The Real Curry Secret

Chicken Korma Recipe

2010-12-20T00:15:00.000-08:00

An authentic korma will have little to do with ready-made sauces that might bear the same name, and should showcase aromatic spice combinations that will take a bit more time to prepare than just opening a can or jar. The following chicken korma recipe is a wonder of Indian cookery and should prove to be a favourite party dish or just use for that special family treat.
The word korma probably has Persian origins -‘koresh’, which referred to a mild stew. The Moghuls made the dish very rich and highly aromatic by using cream, yoghurt, ground almonds, saffron and other special spices. In the average UK curry house, korma will herald a very mild and creamy dish but traditionally a korma can be quite hot . In Kashmir the korma's accepted home, one of the most popular recipes ‘Mirchwangan Korma’ is red in colour because it is so full of red chillies! The following special chicken korma recipe is of medium heat and of course you can add less or more chillies to suit your own particular taste.

Chicken Korma Recipe
4 onions, two sliced, the remaining two chopped
4 - 6 tablespoons of oil for cooking, more if you deep fry the onions
25 grams (1 oz) almonds, blanched
25 grams (1 oz) cashew nuts
A few strands of saffron
4 - 6 whole cloves
6 brown (sometimes called black) cardamom pods
12 green cardamom pods
10 cm (4 inches) cinnamon stick
750 grams (1 lb 10 oz) chicken breasts or thighs
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 inch (2.5 cm) cube of ginger, peeled and grated
½ - 1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
100 ml (4 tablespoons) double cream (or yoghurt for the health conscious)
½ teaspoon garam masala
10 cashew nuts, chopped and toasted

Prepare the sliced onions by sprinkling them with salt ad set aside for at least 30 minutes. Then squeeze out as much water as you can from them and dry with kitchen towel. Next fry (preferably deep fry) the prepared onions in a good quantity of oil until they are golden brown. Remove from oil and drain well. These fried onions are then made into a smooth paste with the addition of hot water (about 4 -5 tablespoons) by using a food processor. Put aside this onion paste for use later.
Soak the almonds and cashews in warm water before processing them into a puree with some of the soaking liquid (around 3 tablespoons). Set aside.

Soak saffron strands in 3 tablespoons of warm water and set aside.
Next make the main curry base in a large pan or wok. Fry the chopped onions in some oil for 10 minutes, stir in cloves, cardamom pods and cinnamon stick, before adding the chicken pieces. Follow this with the fried onion paste, the ground nut paste, garlic, ginger, chilli and coriander. Fry for at least a further 10 minutes on a slightly higher heat. Next add about 150 ml of water and simmer for 15 -20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through when you can then add the saffron and soaking liquid, and finally the cream (or yoghurt). Heat through again and then garnish by sprinkling on the garam masala and toasted nuts just before serving.

Possibly the best chicken korma recipe in the world. Enjoy.

Lamb Curry Recipe

2010-12-16T09:22:00.000-08:00

This simple lamb curry recipe shows influence from the Kashmir region of north India but it has been tweaked to make the process less time consuming. So this is a relatively quick recipe but one where I am sure you will find that the final result is still something quite special.

Lamb Curry Recipe

1 tablespoon oil (or butter)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1-2 fresh green chillies, finely sliced (seeds removed for less heat if required)
1-2 teaspoons ground chillies
1 lb (500 grams) boned leg of lamb, cut into cubes (about 1 inch or slightly more)
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons garam masala
Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste
Optional garnish of 1 tablespoon desiccated coconut

Heat the oil or butter in a large heavy frying pan and fry the onion, garlic, fresh chillies and ground chillies over a medium heat for a couple of minutes. Next add the lamb and vinegar with a seasoning of salt and pepper and stir-fry for 2 more minutes. Add tomatoes and give everything a good stir. Cover the pan and simmer for 30-40 minutes.
Check the lamb to see if it is cooked and adjust the amount of liquid (if you need to) with some water or perhaps a little lemon juice - it should not be sticking to the pan. If all is well, add the garam masala and let it all stew together for another 5 minutes before adjusting the final seasoning.
The mixture can then be poured out into an attractive serving dish and scattered with the optional garnish of desiccated coconut before being placed on the table.

This recipe goes very well with Kashmiri pilau rice, where basmati rice is cooked with aromatic spices - cardamoms, cinnamon stick, whole cloves and cumin seeds are lightly fried in ghee or butter until they begin to colour. Pre-washed rice is then stirred into the mixture before water is added and then it is cooked in a covered pan.
Whatever you serve as accompaniments I hope you will agree that this a main dish that looks and tastes great. This fantastic lamb curry recipe proves that the road to great tasting authentic Indian food does not have to be complex or time consuming if you follow the route set by the Real Curry Secret.

Turkey Curry

2010-11-22T00:18:00.000-08:00

Turkey is not just for Christmas and Thanksgiving and can now be found in shops throughout the year. This turkey curry recipe can be made in any season. However this recipe will come in very handy at times when the supply of fresh birds is plentiful but new ideas on how to use leftovers may be thin on the ground. Fresh meat can be used but this recipe has been specially designed to spice up those pieces that prove to be surplus to the demands of Christmas Day. Think of this as a sort of turkey stir fry and it is best cooked in a karai or wok type pan.

Turkey Curry
2 - 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon black peppercorns, cracked
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ - 1 teaspoon ground chillies, according to taste
2 - 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1 inch cube fresh root ginger, grated
2 large onions, finely chopped
½ - 1 red pepper, cut into fine strips
1 - 2 fresh red chillies, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tamarind puree (or substitute more lemon juice)
4-6 tomatoes, chopped
600 grams (1 lb 4 oz) pre-cooked turkey, shredded
2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, torn or coarsely chopped
Salt, pepper and lemon juice to your taste

Heat the vegetable oil in a wok and stir fry all of the first eight listed spices for about 30 seconds, then add garlic and ginger and fry for a further 30 seconds.
Next add onions, red pepper, fresh chillies, tamarind and tomatoes and stir-fry for 5 minutes. (If you have trouble obtaining the tamarind you could add some extra lemon juice as a souring substitute but do hunt for the real thing as nothing else really gives the same flavour).
Finally add the cooked turkey pieces and stir-fry until all is heated through and piping hot. (Fresh turkey cut into small cubes could be added here instead and cooked for about 15 - 20 minutes in the sauce). Throw in the coriander leaves, adjust seasoning and add some water if required so that there is plenty of sauce to the dish.

