How To Make British

Indian Restaurant (BIR) Style Meals

By Dan Toombs

http://www.greatcurryrecipes.net

Text & photography copyright©2012 Dan Toombs All Rights Reserved

Here are a few of the curry house dishes you will be able to make with this cookbook. I am available on social media if you have any recipe questions.

@TheCurryGuy

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Korma

Tandoori Chicken

Chicken Chilli Garlic

Lamb Samosas

Lamb Do-Piaza

Lime Pickle

Lamb Seekh Kebabs

Chicken Jalfrezi

Dosas

Onion Chutney

Stovetop Naans

And So Much More!

Preface

There Is No One Curry Secret

British Indian Restaurant (BIR) cooking is a true art form. To watch talented Indian chefs do their work as I have is very impressive. These are professionals who cook excellent meals every day and have a way of doing it that is fun to watch and imitate.

I’m assuming you aren’t planning on opening an Indian restaurant any time soon. So I want you to enjoy using these recipes without having to worry about not having a tandoor oven or being able to use a curry spoon as they do in the Indian restaurant kitchens on YouTube.

Follow my recipes and you will be putting amazing BIR Indian curries on your table in no time! Remember that Indian restaurants are not fast food chains! There is no ‘one’ curry secret! My recipes are a blend of experimentation and my experiences cooking in Indian restaurants as well as advice I received online through my blog and social media.

Feel free to take these recipes and add to them or reinvent them to make curries that are all your own. Most of all... have fun! I sure have.

Table of Contents

About This Book

Base Ingredients

Starters

Dhals

Pickles and Chutneys

Raitas

Tandoori Dishes

Chicken Curry Recipes

Lamb Curry Recipes

Fish and Shellfish

Vegetable Dishes

Bread Recipes

Rice Recipes

Shopping List

Cooking your own Indian restaurant style food can be a lot of fun and very tasty too!

About This Book

In February 2011 I decided to dedicate a full year to cooking and eating only Indian food. With my family’s backing, I set out on a culinary journey that has been nothing short of amazing. I’ve met some great people along the way, tried many new recipes and managed to re-create some of the UK’s favourite British Indian Restaurant (BIR) style dishes.

Originally I intended to focus on authentic Indian food recipes and to blog about them. I’d already been cooking Indian food since I moved to the UK from California in 1993 and loved the idea of writing a blog about my favourite cuisine. I had read and re-read hundreds of cookbooks on the subject and felt I had a pretty good head start.

The recipes were all engrained in my memory and all I needed to do was try to improve them and make them my own.  My focus 0n authenticity, however changed quite quickly after starting The Curry Guy blog.

I was writing my recipes and experiences on my blog and then promoting the blog through social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus. Even in the early days I got a lot of encouragement from other food bloggers, cookbook authors and Indian restaurateurs but I also began to receive questions from others.

Things like ‘Why is it when I make chicken korma at home, it never tastes like it does at my favourite Indian restaurants?’ and ‘I just made a lamb rogan josh that tastes great but it’s not like the rogan josh I know and love! Can you help?’

It is perhaps not very surprising that many of the people who wrote to me were British ex-pats or Indian food fans who had spent time in the UK and missed their curry nights out. A lot of people commented that it wasn’t possible to get good Indian food where they lived and asked me for more British Indian restaurant (BIR) style recipes that they could make at home for their families and friends.

As my blog’s readership grew, it became increasing clear that the recipes many of you wanted were not the authentic - yet delicious - Indian food recipes found in most cookbooks but the Indian food you knew and loved from your local curry houses and takeaways. As I was receiving recipes and even invitations to cook with well known and outstanding Indian chefs, I knew I had to do something with all that information and began writing this book.

There are hundreds of brilliant authentic Indian cookbooks out there. There are also a few British Indian restaurant (BIR) style cookbooks available. This book falls somewhere in the middle. If you are interested in spices and how to use them to invent your own dishes, I will show you how. If on the other hand you want to keep it simple and for that matter closer to BIR cooking, you will be able to do that too.

To my knowledge this is the first cookbook ever written that has been so heavily influenced by social media chit-chat. I have taken in the fantastic tips sent to me from chefs here in the UK, as well as the US, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. I’ve been in the fortunate position to be able to experiment with recipes, post them on my blog and then sit back and await the responses from my online community. What an exciting new digital world we all share!

I am happy to be able to say that all of my recipes were tried and tested in my own home kitchen. I have cooked, tested and re-tested many of them to ensure they are spot on.  It has been so much fun and delicious putting these recipes together for you. So much so that I’m already experimenting with the next batch of curry house delicacies! Enjoy.

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Base Ingredients

How To Make My BIR Curry Sauce

Almost every Indian curry house has it's own curry sauce recipe. These curry sauces are made in large batches and used as a base ingredient for many different curries.

The curry sauce makes it possible for chefs to cook, plate and serve mouthwatering curries, which would normally take much longer to make, very quickly. By adding different ingredients to the base curry sauce, Indian chefs can make everything from mild kormas to violently hot phall curries in no time.

Over the years I have tried many different recipes for curry sauce and most of them are quite similar. This curry sauce is the one I use most often when asked to cook restaurant style curries for large groups of people.

You will have enough curry sauce here to make enough for eight curries that serve 3 to 4 people.  If you have leftover sauce, it freezes well. It also keeps in the fridge for up to four days.

In busy Indian restaurants, one large batch of curry sauce will be made and used daily. I like to compare a curry sauce to a good chicken stock. It is tasty but quite bland. By adding other ingredients to it, it becomes what you want it to be.

When using curry sauce, you will get best results if you heat it up before adding it to the different curries.

Preparation and cooking time: 90 minutes

INGREDIENTS

10 tennis ball sized cooking onions – finely sliced

250ml vegetable oil

9 tablespoons garlic and ginger paste

1 carrot - peeled and chopped

¼ head of cabbage - chopped

1 red bell pepper - diced

1 green bell pepper - diced

water

400ml ( 1 tin ) chopped tomatoes

4 tablespoons ghee

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 tablespoon coriander powder

1 tablespoon ground fenugreek seeds

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon turmeric

Salt and pepper to taste (I usually leave this out and simply add it to the final dish)

Method

Pour the oil into a large heavy bottomed saucepan and heat until bubbling.

Throw in the sliced onions, bell pepper, carrot and cabbage and cook slowly over a medium heat in the oil. Allow the vegetables to fry - stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes. You want to brown the vegetables lightly but not burn them.

When the onions are translucent and soft, add the ginger and garlic purees and the rest of the spices except for the turmeric.

Finally, add the tomatoes and just enough water (about 2 cups/ 500ml) to cover the vegetables.

After 30 minutes, remove the mixture from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Scoop the mixture in batches into a blender and blend until silky smooth. I usually do this for about three minutes per batch. I use one of those hand held blenders which I strongly recommend purchasing if you don’t have one.

Once your sauce is smooth and looking good, melt the ghee in a frying pan. Add the turmeric powder to the ghee. It will darken as it cooks. You want to brown it for about a minute.

Now add the turmeric/ghee mixture to the sauce and bring to a simmer again. Once it is bubbling away, turn down the heat and simmer for a further 20 to 30 minutes

Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to four days or freeze.

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Pre-Cooked Chicken & Meat

The fast pace of most Indian restaurant kitchens makes in necessary to pre-cook the meat used in their curries. This is especially so with tougher cuts of meat such as lamb and pork but many kitchens pre-cook their chicken as well.

Often this is done on skewers in a tandoori oven but it is also done like this recipe.

To be honest, I rarely pre-cook my chicken/meat when I’m cooking for my family. It just isn’t necessary. I simply let the meat cook for longer until it is tender.

That said, if I am having friends over and cooking a lot of different curries, I always ensure that the curry sauce is made and the meat cooked to perfection. Do your preparation ahead of time and you will be able to serve many different curries in around ten minutes!

For Chicken

Following is an easy way to pre-cook your chicken so that you can create many different restaurant style curries quickly like they do in the restaurants.

The pre-cooked chicken meat can be used immediately or refrigerated until needed. It can also be frozen for up to two months.

You will first need to make a batch of my restaurant style curry sauce if you want to be really authentic.

Makes enough for 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

6 chicken breasts – cut into bite size pieces

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon turmeric

Approx. ¼ cup curry sauce

Method

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.

Add the chicken pieces and brown until the meat is almost cooked through.

Cover the chicken pieces with the turmeric powder and stir to combine.

Pour in the curry sauce and cover.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes until the chicken is tender.

Use immediately or refrigerate for up to three days.

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For Meat

When cooking meat curries I tend to use leg of lamb most often. It is both tender and has loads of flavour.

Many restaurants use less expensive cuts such as shoulder, which requires a longer cooking time. Beef, pork and game will also need to cook longer.

You will need to cook lamb for about 45 minutes for leg and 70 to 90 minutes for shoulder. In restaurants this is almost always done ahead of time so that they can whip up great curries with tender lamb in minutes rather than hours.

Serving Size

Generally speaking, you will want to prepare about 150g to 250g of lamb meat for each diner depending on how many curries and side dishes you are planning on serving and of course how hungry everyone is.

Restaurant style curries freeze well so don’t worry

about making too much!

INGREDIENTS

Lamb meat cut into bite sized pieces

4 tablespoons ghee

curry sauce (250ml or 1 cup for every 500g lamb meat)

turmeric (1 teaspoon for every 500g lamb meat)

Method

In a large pan, melt the ghee. Add the turmeric. The turmeric will begin to get darker as it cooks.

Now brown the meat chunks. This can be done in batches if necessary.

Pour in a little curry sauce to coat the meat. Lower the heat and cover to cook slowly for about 45 minutes or until tender.

You may need to add a little water so the meat doesn’t burn.

When the meat is very tender, remove it from the pan and either use immediately with your favourite curries or refrigerate for later.

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Starters

Starter dishes play such an important role in the overall experience of going out for a curry.  There are so many that I really love. I received more requests for the following recipes than any others!

Well actually all but the crab samosas. No one asked for them but I love crab samosas so much I decided to include them here anyway.

Homemade Papadams

Onion Bhajis

Fish Pakora

Lamb Samosas

Crab Samosas

Prawn Puris

Seekh Kebabs

Bora And Podina Raita

Homemade Papadams

Homemade papadams

One thing I really love about going out for a BIR meal is the stack of papadams that come to the table with all those nice pickles and chutneys.  Good restaurants will fry their own. If you do too, you will love the results.

The great news is that it isn’t difficult to make them yourself. Many supermarkets and fine food shops now sell papads. Papads are flat lentil disks that when fried turn into lovely papadams. Of course you will find them in almost every Indian shop.  If you’re watching the calories, you could also cook these discs in the microwave for about 30 seconds but the end result isn’t as good.

When shopping for papadams, you might like to try some of the different types. Some are plain while others have spices in them such as black pepper, fennel and cumin.

frying papadams

You are going to need a wire rack, paper towels and a slotted spoon.

Serving size – one to two poppadams per person.

INGREDIENTS

Papads (1 to 2 per person)

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Method

Heat the oil in a large wok.

When a piece of papad puffs up quite quickly in the oil, it is hot enough to get started.

I usually cook two papads at a time to speed things up a bit. (Not necessary!)

When you drop the papads in the oil, they will very quickly become full sized poppadams. The first time you fry them, you may be surprised that they are a lot bigger than those pathetic things that are sold ready made in the shops and at substandard restaurants.

Remove them from the oil when this happens with a slotted spoon.

Don’t be tempted to let them turn a light brown as they will burn. The

papadams continue cooking when removed from the oil.

Papads ready for cooking!

Place the cooked poppadams on a paper towel to soak up the excess oil and then store on a wire rack.

Serve immediately with a selection of pickles and chutneys or store in a very low oven until ready to eat.

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Onion Bhajis

Homemade onion bhajis

I was shown this recipe by a friend who used to be a chef at my local tandoori restaurant. I say he used to be the chef because he was shown the door when the owner learned that he had giving me so many recipes. Ooops.

I spoke to him recently and we had a good laugh and a few beers. If it weren’t for Shaihandi, this book wouldn’t have been possible. This is still the recipe used by his ex-employer. Luckily I can still make them at home.

I usually form the onion bhajis into round balls but you can form them however you choose. Many people like the sloppy look. To do this, simply grab some of the batter and place it - without forming  - directly into the oil. I have to say it does look impressive like that.

This recipe just plain gets it. I like to roast and grind my own spices as suggested in this. It makes a world of difference.

Onion bhajis served with my homemade lime pickle

Serves a crowd.

INGREDIENTS

5 white onions slightly larger than tennis balls

Oil for deep frying

1 - 2 tablespoons fine sea salt

2 tablespoons garlic puree

1 tablespoon ginger puree

1 heaping tablespoon cumin seeds

1 heaping tablespoon coriander seeds

1 tablespoon good quality tandoori or curry powder

1 teaspoon ajwain seeds

1 pinch asafoetida

1 tablespoon self rising flour

250ml (1 cup) gram flour

3 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves

1 medium sized egg

Method

Cut the sprouting ends at the poles of each onion.

Remove the onion skin and then cut each onion from pole to pole.

Lay the onions flat and slice 3mm thick half rings and then cut each of the half rings into one inch pieces.

Place the sliced onions into a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Then mix well with your hands.

Pour the salted onion pieces into a colander and allow to sit for about four hours. Give the onions a good squeeze every hour or so to help get any excess water out of them.

When you break a normal fresh onion piece in two, it snaps.

Once the excess water is removed with the salt, the onion

slice should just bend over when bent in half without

snapping. This is the texture you are aiming for.

After four hours, give the onions one last squeeze and return them to the bowl.

Now, place the cumin seeds, coriander seeds and ajwain seeds in a frying pan and roast them over medium heat until they begin to smoke. Remember to move the seeds around in the pan so that they roast evenly.

