Dhruv Baker’s Malaba Prawn Curry

As promised, here’s another great curry to try from my evening at the Curry for Change event at Cinnamon Kitchen. This simple curry by Master Chef 2010 winner Dhruv Baker is really nice served as a main course but on the evening it was served as an appetiser on top of a small piece of puri – a type of flatbread.

The masterclass evening was in aid of Find Your Feet’s Curry for Change. This is a great charity doing some pretty amazing things. If you look at the information after the recipe and find it of interest, please be sure to click over to their site to see the fun ways you can support Curry for Change.

One of the ways I will be doing just that is by hosting a curry night for friends. You might like to do the same. If so, be sure to check out Vivek Singh’s saddle of lamb recipe which I posted yesterday. Tomorrow I’ll be posting Anjum Anand’s Pomegranate soufflé. It was out of this world!

Dhruv Baker with Vivek Singh

Vivek, Anjum and Dhruv

Nearly one billion people around the world suffer from hunger because they don’t have enough to eat all year round. The majority of these people, like the families Find Your Feet (Curry for Change) works with live in very remote areas of Asia and Africa without the means or opportunity to speak out and change things for the better. Source: Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations 2010.

Find Your Feet support very poor rural families to grow enough food so they don’t have to go hungry, to strengthen their voice so they can speak out against injustice and to earn enough money so they can find their feet.

By taking part in Curry for Change you can make a real difference by helping families to build a future free from hunger and poverty

Vivek’s Roast Lamb

I have wanted to try Cinnamon Kitchen in London since it opened. About two weeks ago I finally got there. Let’s just say it was amazing.

The funny thing is, after years of waiting – I do live near the North Pole after all – I ended up enjoying lunch there with friends and then by chance was invited to a masterclass in aid of Curry for Change being held by Vivek Singh, Anjum Anand and Dhruv Baker that evening. Talk about a brilliant day!

It’s the masterclass I want to tell you all about now. The food was awesome. I even managed to get a few recipes from Vivek, Anjum and Dhruv for you to try like this saddle of lamb.

Before you try the recipe though, please take a minute to read about all the great things my friends at Curry for Change are doing. You can even raise money for this great cause by hosting a curry night for friends.

Follow my blog and by Thursday you will have Vivek’s saddle of lamb, Dhruv’s prawn curry and Anjum’s pomegranate souffle to make for your own Curry for Change evening. I hope you do. Have fun.

Chef Vivek Singh and me

Chef Vivek Singh at work creating this dish!

Vivek, Anjum and Dhruv

Nearly one billion people around the world suffer from hunger because they don’t have enough to eat all year round. The majority of these people, like the families Find Your Feet (Curry for Change) works with live in very remote areas of Asia and Africa without the means or opportunity to speak out and change things for the better. Source: Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations 2010.

Find Your Feet support very poor rural families to grow enough food so they don’t have to go hungry, to strengthen their voice so they can speak out against injustice and to earn enough money so they can find their feet.

By taking part in Curry for Change you can make a real difference by helping families to build a future free from hunger and poverty

Here’s another great British Indian restaurant recipe for you!

Naan cooking in a tandoor

I love to try new things. Not just the Indian food which you all know I enjoy but also other food from around the world.

I recently visited The 1875 Restaurant near Leeds and was introduced to some amazing new recipes. You may have already read the Goan vindaloo recipe I learned from chef Vivek Kashiwale while I was there.

This is the rosemary and garlic naan they served with the vindaloo. Well, almost. I’ve changed it slightly for the home chef. At The 1875, their naans are cooked in a large tandoor oven with a good quality dried rosemary which tastes fantastic.

I have used my pan-fried naan recipe here which works very well. Here is the link.

By the way, if you find yourself at Leeds train station and want to try a excellent new, authentic Indian restaurant, get yourself out to Menston. The restaurant is right above the station and well worth a visit!

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Here’s another British Indian restaurant masterpiece for you!

Duck with cabbage curry in a mildly spiced sauce

This is another one from my friends at Omars of Hatfield Peverel. It’s a duck and cabbage curry recipe and believe me… it is so good. The duck breast is cooked in a tandoor oven at the restaurant but here I’ll show you how to cook it in a pan. I got to try both the tandoor oven and pan fried versions while I was at Omars and both methods work very well.