Chicken can be used instead of turkey very successfully for this recipe - so why not try both variations? I find that a nice pea pilau or some sort of vegetable rice creation to be the perfect accompaniment to this dish. However if you are in a hurry just try adding cooked peas (plus perhaps a can of sweet corn) to cooked plain basmati rice - a quick stir and you have a very colourful addition for the table without the extra oil (and calories) needed for a proper cooked pilau.
Gobble, gobble - a great turkey curry that is certainly too good to have just at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Curry Prawns Recipe

2010-11-19T01:35:00.000-08:00

Prawns are an excellent main ingredient for a curry as they cook quickly but absorb spice flavours well and have a nice texture. This Curry Prawns recipe is based on a Bengali shrimp curry that is very popular in the Calcutta area of India.
The difference between “prawns” and “shrimps”? You may well ask. In strict biological terms they are different creatures but for most culinary purposes they are taken to be one and the same thing, the exact word used being usually dependant on their relative sizes. In the UK we generally refer to shrimps as the seafood that is quite small in size and often used for “potted shrimp” for example, while prawns will be much bigger with the term king prawn being used for the biggest available. Other countries have different uses of these names - for example king prawns are called jumbo shrimps in some places - but an end to this confusion! Here we will be using a simple to follow Curry Prawns recipe with some classic Bengali spicing.

Curry Prawns Recipe
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 teaspoons ground red chillies
3 tablespoons hot water
2 - 3 cloves
½ teaspoon cardamom seeds
4-5 tablespoons strained, thick natural yoghurt
2 teaspoons ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon dried mango powder (amchoor powder)
500 grams (1 lb 2 oz) raw king prawns, peeled with heads, tails and veins removed
Salt, pepper and lemon juice for final seasoning
Fresh coriander sprigs and / or white poppy seeds to garnish

Soak the mustard seeds and chillies in the hot water for about 30 minutes. Then put the cloves and cardamom seeds into the soaked mixture and pour it all into a mortar and pound into a loose paste and put aside.
Next whisk the yoghurt until smooth and add in the ground coriander, cinnamon, turmeric and dried mango powder (do try and obtain this unusual spice as although it is exceedingly sour it really adds a very distinctive taste to the finished dish).
In a large frying pan or wok, heat the oil (a couple of tablespoons will do) and then add your prepared spice paste mixture. Stir fry for a minute or two, then add the spiced yoghurt mix, stir again and then simmer briefly before turning down the heat a bit. The prawns are then added carefully and cooked for 3 - 5 minutes until they are pink. Don’t forget a final check on the seasoning and adjust where necessary.
Garnish with either fresh coriander leaves or white poppy seeds (or even both).

This Bengali-style Curried Prawns recipe only needs the addition of basmati rice to bring you the authentic taste of Calcutta, without the need to leave your kitchen. If you live in Calcutta, it's even more authentic!

Butter Chicken Curry Recipe

2010-11-16T00:05:00.000-08:00

This is a fantastic dish that hails from northern India and is of 16th century Moghul origin. It's classic name is Makhani Murgh. Despite the slightly involved methods of preparation, the cooking processes are very simple and the final result is really worth your time and effort. It is said to be the starting point for that favourite western dish Chicken Tikka Masala (CTM) and you will need to refer to the Real Curry Secret Blog’s recipe for that to create your cooked chicken tikka pieces before you add them to the sauce that you will make here. Please do give this Butter Chicken curry recipe a try, I am sure you will not be disappointed.

Butter Chicken Curry Recipe
CTM pieces, as prepared in the Real Curry Secret Blog’s Chicken Tikka Masala Curry Recipe listed in the labels index opposite, just before they are added to the sauce.

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 - 2 teaspoons ground chillies
2 onions, pureed with a little water in a liquidiser
200 grams of tinned tomatoes, pureed
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1 teaspoon of garam masala
50 grams (2 oz) butter
Salt and pepper to your taste
Garnish of toasted almond flakes and fresh coriander sprigs
Optional single cream

First prepare your Chicken Tikka Masala (CTM) pieces as in our previously listed recipe up to the point of having fried them until they are just cooked through.
Now you can start preparing your red butter sauce by frying the garlic, paprika, cumin and coriander in the ghee using a large pan on a gentle heat for one minute, then add the pureed onions carefully and begin to increase the heat and cook for a further couple of minutes. Next add the tomatoes, tomato puree and garam masala and stir well, while still frying for 5 more minutes. The previously cooked CTM pieces can then be added and gently simmered for a few extra minutes. Finally add the butter, check the seasoning and stir the sauce until it becomes well mixed. Place in warmed serving dish and garnish with toasted almond flakes and the odd coriander leaf. For extra opulence a few teaspoons of single cream can also be dotted around on the top.

Plain boiled basmati rice will be the only necessity you require to complete a great meal, although of course you could add an Indian bread or vegetable side dish.
You will have created a real Indian classic that has been around for at least 450 years. This Butter Chicken Curry Recipe has certainly stood the test of time so do keep enjoying it and pass on one of the great tastes of the culinary past.

Chicken Tikka Masala Curry Recipe

2010-11-15T00:27:00.000-08:00

We pride ourself on bringing you authentic Indian food and curries from around the world and here is our perfect Chicken Tikka Masala curry recipe.
Pat Chapman, founder of the Curry Club, reckons that this type of curry was invented by a British curry house chef (identity unknown) around 1980 by adding a a tasty, creamy, pink, mild sauce - including a surfeit of red food colouring - to the already very popular dish of Chicken Tikka. Various other theories say the origins lie in 1950s Glasgow or late 1970s Soho, London, while some insist it did come from India, most probably Punjab during the last 50 years. Whatever the true beginnings, all are agreed that it is one of the UK’s most popular dishes, even being proclaimed by former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook as “Britain's true national dish” .
The many theories of the origins of the Chicken Masala Curry recipe are only matched by the number of variations in the actual ingredients used. As ever, the Real Curry Secret brings you the tried and tested, ultimate version.

Chicken Tikka Masala Curry Recipe
4 chicken breasts, skinned, boned and diced into 1 inch cubes

For the marinade:
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 inch square cube of fresh root ginger, grated or finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground chilllies
1 teaspoon tumeric
2 tablespoons natural yoghurt
1 tablespoon tomato puree
Juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
Salt and black pepper

Sauce:
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped or ground chillies according to taste
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 x 400 grams tin of chopped tomatoes or fresh if you prefer
3 - 4 tablespoons natural yoghurt
Salt and black pepper
Optional cream or double cream

Make the marinade by mixing all the required ingredients together in a bowl, add the cubed chicken and stir, making sure it is all well coated. Cover the bowl and set aside for at least 8 hours - in the fridge overnight would be fine.
Next day remove from fridge and stir well. Using a little vegetable oil, heat a pan to medium high heat, add the chicken and brown it on all sides, taking about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile in another pan, fry the onion, chilli, tumeric and garam masala for 5 minutes, until the onion begins to brown, then add the tomatoes and yoghurt, stirring well and simmer for 10 minutes to get a consistent sauce. The browned chicken pieces are then added to the sauce and simmered for a further15 - 20 minutes, after checking for the seasoning of salt and pepper. If you want a bit more of a luxurious sauce, stir in a couple of tablespoons of cream just before serving. The sauce will not be the colour of many restaurant versions as these often use a lot of food colouring - you could adjust yours by using extra tomato puree near the end of cooking, but be guided by taste and not the final colour of the dish.