Place the roasted seeds into a spice grinder and grind to a powder.

Pour the powder over the onions and sift the gram flour, baking powder and self-raising flour over the top.

Now place the smashed garlic and grated ginger into the spice grinder with a drop of water and blend to a paste.

Add the garlic and ginger paste to the onion mixture.

Add the egg and chopped coriander and asafoetida and mix thoroughly into a thick onion dough. The dough should be hard to handle and quite messy.

Heat enough oil in a large pan to deep fry the onion bhajis until a piece of bread turns brown in about 25 seconds when thrown in.

Carefully add the bhajis in your preferred shape. This can be round golf ball sized bhajis or larger sloppy bhajis.

Wait until the bhajis are nice and brown and then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain any excess oil.

If not serving immediately, place in a warm (not hot) oven.

Chef’s note: I recently made too many of these bhajis and froze the left-overs in freezer bags with great results.

Fish Pakora

Fish pakora served with lime

Many people like to serve fish pakora with ketchup or their favourite chutney such as lime pickle or mango chutney. Personally, I like nothing more than a little lime juice.

You only need to decide how you want your fish pakora to look. Dip the fish cubes in the batter and lower them slowly into the oil for neat little browned pakoras. For a wilder appearance, slowly sprinkle a few tablespoons of the excess batter into the oil and stir the batter and fish around with a fork.

This is the look I went for in the above picture.

Serves 4 as a starter course

INGREDIENTS

Oil for deep frying

1 cod fillet about 600g cut into one inch cubes.

2 eggs

3 tablespoons cornflour

1 tablespoon red chili powder

5 tablespoons fresh chopped coriander

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

First make the batter.

Whisk the eggs, cornflour, red chili powder and half of the chopped coriander until they form a smooth batter.

The batter will be quite runny.

Once fried, fish pakora can be kept warm

in a low oven for up to a half hour.

Now coat the fish cubes in the batter.

Over high heat, heat enough oil for deep frying in a large pan or wok.

When the oil is hot enough to brown a small piece of bread in 20 seconds,, slowly lower the cubes into the oil.

You may need to do this in a few batches.

Don’t over-crowd you pan or the oil will cool and you will end up with an oily, fishy mess.

Allow to fry until the fish pakoras are golden brown

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Bora And Podina Raita

Bora with podina raita is one of those Bangladeshi dishes that seems to have been left off the menu at most Indian/Bengladeshi restaurants. I’d never heard of it until my friend Mo (Mohammed) the owner of my local Indian restaurant - Table Talk – suggested I give it a try.

This is his recipe which I am so happy to be able to bring it to you. The recipe serves three to four peckish snackers or you could serve it with other snacks for a larger group.

Cut the ‘bora’ into bite sized pieces with a knife or cookie cutter and not any bigger. For best results, serve the bora nice and hot and the podina raita very cold from the fridge. This is what I did. Good suggestion Mo!

INGREDIENTS

125ml (1⁄2 Cup) masoor dhal (orange lentils)

750ml (3 cups) rice flour

1⁄2 onion – finely chopped

1⁄2 Bunch fresh mint

1⁄2 Bunch coriander

10-15 Fresh green chillies

400g Plain yogurt

A pinch of turmeric powder

Maldon salt to taste

Vegetable 0il for deep frying

Method

Wash then soak lentils for a half hour and then drain.

In a sauce pan add 1 pint of water, the finely chopped onion, a teaspoon of salt and 1⁄2 a teaspoon of turmeric.

Cook over a medium heat until lentils are soft and the water is almost all gone.

Once lentils fully cooked, pour them into a bowl and mix in three cups of rice flour.

Mix thoroughly with your hands until you have a smooth dough. (mix everything while it is still warm as this makes it easier).

On a flat surface, roll it out the dough until it is 2-3mm thick. I separated the dough into smaller balls to make this easier.

Cut out bitesize pieces (or different shapes using cookie cutters) and deep fry in oil until crisp.

FOR THE PODIAN RAITA

In a blender, blend 1⁄2 bunch of fresh mint, 1⁄2 bunch of fresh coriander, 10-15 green chillies (more if you like it extremely hot and less if you don’t) and two tablespoons of water to make a paste.

Add the above paste to the yogurt and mix until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.

Note: This dish is best consumed with piping hot ‘bora’ and ice cold ‘podina raita’. Remember piping hot ‘bora’ and ice cold condiment. You’re going to love this one!

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Lamb Samosas

I devour samosas. Whatever the filling - I make them stuffed with crab meat, potatoes and I even have a haggis version.  Whenever I go out for an Indian meal, I almost always order lamb samosas. I just love them.

Over the years I have had my share of lamb samosas but none compare to this recipe. I must say that I have been adding this and taking away that from the recipe for years before arriving at this version.

I used to use filo pastry as most Indian restaurants do. You could do this too. I just wanted to show you my own homemade pastry recipe just in case you really want to impress.

INGREDIENTS

500g (about a pound) lean lamb mince

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 large red onion - finely chopped

3 cloves garlic - finely chopped

4 plum tomatoes - skinned and finely chopped

1 tablespoon ginger puree

3 green chilies finely chopped

250ml (1 cup) fresh peas

salt and pepper to taste

1 large handful of fresh coriander – chopped

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 tablespoon curry powder

4 cups flour

Water

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Method

First make your pastry (if making).

Take about 1 1/2 cups (400ml) of the plain flour and pour it into a large bowl.

Add a pinch of salt and about a tablespoon of oil.

Now add water a little at a time. I usually do this with a cupped hand rather than from the tap. Work the water and oil into the flour to form a firm dough. Be careful not to add too much water, which will result in a big sticky mess.

Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of flour on a clean surface and knead it until the dough no longer sticks to your hands.

Place the dough ball back into the bowl and cover with a wet cloth and allow to rest while you cook your lamb keema.

Add the oil to the pan and fry your onion until it is translucent and lightly browned. Throw in the chopped garlic and fry for a further minute or so.

Pour in the ginger puree, tomatoes, chilies, garam masala, cumin powder and the coriander and cook for a further couple of minutes. Stir continuously.

Soon, the aroma in your kitchen will be amazing. When this happens add the lamb mince and stir everything to combine.

Add about a cup of boiling water to the meat mixtures and allow to cook for about 20 minutes covered.

Remove the lid of the pan and turn up the heat. The lamb mince should be very moist but there should be no water left in the pan.

Check for seasoning and set aside to cool slightly.

To Finish

Pour your remaining cup of flour into a bowl and add enough water to make a smooth, slightly runny paste.

Tear off a golf ball sized piece of your dough and place it on a floured surface. Keep the remaining dough in the bowl covered so that it does not dry out.

Tip: I often use a pasta machine to make

the pastry very thin and neat.

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a very thin sheet. The thinner the better! Try to shape the dough into a rectangular shape about 2 inches by four inches. To keep it neat you can use a knife.

Place about a tablespoon of the lamb keema at the top of the rectangle.

Fold the top left corner over the lamb mince filling to make a small triangular pocket to hold the meat. There will still be about two inched of pastry under this triangular pocket.

Fold the top of the triangle over onto the remaining pastry and then again to create a perfect little triangular samosa.

Dip your finger in the dough paste and seal the pocket closed.

Repeat until all of your samosas are made and screaming out to be eaten.

And now to fry!

Heat your oil over high heat to about 170c or until a piece of pastry floats rapidly to the top when thrown in.

Gently add the samosas and deep fry in batches until crispy and light brown. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel.

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Crab Samosas

crab samosas - A must-try dish

There is nothing more delicious than homemade crab samosas. Biting into the crispy pastry stuffed with the special crab filling is what dreams are made of. I love samosas of all kinds – vegetable filled, lamb mince stuffed – you name it! Get the filling right and you and your guests are in for a memorable food experience. This has never been so true as with the crab filled samosas I’m going to teach you how to make here.

I live in North England near the sea where crabs are caught daily and sold right off the boats. Whenever I find myself pining for crab meat, I usually end up down by the sea purchasing a few of the day’s catch. I then take the crabs home, boil them and clean them, carefully picking every last bit of the sweet crab meat out of the shells to use in this or that recipe. The taste is out of this world.

To make these crab samosas, try to purchase the freshest crab meat you can. Fresh processed white crab meat will do but please stay away from that nasty tinned stuff!

INGREDIENTS

250g crab meat

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

10 fresh curry leaves

1 tablespoon black mustard seeds

2 cloves garlic smashed and finely chopped

2 green chili peppers finely chopped

1 inch ginger finely chopped

Juice of one lemon

1 teaspoon garam masala

Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 cups plain flour

Water

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Method

First make your pastry. Take about 1 1/2 cups of the plain flour and pour it into a large bowl.

Add a pinch of salt and about a tablespoon of oil.

Now add water a little at a time. I usually do this with a cupped hand rather than from the tap.

Work the water and oil into the flour to form a firm dough. Be careful not to add too much water, which will result in a big sticky mess.

Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of flour on a clean surface and knead it until the dough no longer sticks to your hands.

Place the dough ball back into the bowl and cover with a wet cloth and allow to rest while you create your crab meat filling.

Pour your remaining two tablespoons of oil into small frying pan over medium heat. Throw in the mustard seeds and curry leaves.

When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the crab, garlic, chopped chili peppers, garam masala, lemon juice and ginger.

Mix it all well with a spoon and then add salt and pepper to taste.

To finish

Pour your remaining cup of flour into a small bowl and add enough water to make a smooth paste.

Tear off a piece of your dough and place it on a floured surface. Keep the remaining dough in the bowl covered so that it does not dry out.

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a very thin sheet. The thinner the better! If you have ever worked with store bought spring roll pastry, that is what we are aiming for here. In fact, you could just use spring roll wrappers but personally I don’t think they are near as good as the homemade version here.

Once you have a nice thin sheet of pastry, cut the piece into two inch by four inch pieces.

Now take a tablespoon of the crab mixture and place it at the top of one of your pastry rectangles.

Fold the top left corner over the crab filling to make a small triangular pocket that is holding the meat. There will still be about two inched of pastry under this triangular pocket.

Fold the top of the triangle over onto the remaining pastry and then again to create a perfect little triangular samosa.

Dip your finger in the dough paste and seal the pocket closed.

Repeat until all of your samosas are made and screaming out to be eaten.

…and now to fry!

Heat your oil over high heat to about 170c or until a piece of pastry floats rapidly to the top when thrown in.

Gently add the crab samosas and deep fry until nicely browned.

Remove with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel being careful not to eat them before you get them to the table for your guests.

Serve on their own or with your favourite Indian chutneys and pickles.

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Prawn Puri

Enjoy! I know you will

I’ve been asked so many times for a good prawn puri recipe on my blog. It seems that everyone who enjoys a good curry loves these treats. A nice crispy puri with a mild prawn sauce that has just a bit of bite… Amazing!

Lately I’ve been making these quite often as my kids can’t seem to get enough of them. The deal is that if I make them on a Friday, they have to go for a long family walk on Saturday. It actually works!

If you are serving these for a dinner party, I recommend making them an hour or two before everyone arrives. The puris are best served right out of the oil but few people will know this. Just keep them in a low oven or heat them up in the microwave right before serving.

No dinner host wants to be stood over a hot deep fat fryer when there are guests in the house. The curry can be made up to a day ahead of time. I like to brown the prawns in hot ghee first. The colour adds nicely to the presentation.

Serves 4 as a starter course

INGREDIENTS

4 puri breads – See Puri recipe in my Indian bread section.

3 tablespoons ghee or olive oil

800g small fresh peeled prawns

2 tennis ball sized onions finely chopped

2 tomatoes finely chopped

3 green chilies finely chopped (Optional)

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Juice of two limes

1 small bunch finely chopped coriander

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat 1 tablespoon of the ghee or olive oil in a large pan or wok.

When hot, add the prawns and brown them on the outside until they are about 80% cooked through.

Remove the prawns from the pan and set aside.

Now add the remaining ghee or oil to the pan and toss in your chopped onions.

Fry for about 5 minutes stirring regularly until the onions are translucent and breaking apart a bit.

Plop in your chopped tomatoes and stir to combine.

Continue frying for about five more minutes. The onions and tomatoes will begin to break down to make a sauce.

Add a pinch of salt and then the chopped chilies (if using) the garam masala and the cumin.

In go the prawns and just enough water to almost cover them. 200ml should do fine.

To Serve

Squirt in the lime juice and add the chopped coriander.

Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Lay a warmed puri on each plate. Top with the prawn curry and serve.

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Seekh Kebabs

I promise you, these seekh kebabs are

melt in the mouth gorgeous!

One of the benefits of writing a curry blog is that I receive a lot of emails and tweets from people who want to show me their versions. This is a real bonus. I have learned so much from restaurateurs and followers of my blog without having to leave my house!

This may be a simple recipe but if you source good quality ingredients and have a good butcher, your seekh kebabs will be better than you’ll find at most Indian restaurants.

I recommend cooking these seekh kebabs on a barbecue. Better yet, cook them in a tandoor oven. Tandoor ovens are now available worldwide and cost about the same as a fancy BBQ. For the Indian food lover, they are something to put on your gift list.

Serves 4 as a starter

INGREDIENTS

1/2 leg of lamb (about 700g meat off the bone) Ask your butcher to run the meat and fat through a mincer

3 tablespoons pineapple juice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons plain yogurt

4 tablespoons grated Cheddar cheese (This adds flavour and helps keep the kebabs together)

3 tablespoons garlic puree

2 tablespoons ginger puree

3 green chilies - finely chopped

6 tablespoons finely chopped coriander (about one small bunch)

6 tablespoons finely chopped mint (about one small bunch)

1 tablespoons garam masala

1 tablespoon red chili powder

1/2 finely sliced onion

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Mix all of the ingredients except for the onion very well with your hands.