This recipe is different in the the duck skin is removed and then simmered in water and spices to make a sauce reduction which is then added to the curry. In this way you get the flavour of the duck skin without all the fat.

Of course there is still plenty of delicious fat but this dish is worth every calorie.

Sear the duck on both sides to preferred doneness.

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The duck breasts can be marinated in the marinade for one to 24 hours. The longer the better.

*Paanch Phoron translated ‘5 spices’ is a whole spice blend in equal parts consisting of fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds and fennel seeds. It is readily available in Asian grocery stores or you could just make your own.
Method

I’ve got some amazing British Indian restaurant dishes to share with you!

British Indian restaurant curry at its best!

Yesterday I was treated to some of the most amazing curries at Omars in Hatfield Peverel. I’ve been tweeting back and forth with the owner Misba for quite some time and have been lucky to have been able to try some of his amazing recipes. This afternoon I got to see them being made by his head chef Sofor Uddin. This is his recipe for murug daiwahala, a mildly spiced chicken dish which I think you will love!

You garlic fans out there are going to want to try this. First, Sofor lightly browned about a tablespoon of garlic slivers. Then he added garlic and ginger paste giving the dish two completely different garlic flavours.

It is important to watch the garlic slivers carefully so that they don’t burn. Lightly toast them in the oil and you are in for an amazing meal.

Sofor used pre-cooked and marinated chicken pieces. This add flavour and makes it faster to cook the dish. Here is my recipe for pre-cooked chicken which will work fine for this recipe. You could also use raw chicken but the cooking time will be slightly longer.

By the way, if you ever find yourself at Liverpool station in London and suddenly crave a curry, get yourself on the train to Omars in Hatfield Peverel. It’s only a 30 minute journey and you’ll be glad you did. I can’t wait to go back!

Talented head chef Sofor Uddin

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This is one of those most important British Indian restaurant recipes

Cooked spinach for use in curries and side dishes

In almost every busy Indian restaurant kitchen I’ve been in, there is usually a batch of freshly cooked spinach at the ready. This spinach is used in a number of ways.

Sometimes it’s added to vegetable bhajee. It is after all a nice addition. Then it is also part of many curries from special paalak/saag dishes to more common saag aloo and paneer saag.

You could get quite creative with the ready-cooked spinach. Add some to your chicken tikka masala for a chicken tikka masala saag. I think you get the idea.

This is an easy preparation. There is no hot spice added as the spinach is often added to mild curries.

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*Paanch Phoron translated ‘5 spices’ is a whole spice blend of equal parts of spice including fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds and fennel seeds. You can blend your own though the whole spice mix is readily available at Asian shops.

This is one of those classic veggie British Indian Restaurant recipes!

A vegetable bhajee – In this version I used mushrooms and red peppers.

You are going to have to chip in on this one because there really isn’t just one recipe. Vegetable bhajee is quite popular with vegetarians but it also makes a really nice side dish. When done the British Indian restaurant (BIR) way, it’s often just a mix of the fresh seasonal vegetables the chef happens to have on hand.

This recipe, therefore is really just an idea that I would like you to build on. If broccoli is in season, use it. If cauliflower looks nice, why not!

One thing that is usually quite constant is the base ingredients. Slow pre-cooked potatoes are usually included as is that base curry sauce that goes into so many of our old favourites. As potato usually plays an important role, it is often okay to add a bit more chilli unless of course you aren’t a chilli fan.

Just get in there and experiment. Have fun and make a curry that is perfect for you. You could of course follow my recipe exactly and then adjust the curry to your own preference.

The start of a vegetable bhajee with green beans

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Just another important British Indian restaurant recipe!

Cooked and cooled potatoes ready for use in Indian restaurant curries

This pre-cooked potato dish can be eaten on its own or used in other British Indian restaurant style dishes. Serve it as is and it could be a delicious bombay aloo. combine it with my mixed vegetable recipe with a little curry sauce and you’ve got that popular dish vegetable bhajee. You could also add spinach for saag aloo or just use the potatoes in a fiery hot vindaloo.

Ready to cook into something really nice.

In the coming weeks I’ll be sharing recipes that you can use combine these potatoes with. For now, just enjoy them as they are. They really are nice.