With some plain boiled basmati rice and possibly a simple mixed leaf salad you will have a perfect meal featuring this great dish of British cuisine. That is our Chicken Tikka Masala curry recipe - use no other!

Mince Curry Recipe

2010-11-14T05:12:00.000-08:00

Mince is a very useful ingredient for a curry and is called keema in India. It can be cooked much faster that larger pieces of meat, can be marinated in a shorter time and should be a cheaper alternative to other cuts. This mince curry recipe uses lamb but any kind of mince works just as well – even Quorn mince for vegetarians. Do not buy very cheap mince as it is likely to have a much higher fat content and as this is a fairly dry type of curry where the meat is not lost in a lot of sauce, the excess fat would not be welcome.

Mince Curry Recipe
1 x 125 grams/ 3 - 4 tablespoons of plain yoghurt - thick Greek is best
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ kilogram (1 lb 2 oz) minced lamb
4 medium onions, peeled, with two just sliced and the other two finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into quarters lengthways
225 grams (8 oz) fresh or frozen peas, shelled
1-2 fresh green chillies, finely chopped or 1 - 2 teaspoons of ground chillies (optional)
Salt. pepper and lemon juice according to taste

Mix the turmeric, garam masala and cumin seeds into the yoghurt in a large bowl, then add the minced lamb, stir well and put aside to marinate for up to an hour if possible.
The medium finely sliced onions are then gently fried with the vegetable oil in a good sized pan (make sure it has a lid for use later) until they get a golden brown colour.
The marinated mince mixture can then be added, the heat turned up a bit, and fry on a medium setting for about 5 minutes. Give a good stir now and then before adding the remaining onions (the fairly finely chopped ones), the quartered garlic, and the chillies. Stir well and then pour in enough hot water (or a suitable optional stock) to make sure the whole mixture is just barely covered. Put on the lid and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Remove lid and check for consistency - more water may be required now or during the next 15 minutes or so while the lamb begins to brown and the liquid reduces. Add the peas. Check for seasoning, adding salt, pepper and lemon juice as required. Slowly simmer with the lid off this time. The end result should be very moist and succulent but not swimming in liquid.

This dish will need the addition of rice or an Indian bread to make a full meal, plus I would suggest at least one vegetable side dish which has a bit of sauce - a nice thick dal would go brilliantly or perhaps a creamy sag mattar paneer.

I hope you will try this great mince curry recipe and that it will become a firm favourite in your curry repertoire.

Tandoori Paste

2010-11-12T00:10:00.000-08:00

Although a trip to your local shopping emporium may provide a wide choice of ready-made tandoori pastes by brands such as Pataks and Rajah, the Real Curry Secret believes that for a few minutes' extra effort, you will find yourself rewarded with the true taste of this style of Punjabi cooking.

"Tandoori" takes its name from the type of clay oven (tandoor) that is used extensively throughout India, Pakistan and the Middle East. It was introduced into India by the Moslem Moghuls, who originated in Persia.
The temperature in a tandoor can reach 480°C (900°F), and ovens need to remain lit for long periods to maintain high cooking temperatures.
The tandoor is currently a very important fixture in many Indian restaurants around the world. Some modern day tandoors use electricity or gas instead of charcoal.

Tandoori Chicken
In a large bowl you will need to add and combine the following:
½ cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon peeled ginger, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground chillies
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt

Next take a chicken weighting approximately one and a half kilograms and cut into serving pieces. After skinning the chicken portions, cut slashes in the flesh to allow the marinade to penetrate, and then add the chicken pieces to the yogurt and spice mixture, turning several times to ensure all the chicken portions are coated. Cover and place in the fridge for between 8 and 24 hours. Thirty minutes before cooking remove chicken from the fridge, and pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees centigrade. Remove chicken from the bowl whilst lightly squeezing to remove excess marinade, brush with oil, place on a rack in the in the oven, and leave to cook for around 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with chopped coriander and slices of red onion, tomato, and cucumber plus a twist of lemon.

Tandoori Fish
In a large bowl you will need to add and combine the following:
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground chillies
½ teaspoon of ground cumin
¼ of turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt

Next take four fillets of fish (Cod, Hallibut, Monkfish but any firm white fish will do) weighting around 250 grams each and place on a tray. Coat gently with the tandoori marinade and leave to sit for about an hour. Place one tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large frying pan and heat until the oil is almost at smoking point. Carefully place your fish portions in the pan and fry for around three to four minutes, turn over with a spatula and continue frying for the same amount of time as the first side. When the fish is cooked serve onto individual plates with rice, tomato & cucumber riata, and garnish with chopped coriander.

All Purpose Tandoori Paste
This recipe will provide you with a concentrated paste that may be kept in the freezer to be used as required.

Into a blender place the following and blitz into a smooth paste
the juice of 2 lemons
100 grams fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
75 grams fresh coriander
50 grams cumin seeds, gently toasted and allowed to cool before adding
40 grams paprika
4-6 red chillies, de-seeded (depending on taste)
5 cloves of garlic, peeled
250 grams tomato puree
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
to use mix equal quantities of paste and natural yogurt, add your chicken, meat or fish and leave to marinate in the fridge for between 8 to 24 hours. If you wish to freeze for future use, place into an ice cube tray and when frozen keep the cubes in a freezer bag to be used as required.

Prepare to taste the better tandoori paste you've ever eaten. Please let us know what you think.

Low Fat Curry Recipe

2010-11-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

The average Indian take-out meal can often have a high fat content but it's possible to make a low fat curry recipe at home that will not taste any different from your bought in favourite. If you are also careful about the accompanying dishes, a curry meal can be tasty and healthy at the same time. Curry need not come with of an oily, high fat sauce. Try this low fat curry recipe that I use a lot with different pulses and see for yourself.

Low Fat Curry Recipe
Small amount of olive oil for frying
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 inch cube of fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated
1-2 fresh green chillies, finely chopped – or 1-2 dried ground chillies – according to taste 
2 teaspoons garam masala
 1 teaspoon turmeric
4-5 medium fresh tomatoes, chopped or 1 x 400 grams (14 oz) can
1 x 400 grams (14 oz) can of any pulse - eg chick peas, lentils, black eyed beans (or you could use cooked meat, prawn or vegetables)
Tomato puree to thicken, if required
Lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste

Fry the onion until it begins to soften and take on some colour, then add the garlic, ginger and chillies. After a minute or two add your dry spices and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the tomatoes. The mixture should then gently simmer for 10-15 minutes when you can then pour in your pre-cooked can of pulses or cooked meat or vegetables. Stir well and adjust the sauce to the consistency you are looking for - adding some vegetable stock if more liquid is needed and using a smidgen of tomato puree if you need it thicker. Season with salt, black pepper and lemon juice, as necessary.