Place in a bowl and leave covered in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours.

When ready to cook, build a charcoal or wood fire.

While the coals are burning, form the meat around metal skewers. You could also just make the meat into patties. Press the sliced onion into the meat on the outside of the kebabs or patties.

When the coals are good and hot, place the seekh kebab skewers on the grill over the fire and cook until the minced meat is cooked through. This should take about 5 minutes.

Serve the seekh kebabs with a spicy yogurt raita, mint and coriander chutney and/or chilled thinly sliced red onions.

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Dhals

Dhals are delicious. When I cook curries at home there always has to be a hot dhal on the table. Some are quite time consuming to make but the following two can be cooked in less than an hours.

Moong Dhal

Chana Dhal

Tarka Dhal

Black Lentil Dhal

Moong Dhal

Moong dhal served with homemade chapatti

I really like moong dhal. Not just because it tastes really good but also because it’s so easy and quick to make. Some other types of dhal have to be soaked over-night. Not the case with moong dhal. This is a last minute dish that can be soaked, cooked and served in just over an hour.

When I make this dish, I often try to involve my kids. They help me stir it and ensure it doesn’t dry up while cooking. I put my son and youngest daughter in charge of making fresh chapatis which we serve with the dhal.

My oldest daughter usually sits nearby, mobile phone in hand making sure everything is okay on Facebook. She doesn’t appear to have received the cooking gene but she knows very well how to cook this lentil curry and she prefers it to the dhal available at many restaurants.

INGREDIENTS

500g Washed moong dhal lentils

2 plum tomatoes finely chopped

2 tablespoons garlic puree

1 tablespoon ginger puree

2 green chili peppers finely chopped

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

5 curry leaves (optional)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

A pinch of asafoetida

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons finely chopped coriander

Juice of to lemons

Method

Rinse the lentils and then cover with water and allow to soak for 45 minutes. Drain and rinse.

Place the moong dhal in a saucepan and cover with fresh water.

Bring to a boil and then throw in the chopped tomatoes and ginger.

Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. You must watch carefully and add more water if necessary or you will have a mess on your hands.

In a small frying pan, heat the oil.

When hot, add the chili flakes and cumin seeds and stir so the oil takes on the flavour of the spices.

After about 30 seconds, throw in the asafoetida, turmeric, the garlic and the curry leaves (if using) and stir to combine.

Allow to fry for a further 30 seconds and then pour the mixture of the dhal.

Just before serving, add salt and pepper to taste along with the chopped coriander and lemon juice.

I like to serve moong dhal with homemade chapatti bread. Moong dhal is a British Indian Restaurant favourite!

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Chana Dhal

One of the first Indian recipes I ever learned was chana dhal. I was visiting my then girlfriend - now my wife Caroline - in Manchester while she was still at university.

I was a young American who knew little about Indian cuisine and even less about cooking it. One of Caroline’s roommates was from India and luckily for everyone in the house also loved to cook.

She used to place meals on the table that could stand up to any five star restaurant. Unfortunately, we’ve lost touch with her but this recipe brings back memories of those awesome meals.

Chana dhal is made with yellow split gram lentils

but you could substitute other

types of lentils if you prefer.

This is not one of the jaw-dropping meals she used to present at the table but it is the recipe she taught me. Chana dhal is an easy and wholesome dish that should be in every Indian food lover’s recipe library.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

300g ( 1 1/4 cups) chana lentils

1000ml (4 cups water)

1 large white onion finely chopped

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin powder

4 cloves garlic finely chopped

3 tablespoons ghee or butter

1 inch ginger finely chopped

2 fresh green chili peppers

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Place the lentils in a saucepan and cover with water.

Swirl the water around with your hand until the water becomes cloudy.

Drain and repeat until the water runs clear.

Now place the lentils back in the pan and cover with one litre of water, half the chopped onions, the cumin and red chili powder.

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a rolling simmer.

While the lentils are simmering away, place the ghee/butter in a frying pan and melt over a low heat.

Add the chopped garlic, ginger, the remaining onion and the chili peppers to the ghee and brown lightly. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the butter mixture to the simmering lentils and continue cooking until the lentils are soft.

You want to cook the lentils slowly being very careful not to let them burn to the bottom of the pan. Cook them low and slow.

Once the lentils are very soft, I like to blend them with a handheld blender for about a minute to make them very creamy though this is not necessary.

Chana dhal is great served on its own or

as part of a larger curry feast.

Tarka Dhal

Tarka Dhal makes a great side dish or main meal. It is easy to make and is probably the most popular dhal dish on Indian restaurant menus. The dhal is covered with slices of onion that have been shallow fried until crispy and then allowed to dry on paper towels.

To make tarka dhal I use Massoor dhal (split small red lentils). Red lentils are available in most supermarkets though you will find them cheaper at Asian markets. Massoor dhal, unlike other lentils only needs to be washed and rinsed under cold water. I let mine soak in clean water for about a half hour while I prepare the other ingredients.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

250g Massoor dhal – washed

4 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter

Fresh curry leaves (optional)

1 tablespoon white cumin seeds

8 garlic cloves finely chopped

1 one inch cinnamon stick

2 tablespoons garam masala

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Red onions finely sliced

Vegetable oil

For the onions

I usually make the onion tarka first. It can be made a couple of days ahead of time and stored in an air tight container.

Slice your onions paper thin with a knife or food processor. Heat about one inch of vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat.

When the oil is hot enough that a slice of onion sizzles when it is placed in the oil, add a handful of the onion slices.

Toss around in the oil for a few minutes until the onions turn brown. You will probably need to do this in batches.

Remove the finished onion tarka to dry paper towels.

For the lentils

Place the washed massoor lentils in a heavy bottomed pot and cover with about an inch of water. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the lentils are soft and creamy.

You may need to add a little water if the lentils begin to get too dry.

While the lentils are simmering away, melt the ghee over medium heat in another pan.

When the ghee is melted add the curry leaves (if using) cumin seeds, garlic cloves and cinnamon stick.

Let the ingredients get to know each other for about two minutes.

Now add the garam masala and about 2/3 of the onion and then pour the mixture over the cooked lentils.

With a heavy spoon or whisk, whip it all around into a nice smooth soup and sprinkle the remaining fried onions over the top.

Check for seasoning and enjoy.

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Black Lentils

Whenever I cook something new, I always jot down notes about the recipe. I don’t write the recipe down, but rather what it was I liked about it and how I think it could have been improved. It’s just my way of getting to know a recipe and – over time – making it my own.

I first made this black lentil dhal about five years ago and tagged it as a favourite. I then quickly forgot about it as I wasn’t cooking much Indian food at the time. Most of my favourite recipes are engrained in my memory but this black lentil dhal recipe stayed hidden away recently.

I was eating with my wife, Caroline and a group of friends at our local Indian restaurant and the waiter Shailen could not have been better. Of course the excellent food did help, but he made sure we had what we wanted when we wanted it.

I’d spoken to him on several occasions over the years but this time he told us all about how he was a bit homesick for New Delhi. We got out of him that his favourite food was Punjabi food. He made sure we understood that the food he ate at home in New Delhi was a lot better than was served in the curry house.

Making black lentils takes some

forward planning but it’s worth it!

As I know my fair share of authentic Punjabi recipes my wife and I decided we had to invite him to dinner at our house with my same group of friends. He accepted without hesitation.

I made a large selection of Punjabi favourites including butter chicken, rogan josh, tandoori prawns and naans served with homemade pickles and chutneys and this black lentil dhal.

You know when you’ve got it right when your Punjabi guest – who has never cooked Indian food in his life – suddenly says ‘This is just like my mother’s recipe!’

He loved the whole meal but could not get over the flavours in this black lentil dhal – his favourite comfort food from home.

Here I would like to share with you the exact recipe I used to make the dish. It serves eight as a side dish though if I had known how much he loved them I would have doubled the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

400g urad dhal (whole black lentils)

100g chana dhal (yellow split lentils)

75g butter

2 tablespoons ginger paste

2 tablespoons garlic paste

3 fresh green chilies – finely chopped

1 tablespoon red chili powder

50ml single cream

3 fresh green chilies – split in half lengthwise and seeded

2 tablespoons tomato puree

400ml chopped tomatoes

A pinch of dried fenugreek powder

Salt and pepper to taste

garam masala

A handful of chopped coriander

Method

Rinse the lentils under cold water to remove any starch and then place them in a large bowl.

Cover with fresh water and allow to soak overnight.

The next day, drain the lentils and give them one last good rinse.

Then, place the lentils in a large pot and cover them with water. I usually cover them with about an inch or two of water and almost always have to add more water during cooking.

Bring the water to a boil and then simmer for about one hour or until the lentils are soft.

Meanwhile, pour the chopped tomatoes, garlic and ginger pastes, the green chopped chilies, dried fenugreek leaves and the red chili powder in a blender and blend to a smooth paste.

Pour this into the lentils and stir to combine.

Throw in the sliced green chilies and allow to simmer for a further 30 minutes. You may need to add a little water during this time.

To finish

Pour in the cream and then add the butter one tablespoon at a time while stirring continuously.

Taste and then add just enough salt and pepper to make this the brilliant dish that it is.

Sprinkle a little garam masala on top along with the coriander and serve immediately.

Black lentil dhal can also be served as a main meal with rice or naans and a green salad.

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Pickles and Chutneys

As with spices, Indian restaurants tend to use a lot of ready made pickles and chutneys in their curries and as side dishes. Patak’s is the most popular brand. If you’ve ever purchased poppadams before your meal, chances are you were served a Patak’s lime pickle and mango chutney to enjoy them with.  They are very nice and the Patak’s brand is well respected and loved in the BIR scene. I use their products all the time.

That said, I also love to cook and have experimented with my own recipes. You’ll find my favourites here.  Patak’s products will help you achieve that well known BIR flavour. If you want to create your own version of BIR cooking, give my recipes a try and feel free to experiment too!

Lime Pickle

Mango Pickle

Tamarind Chutney

Coriander Chutney

Onion Pickle

Lime Pickle

I am so happy to have been taught this lime pickle recipe. I love lime pickle and have since I was first introduced to Indian food. It goes fantastically well with homemade naans, poppadams, samosas and as a side to many curries. Lime pickle is served at almost every Indian restaurant and would be greatly missed if it weren't!

There was a time when I always had a supermarket brand name jar of lime pickle in the fridge. These days I make my own. This recipe takes a lot of work so be warned. I like to make it though.

The pickle lasts indefinitely in a sterilised jar in a cool dark place such as a cupboard or the fridge.

INGREDIENTS

1kg (2 lbs) limes - stab holes in each lime and then cut into eight pieces

125g (1/3 cup) salt

40 cloves of garlic

50g ½ cup red chili powder

For the tempering

150ml (3/4 cup vegetable oil

30 grams (1/3 cup) white cumin seeds

3 tablespoons black mustard seeds

½ teaspoon asafetida

Place the limes in a bowl and add the salt, whole garlic cloves and red chili powder.

Mix well coating the limes and pressing down on them as you do. Retain the juices and place the limes into a steamer and steam for about 15 minutes until they are quite soft.

Transfer the limes to a glass bowl and cover with a towel.

Leave in the sun or a warm place for two days. Mix every eight hours to keep the limes coated with all the other ingredients.

At the end of day two, warm the vegetable oil over high heat. When the oil is smoking slightly, throw in the black mustard seeds, cumin seeds and the asafoetida.

The mustard seeds will begin to pop. When they do, pour the oil mixtures of the limes and stir well.

Pour in the reserved lime juice too.

Lime pickle takes some time to

make but it'll be worth it!

Cover again with the towel and allow to sit in the sun or a warm place for another two days.

At the end of two days scoop the lime pickle into a food processor and process to a chunky or smooth paste – whichever you choose. Place this in a sterilised air tight container and let sit in a cool place for at least two weeks before serving.

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Mango Pickle

Time to made another batch of mango pickle

This mango pickle is like nothing else on the market. It is so good. The only problem is that it takes a week to make. Sorry but there aren’t any shortcuts.

If you’ve tried my lime pickle recipe you will know that the effort is worth it. My lime pickle takes about the same amount of time to make and it is one of the most popular recipes on my curry blog site.

This mango pickle keeps indefinitely in a sterilised jar.

I usually make this recipe in much larger batches because of the work involved. You might like to consider doing the same. It is so nice to serve poppadams with a selection of your own homemade chutneys, raitas and pickles! I love having these homemade products on hand.

Mango pickle can also be stirred into curries at the last minute to add more flavour and depth. Be sure to add it right at the end of cooking as mango will turn hard if over cooked.

INGREDIENTS

3 green mangos – pitted and cut into bit sized pieces

Juice of three limes

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds

1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 inch piece of ginger – skinned and cut into slivers

2 teaspoons (or more) red chili powder

4 tablespoons garlic paste

For the tempering

450ml sesame oil

10 fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon nigella (onion) seeds

6 dried long red chilies

15 cloves garlic

Method

Place the mangos, salt and turmeric in a large glass jar with a tight fitting lid.

Mix well and then partially cover and allow to sit for three days. The mango needs a little air at this stage.

Stir the pickle once or twice each day.

On the third day, add the lime juice and stir again – leaving for one more day.

On the fourth day, add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and the ginger, garlic paste and chili powder.

Again stir well so that all of the ingredients are nicely mixed together.

Heat the sesame oil in a large pan over medium heat.

When hot, add the rest of the tempering ingredients and fry for about two minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Remove the oil from the heat and allow to cool.

When cool, pour it all into the mango mixture and stir very well to ensure the mango pieces are coated well.

It is important that the mangos be completely covered with the oil. If not, you could either remove some of the mangos to eat as a snack or heat up a little more oil – allow it to cool and then cover the mango pickle.