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This is a British Indian restaurant style recipe that works with almost all fowl

Chicken tikka slow cooked in an onion and tomato sauce

I recently explained the major role that pre-cooked meat plays in the preparation of British Indian restaurant style meals. Pre-cooking the meat until tender not only makes cooking in Indian restaurants faster but tastier too. This is very important with tougher cuts of meat like lamb, goat, beef and pork but chicken and other fowl benefit too.

I like to vary my recipes for cooked meat and chicken. I change them often but at the end of the day it’s all done to give the meat that famous British Indian restaurant flavour.

I pre-cook chicken in two different ways. For tandoori style chicken, I marinate the chicken pieces in a yogurt marinade for up to 48 hours and then cook it fast in my tandoor oven, home oven or on the barbecue. The yogurt works as a tenderiser for the chicken meat. The end result can served as is or it can be added to curries such as tandoori chicken tikka masala. Check out my tandoori style chicken tikka recipe here.

The other way I prepare chicken is to simmer it in a fragrant broth for about 30 minutes until cooked through. This method of cooking gives the chicken a much lighter flavour and softer texture. It’s a good way to cook chicken for curries such as chicken korma where I lighter look and flavour is usually preferred.

You could use either method for your curries. Use the marinated tandoori chicken tikka to make tandoori chicken tikka masala. Use the stewing method with small bite sized chicken pieces (tikka) to make chicken tikka masala. I think you get the idea… Do you want chicken korma or tandoori chicken tikka korma? The choice is all yours.

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You are going to love Cinnamon Kitchen – The Cookbook!

Yet another outstanding cookbook by Vivek Singh.

I’m going to be honest and say that my copy of Cinnamon Kitchen – The Cookbook by Vivek Singh has seen better days. It’s turmeric and sauce splattered pages are now in a similar state to all of my favourite cookbooks.

Since purchasing the cookbook about a month ago, it’s rarely been out of sight. I thumb though it before turning off the lights at night, usually planning the next big feast. Then I use it the next day following Vivek’s instructions and tips to recreate the mouthwatering recipes.

If you are looking to show off your culinary skills to your friends and family, Cinnamon Kitchen – The Cookbook simply must be in your cookbook library. The recipes are easy to follow and much more importantly, they work.

In fact Vivek Singh and Cinnamon Kitchen’s head chef Abdul Yaseen not only cooked each of the recipes for the book but also did the food styling. When I want to impress my wife, I try to copy the pictures when plating up.

This brings me to the photography. Cinnamon Kitchen – The Cookbook is not just an outstanding reference for home chefs who want to cook like Vivek and Abdul, it’s also quite nice to look at. I had to laugh when I heard that my cousin, who hates cooking, purchased a copy after seeing mine. It’s displayed on her coffee table next to a few others simply because she loves the look of the food and the beautiful photography.

Open the book for yourself and you’ll understand. The photographs make you want to try each and every recipe. Teamed with Vivek’s casual and informative writing style, the cookbook is perfect for home chefs, aspiring chefs, master chefs and those who just want to attract chefs to cook for them like my cousin.

I’ve cooked so many of the recipes from the book and have yet to be disappointed. Then I did know that would be the case when I purchased Cinnamon Kitchen – The Cookbook because each of Vivek’s books have been packed with so many fantastic recipes.

Just one of the reasons to buy this book

Seafood fans will want to try Vivek’s Tandoori-spiced oysters. Talk about gorgeous! I can assure you that the lobster soup from Kerala and the Baked Sea Bream In Green Spice Paste With Yogurt Rice (Pictured) will be well worth your effort as well.

You carnivores out there will love the Char-Grilled Rump of Lamb With Garlic and Spinach Sauce. The Galouti Kebabs on page 166 are magnificent. Believe me… page 166, get yourself there!

Cinnamon Kitchen – The Cookbook is divided into nine easily navigated chapters. Once you’ve read the introduction and basic base recipes, you’ll be off to explore some of the best Indian food you’ve ever tried. From pleasing starters to scrumptious main courses, from char-grilled tandoori dishes to exquisite snacks, you are in for a real treat. The book also features a delightful desserts section as well as recipes for some pretty spectacular cocktails.

If you are interested in taking your Indian cookery skills to the next level, this is the book for you.

Cinnamon Kitchen – The Cookbook can be purchased right here

Cinnamon Kitchen – The Cookbook
Author: Vivek Singh
Published by: Absolute Press
ISBN 978-1906650803