To make a full meal cook your own plain boiled rice - use basmati if you can, but do not be tempted to make fried pilau rice which will just add more unwanted oil and fat. If do you like a more colourful looking rice, simply add a smattering of freshly cooked sweetcorn and/ or peas and stir into the boiled rice. Pappadoms can be cooked in a microwave in just a few seconds without the addition of any further oil. Serve them with a simple onion salad (chopped onions and tomatoes with a dash of mint sauce stirred through the mix). A cooling cucumber raita can be prepared by simply mixing low-fat plain yoghurt with finely chopped cucumber and black pepper.
Add as many (or all) of these accompaniments to your basic low fat curry recipe to produce a healthy satisfying meal that you will want to cook again and again.

Vegetable Samosa Recipe

2010-11-10T00:45:00.000-08:00

This classic vegetable samosa recipe makes a real standby for any nibbles and drinks party, a great starter for your next curry meal or a tasty snack at any time. Although this is the classic recipe, some shortcuts can be made, such as using shop bought filo pastry instead of making your own dough. Personally, I prefer to know that the finished article is 100% homemade, but the choice is yours!

Vegetable Samosa Recipe
Dough:
180 grams (6 oz) white plain flour (or a 50/ 50 mixture of wholemeal and white)
Large pinch of baking powder
Small pinch of salt
25 grams (1 oz) butter or vegetable oil or ghee (clarified butter)
Enough water to make a soft dough

Vegetable stuffing:
180 grams (6 oz) potatoes, washed, cut into small dice and boiled until just cooked
90 grams (3 oz) peas fresh or frozen, but must be pre-cooked
Oil for frying
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, washed, peeled and fairly finely grated
1 -2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 fresh green chilli, finely chopped or some ground chillies, according to taste
Couple of sprigs of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
Lemon juice
Pepper and salt seasoning to your taste

Make the dough first by sifting the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Rub in the fat (butter, oil or ghee) and mix in enough water to make a soft, smooth dough by kneading and then cover and store in a cool place - a plastic bag with a tiny amount of vegetable oil can be used for this purpose. (Of course, if you're using shop-bought filo pastry, you can skip this step!)
While the dough is resting, start on the filling. Fry the onion until soft, then add the grated carrot, dry spices and chilli. Next add the pre-cooked potatoes and peas and fry until the mixture is coated by the spice mixture and beginning to come together. At this point add the coriander leaves, lemon juice and seasoning as required, stir well, remove from the heat and then set aside to cool.

Next knead the dough again and divide into around 12 to 18 evenly sized balls depending on how large you want the finished samosa to be. Each ball is then rolled out to a 4 - 6 inch round, dusting with flour as required and then cut in half to make two “half moon” shapes. With one of these half moons fold the cut edge in half to make a sort of empty ice cream cone and crimp together using a fork and perhaps a little water (or a glue paste of flour and water) for better sealing of the edges. Once you have achieved a solid empty cone you can then fill it with the cooled vegetable filling.
Warning: do not over-fill as you then need to seal the top edge of the cone with the flour paste and fork crimping again.
Once you have prepared all the samosas this way you will then need to deep fry them, a few at a time, in hot oil until golden brown. Let them drain on kitchen paper. Alternatively you could use folded triangles of filo pastry and possibly bake them in the oven, basted with a little oil.
Experiment and you will soon have your own perfect vegetable samosa recipe.

Curry Plant

2010-11-09T00:10:00.000-08:00

The curry plant, otherwise known as helichrysum angustifolium or helichrysum italicum is a flowering plant that's in the asteraceae family, the same as daisies. It has been nicknamed the "curry plant" because the leaves have a strong aroma not dissimilar to a mad man's idea of what curry might smell like if he'd never had it.
It has been claimed that the curry plant is an effective cat deterrent and another nickname is "scaredy-cat". (We find that dried orange, lime and lemon peel scattered around flower beds does a much better – if not as pretty – job.
The curry plant grows in dry, sandy and rocky soil in European countries bounding the Mediterranean Sea, where it is cultivated. The plant grows easily and can reach a height of 70 cm or more. In summer, clusters of yellow flowers are produced which, because they keep their bright colour, are much used in dried flower arrangements. The leaves too, spiky and dark turquiosy-green, can be used for background and contrast.
An oil extracted from its blossoms is used for medicinal purposes as a fungicide, an astringent and anti-inflammatory, used for soothing raw skin and burns. It is also used in perfumes as a fixative and is prioxed for its intense fragrance.
Unfortunately, the curry plant (helichrysum angustifolium and helichrysum italicum) has absolutely nothing to do with Indian cooking and is no relation whatsoever to curry leaves or the curry tree (murraya koenigii) – known in India as Neem. The use of the leaves of the curry tree go back centuries and it is referred to in old Kannada and Tamil texts.
For more on the curry tree and its leaves, see the separate entry here: curry tree.

Indian Restaurants in Derby

2010-11-08T02:44:00.000-08:00

We are very taken by several Indian Restaurants in Derby. Derby is situated on the river Derwent, and has existed as a settlement since Roman times, and went on to become a centre of British industrial activity, starting with the manufacture of silk in the eighteenth century through to being the present day home of Rolls Royce PLC and the Toyota Motor Corporation. In our quest to discover all that is best in spicy cuisine, the Real Curry Secret would like to draw your attention to these tried and tested Indian restaurants in Derby.

Anoki
First Floor, 129 London Road, Derby, DE1 2QN
Located within easy walking distance of the Westfield shopping centre and the mainline railway station, the Anoki provides seating for 120 dinners and serves authentic Indian recipes brought to you by waiting staff attired in traditionally dress. Opened in 2003 the Anoki has gathered plaudits from the Times newspaper and Square Meals Gourmet guide. Dishes on offer include Mirch Masala Chicken, Lamb Saag, and Goan Sea Bass Curry, whilst none carnivores can enjoy a wide range of pure vegetarian dishes. All dishes are available as takeaways and there is ample free parking adjacent to the restaurant. The Anoki also has two additional branches located in Nottingham and Burton.

Viceroy
8-9 Midland Road, Derby, DE1 2SN
A five star restaurant within two minutes walk of Derby train station, the Viceroy prides itself on serving a range of dishes’ that reflect the diversity of the Indian subcontinent. For starters you may wish to try Chandani Tikka or Paneer Khass Tikka, whilst main courses are centered around the Desi style of home cooking with lamb, chicken, and cod as the principle ingredients. Vegetarians will find themselves well catered for with specialties such as Sukhi Meloni Subzi and Dum Gobhi Matar on offer. The Viceroy also has a private lounge, capable of seating 120 guests, plus Wi-Fi and disabled access.

Dosa Express
340, Normanton Road, Derby, DE23 6WE.
Although Curry Secrets has been unable to ascertain the existence of an exclusively vegetarian Indian establishment in the fine city of Derby, and would welcome any information regarding this matter, our enquiries would indicate that the Dosa Express Derby, whilst offering a menu based around the dosa (a type of crepe made from ground rice and black lentils) does indeed offer a range of options for the vegetarian wishing to escape the ubiquitous tyranny of channa dall.