You now need to let the mango pickle sit for four days in a tightly covered jar or bowl. The mixture needs to be stirred twice daily.

To Store

Scoop the mixture into air-tight sterilised jars and store in a cool dark cupboard.

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Tamarind Chutney Recipe

The tamarind chutney is sweet and sour and simply amazing! I have been making this recipe since my college days so quite a long time! In fact I didn’t even realise it was an Indian chutney at the time. I like to serve it with poppadams and samosas. The Tamarind chutney also goes very well with some curries such as lamb keema and freshly made naans.

I used to make this with a block of tamarind but lately I have been purchasing tamarind pulp which tastes just as good and is a lot less work.

You probably won't find tamarind chutney and many Indian restaurants though I have come across it at very nice establishments.

Serves 4 to 8

Preparation time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons tamarind pulp

1 tablespoon water

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons salt

4 tablespoons Ketchup

Juice of one lemon

3 green chilies finely chopped

1/2 onion finely chopped

3 spring onions finely chopped

a handful of chopped fresh coriander leaves

1 large carrot grated

Method

In a small bowl, add all the ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

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Coriander Chutney Recipe

This chutney has a real kick to it. It only takes about a minute to make but tastes like you've spent much more time.

INGREDIENTS

A large handful of fresh coriander leaves

6 hot green chilies finely chopped

4 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon sugar

4 spring onions chopped

Blend the ingredients together and refrigerate for about an hour or serve immediately.

Coriander chutney is the perfect accompaniment for poppadams!

Onion Chutney Recipe

Onion chutney is essential. Could you imagine going out for an Indian dinner without it? Here is my recipe.

INGREDIENTS

1 large red or white onion sliced into paper thin slices

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sugar

Juice of one lemon or lime

½ teaspoon roasted cumin seeds (optional)

Method

This is the easiest of them all. Simply mix the ingredients and place in the fridge to cool for at least an hour. You may want to add a bit more salt or sugar depending on your personal taste.

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Tasty Raitas

What would Indian restaurant food be like without all the tasty raitas? They can make a restaurant or takeaway. Here are a couple of my favourites.

Smooth Garlic, Chili And Mint Raita

Coriander and Mint Raita

Smooth Garlic, Chilli And Mint Raita

Print

I like to look at this recipe as a work in progress. It’s simple and I do change it all the time. I add this or that ingredient though it really doesn’t need a thing to be perfect.

The flavour is similar to what you get in nice tandoori restaurants with poppadams and kebabs. It’s the ‘secret sauce’ of the Indian cookery world. It’s funny how something so easy to make can be so nice.

I like to serve this mint raita with homemade naans wrapped around fish pakoras or minced lamb kebabs.

Feel free to play with the recipe. You can’t go wrong by adding coriander, your hot sauce of choice, grated cucumber, roasted cumin… more garlic!

I should point out that this is very much a British Indian Restaurant (BIR) style raita. Mint sauce is used instead of fresh mint which gives the raita its recognisable flavour. I use Coleman’s though any good quality mint sauce could be used.

INGREDIENTS

300ml full fat Greek yogurt (Low fat is fine too)

1 teaspoon garlic paste

1 teaspoon ginger paste

1 – 3 fresh green chilies – finely minced

Juice of 1 lime

1 teaspoon mint sauce (Add more to taste)

Salt to taste

Method

In a food processor or mixing bowl, whisk the yogurt until it is very smooth.

Now add the remaining ingredients and continue blending until well mixed.

Place in the fridge for at least one half hour before serving.

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Coriander And Mint Raita

I have to admit that I am quite disappointed when I go out to an Indian restaurant and this raita isn’t on the menu. Coriander and mint raita goes so well with pappadams, kebabs, samosas and as a side with most curries.

I like it spicy and usually throw in at least five green chillies. It’s not a soup after all so if you’re not a fan of the heat, you can just dab your appetisers of choice into it. Then again, you could tone it down some and only add one chilli or omit them all together.

These flavours together are so bright and appealing. I recommend trying my recipe and then adjusting it to your own tastes. With a little practice, it’ll be perfect for you.

As a special treat, you could use full fat yogurt though I use the non fat variety and it works just fine.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup (200ml) Greek yogurt

1 large bunch fresh chopped coriander

Approx. 20 mint leaves

2 – 5 fresh green chilies – chopped

Juice of one lime

Salt to taste

Method

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Check for seasoning and eat immediately or save for up to three days in the fridge.

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Tandoori Dishes

There are so many nice tandoori dishes out there. In this section I would like to show you four of my favourites. The marinades can be used with many different meat, fish and vegetables.

Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori Sea Bass

Tandoori Cod

Tandoori Salmon

Lamb Shami Kebabs

Tandoori Aloo (Potatoes)

Chicken Tandoori

This tandoori chicken is so good!

This is a tandoori chicken recipe without the tandoor oven. Instead, I recommend barbecuing it though it can be cooked in the oven. It's easy and the marinade only takes minutes to make.

One of the most difficult things about barbecuing chicken is the fat from the skin dripping into the coals and flaring up. You shouldn't have that problem with this tandoori chicken recipe as the skin is removed. In Indian cooking, the skin is usually removed which is much better for you.

You won't miss the skin. I think you’ll find this chicken to be succulent and full of flavour.

Tip: You can also cut chicken breast into bite-sized pieces and use the same marinade to made chicken tikka.

Serves 6

Preparation time: 10 minutes plus marinating time

Cooking time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

12 free range chicken thighs skinned and left on the bone

Juice of two lemons

1 Tablespoon salt

red food colouring (optional)

for the marinade

2 cups plain yogurt

2 tablespoon garlic puree

1 tablespoon ginger puree

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon salt

2 green chilies finely chopped

1 bunch of coriander leaves finely chopped

Method

Remove the skin from the chicken thighs.

Using a sharp knife, make three slits in each thigh. This is done so that the thighs marinade better.

Squeeze the lemon juice all over the chicken thighs and sprinkle with the salt and let sit while you make the marinade. You should also add a couple drops of food colouring at this stage if using.

Place all the marinade ingredients in a food processor and blend to a find paste. Cover the chicken pieces with the marinade and rub it with your hands deep into the flesh of the chicken.

Allow to marinate for six hours or up to 48 hours - the longer the better.

To cook on the barbecue

Build a log fire in a kettle barbecue for best results. The flavour of the burning wood together with the marinated chicken is phenomenal!

You are ready to grill when you can hold your hand two inches above the grill without it being unbearably hot.

On a gas barbecue, set the grill to medium high heat.

Cook the tandoori chicken turning occasionally until the chicken is cooked through and the edges are blackened.

To cook in the oven

Set your oven to the highest heat. Place the chicken pieces on a rack and cook for about 25 minutes. Turn the pieces half way through the cooking time. The chicken is ready when the juices run clear when pricked with a fork.

I like to serve tandoori chicken with saffron rice and a green salad.

As an alternative to this recipe, why not try making chicken tikka. Use the same marinade – with or without the food colouring. Cur the chicken pieces into chunks and follow the same recipe.

Chicken tikka is a good alternative to my pre-cooked chicken recipe.

Tandoori chicken is the most popular Indian barbecue

recipe, so enjoy and have fun!

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Tandoori Sea Bass

Tandoori Sea Bass in minutes

You won’t find sea bass on the menu of many Indian curry houses though some of the more upmarket establishments now have it on offer. This is one of my favourite ways to cook sea bass so I decided to include it here.

This tandoori sea bass recipe could also be made with other fish

such as salmon, trout and bream.

If all you want to do is make a quick dinner, this is a good one. From start to finish you could make this dinner in about fifteen minutes. Tandoori sea bass is also nice done on a BBQ.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 - 2 sea bass per person.

5 tablespoons plain yogurt

1 teaspoon olive oil or vegetable oil

Juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon garlic puree

1 tablespoon ginger puree

1 fresh green chili finely cut

1 tablespoon tandoori powder

salt and pepper to taste

chopped coriander and lemon wedges to garnish

Method

Preheat your oven grill to high.

Make about four slits in each side of the fish as shown in the pictures.

Now place the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, green chili and tandoori powder in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Rub the fish inside and out with the tandoori yogurt mixture.

When the oven is hot, place the fish on a rack at the top of the oven and grill for about 5 minutes per side.

Remove the fish when it is cooked through and slightly blackened.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

You can serve tandoori sea bass with rice and a vegetable side dish or just with a simple green salad. Delicious!

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Tandoori Cod

I love experimenting with flavours. It is especially fun to do with fresh seafood. You don’t want to overpower the fish but a nice zing is always nice.

This recipe can be made with cod or any firm white fish.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

500g fresh cod cut into 2 inch chunks

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon ginger paste

3 fresh green chilies – chopped

75g fresh coriander – roughly chopped

25g fresh parsley – roughly chopped

3 tablespoons plain yogurt

Juice of two limes

1 teaspoon garam masala

Salt and pepper to taste

A few wooden skewers soaked in water for about 30 minutes

Tandoori cod can also be made with

meaty fish like hake, haddock and coley.

Method

Pre-heat your grill to the highest setting.

Throw the cod chunks into a bowl and squirt with the limes.

Cover with the garlic and ginger pastes and let these ingredients all get to know each other while you make the marinade.

Place the chilies, coriander, parsley, yogurt and garam masala into a blender and blend to a smooth paste.

If needed, you could squeeze a bit more lime juice in to help the ingredients blend.

Pour this marinade over the fish pieces and stir to combine. This is the stage I started getting quite hungry.

Allow to marinate for 20 minutes and then stab the cod chunks with the skewers.

You’ll get the idea how this should look from the picture.

Place the tandoori cod skewers on a rack under the hot grill and sizzle until the fish is cooked through and the surface is toasted brown or even blackened in places.

Be careful not to over-cook the cod or it will fall apart.

To serve

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with naans or rice with the vegetables and chutneys of your choice. This tandoori cod could be served on its own with a few lime or lemon wedges too.

Tandoori Salmon

One of the best things about having made home cooked Indian food for so many years is that I can now make up recipes quite easily. I know how each and every spice tastes. Over time these flavours have become part of a huge library of flavours which I can call on to create this or that dish.

Some of the recipes are quite difficult and include many different spices while others couldn’t be easier like this tandoori salmon recipe. You can cook this tandoori salmon in a tandoor, on a BBQ or in a conventional oven.

When done in the oven, I enjoy cooking salmon on a cedar plank. These wooden planks are available online and at some lumber shops. If you like the idea and decide to source a cedar plank, be sure that the wood has not been treated with anything. You want plain cedar or your salmon will pick up the flavour of the chemicals used to treat the wood.

Tandoori salmon tastes and looks

great served on a cedar plank!

Soak your cedar plank in water or white wine for about an hour before placing in the oven. This will make the wood smoke slightly while cooking and the lovely flavour of the cedar smoke will make your salmon taste spectacular.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 200g thick salmon steak

5 tablespoons plain yogurt

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1 tablespoon cumin powder (Preferably home roasted and ground)

1 – 2 tablespoons tandoori powder or garam masala

1 – 3 red chilies finely chopped (To taste)

Juice of 2 limes

1 small bunch of chopped coriander leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Tandoori salmon placed on a cedar plank ready to cook.

Method

Place all of the marinade ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.

Spread the tandoori mixture over the salmon steaks, pressing it lightly into the flesh.

Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes and pre-heat your oven to its highest setting.

After 30 minutes place the salmon steaks onto a baking tray or a prepared cedar plank and place in the oven.

I prefer my salmon to be a bit pink inside and usually find that the salmon is cooked to perfection within eight to ten minutes.

You may wish to experiment a little and cut one of the steaks in half after about 5 minutes so that you can cook these salmon to your own preferred doneness.

Tandoori salmon is great served hot but is equally good served cold. In fact, if you have any leftovers, place them in the fridge for lunch the following day.

The flavours will intensify and the salmon will become melt in the mouth gorgeous.

Note: The tandoori salmon marinade ingredients could be used on other types of fish too.

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Lamb Shami Kebabs

This recipe is easy but it will take some time to do correctly. Believe me though, the end result if worth ever second. I challenge you to find a better recipe. I've been working on this one for years and I think it is about as perfect as it's going to get.

Preparation time: 20 minute plus marinating time
Cooking time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

500g (1 lb) lean lamb mince (The fatty stuff just won't do here!)

2 tablespoons ginger paste

2 tabelspoons garlic paste

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 red onion - finely sliced

1 tablespoon fresh or desiccated coconut

4 tablespoons yogurt

4 tablespoons black peppercorns

1 two inch cinnamon stick

5 cloves

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

The seeds from 5 black cardamom pods

1 teaspoon red chili powder

2 blades mace

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

3 tablespoons gram flour

2 tablespoon finely chopped mint leaves

2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves

3 tablespoons pineapple juice
salt and pepper to taste.

Method

Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan and then throw in the sliced onions. Fry until the onions are crispy and nicely browned. Transfer to a paper towel to dry.

Place the black peppercorns, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom seeds and mace in a small dry frying pan over medium heat. Move the spices around in the pan so that they roast evenly.

When they begin to smoke, remove the spices to a spice grinder or pestle and mortar and grind into a fine powder.

Mix the fried onions, and spice powder with the other ingredients and work them into the minced lamb.

Allow to sit covered for 4 hours or up to 48 hours. Obviously the longer the better!

When you are ready to cook, form the mince into small patties and either fry them in a little oil or place them on the barbecue.

Serve your lamb kebabs with naans, green salad and the Indian chutneys of your choice.

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Tandoori Aloo

Tandoori aloo - a tasty way to serve potatoes!

