Blue Dragon Sweet Chilli & Garlic sauce.

Method.

Cut the beef into slices then strips.

In a bowl, mix together the cornflour and 5 spice.

Using a little oil mix the beef strips in the flour.

Add the oil to the wok or frying pan and heat up on a medium setting.

Add the garlic and chilli, stir for a few seconds, allowing to sizzle.

Now add the beef and stir fry for around 2 min

Finally, pour in the blue dragon sauce and cook stirring constantly until the mixture becomes sticky.

Serve with a sprinkling of chopped spring onions on top. Enjoy!

The Humble Cardamom

2021-02-19T15:11:00.000+00:00

The humble Cardamom pod! What is it? Where does it come from?

Cardamom is a spice made from the seed pods of the cardamom plant, a close relative to ginger and turmeric, that is native to South India. The triangle-shaped pods are made up of clusters of seeds with a thin outer shell that can be enjoyed both whole or ground. The spice is frequently used in both sweet and savory dishes in global cuisines from India to the Middle East to even Scandinavia.

Cardamom has an interesting aroma with a piney, fruity, and almost menthol-like flavour. To me, cardamom is an essential addition to the flavour of a rich curry sauce, although my wife would disagree and will always send out an advanced guard to hunt out and remove said pod from her meal. One way to enjoy the full aroma & taste of the pod without chewing on the woody outer shell is to carefully open the pod and add the seed to your sauce separately.

Black Cardamom pods are larger and used to add a smokiness to a curry so are more suited to red meat dishes. They are mainly grown in the himalayas region.

I would recommend you remove them from your curry after cooking as they are not pleasant to taste.

Tasty Tiramisu!

2021-02-16T19:01:00.002+00:00

Wow!

Tiramisu, made easily, without eggs.

You must try this simple yet very tasty Tiramisu, if I can do it, so can you.

Ingredients.

I used 300ml double cream

125g marscapone

40ml Tia Maria

90g sponge fingers

2 tblsps caster sugar

150ml strong coffee made with 1.5 tblsps instant coffee

25g plain chocolate

2 tsps cocoa powder.

Method.

Put the cream, marscapone, Tia Maria and sugar into a bowl.

Whisk until it resembles the consistency of thick cream.

Pour the coffee into a shallow bowl and dip the sponge fingers in for a couple of seconds turning once. Remove before they become soggy. Layer in a dish until you've used half. Then spoon half of the cream mixture over the top.

Then using the coarse side of the grater, grate half the chocolate onto the mixture and then repeat using the remaining sponge fingers. Use up the remaining coffee then the cream, grated chocolate and finally a good dusting of cocoa powder. Chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Serves 4

Know your onions!

2021-02-12T16:45:00.000+00:00

Onions! To say I'm a slow learner is an understatement, so when I first started cooking curry about 30 years ago, I thought, heat some oil cook a few chopped onions for a few minutes then chuck in your spices tomatoes and meat, cook for a while… Hey presto! Curry is served…… Wrong!!

One of the most important ingredients in a curry is the humble onion, treat it with respect! Depending on the recipe you are using, onions should be cooked longer for red meat and slightly shorter, for say, chicken, typically 15-20 minutes of browning on a medium heat, adding water if the onions start to catch on the pan. Browning the onions well adds a rich depth of flavour to the curry. I recently did a biryani dish and the onions were cooked in unsalted butter for over 30mins and they caramelised giving a really fantastic flavour to the finished dish. So, for the perfect curry, have a little patience with those onions, seriously, it'll be worth it.

Keema Mattar

2021-02-07T22:12:00.000+00:00

One of my favourite go-to curries is Keema Mattar, I use either lamb or beef mince depending on what's in the freezer.

It's a simple, easy to follow recipe and tastes so good! Serve it with plain boiled rice or chapatis.

KEEMA MATTAR (Lamb or Beef Mince with Garden Peas).

Ingredients:

1 tsp Coriander Seeds

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

2 Cardamoms

4 Cloves

1 Kashmiri dried red chilis

1 tsp ground turmeric

Salt to taste

Tsp of sugar

3 Large Tomatoes

5 Cloves Garlic

15g Ginger peeled weight

8 Curry Leaves

50cm Cinnamon stick

1 Green chili whole but pierced

1 Onion

500g Lamb Mince

Half tsp Garam masala

Mug of Frozen garden peas

To Cook:

In a spice grinder, grind the red chillis, cloves, cardamoms, cumin seeds and coriander seeds.

Set aside.

In a blender, Blend the garlic, Ginger and tomatoes with a splash of water.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan until hot, then add the curry leaves, cinnamon and green chilli, sizzle for 10 seconds and add the onion. Cook until well browned.

Add the blended paste and cook with the onions for about five minutes on a moderate heat.

Now add the mince and all the ground spices and sugar along with the turmeric and salt.

Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook for twenty minutes, adding a little water if the mixture becomes too dry.

Add the frozen peas and cook on low until the peas are cooked. Stir in the Garam Masala and serve. Tip: If you want to make it a little richer in taste, add a little double cream with the peas.

Good with rice or Chapatis.

PERFECT RICE

2021-02-03T23:14:00.001+00:00

Perfect Rice Everytime!

For a long time, I'd struggled with my rice, it usually ended up too wet or stodgy! Now, I have a formula which I think is full proof!

Serves two.

As a rule I use 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water.
Wash your rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Drain well.
In a small pan, heat a dsrt spoonful of oil and add the rice
Cook for a minute stirring constantly.
Add the water, a little salt to taste and bring to a boil
Put a lid on the pan and turn heat to its lowest setting.
Cook like this for exactly ten minutes, then take pan off the heat, leave to stand for a further ten minutes.
Fluff up gently with a fork and serve.

Add flavour.

At step 3, add 2 black cardamom, 3 green cardamom, 4 cloves, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and 1"piece cinnamon stick to the oil and fry until the aroma is released, then follow the rest of the instructions.