Bollywood Spice
Meteor Centre, Mansfield Road, Derby, DE21 4SY
Open seven days a week between the hours of five and eleven pm, the Bollywood Spice is a popular choice with local diners and visitors, due to its “All You Can Eat” style buffet offering a choice of seven starters, two rice dishes and seven mains plus desert, salad and freshly cooked Indian breads, all for the princely sum of £13.50.

Shalimar
2-3 Midland Road, Derby, DE1 2SN
With a menu offering the full range of established favorites from Korma to Vindaloo, you may also enjoy such specialties as Podinda Chicken or Lamb, Salmon Lazeez or Garlic Chilli Jinga. For the health conscious dinner there is a “reduced calorie” range to choose from, whilst those of you who may be feeling spoilt for choice can select from a range of four set menus.

Have a great time at your choice of our favourite Indian restaurants in Derby. Please let the Real Curry Secret know how you get on.

Curried Parsnip Soup

2010-11-07T22:43:00.000-08:00

Here’s a very quick and tasty recipe for curried parsnip soup that can be made more involved if you like. The quick version only takes a few minutes work although you can add various optional sophistications and ingredients that will give you different finished results. I prefer the basic simple recipe but do try the different options for variety and find your own favourite version. Including the cooking apple really adds to the finished flavour, but it can be left out without ruining the result. As ever in The Real Curry Secret, all measurements are approximate.

Curried Parsnip Soup
1lb (450 grams) parsnips, washed, scrubbed and grated
1 medium sized cooking apple, washed, peeled and grated
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed or very finely chopped
1 inch (2.5 cms) root ginger, peeled and grated
2 pints (1.1 litres) vegetable stock
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground paprika

½ teaspoon ground hot chillies (optional)

Juice of half a lemon (optional)
Cream or thick natural yoghurt (optional extras)
Optional garnishes: chopped coriander leaf, chives, croutons, parsnip crisps

Soften the chopped onions and crushed garlic in a pan with little butter or oil (or a mixture of both) on a medium heat, then add the three teaspoons of dry spices. Add the ginger, then the grated parsnips and stir into the mixture, still cooking on a medium heat. When all ingredients seem to have softened well, add the hot vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Finally add the apple, season with as much salt and pepper as you think fit and check for “curry heat” (if more spice is required just add some curry paste to taste) then stir well and leave to simmer until all is cooked.
At this point check the seasoning and add the lemon juice, if required. If you prefer a smooth soup the mixture can then be passed through a sieve (or put into a blender if cool enough but do not attempt to blend if it is still very hot) or left as it is if you like some texture to remain in the finished product. A dollop of cream, or – for the more health conscious – a thick yoghurt, can be added, to float in the centre of the serving bowl, with perhaps chopped coriander or one or two chopped chives or maybe even some homemade crouton boats.
For an even more sophisticated garnish add your own parsnip crisps - for these simply buy them in a health shop or, if you're feeling bold, fry some thin parsnip shavings (use a potato/ vegetable peeler for this) in hot oil for a few seconds until brown, then drain.
For more variations try adding other vegetables such as carrots (just grate and add in with the parsnips to cook) or try some quick “no soak” red lentils (stir into the mixture just before adding the stock and do check that they cook fully in the simmering process) which will give you a much richer and thicker final result.

Simple curried parsnip soup is a great comfort food that can be raised to the level of fancy dinner party status with a few little extras - and it always tastes great. It goes well before a curry or as part of a western meal. Enjoy!

Curry Tree

2010-11-06T02:15:00.000-07:00

Curry leaves, an important ingredient in Indian cooking – especially in the south of India and Sri Lanka – come from the curry tree (murraya koenigii). It’s a small tree that grows up to 6 metres tall, but it is as smaller shrub, with tender, juicier leaves that are especially flavoursome. Its species name celebrates the botanist Johann Knighe.
Much used in curries, curry leaves are sometimes called "sweet neem", though they have nothing to do with the actual neem tree. Indeed, the Kannada name means "black neem", since the appearance of the leaves is like those of the sour neem. The Tamil name means "leaf that is utilized to make curry", which is much more like it!
Curry leaves are an excellent source of vitamin A and they offer a good source of calcium, so they are especially valuable in vegetarian cooking.
In Indian cookery, the leaves of curry plants are used raw and fresh in some recipes, while they are quickly fried in oil or butter for others. The dried leaf is also used, although the flavour is much less intense. If you can't get fresh curry laves in your area, try the internet. You don't really want to have to make do with dried.
In her book, "Curry Easy", Madhur Jaffrey suggests that in some recipes you can substitute basil leaves, though she readily acknowledges, that "it doesn't work every time". I personally wouldn't go down this route, but many consider Madhur the goddess of Indian cooking and so her word is law!
It has been suggested that you can try growing your own curry tree and this is worth a go, especially if you find some very fresh curry leaves. You could try rooting some as stem cuttings, and some nurseries may have plants. Ask around. The curry tree is a tropical plant and needs constant heat in order to survive. And remember: the most flavourful leaves come from very hot, very dry conditions. Some expatriate Indian families have been known to grow curry trees in a greenhouse in similar conditions to those employed by people growing illicit marijuana!
In India curry leaves are usually grown in plantations in the south and near the Himalayas and are exported to different parts of the world. Most of the curry leaves we see in Europe come from Kenya, where they are grown by expatriate Tamils.
The herb is renowned in Ayaverdic medicine for its healing properties. Its leaves and bark may be employed as a tonic, stomachic, stimulator and carminative. It will also help in reducing blood sugar if leaves are eaten on an empty stomach, firth thing in the morning. Roasted leaves are said to be especially efficient to stop nausea. Furthermore, juice extracted from curry leaves is said to offer a relief from kidney discomfort and, when applied to the scalp is an Ayerverdic cure for baldness.
The curry tree is one of the most important natural resources in India. Many nutritionalists feel that the liberal use of curry leaves in South Indian food is a cause for the general healthiness of the population – many of whom are poor but well-nourished – and the reason why people in Kerala live on average, ten years longer than those in the north of the country.

Thai Chicken Curry Recipe

2010-11-03T02:12:00.000-07:00

This Thai chicken curry recipe is for a red, spicy dish and is as quick and authentic as you can get. Try to get every ingredient – it really does help provide that authentic taste – but if you can't get every ingredient, just miss it out. Most large supermarkets will stock everything contained in the recipe, even in its dry or frozen form, but remember that fresh is best.

Red Thai Chicken Curry
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 stalk lemongrass, chopped (discarding the hard woody part)
4 teaspoons red Thai curry paste
4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cut into conveniently bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
4 kaffir lime leaves
400ml coconut milk

225 grams (8 oz) chopped pre-cooked vegetables (green beans, diced potatoes, sugarsnap peas are best)

1 spring onion (scallion) – the green end, chopped finely for garnish.