This tandoori aloo recipe has just recently become one of my son’s daughter's favourites.  I have to say I couldn't believe it because he is usually the picky one.  He actually saw the potatoes marinating for several hours which I thought would turn him off but when he saw the finished dish, he couldn't wait to dig in!

This is an easy recipe to make and it is so good! For best results roast and grind your own spices as describe below but if pushed for time you can always use good quality spice powders. Tandoori aloo goes great with almost any Indian curry but it is also a nice side dish with most meats and vegetables regardless of how they are cooked.

Whatever you do, don't throw away the left-overs!  Tandoori aloo can be easily re-heated or even served cold with a salad. In fact the fantastic flavours actually improve with time.

Serves 6

Preparation Time: 20 minutes plus marinading time

Cooking Time: 60 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 large potatoes

3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons double cream

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 heaping tablespoon gram flour

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon ginger paste

3 green chilies - chopped

1 tablespoon fenugreek leaves

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon chili powder

3 Tablespoons chopped coriander

3 Tablespoon melted ghee (optional)

flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

I usually start by preparing the spices. Place your cumin and coriander seeds in a small frying pan and dry fry over medium heat until the spices begin to smoke.

Remove from the heat and grind to a powder using a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder.

Now heat water in a large pan that is big enough to hold the potatoes. While the water is heating, peel the potatoes.

Once the water is boiling, place the potatoes in the water and cook for about 10 minutes. The potatoes should not be soft but just slightly cooked.

Remove from the water using a colander and then shake the lightly cooked potatoes around so that they become slightly fluffy on the outside. Move them to a cutting board and cut each potato into two halves down the center.

While the potatoes cool, place all of the rest of the ingredients into a blender except for the ghee and salt and pepper and blend to a fine paste.

Pour this marinade on the potatoes and allow to marinate for 2 to 3 hours.

To Cook

Pre-heat your oven to its highest setting.

Pour the vegetable oil into a baking dish and coat the potatoes

Bake for 20 minutes and then turn them over and bake for another 20 minutes.

Stir the potatoes another time and bake for another 20 minutes. You may want to turn them a couple of time during the last 20 minutes so they get nice and crispy in the oil.

Sprinkle with flaky salt and freshly cracked black pepper to serve. Pour the melted ghee over the potatoes for the last five minutes of cooking.

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CHICKEN CURRY RECIPES

The following recipes are usually served with chicken. I say usually because there is no reason they can’t be served with lamb, beef, pork, shellfish or anything else for that matter.

Just use the sauce recipes and add the pre-cooked meat or seafood of your choice. if you are cooking these at the last minute - as they would be in a restaurant - it is essential that you used pre-cooked meat. If not, slowly simmer the meat of choice in the sauce until it is nice and tender.

Make your curry sauce, cook your meat and prepare your spice

blend first. Then you can make any of these curries in 10 minutes!

Chicken Chilli Garlic

Chicken Dhansak

Chicken Do Piazza

Chicken Jalfrezi

Chicken Korma

Chicken Madras

Chicken Patia

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Saagwala

Chicken Chili Garlic Curry

Anyone who has been reading my blog for a while will know that I love spicy curries. Not over-poweringly spicy mind you - just a nice sting while still being able to enjoy all the magnificent flavours that make up a good curry.

My days of eating eight pint vindaloos (That’s the amount of lager you need to eat the thing) are well and truly over but you can give me a nice chicken chilli garlic curry any day and I’ll be a happy man.

Chicken chili garlic is one of the curries I’ve started ordering when I go out for a curry with friends. My wife actually told me to order it the first time - seasoned Brit that she is - when she began tiring of seeing me order the same curries each time we went out.

I am now a big fan and chicken chili garlic and make it regularly at home now too.

Making chicken chili garlic couldn’t be easier. Pre-cook your meat and make the curry sauce and you can make this curry in about ten minutes!

If you are a garlic and spice lover like me, you are

going to love this chicken chili garlic recipe!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 whole bulb of rock hard garlic

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 breasts of pre-cooked chicken

2 tablespoons garlic puree

2 tablespoons ginger puree

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 tablespoon tandoori powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon (more or less to taste) red chili powder

2 tablespoons tomato puree

750ml (3 cups) heated curry sauce

5 cherry tomatoes - quartered

3 (or more) fresh green chilies cut into thin rings

1 small bunch of finely chopped coriander

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Separate your garlic bulb and cut the cloves into fine slivers. I leave the skin on for flavour but you can remove it if you want.

Heat three tablespoons of the oil over a medium heat and add the garlic slivers. It is very important not to burn the garlic. Watch it and move the slivers around in the pan lightly browning them.

When browned, carefully remove half of the slivers to a side plate while leaving the rest in the pan.

Add the ginger puree, garlic puree, curry powder, garam masala, tandoori powder, chili powder, cumin and tomato puree to the garlic slivers in the pan and stir contently for about 30 seconds.

Now add the pre-cooked chicken and the curry sauce to the pan and allow to sizzle for about two minutes. You might want to add a drop of water if you like a thinner sauce.

To finish

Throw in the raw chilies and stir to combine.

Now add the quartered tomatoes and simmer for about a minute until they are just cooked through.

In the meantime, pour the remaining two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a clean pan and add the garlic slivers you set aside earlier.

Heat over high heat until the oil is quite hot but NOT burning the garlic.

Season the curry with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with the chopped coriander.

Then pour the hot oil and crunchy garlic slivers on top.

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Chicken Dhansak Curry

One of things I did to ensure my recipes were as close to perfect as possible was to post them on my blog. I have received so many great tips and comments. I have changed this recipe now many times and think I’ve finally got it down.

Many restaurant chicken dhansak curries have pineapple in them. My daughter loves this but I’m not all that keen. I’ll let you decide whether you include the fruit or not.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

800g pre-cooked chicken

2 tablespoons ghee

2 tablespoons garlic puree

2 tablespoons ginger puree

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 tablespoon chili powder (more or less to taste)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

250ml (1 cup) red split lentils (rinsed and cook until soft - about 30 minutes)

750ml (3 cups) heated curry sauce

3 tablespoons fresh chopped coriander

salt and pepper

100ml pineapple juice (optional)

3 pineapple rings - cut into pieces (optional)

Method

Heat the ghee/oil over medium heat.

Throw in the ginger and garlic pastes along with the turmeric and let sizzle for about 30 seconds. The turmeric will become darker as you do this.

Now add the cumin, curry powder, chili powder and tomato paste.

Stir to combine before adding the heated curry sauce, cooked lentils and chicken pieces and heat through.

to finish

Stir in the pineapple juice and/or pineapple pieces if using.

Test for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle with the chopped coriander and serve immediately.

Chicken dhansak goes very well with plain white rice and naans.

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Chicken Do Piazza

Chicken do piazza is a mild favourite!

Do piazza means two onions or onions cooked in two ways. I have tried so many different recipes for this mild chicken do piazza curry but this is by far the best. It also happens to taste exactly like the chicken do piazza curry at my favourite curry house in town. I wonder how that happened?

You are going to need to do some forward planning before diving into this recipe. It requires an onion sauce, which I usually cook overnight in a very low oven. You could just cook the onion sauce for a few hours but the longer over-night cooking time gives it a sweeter and deeper - more interesting - flavour.

You could make a large batch of the onion sauce and plop it with great success into other curries too. I do this all the time. The onion sauce also freezes quite well.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

3 Tablespoons ghee

150ml vegetable oil

1 onion finely sliced

800g pre-cooked chicken

300ml onion sauce (Approx one chopped onion covered and cooked in water in a low oven for about three hours and then blended until smooth)

700ml heated curry sauce

2 tablespoons garlic puree

1 tablespoon ginger puree

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon chili powder or to taste (I use one heck of a lot more)

2 tablespoons tomato puree

3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat the oil over medium/high heat until a piece of bread brown in 20 seconds.

Throw in the sliced onion and brown. When the slices are glossy brown, remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Pour out the leftover oil and save for another use.

Now add the ghee to the pan

Pour in the onion sauce and let it sizzle and splatter for about one minute.

Add the garlic and ginger pastes and tomato puree.

Now pour in the cooked chicken and stir to combine before pouring in the heated curry sauce.

If you are using red chili powder, add it now along with the cumin, garam masala and curry powder.

Return the browned onion slices to the pan.

Add salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with the fresh coriander.

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Chicken Jalfrezi

Chicken jalfrezi is one of the easiest curries to make.

If Chaat Magazine is anything to go by - and I can assure you that it is, Chicken jalfrezi is currently the most popular restaurant style curry in the UK. It’s little wonder therefore that my more traditional British Raj style chicken jalfrezi which is on my blog attracts a lot of interest.

This recipe, however is much closer to what you would find in your favourite Indian restaurant. In actual fact, it's only been slightly changed from the more traditional chicken jalfrezi to keep up with the fast pace of the Indian restaurant. This Chicken Jalfrezi recipe is BIR cooking at its best!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

700g pre-cooked chicken

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper thinly sliced

4 green chili peppers - finely chopped

1 teaspoon red chili powder

2 tablespoons tomato puree

5 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves

1 tablespoon smooth mango chutney

1 small bunch chopped coriander leaves

400ml heated curry sauce

salt and pepper

Method

Pour the vegetable oil into a large pan or wok.

Throw in the sliced onion, bell pepper and green chili peppers and fry until they are just cooked through and soft.

Add the garlic, tomato puree, cumin powder, fenugreek and smooth mango chutney and stir to combine.

Tip in your chicken pieces and warmed curry sauce and allow to simmer for about three minutes.

All you need to do now is toss in the chopped coriander and test for seasoning.

Voila! An amazingly good chicken jalfrezi ready to eat in less than ten minutes.

I like to serve this curry with rice or fresh naans.

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Chicken Korma

This is a truly tasty chicken korma. I have to say, that I usually find kormas a bit too mild. I guess that’s why I like cooking BIR curries at home. This recipe is very mild like you would expect.  When I make it for myself, however a few naga chilies somehow get mixed into the equation.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

5 tablespoon ghee

750ml (3 cups) heated curry sauce

800g pre-cooked chicken

4 tablespoons cashew nuts - finely chopped OR pounded smooth to a paste with a little water

1/2 teaspoon yellow food colouring (optional but necessary if you want that authentic restaurant chicken korma look)

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon green cardamon powder

1 teaspoon sugar (more or less to taste)

125ml (1/2 cup) double cream

225ml (1/2 cup) coconut milk

3 tablespoons chopped coriander

1 teaspoon rose water (Optional but very nice.)

Method

Melt the ghee in a frying pan over medium heat.

Pour in the heated curry sauce and the chopped cashews or cashew paste. (Use cashew paste if you like a creamier curry or even a mixture of both chopped and paste)

Add the food colouring.

Turn the heat down and sprinkle with the garam masala, cumin, cardamom, sugar, cream and coconut milk..

Stir well and add salt and pepper to taste.

Top with chopped coriander and serve with plain white rice or freshly made naans.

If using rose water, pour it in right before serving.

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Chicken Madras

Give this chicken madras a try!

Chicken madras is the perfect dish for you hot heads out there. I am often asked about some of the other hot curries that are so popular. Curries such as naga chicken curry and chicken vindaloo.

To make these hotter versions, many restaurants simply add a bit more spice. In the case of naga curry, they add some nicely chopped naga chilies. If you can’t find them fresh, there are some good canned naga chilies on the market that can be used.

For a deeper flavour, skip the fresh green nagas and go for a red chili powder. Add as much as you can stand and don’t forget the ice cold beer.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

800g pre-cooked chicken

2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon ginger paste

2 green chili peppers finely chopped

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 tablespoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 tablespoons red chili powder (More or less to taste)

750ml (3 cups) heated curry sauce

1 - 2 tablespoons smooth mango chutney

salt and pepper to taste

A pinch of garam masala

Fresh coriander to garnish

Method

Heat the ghee/oil over medium heat in a large pan or wok.

Scoop in the garlic and ginger pastes along with the chopped chili peppers.

Allow them to sizzle for about 15 second and then add the cumin, coriander powder, chili powder, curry powder and turmeric.

Stir to combine.

Now pour in the curry gravy and mango chutney.

Add the chicken pieces and allow to simmer for about three minutes to heat the chicken through.

Test for seasoning and add a little salt and pepper. You could also sprinkle with garam masala which makes a nice touch.

Sprinkle with the fresh coriander and serve.

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Chicken Patia

For the past few years I’ve been going to a quite posh curry restaurant in the next village to ours.  I went often trying to work out the flavours so that I could make the curries myself at home. They were so good!

The chef there is a great guy and has given me a lot of valuable advice. One recipe, however he kept to himself. It was a sweet and sour chutney that my kids absolutely loved dipping their papadams into. I think he liked the fact that I couldn’t quite work out the flavours.

One day I was in the restaurant on a Sunday afternoon with my family. It was uncharacteristically quiet and my friend came up to my table and invited me back to the kitchen.

“Do you like chicken patia?” He asked picking up a pan. I knew I was about to get a lesson.

“Yes.” I answered though I had never tried the popular sweet and sour curry, tending to choose spicier options when I go out.

“Then let’s make one!” He replied.

Chicken patia was most likely invented here in the UK to compete

with Chinese takeaways offering sweet and sour chicken.

He opened the fridge and took out some mint sauce, a small tub of Patak’s mango chutney, some ketchup and some pineapple juice. He also grabbed some red food colouring and tandoor curry powder from the shelf. I mixed the ingredients together as he instructed and then he handed me a spoon.

“Try it.” He said smiling.

It was the poppadam dip my kids loved!

It also happens to be an essential ingredient in chicken patia!

Since making this recipe for my kids the first time right there in the restaurant, it’s always on their request list. If you like chicken patia, you’re in for a real treat with this recipe.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

150ml pineapple juice

150ml ketchup

150ml mango chutney

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 - 5 tablespoons mint sauce (mint sauce is the sour part of the ‘sweet and sour’. Add it to your own tastes.

red food dye

1 tablespoon curry powder

800g  pre-cooked chicken

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons garlic paste

2 tablespoon ginger paste

1 tablespoon red chili powder

1 tablespoon coriander powder

2 tablespoons cumin powder

500ml (2 cups) heated curry sauce

1 small bunch of coriander leaves - finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

A pinch of garam masala

Patia sauce works great as a poppadom dip too.

Method

I always make the patia sauce first. You could double the recipe and use it as a dip for poppadoms too. Mix in some finely sliced onions for a delicious sweet and sour onion chutney.

Mix the pineapple juice, ketchup, mango chutney, tandoor powder, tomato paste and mint sauce together .

Now add just enough red food colouring (optional) to give it that red glow that patias are known for and then set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok or pan and add the heated curry sauce and the chicken.

Now add the patia sauce you set aside along with the ginger and garlic purees, curry powder, chili powder, coriander powder and the cumin powder.

Your chicken patia is almost done now!

Throw in the chopped coriander and season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with garam masala and some fresh coriander.

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Chicken Tikka Masala

Nothing beats a steaming hot chicken tikka masala!

Over the years I must have made chicken tikka masala hundreds of times. My kids love it. I have experimented with many different recipes and have rarely been disappointed. The thing about chicken tikka masala is that I know it will always get eaten.

Anyone who has read an authentic Indian food cookbook will have heard this or that author saying chicken tikka masala doesn’t exist in India. Some comments about this much loved British Indian Restaurant (BIR) curry are actually quite nasty. Well follow this recipe and I assure you you’ll fall in love with chicken tikka masala.

Even the anti-chicken tikka masala

brigade loves this version!

serves 4

INGREDIENTS

800g pre-cooked chicken or better yet... Tandoori style chicken tikka)

2 tablespoon ghee or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons garlic puree

2 tablespoons ginger puree

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon coriander powder

1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves

1 tablespoon curry powder

2 tablespoons tomato puree

1 - 3 tablespoon red chili powder (leave it out for extra mild)

750ml (3 cups) heated curry sauce

250ml (1 cup) single cream

a few drops of red food dye (optional but essential for the BIR look)

2 tablespoons butter

1 small bunch of shopped fresh coriander

salt and pepper to taste

juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon garam masala

Method

Heat the ghee/oil in a wok or large pan over medium high heat.

Pour in the ginger and garlic pastes and allow to sizzle for about 30 seconds.

Now add the cumin, turmeric, coriander powder, curry powder, chili powder, fenugreek and tomato puree and stir to combine.

Add the cooked chicken and then cover with the heated curry sauce.

Allow to cook for about three minutes until the chicken is warmed through.

Pour in the cream and stir into the sauce.

Now add the red dye if using until you achieve a red glow. Remember, this is optional.

Squeeze in the lemon juice and taste for seasoning.

To finish

Stir in the butter one tablespoon at a time - stirring continuously - until in blends in with the sauce.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and the chopped coriander and top with the garam masala.

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Chicken Saagwala

Chicken saagwala done BIR style

I’m going to repeat myself here.

I love authentic Indian food but over the past year or so of food blogging I’ve realised it is the British Indian restaurant curries that most people want to know how to cook at home. These are the curries we have grown to love. They bring back memories of great evenings out as well as nice evenings in. Chicken saagwala is one of the recipes that my readers have requested most.

One thing I realised quite early on in my quest to make BIR curries is that many restaurants use tinned spinach. I don't recommend this. The best restaurants use fresh spinach as I have done here.

For best results when cooking chicken saagwala, please

use fresh spinach.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

800g pre-cooked chicken

750ml (3 cupes) heated curry sauce

2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons garlic puree

2 tablespoon ginger puree

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 tablespoon coriander powder

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon curry powder

200g (about two large handfuls of fresh spinach)

3 fresh green chilies

juice of one lemon

3 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon garam masala

Method

Start with the spinach. In a food processor, blend the fresh spinach, green chilies and lemon juice together with just enough water so that it blends to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Now heat the ghee or oil in a wok or large frying pan.

Pour in the ginger and garlic pastes and fry for about 30 seconds.

Add the cumin, coriander powder and chili powder and stir to combine.

When the spices begin to fill the room with their magnificent aroma, pour in the curry gravy and chicken pieces.

Allow this to cook for about three to five minutes until the chicken is warmed through and the gravy is bubbling nicely.

Now pour in the spinach mixture and stir it in. The red and bright green colours will look amazing together as the spinach and curry sauce blend.

Cook for about another two minutes.

To serve

Sprinkle with salt and pepper to. Top with the chopped coriander and garam masala and serve with white rice or naans.

LAMB CURRY RECIPES

Lamb is used to create so many delicious curries. In India and Pakistan, goat meat would be used more often. I recommend trying both. As previously mentioned, you could also use beef or pork though these meats aren’t used as much as lamb in Indian restaurants for religious reasons.

If you don’t have such restrictions, feel free to use other meats with the sauces in this section. Beef, pork, lamb, venison, duck and chicken all go well with these curry sauces.

Following you will find some of my favourite lamb curry recipes which

include;

Lamb Bhuna

Lamb and Chickpea

Lamb Do Piazza

Lamb Madras

Lamb Rogan Josh

Lamb Saagwala

Lamb Vindaloo

Lamb Keema

Mutton or Lamb Biryani

If you prepare your curry sauce and cook your meat and vegetables ahead of time, you should be able to create these curries in 10 minutes or less!

Lamb Bhuna

I have made a lot of beef and lamb bhuna curries over the past few years. The authentic Indian bhunas are quite a lot harder to make than this restaurant style bhuna.

Bhuna cooking is a style of cooking in India where hot oil is used to release the flavours of a long list of spices before adding raw meat – often cut into small pieces on the bone.

Lamb Bhuna is a dry curry that is very popular

at British Indian restaurants.

Once the meat is added, stock or water is sprinkled into the pan in small amounts which is then cooked into the meat. This process is repeated for an hour or more until the meat becomes fall off the bone tender and the flavour in the resulting dry curry is out of this world.

This style of cooking would not be possible in a busy Indian curry house so the recipe has been changed. BIR lamb bhuna is still a dry curry but it is made in a fraction of the time as cooked meat is used instead of slow cooking raw meat.

I’ve noticed that many Indian restaurants add a drop or two of red food colouring to this dish which gives the meat an attractive pink glow. It does look nice but adds no flavour to the curry.

Serves 4

800g pre-cooked lamb

3 tablespoons ghee

2 tablespoons curry powder

2 tablespoons tandoori powder

2 tablespoon tomato paste

Juice of one or two limes (Done to your own taste)

2 tablespoons garlic paste

2 tablespoons ginger paste

1 small onion – finely chopped

400ml heated curry sauce

2 tablespoons yogurt

1 small bunch coriander leaves – finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Chopped red chill (optional)

Method

Heat the ghee in a wok or large pan over medium high heat.

Pour in the oil. When it is bubbling add the tomato paste, curry powder and tandoori powder.

Stir the spices around in the hot ghee so that they do not burn for about 30 seconds.

Add the chopped onion and the garlic and ginger pastes. Continue stirring until the finely chopped onion becomes translucent - about two minutes.

Now add the meat and just enough of the sauce to coat it. Remember bhuna is quite a dry curry but it doesn’t have to be. If you want more sauce, just add it and don’t tell anyone.

Bring the curry up to heat so that the sauce is spitting a bit and then stir in the yogurt one tablespoon at a time, followed by the lime juice.

I really like the tart taste of the lime so I use a lot of lime juice. How much you use is up to you.

Just before serving, add the chopped coriander and taste for seasoning.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Finish with the chopped red chili peppers if using.

Lamb and Chickpea Curry

This curry isn’t seen often but when it does make it’s way to a menu I do like to order it. I really like the combination of chickpeas and curry.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

800g pre-cooked lamb meat

3 tablespoons ghee

5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

500ml heated curry sauce

400ml tin of chickpeas

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 tablespoon coriander powder

1 tablespoon red chili powder

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 small bunch chopped fresh coriander

Salt and pepper to taste

garam masala

Method

Pour about two tablespoons of the oil into a frying pan over medium heat.

When hot, toss in the cooked lamb.

Add the curry sauce and 5 tablespoons of inexpensive balsamic vinegar.

Bring to a simmer and add the curry powder, cumin, coriander and red chili powder.

Now add the chickpeas and stir to combine.

To serve

Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, a pinch of garam masala and then with the fresh coriander.

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Lamb Do Piazza

Lamb do piazza as it should be.

Lamb Do Piazza - or Lamb with onions in two ways - is a firm favourite at many Indian restaurants. You could just as easily use beef, mutton or even goat if you can find a supplier.

You will need to do some forward planning for the recipe and make onion sauce. It’s the same onion sauce I use in my chicken do piazza recipe. The onion sauce, once made is a nice addition to almost any curry.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons ghee

2 Onions cut into thin rings

2 cups (500ml) curry sauce

300ml onion sauce

700g pre-cooked lamb

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 tablespoon mild red chlli powder

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

Method

Finely slice both onions and then cut the slices into one inch pieces.

Take half of the slices and place them in a small pan. Cover with a bit of curry gravy and place in a very low oven for three to ten hours. The longer the better. Stir occasionally.

When ready to cook, heat the ghee in a sauce pan.

Add the remaining onions rings and cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent and lightly browned.

Now add the curry sauce and the onion sauce you made earlier and stir to combine.

Stir in the chili powder and the cooked lamb and allow to cook for about 15 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally. The sauce will begin to thicken.

Mix in the fenugreek leaves, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt and pepper to taste.

To Serve

Sprinkle with the garam masala and chopped coriander leaves and serve with the rice dish of your choice and/or fresh naan.

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Lamb Madras

Lamb madras

One of my favourite curry house curries nowadays is lamb madras. It has to be done to perfection with tender chunks of lamb and just enough spice to burn for a couple seconds before mellowing.

If you want to make this lamb madras into a vindaloo, simply add one or two more heaping tablespoons of chili powder. That's how its done in most curry restaurants.  As long as your ingredients are fresh and cooked correctly, you should be able to cook this lamb madras, while cooking milder versions for some guests and really spicing it up for others.

You may be interested to learn the lamb madras is not actually from Madras in Southern India. In fact, you probably won't find it on the menu anywhere in India unless you go to a really touristy location. Lamb madras, like many restaurant style curries is actually closer to the food you might find in the north of India.

.

Restaurant style curries are he

easiest curries of all to make.

INGREDIENTS

800g cooked pre-cooked lamb

2 tablespoons ghee

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 tabelspoon ginger paste

1 tablespoon green chili paste

500ml (2 cups) curry sauce

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 tablespoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon fenugreek powder

½ teaspoon turmeric

1-2 tablespoons red chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

4 tablespoons chopped coriander

method

Heat the ghee in a large pan or wok over high heat.

Add the garlic, ginger and green chili pastes and allow to sizzle for about 45 seconds.

Pour in the curry gravy and bring to a boil.

Now add the meat and the rest of the ingredients except for the fresh coriander, salt and pepper.

Let simmer for about 10 minutes so that the sauce thickens slightly.

to serve

Sprinkle with a bit more chopped coriander and add salt and pepper to taste

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Lamb Rogan Josh

British Indian Restaurant (BIR) style lamb rogan josh

If there are two curries I always want on my table when I go out, it’s chicken jalfrezi and lamb rogan josh. Rogan josh, when done correctly is awesome. I love the deep red colour and the combination of the cooling yogurt together with the warming spices.

Authentic rogan josh originated in the Kashmir region of India where it is made with whole spices. The lamb or goat is stewed for a couple of hours with the spices including cockscomb which is not available in the West and gives the curry its trademark red colour. In this recipe we use paprika to achieve the red tone.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

800g pre-cooked lamb

4 tablespoons ghee

750ml (3 cups) curry sauce

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1 tablespoon curry powder

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon red chili powder

2 tablespoons cashew paste (Simply pound the cashews with a little water into a paste)

1 tablespoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon turmeric

3 tablespoons plain yogurt

1 tablespoon garam masala

salt and pepper to taste

3 Tablespoons chopped coriander

Method

Melt the ghee in a large wok or pan over medium heat.

Add the garlic and ginger pastes and fry for about 15 seconds.

Now add the pre-cooked meat, curry powder, paprika, cumin, cashew paste, turmeric and chili powder and the curry sauce and bring to a boil.

The sauce will turn a deep red colour.

Reduce the heat and add the yogurt one teaspoon at a time whisking as you do to combine. If you add the yogurt all at once it will curdle.

Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste along with the garam masala.

Serve over white rice or with naans sprinkled with the coriander.

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lamb saagwala

A BIR curry you will enjoy serving

I love lamb saagwala and not just because it tastes great. I love it because my kids can’t get enough of the stuff. They actually love eating spinach: a vegetable that used to send them running to their friends’ houses begging for a dinner invitation. Now they proudly eat spinach and enjoy helping me make lamb saagwala too!

This is what cooking for me is all about. Making fresh curries with friends and family is a great way to spend an evening.

So many restaurants use tinned spinach in their saagwala dishes. In this recipe, I use fresh baby spinach leaves. The spinach is added raw just before serving and stirred into the sauce resulting in a saagwala dish that... well let’s just say you couldn’t ask for better! The curry is both pleasing to look at and eat.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

900g (2 pounds) pre-cooked lamb

3 tablespoons ghee/vegetable oil

750ml (3 cups) homemade curry sauce

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 tablespoon coriander powder

1 tablespoon red chili powder

250g - about two large handfuls of baby spinach leaves

3 - 6 fresh green chilies (I use a lot)

1 bunch fresh coriander leaves

Juice of two limes

2 tablespoons plain yogurt

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon garam masala

Method

I start by preparing the spinach.