Heat a little olive oil in a wok or large pan and fry the onion until they turn soft and start to go a little golden around the edges. Stir in the chopped lemongrass and the curry paste and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
Add the chicken chunks and stir until they are coated all over. Pop in the fish sauce, sugar, kaffir lime leaves and coconut milk. Stir and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 mins until the chicken is cooked. While it's cooking, stir a few times to stop it sticking to the pan. Make sure the chicken stays under the surface and add a little more water if necessary. Drop in the cooked vegetables and heat through.
Chop the green end of a spring onion (scallion) and add as garnish to the finished dish.

This is my quick and, to my mind at least, near-perfect Thai chicken curry recipe. Enjoy it served with Thai fragrant rice or (my own preference) basmati rice and maybe a couple of Thai rice crackers on the side. Truly delicious.

Potato Curry Recipe

2010-10-28T00:03:00.000-07:00

This is a totally delicious dry potato curry recipe. The humble potato takes to curry surprisingly well, you would think it was a native of the sub-continent and not that it was introduced in the 17th century. I was served in a vegetarian curry restaurant in Green Street, Forest Gate, several years back. It was totally delicious and stayed in the back of my mind for a while. A few weeks ago a Gujarati friend gave me a recipe for potato curry. I cooked it, tasted it and was instantly transported back to that meal in Green Street. Here it is for you…

Aloo Bhajee (Potato Curry)

450 grams (1lb) new potatoes (as small as you like) – or potatoes chopped into 1 inch chunks

½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
8-10 fresh curry leaves
A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
2.5 cm (1 inch) cube fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1-2 fresh green chillies, deseeded and finely sliced
½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground amchoor (or lemon juice)

½ teaspoon garam masala

1 large tomato, chopped

Boil potatoes and set to one side. Crush around a quarter of the potatoes, so you have a crumbly mess: leave the others whole.

Put some oil in a pan. Heat until almost smoking. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and immediately they start to pop and crackle take off the heat and add a pinch of asafoetida. Don't fret too much if you don't have any. Now put in the ginger and the green chillies. Stir until the ginger turns light brown around the edges. Then add rest of the spices but not the garam masala and amchoor/ lemon juice. Replace on the heat, and stir for a little while, making sure the spices get roasted. Then add the tomatoes and a little water. Cook until the tomato breaks up and the water has almost evaporated. Then put in the cooked potatoes, turn up the heat to high and stir well. If you break up more of the potatoes that's all well and good. Add 100 mls (3 fl oz) water, stir and cook for a little while, until it starts to look ready. Add the amchoor, salt and garam masala. Mix them in gently and cook for another minute.

Serve immediately with dal and puris – or whatever you fancy. This is a potato curry recipe to die for!

Chicken Madras

2010-10-27T00:10:00.000-07:00

As with most Indian curry house dishes, you will never find a Chicken Madras in Madras – or Chennai as the city is now called. The cuisine of the area is spicier than most and chillies feature prominently in many local dishes, which meant that back in the days of the British Raj, when curry powders were first blended and shipped back to the UK, the hottest ones were given the name "Madras".
It came to follow that when UK curry house owners – most of them from Punjabis or Bengalis from the north – wanted to name a hot curry to satisfy the insatiable demand they found among Brits, it was natural they would choose Madras.
Here is an incredibly simple but delicious Chicken Madras recipe.

Ali's Chicken Madras
You can obviously substitute Quorn, lamb or vegetables for chicken in this recipe. If you use another meat, just make sure it's cooked correctly. This is for a hot madras curry. If you don't like it hot, halve the quantities of chilli powder and green chillies.

450 grams (1lb) chicken breasts, chopped into bite-size pieces
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 thumbsized piece of fresh ginger root, grated
1-2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
375 grams(12 oz) chopped tomatoes or passata
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground caraway
1 teaspoon black pepper
1-2 teaspoons chilli powder (to your own taste)
½ teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon salt
Juice of half a lemon

Fry the onions in a dollop of oil until about to turn golden brown around the edges. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a couple of minutes more before adding the chillies and ground spices. Fry over a moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the oil separates and the spices have released their flavours.
Take off the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. (If you don't, the mixture may explode out of your blender!) Pour into a blender or processor together with the chopped tomatoes (if using passata you can leave it out) and blend. You may have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your blender. If you don't have a blender or liquidizer you can skip this step entirely.
Return the sauce to the pan and cook for 20-30 minutes until it has reduced. Taste and add salt as necessary. Add your chicken breast pieces and cook for half an hour or so until they are cooked. Test them by cutting a piece in half: if it is firm and white all the way through it is cooked. When teh cooking is done, switch off the hear, pour in the lemon juice and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning if you think it needs it.

This will be the most delicious Chicken Madras you will ever have tasted. And so simple to make. Tell your friends about The Curry Secret Blog.

Mushroom Curry

2010-10-26T00:22:00.000-07:00

Mushroom curry is one of the staples of the western curry restaurant and a favourite in a few Indian homes. Here is a tasty curry recipe I was given by the chef in a London curry house twenty years ago, plus one from Calcutta.
The secret is not to over-cook your mushrooms. They are delicate creatures and will go bitter and soggy if overcooked. They also love oil. As every breakfast cook knows, fry a mushroom in oil and it will absorb practically everything in the pan, so it's best to starve them rather than saturate them with oil.

Mushroom Bhajee (restaurant style)
(From Mr Ali, formerly of the Kennington Tandoori)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon chilli powder

6 green cardamons

450 grams (1lb) mushrooms, washed, dried and thinly sliced

Fry the onions in a wok or karahi (though any heavy-based pan will do) until they start to turn golden, add the garlic and fry for another minute before adding the cardamons and dry spices. Stir and give the mixture another minute or so to cook. Remove from the pan and allow to cool. Remove 4 of the cardamons. Add a little water (roughly 200ml, 7 fluid ounces) and liquidize in a blender, making sure the remaining two cardamons are properly blended. Return the mixture to the pan and reduce until a thick sauce is obtained. Season with salt and pepper, as necessary. Add the mushrooms and stir them in, making sure they are warmed thoroughly but be careful not to break then. Serve immediately.

I hope you enjoy your tasty mushroom curry. You will traditionally serve it with boiled rice and a green vegetable dish or as an accompaniment to a main meat-based meal.

Curry Masala

2010-10-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

In Indian cooking, Curry Masala is a spice mixture. Something like curry powder, but not one that's been made from questionable ingredients and kept in a jar or can for months on end. Although it is usually better to make up spice mixtures for dishes as you need them, it is sometimes expedient to have a ready-made masala to hand. After all, that's all garam masala is: "hot mixture of spices".

Here are my favourite mixes – including one for a particularly flavoursome garam masala:

Curry Masala #1
Measuring note: 1 teaspoon = roughly 5 grams of spice
60 grams ground coriander
40 grams ground cumin
20 grams ground fenugreek
20 grams turmeric
5 grams ground red chilli

Curry Masala #2
60 grams coriander seed
20 grams cumin seed
10 grams black pepper
5 grams fenugreek seed
Roast the dry ingredients in a dry (no oil) warm pan over a gentle heat until the oils break down and the spices are released. Remove from the pan and allow to cool completely. When they are cold, the spices will grind more easily. Place in an electric grinder (or use a pestle and mortar) and grind as finely as possible.

Curry Masala #3
20 grams dried red chillies (or less, according to taste)
20 grams cinnamon bark (broken up)
10 grams green cardamon
10 grams mace
10 grams cloves
This is a pungent masala mixture from Mr Mudani of Mumbai. Follow the roasting and grinding instructions for #2.

Garam Masala
Garam masala can be used for several different purposes. You can sprinkle it over cooked dishes for an extra dimension of flavour, add it to yoghurt as an accompaniment or – as they do in the Punjab – add it to your dish towards the end of the cooking process.
60 grams coriander seeds
50 grams cumin seeds
40 grams fennel seeds
25 grams black peppercorns
20 grams cloves
8 green cardamons
25 grams cassia bark
8 grams ginger powder
2 bay leaves
Cook all the spices (except the ginger powder) in a dry pan, gentling warming over a low heat and stirring all the time. The idea is to release the flavours, not burn them. Allow your spices to cool by placing them on a cold plate and setting to one side. When they are perfectly cold, add them to a coffee grinder (or pestle and mortar) and grind them as fine as possible. Mix in the ginger powder and store in n air-tight jar.

This is how you make Curry Masala the easy – and more delicious – way.

Curried Sausages

2010-10-23T01:01:00.000-07:00

Curried sausages are one of the great comfort foods of the world and are something of an institution in Australia and New Zealand. where everyone has their own recipe. I'm going to give you an old Australian recipe – courtesy of my friend Lucy, who's grandma used to make them like this back in Perth.
It's far from a really authentic Indian curry, but it's delicious!

Lucy's Gran's Curried Sausages Recipe

12 thick sausages (lamb, beef or pork – Lucy says her Gran always used beef)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons mild curry powder
2 teaspoons paprika powder
1 teaspoon turmeric

2 beef or lamb stock cubes dissolved in 1 litre hot water

1 teaspoon tomato puree

1 kg (2 lbs) potatoes, cubed and peeled
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup sour cream or yoghurt

Drop the sausages into a large pan, cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Drain the sausages and leave on one side.
Heat a covering of olive oil in the bottom of a large saucepan, fry the onion, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring all the time. Add the curry powder, paprika and turmeric, fry for 1 minute, and keep on stirring. Add the sausages and stir to coat them in the curry mixture. Bung in the stock, potatoes, carrots and tomato puree. Simmer, uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the sauce is not thick enough, boil rapidly until it is.
Stir in peas and cook for a further 5 minutes until the sauce is nice and thick and the peas are cooked. Add the sour cream/ yoghurt and stir in. Taste and season as necessary. Serve with rice.

That's curried sausages for you…

Thai Chicken Curry

2010-10-22T01:15:00.000-07:00

In Thai cooking, curry is going to be red or green, depending on the spices used. The main differences between the two is the colour of the chillies – Thai red chillies being hotter than green ones – and that the green curry contains more green ingredients, such as coriander and basil leaves.
Our Thai Chicken Curry is green, but you can substitute red curry paste for green curry paste, if you prefer.

Thai Green Chicken Curry

450 grams (1lb) boned free-range chicken breasts or thighs, cut into strips
225grams (8oz) chestnut mushrooms, quartered
4 heaped tablespoons of Thai green curry paste
1-2 fresh green chillies, deseeded and roughly chopped
400ml (14 oz) tin or carton of coconut milk
400ml (14 oz) chicken stock
6 lime leaves
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
15 grams (½ oz) fresh basil leaves
15 grams (½ oz) fresh coriander leaves & stalks. roughly chopped

Warm a covering of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and, when it's hot and sizzling, add the chicken in batches and let them colour all over. Take out the chicken, pour in a dollop more oil and add the mushrooms and chopped chillies. Fry until lovely and golden.
Pour in the stock, followed by the coconut milk, the lime leaves, the curry paste, the fish sauce, peppercorns and half of the chopped herbs. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pop in your chicken and simmer for 6-8 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the last of the herbs and serve.

There you have it: one totally delicious Thai Chicken Curry.

Curry Rice Recipe

2010-10-21T01:00:00.000-07:00

A lot of people have asked me for a Curry Rice Recipe. What most of them mean is "curried rice". There are various versions of rice cooked with spices throughout India, the best known being the biryani and pilau (or pilaf). True biryani is incredibly complicated and time-consuming to cook and I can practically guarantee that you have never been served a true biryani in a restaurant. What Indian curry houses proclaim to be biryani is actually a version of a pilau. The version below is a particularly delicious vegetable dish from Uttar Pradesh, but you can substitute chicken or mutton for one or both of the vegetables. Better still, cook as directed and serve with the meat dish of your choice.

Pilau With Peas & Carrots
450ml dry basmati rice (measured to around 1 US pint)
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2.5cm (1 inch) length fresh ginger root, roughly chopped
4 green cardamons
4 cloves
2.5 cm (1 inch) cinnamon
10-12 curry leaves (optional)
½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 small or 1 large carrot chopped into roughly 1cm dice
120 gm (5 ounces) shelled peas (fresh or frozen)

Wash the rice until all the starch has been removed. Soak in fresh water for 30-60 minutes and allow to drain thoroughly. Stick the garlic and ginger in a mortar or blender with enough water to produce a thick paste.
Heat a generous amount of oil in a large pan (with its lid removed) until hot. Throw in the dry spices, give it a stir or shake, then chuck in the onions. Stir and fry until golden brown, then add the ginger/ garlic paste and fry for 2-3 minutes until the smells reach a climax. Include the carrots and peas in the frying and make sure each piece is coated with a little oil before adding the rice and a generous pinch of salt.
Lower the flame and fry gently until the rice is glistening with the oil. It will take around three minutes. Now add 600ml (1½ US pints) of cold water and bring to the boil. Cover tightly and reduce the heat. Let it simmer at the lowest heat possible for 20 minutes. Take off the heat and leave for another 20 minutes to rest. Do not be tempted to open the lid until the time is up and you're ready to serve.
This is the most delicious curry rice recipe I know.

Vindaloo Recipe

2010-10-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

There are two types of Vindaloo Recipe. The authentic kind from Goa and the kind you get in western restaurants. I will give you both here.
The first vindaloo was taken to India by the Portuguese, who arrived there in the 1490s. It was originally a meat dish with wine and garlic called Carne de Vinha d'Alhos. The Goans soon adapted it, replacing vinegar for wine and adding spices, creating a rich, spicy (but not overly hot) meat dish, usually made with pork.
Over the centuries, the dish spread throughout India and became a favourite for weddings, with chicken or lamb substituted for pork and cooked with potatoes. No doubt this happened because 'aloo' means potato in Hindi. The hot and spicy vindaloo served in restaurants has little or no relation to its ancestor, its just that the Punjabis who started most British curry restaurants looked to Southern India for names for spicy dishes and so vindaloo became the next step up from 'Madras' in chilli strength.