Place all of the spinach, chilies, coriander and lime juice in a food processor and blend to a paste. You may need to add just a bit of water to do this. Set aside.

Now heat the ghee/oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium heat.

When hot, add the ginger and garlic pastes and allow to sizzle for about 30 seconds.

Pour in the cumin, coriander powder and red chili powder and stir to combine.

After about 30 seconds, the room will fill with the amazing aroma of the ghee, garlic and spices. When this happens, add the curry gravy and meat.

Cook for about five minutes until the meat and sauce are both nice and hot.

Add the spinach puree and stir it into the red curry sauce. I love watching the green and red ingredients blend. It makes me hungry!

Cook for a further two minutes.

Check for seasoning and add the salt and pepper to taste.

Just before serving, add the yogurt one tablespoon at a time stirring it into the sauce.

Sprinkle with the garam masala and enjoy.

Lamb Vindaloo

Spicy food fans will love this lamb vindaloo

When I first came to the UK, I was here on a student work visa. I worked in a pub near Croydon and was taken out for my first real British Indian restaurant curry after my first shift. I was told to order the lamb vindaloo and I devoured it!

Growing up in California where Mexican food is very popular, I loved spicy food but I was not expecting the extreme heat that was introduced to me that evening. The flavours were new and exciting - like nothing I’d eaten before.

That was 25 years ago but I still remember it like it was yesterday. It was the beginning of my love affair with British Indian restaurant (BIR) cuisine.

Nowadays I make all the classic BIR meals at home so I am happy to be able to show you the king of them all: the lamb vindaloo.

But first, a bit of history about the name vindaloo. Many restaurants include potatoes in their vindaloo curries. ‘Aloo’ means potato in Hindi so a lot of the original self-taught Indian chefs mistakenly added potatoes to this fiery curry and it stuck.

Vindaloo, however owes its origins in Portuguese controlled Goa in the fifteenth century where the dish was usually served with pork meat. The name vindaloo was most likely a mispronounceation of the similar Portuguese dish carne de vinho e albos or meat with wine and garlic.

British Indian restaurant vindaloo is not very similar to the authentic Goan version other than it is quite spicy.

By the way, I don’t add potatoes to my vindaloo curries but have included instructions here just in case you want them.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

800g pre-cooked lamb

2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons ginger paste

1 tablespoon ginger paste

3 fresh green chilies finely chopped

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon coriander powder

3 tablespoons red hot chili powder

2 potatoes - pre-boiled (optional)

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 tablespoons plain yogurt

500ml (2 cups) heated curry sauce

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons chopped coriander

Method

Heat the ghee/vegetable oil over medium heat.

When the ghee is hot, scoop in the garlic and ginger purees along with the chopped chilies.

Allow to sizzle for about a minute and then add the cumin, coriander powder and the turmeric.

The curry will darken as the turmeric fries away.

Now throw in the potatoes (if using) and the curry gravy. Stir to combine while adding the pre-cooked lamb pieces.

Add the red chili powder one tablespoon at a time while stirring. This way you can stop when it gets up to the heat you like.

Add the vinegar and cook for a further minute.

to serve

Scoop in the yogurt one tablespoon at a time stirring as you do.

Then sprinkle with the chopped coriander and season to taste with salt and pepper. I like to shake a bit of chili powder over the top too.

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Lamb Keema

My kids absolutely love lamb keema. In fact, it was the first curry recipe I taught them when they began to want to help out in the kitchen. I like to use minced lamb leg which is not as fatty as other cuts.

Keema is one of the easiest and fastest lamb curries to make. It goes great with rice and naans. Traditionally, this northern Indian specialty would have been served with naan and eaten by hand using the bread to soak up every last drop of the spicy, savoury sauce.

Of course keema is also used often in samosas and in special keema naans!

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Serves 4

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

500g (1 1/4 lbs) lean minced lamb

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

5 cloves

2 black cardamom pods

2 bay leaves

1 inch cinnamon stick

2 red onions finely chopped

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon ginger paste

3 green chilies – finely chopped

1 tablespoon salt

4 tablespoons tomato paste

200g frozen or fresh peas

1 teaspoon garam masala

3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

Method

Pour the oil into a large sauce pan and heat over medium heat.

Add all the whole spices and allow to fry for about 30 seconds.

Throw in the chopped onions a continue frying until the onion turns translucent and lightly browned.

Pour in the garlic and ginger paste and sauté for about 3 minutes.

Then add the chopped green chilies, minces lamb and the salt. Cook for a further 3 minutes.

To this add about 250ml (1 cup) of water and bring to a rolling simmer.

Add the tomato paste and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Throw in the peas and cook for another 10 minutes until the peas are just cooked through.

Add the garam masala and chopped coriander leaves and serve immediately.

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Mutton Biryani

This mutton biryani can also be made

with quality lamb meat

This mutton biryani is a real treat!

There is nothing like a traditional mutton biryani. I’ve been making this recipe for years and it’s a true favourite around my house. For best results, try to purchase your mutton on the bone. Cooking the meat with or on the bone will make a great biryani into a work of art.

I no longer cook biryanis in the traditional way. Over the years, I’ve experimented and found ways of cooking biryanis which I personally prefer. Authentic biryanis are cooked with large chucks of meat very slowly in yogurt and water so that the meat becomes succulent and tender.

I like to use smaller pieces of meat that are browned in ghee. This gives the curry a much deeper flavour. Mutton biryani is a festive dish enjoyed at weddings and special events in India. It is an excellent one dish meal that will impress your friends and keep them coming back for more.

Personally I find the biryanis at most Indian restaurants to be a bit of a let down. They are often dry and boring. This one isn’t!

You should plan this mutton biryani dish in advance to allow the

meat to marinate for 24 to 48 hours.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

4 cups basmati rice

1 good pinch of saffron

1 tablespoon sea salt

2 tablespoons butter

1 leg of lamb – meat cut into 2 inch pieces – keep the bone

for the marinade

250ml plain yogurt

2 tablespoon cumin powder

1 Tablespoon coriander powder

1 Tablespoon red chili powder

3 fresh green chilies finely chopped

2 Tablespoons garlic paste

2 Tablespoons ginger paste

2 tablespoons papaya paste or smooth mango chutney

for the sauce and rice

8 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil

1 teaspoon whole cloves

5 black cardamom pods

5 Indian long peppers (Optional) you could also use a tablespoon of black peppercorns

Juice of one lime

2 tablespoons cumin powder

2 Tablespoon coriander powder

8 bay leaves

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 two inch piece of cassia bark or cinnamon

2 cups fried onions – fry onions in oil until crispy and brown

1 large handful of chopped coriander leaves

1 large handful of chopped mint leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

for the yogurt Raita

500ml plain yogurt

3 cloves garlic smashed and finely cut

1 inch ginger grated and finely chopped

3 fresh green chilies finely cut

Juice of one lime

1 teaspoon cumin powder

3 Tablespoons fresh chopped coriander

salt and pepper to taste

Method

First make the marinade by combining all of the ingredients and blending until smooth.

Coat the meat with the marinade and allow to marinate for as long as possible up to 48 hours.

When you’re ready to cook, heat your oven to the highest setting and roast the leg bone. If you can, chop the bone into small pieces to expose the marrow.

Roast until the bones are nice and brown.

Meanwhile, remove as much of the marinade from the meat as possible and retain it.

Heat half of the ghee in a large frying pan and brown the meat over high heat. You may need to do this in batches.

When the meat is nicely browned, wipe the pan dry with a paper towel and add the rest of the ghee.

When the ghee has melted and smoking lightly, add the cardamom pods, cloves, Indian long peppers (if using) and cassia. Be careful not to burn the spices and turn down the stove if necessary.

After about a minute, add the meat and stir to coat in the spices and ghee.

Add just enough water to cover the meat and the roasted bones. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.

Now add the retained marinade, turmeric, cumin, coriander powder and lime juice and stir well.

For the rice

The rice can of course be cooked earlier while you’re cooking the meat.

First place the rice in a bowl and cover with water. Stir the water around with your hand. The water will turn white from the starch. Repeat about ten times until the water runs clear and then let the rice soak for about half an hour.

Drain one last time and then cover with about 6 cups (1 1/2 litres) of water.

Add the salt and butter to the rice and cover. Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat. Let the rice sit, covered for about 20 minutes.

The rice will not be completely cooked because you will be finishing the cooking with the meat.

Now bring about 150ml of water to a boil and add the saffron. Set aside.

To finish

Scoop about half of the rice over the meat mixture and cover with half of the mint leaves, coriander leaves, bay leaves and fried onions.

Place the rest of the rice over this and top with another layer of coriander, mint, bay and onion.

Place a tight fitting lid on the saucepan. If you do not have a large pan with a tight fitting lid, you could make a water and flour dough and line the pan with it before sealing the lid on top. That is how it’s done in India.

Now, over a very low heat, let the mutton biryani simmer and steam for about 40 minutes. If you are worried the sauce could be burning to the bottom of the pan, turn the temperature way down.

After 40 minutes your biryani will be ready to serve. Take it to the table and lift the lid. The room will fill with the amazing aroma of the spices, rice and meat juices.

Now you can ceremoniously pour the saffron water over the top of the rice.

Serve the mutton biryani with the yogurt raita, which is made by simply blending the raita incredients until smooth.

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FISH AND SHELLFISH

It is essential to use the freshest seafood you can find. That together with quality vegetables and spices will help you create fish and shellfish curries that are superior to those at most restaurants.

Here are some of my favourite BIR seafood recipes.

Ana – Chingri (Prawn and Pineapple Curry)

Monkfish Curry

Prawn Bhuna

Prawn Jalfrezi

White Fish Jalfrezi

Ana – Chingri (Prawn and Pineapple Curry)

This prawn and pineapple curry was a real eye-opener for me. You see, I’m not all that crazy about pineapple so I usually don’t order or make curries that include pineapple. This recipe, however was sent to me by Mo – the chef at Table Talk – my favourite local Indian restaurant. I decided I had to give it a go.

It was sweet, savoury, tangy and spicy: everything I’ve always loved in a curry. I’ll be making this prawn and pineapple curry many more times.

The pineapple is blended and used in the curry and also as a pineapple chutney side. I did change the recipe slightly to use up what I had on hand but I think it’s quite close to what Mo had in mind.

The roasted garlic tastes so nice with the blended pineapple. If you don’t have a gas flame to roast the garlic, you could just place a head of garlic in a low oven, topped with butter for about an hour. I prefer the roasted version though.

Ingredients

1 fresh pineapple

1 fresh tomato – chopped

4 tablespoons of chopped spring onion

4 tablespoons chopped coriander

500g – fresh prawns

The juice of one lime

4 green chillies – finely chopped

6 cloves of garlic (with the skin)

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 teaspoon of mustard seed

1⁄2 teaspoon of roasted cumin seed

2 tablespoons rapeseed oil

1⁄2 Onion – finely chopped

1 lime

2 bay leaves

A pinch of turmeric powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon chilli powder

2 tablespoons tomato puree

Method

Roast four cloves of garlic with their skin over a flame until black. Set aside to cool.

Using a sharp knife, slice the pineapple in half and scoop out most of the pineapple being careful not to damage the outside of the pineapple.

Place the scooped out pineapple in a blender and blend it together with 1⁄2 teaspoon of roasted cumin, a pinch of salt and the six cloves of roasted garlic.

Add the chopped chilli to this pineapple paste along with the chopped coriander. Mix it well and place the pineapple chutney in the fridge until serving time, reserving two tablespoons for the curry.

Now heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan.

Add the mustard seeds. They will begin to pop.

When the seeds start popping, add the finely chopped onion along with a pinch of salt and fry until translucent and soft.

To this add, four tablespoons of water, the bay leaves, the cumin powder, chili powder and two tablespoons of the pineapple chutney.

Cook for a further two minutes and then add the chopped tomatoes and the tomato puree.

Throw in the prawns a stir into the sauce until they are cooked through.

Check for seasoning and serve in the hollowed out pineapples with the spicy pineapple chutney and homemade naans, chapatis or puris.

A nice squeeze of lime or lemon juice won’t hurt either.

Monkfish Curry

This monkfish curry is proof you can have a perfect meal in minutes!

Some people are scared to cook with monkfish. This recipe will show you that you don’t need to be. That is the beauty of BIR curries. They are quick and easy to make.  How do you think those great curry houses can serve so many amazing curries in one night?

Monkfish curry is one of the

fastest BIR curries to make

With this monkfish curry recipe, you don’t even have to pre-cook the fish. It cooks in the sauce. You could serve it on its own or together some of the other BIR curries in this book. It’s curry feast time! Soon you could be serving up loads of different curries to a large group without any problems.

Try to find the freshest ingredients possible and your monkfish curry will rival that of even the most famous curry chefs. In fact, it will most likely be better.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

800g monkfish (or another meaty fish like cod or halibut) cut into one inch chunks

2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil

750ml (3 cups) curry sauce

125ml (1/2 cup) coconut milk

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional)

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon coriander powder

1 tablespoon red chili powder

1 tablespoon tomato puree

juice of one lemon or lime

1 small bunch chopped coriander leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon garam masala

Method

Heat the ghee/oil in a large wok or pan.

Pour in the turmeric, cumin, coriander powder, red chili powder and tomato puree.

Allow to sizzle for about twenty seconds and then add the garlic and ginger pastes.

Let these fry for a further 30 seconds and then add the monkfish.

With a metal spatula, move the fish pieces around in the pan. The fish should brown lightly in the ghee.

When the fish is about 80% cooked through, add the hot curry gravy.

Allow to cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the fish is cooked through and the curry sauce is hot. Stir the coconut milk.