Traditional Goan Vindaloo
This traditional recipe serves 6-8 and comes from Mrs Parrikar of Vasco, Goa. It is meant to use one duck, though it is the same spicing she uses for pork or lamb. You can adapt it for smaller quantities. Note that it requires 24 hours for the meat to marinate: less time will impair the flavour.
2lb pork, lamb or a duck
4 garlic cloves, mashed
12-14 whole peppercorns
2-3 bay leaves
6 cloves
5 green cardamons
2 sticks (3-4 inches each) cinnamon
2.5cm (1 inch) fresh ginger root, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground chilli
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
115 ml (4 oz) malt vinegar
½ teaspoon salt

Cut your meat into large cubes (or pieces in the case of duck). Put the whole spices (except the bayleaves and peppercorns) into a dry frying pan and roast gently for 2 minutes; add the dry spices and allow to roast over a very low heat for another minute. Grind to a fine powder in a coffee grinder or pestle and mortar and add to the vinegar together with the salt. Marinate the meat in the spicy vinegar for 24 hours.
When you're ready cover the bottom of a thick pan with oil (traditionally you would use mustard oil, but I use olive oil) and add the meat and spices mixture, chuck in the peppercorns and bay leaves and simmer gently over a low heat for 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Serve hot.

Restaurant-Style Chicken Vindaloo
1½lbs (675 gms) chicken breast fillets chopped into bite-size chunks
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2.5cm (1 inch ginger root, chopped finely
1-2 fresh green chillies, de-seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1-2 teaspoons ground chilli powder (as required)
2 large tomatoes, chopped

Place your onions in a saucepan or wok and cook over a low heat with a sprinkle of salt until they are showing signs of going golden brown. Add the garlic, ginger and fresh chillies and cook until the whole mixture is soft and lightly brown. Remove and liquidize in a blender or food processor, together with 200ml (7 oz) of cold water. Set your curry gravy aside for a little while.
Add a little more oil to your pan, throw in all your spice ingredients (everything but the chicken, tomatoes and onion gravy mixture) and cook over a low heat for a minute or two until the spices release their full flavours. Add the tomatoes and a drop more cold water and cook until it becomes thick and the tomatoes have broken down. Then add the chicken, give it a stir, drop in the onion gravy and simmer over a gentle heat, stirring all the while to prevent sticking. Cook for about 15 minutes, adding more water, if the gravy starts to stick.
Test your chicken to see if it's cooked. The easiest way is to take a chunk out of the pan and slice it in half. If it's perfectly white all the way through (no sign of pink flesh), then it's cooked. If not, give it more time.

There. Two variations on the perfect Vindaloo Recipe.

Curry Chicken Recipe

2010-10-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

Making a simple curry chicken recipe is one of the first things every Indian girl learns on the road to becoming an accomplished cook. I always think that chicken and curry go together perfectly. This curry chicken is a family recipe from Mrs Patel, who now lives in Wimbledon in south-west London, UK. As it's a family recipe, it will feed a family of 4-6. If that's too much, freeze what you can't eat – but not if you are using frozen chicken, you can only safely freeze it one time. Enjoy with basmati rice and a vegetable side dish – maybe aloo gobi (potato and cauliflower) or sag aloo (spinach and potato).

Mrs Patel's Chicken Curry
1 fresh chicken, jointed (or equivalent chicken pieces)
2 onions, finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 inch (2.5 cm) ginger root, peeled and grated
2 green cardamons
2 cloves
2 inch (5 cm) stick cinnamon
1 dessertspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½-1 teaspoon ground chillies (depending on taste)
½ teaspoon tamarind extract

Fry the onions, garlic, cloves, cardamons, ginger and cinnamon in a generous splash of olive oil until the onions are turning golden brown. Add a dash of cold water to lower the temperature and pop in the other spice ingredients (though not the tamarind). Stir and fry over a low heat until the water is evaporated and the oil begins to separate from the spice mixture. This will take 4-6 minutes. Then stir in the chicken pieces and fry gently until the chicken is coated in spices. Add enough water to cover, stir again, cover pan and simmer until the chicken is cooked and the sauce is starting to get thick and unctuous. Towards the end of the cooking, stir in the tamarind extract.
Sprinkle with a little chopped coriander leaf and whilst you're enjoying it, thank Mrs Patel for such a delicious and simple Curry Chicken Recipe.

Fish Curry Recipe

2010-10-17T07:17:00.000-07:00

Around the coasts of India are a thousand different fish curry recipes. Every area, town and kitchen has its own favourites. Here are two. One is a Parsee Fish Patia, thick and sweet-and-sour, the other is a brilliant Mumbai Fish Curry.

Fish Patia

This Parsee dish works just as well with prawns (shrimp) and that is how I originally had it in Gujarat, way back in 1978.

700 gm (1½lb) fish steaks or prawns

2 onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2.5cm (1 inch ginger root, chopped finely

1-2 fresh green chillies, de-seeded and finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground chilli powder

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 teaspoon jaggery or gir (or brown sugar if unavailable)

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Fry the onions over a brisk heat, stirring to prevent burning. When they turn golden brown, add the garlic and ginger. Sauté for a couple of minutes then add the chillies and the ground spices with a splash of water (to prevent burning). Once the water has evaporated and the spices have roasted – you will see the oil start to separate through the mixture – add the tomatoes, jaggery (sugar), vinegar and 300ml (half a pint) of water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently. After 30 minutes, spoon in the fish pieces, make sure the sauce covers them (add a little more water if necessary), replace the lid and simmer gently. For fish this will be roughly 12-15 minutes; for raw prawns around 6-8 minutes and for cooked prawns 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately with plain basmati rice, salad and accompaniments of your choice.

Mumbai Fish Curry

450 gms (1lb) fish fillets – any white fish will do, although the traditional ingredient is pomfret

½ teaspoon of black mustard seeds

10 fresh curry leaves (curry patta)

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2.5cm (1 inch ginger root, chopped finely

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 whole dried red chillies, cut in half lengthways and their seeds removed

½ teaspoon chilli powder

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ pint coconut milk

1 teaspoon gram flour

1 tomato, finely chopped

Add some oil to a hot pan and just before it looks like it will smoke, thrown in the mustard seeds and the curry leaves. Stir. The second they start to pop and crackle, chuck in the onion, lower the heat and sauté. When the onion is showing signs of going golden brown, stick in the garlic, ginger, chillies and ground spices; give it all a good stir and allow to cook gently for 1-2 minutes, until the oil separates.

Meanwhile, mix the coconut milk with the gram flour, make sure it's smooth (a blender is quick and easy) and stir into the pan. Cook gently for 4-5 minutes before you taste and add enough salt to be slightly under-seasoned. Stick in the fish and simmer gently, The meal is ready as soon as the fish becomes cooked – usually 10-15 minutes. Taste and add a final seasoning.