To finish

Check for seasoning and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Top with the freshly chopped coriander and garam masala and serve immediately.

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Prawn Bhuna

Prawn bhuna is a thick curry that is

great served on its own

This prawn buhna is delicious!

Although I have tried a lot of restaurant style prawn dishes over the past years, I have to say this is one of my favourites. It's funny as I've never really been all that crazy about buhna curries. Buhnas are quite dry and I prefer my curries with a bit more sauce.

This prawn bhuna is different because prawns just don't need a lot of sauce. I guess I just like the flavour of the prawns which all too often are over-powered by a strong curry sauce. I have left the prawns whole so that you get a nice mouthful with each bite. The sauce is also not overpowering though it is a bit spicy.

I serve this hot curry with a simple lettuce salad that is mixed with mint leaves. Personally I think it's the perfect accompaniment. I hope you agree.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil

25 prawns in their shells

500ml curry sauce

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 tablespoon red chili powder

1 tablespoon coriander powder

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 four inch cinnamon stick

Juice of one lemon

1 small bunch coriander leaves - chopped

Salt and pepper

Method

Heat the ghee or oil in a large pan or wok over a medium high heat. If the oil begins to smoke, turn down the heat.

When the oil/ghee is quite hot, throw in the cinnamon stick and move it around in the oil for about 15 seconds before adding the prawns.

Fry the prawns until they are almost cooked through. This should only take a couple of minutes.

When the prawns are pink and almost about 90% cooked, remove them from the oil and set aside to cool.

Now add the ginger paste, garlic paste, cumin powder, coriander powder and chili powder. Adjust the heat so that the garlic doesn't burn.

Stir continuously for about a minute and then add the turmeric, tomato paste and curry sauce.

As you cook the curry sauce, the turmeric will make it slightly darker. This is what you want.

Allow to simmer for about two minutes while you peel and devein the prawns.

Add the prawns to the gravy and stir to combine.

Throw in the coriander leaves and squeeze the lemon juice into the sauce.

When the gravy is quite thick and coats the prawns nicely, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Enjoy.

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Prawn Jalfrezi

The word Jalfrezi is a combination of two words, 'Jal'

meaning spicy and 'frezi' meaning stir-fry

prawn jalfrezi done British Indian restaurant style

Prawn jalfrezi is a popular BIR curry that is easy and fast to make. Like most BIR curries, you can cook this dish in ten minutes or less.

Jalfrezis were invented in the days of the British Raj as a way of using up leftovers. Usually the jalfrezis were make with leftover roasts like turkey and beef but the sauce goes very well with seafood.

Prawn curry fans who like a bit of spice will love this curry. The peppers, onions and green chilies add a nice crunch to the recipe that really works great.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

3 Tablespoon ghee or vegetable oil

25 Medium sized fresh prawns cooked, shelled and cut into thirds

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon ginger aste

1 tablespoon cumin powder

A pinch of turmeric

700ml curry sauce

1 green bell pepper - thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper - thinly sliced

1 white onion - thinly sliced

3 green chilies - chopped into rings

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat a wok or large frying pan over the highest heat.

Add the ghee or vegetable oil.

Throw in the prawns and fry them until they are pink and lightly browned. Cut them in thirds and set aside in a bowl.

Now toss in the bell pepper slices, onion and green chili.

Stir the vegetables around for about 30 second and then add the cumin powder, turmeric and ginger and garlic paste.

Fry for a further ten seconds before adding the curry sauce.

Reduce the heat slightly and simmer for about two minutes before adding the prawns.

Stir to combine and serve when the prawns are heated through.

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White Fish Jalfrezi

This white fish jalfrezi is a real favourite at

my house!

Very nice. Give this one a try!

I’ve been making a lot of white fish curries lately. This is mainly down to the great fresh fish supplied by Delish Fish. I just can’t get enough!

In fact, I’ve just run out but I did have a pack of filleted, cod, another packet of coley and one more with a nice fat piece of gorgeous hake. I decided to use them all in this stir-fry curry and believe me… I’m going to make it again and again!

Jalfrezi by definition means ‘quick stir-fry’. The key to success regardless of the type of jalfrezi curry you are cooking is that you use the freshest ingredients with the crispiest veggies you can find. I purchase all mine at the farm shop up the road and flavours really come out!

It is also very important to find rock hard garlic and if you can find it dried garlic slivers which I purchase at my local Indian market.

You will need foil for this recipe.

Fresh is best!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

800g which fish cut into one inch chunks

1 whole head of garlic

1 teaspoon butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 onion very finely chopped

1/2 onion cut into thin slices

1 red pepper cut into thin slices

3 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 inch piece of ginger finely chopped

4 tomatoes finely chopped

1 fresh green chill cut into rings

1 tablespoon garam masala

(Add 10 slivers of dried garlic to my recipe if you can find it)

Juice of two limes

1 small bunch finely chopped coriander

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat your oven to 150c.

Cut the top end of the head of garlic rub the butter onto the flat top and wrap in foil.

Place on a baking try in the oven and allow to bake for about an hour.

The garlic is ready when you can squeeze the head of garlic and the garlic comes out as a paste. Set aside.

In a large wok or frying pan, heat the olive oil and then add the finely chopped onion and tomato pieces.

Allow them to fry over medium high heat for about three minutes and then add the finely sliced onion, the green chili, the red pepper, the finely chopped garlic and the ginger.

Move everything around in the wok so the newly added vegetables get coated with the chopped onion and tomato.

Now add the garam masala and the fish. Continue stirring.

When the fish it about 50% cooked through, add about 100ml of water. The water will heat up to a boil and cook the fish through.

This should all only take about ten minutes! You want the red pepper, sliced onion and chili pepper to be heated but still quite fresh and crispy.

To finish

Squeeze the lime juice over the top and sprinkle with the chopped coriander.

Add salt and pepper to taste and serve over white rice.

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VEGETABLE DISHES

Vegetable dishes can often be a bit of a let down in Indian restaurants. These are four of my favourite recipes.

Saag Paneer

Saag Aloo

Bombay Aloo

Stuffed Brinjal Masala

Saag Paneer

I have ordered saag paneer at countless restaurants. Sometimes I have been quite impressed but usually it’s a bit of a mess. The most important part of getting this recipe right is using the freshest ingredients and ensuring you don’t overcook the spinach!

Saag paneer originated in North India in the Punjab region. My version is quite close to what you would find there but I have added a pureed fresh green chili paste that is used more often in south Indian cooking. I love the spicy, sweet flavour that the green chilies add to this recipe and really notice when they are left out!

You can purchase good quality paneer in Indian markets and some good supermarkets.

In this recipe, I fry the paneer squares in hot oil to brown them. This makes the paneer melt in your mouth crispy on the outside and nice and warm in the centre. If you are watching your calorie intake – as I should be – simply add raw to the spinach and toss it around until it is cooked through.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter

300g fresh spinach leaves

100g paneer cut into one 3/4 inch cubes

1 large red onion finely chopped

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon red chili powder

3 green chilies chopped and then pureed

1 inch ginger finely chopped

3 cloves garlic – smashed and finely chopped

2 large tomatoes skinned and finely chopped

Method

In a large frying pan, dry fry the cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and coriander seed over medium heat. Be sure to move the seeds around in the pan so that they roast evenly.

Place the roasted seeds in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar and grind to a fine powder. Set aside.

Place the green chilies in the spice grinder with a little water and grind to a fine paste. Set aside.

In a large pot, blanch the spinach for about ten seconds and then empty into a colander and transfer the leaves to a bowl of ice cold water. This will help retain the bright green fresh colour of the spinach.

Squeeze the water out of the spinach and chop it into shreds and set aside.

If you like the idea of frying your paneer, pour some oil into a heavy bottomed pan deep enough to cover the paneer cubes. The oil has to be very hot or the cheese will melt and stick to the bottom.

Throw in a few paneer cubes at a time and brown the outside nicely before removing them to a paper towel with a slotted spoon.

Now, add the ghee to the frying pan.

When the ghee melts, add the onions and fry gently until the are slightly browned and translucent.

Add the spice powder, ginger, garlic, chopped tomatoes and green chili paste and stir.

Just before you are ready to serve, add the chopped spinach and stir around to mix. Fold the paneer into the curry and serve with rice or naan.

Saag Aloo

This is a traditional Indian version of Saag Aloo which is popular in Indian restaurants. The Indian restaurant version is slightly different to this Saag Aloo recipe which originates from Tamil Nadu – a region in south west Indian. I hope you give this version a try as it really does taste good.

One thing you British Indian restaurant (BIR) aloo lovers out there may notice as different is the addition of coconut to this recipe. Again, this is a traditional saag aloo recipe that is much older than the recipes used in most high street restaurants and the end result if very nice as a side dish or as a main course.

I have a good friend who is a vegetarian. He always complains when we go out to dinner because most curry house chefs just don’t get the vegetarian thing. They make spectacular meat dishes but let themselves and their restaurant down with their vegetarian dishes. This recipe won’t let you down.

As with all Indian food recipes, the most important think you can do to ensure success is to source the freshest ingredients around. Get out there and make use of all those farm shops and farmers markets!

Serves 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1 tablespoon black mustard seeds

1 tablespoon washed urid dhal lentils (optional)

2 onions finely chopped

3 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 inch piece of ginger grated

5 green chillies (deseeded if you don’t like heat) and finely chopped

20 fresh curry leaves

100g fresh coconut

900g very fresh spinach leaves washed and shredded

2 large potatoes cut into small cubes

100g (1 cup) grated fresh coconut

Method

Heat the coconut oil in a large heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat.

Throw in the black mustard seeds and wait for them to pop.

Then add the urid lentils and the curry leaves and fry for about one minute.

Throw in the garlic and ginger and fry for another minute before adding your chopped onions and green chilies.

Add the cubed potatoes and cook for about five minutes until they are about half cooked.

You may need to add a little vegetable oil to stop them sticking.

This Saag Aloo recipe should be served quite dry.

Now add the shredded spinach and fresh grated coconut.

Cover and cook for about three minutes until the spinach is wilted.

Remove the lid and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

By the way, saag aloo is a great way to use up left over roast potatoes from your Sunday dinner. This is what I did in the picture above. As roast potatoes are already cooked, you can add them as they are instead of cutting them into small cubes.

Bombay Aloo

Bombay aloo is normally quite a dry dish. I like mine with a bit more sauce. How you make it is up to you. If you want the potatoes to be dry, just cook them a bit longer. You will need a large pan or wok with a lid.

Serves 4 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS

500g potatoes – peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes

2/3 litre water

500g onions – finely sliced

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon ginger paste

400ml chopped tomatoes

3 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter

1 tablespoon roasted cumin seeds

1 tablespoon (more or less to taste) hot red chili powder

A pinch of turmeric powder

1 tablespoon garam masala

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Melt the ghee over medium heat in a large pan or wok.

Toss in the sliced onions and fry until nicely browned and transparent.

Add the garlic and ginger pastes and stir to combine. Fry for a further minute.

Pour in the tomatoes, cumin seeds, chili powder and turmeric and mix them all together.

Now plop in you potato cubes and fry for a further minute before pouring in the water.

Cover the pan and simmer until the potatoes are soft and cooked through. You can now make the sauce to your preferred consistency – dry or liquidy.

To Serve

Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and then fold in the garam masala.

Serve the Bombay aloo immediately or store for up to three days in the fridge and re-heat.

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Brinjal Masala (Potato stuffed aubergines)

This is one of my favourite veggie dinners.

You want to source large aubergines for this recipe. Try to find the freshest ingredients possible. You really cannot go wrong with this recipe as long as your vegetables are fresh. Even if it all falls apart you will still love the amazing flavours on offer here.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 30 minutes including boiling the potatoes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 medium sized aubergine (eggplant)

For the stuffing

2 potatoes peeled and cut into four pieces

salt

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

4 tablespoons ghee

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon asafoetida (Optional)

1 green chilli finely chopped

1 tblespoon white cumin seeds

1 medium sized carrot peeled and grated

50g (1/4 cup) broccoli

1 teaspoon medium hot red chili powder

½  teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon jaggery (This is Indian sugar. Unprocessed sugar can be substituted)

A handful of chopped coriander leaves

Vegetable oil for shallow frying

For the sauce.

250ml plain yoghurt

1 tablespoon jaggery or unprocessed sugar

1 pinch of salt

1 teaspoon ginger paste

1 tablespoon finely chopped mint

1 tblespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon black mustard seeds

6 fresh curry leaves (optional)

A pinch of turmeric

Juice of one lime

Method

I usually make the sauce first as it is served at room temperature and can be put aside until ready to use.

With a fork, stir the yogurt rapidly to get rid of any lumps. Add the jaggery, salt, chopped ginger and the mint.

Heat the oil in a small frying pan and throw in the black mustard seeds, curry leaves and the turmeric.

When the mustard seeds begin to pop, pour the hot oil into the yogurt mixture and stir it in to combine.

Stir in the lime juice and set aside.

Now for the stuffed brinjal masala.

Cut four one inch thick slices from the centre of the aubergine.

Remove the pulp in the centre but leave about a centimetre of aubergine on the border.

Sprinkle the aubergine rings with salt and leave for one hour.

This will get rid of the bitter juices.

Now make the stuffing.

Peel and quarter the potatoes into cubes and then boil in salted water for about eight minutes.

Drain the water and then grate the potatoes when they are cool enough to handle.

Heat the ghee in a pan and add the asafoetida, garlic, ginger, green chili, and cumin seeds. Fry for about a minute until the garlic is translucent. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the broccoli, grated potatoes and carrots and then stir in the turmeric and chili powder and fry for about ten minutes. Set aside to cool slightly

Rinse the aubergine steaks and wipe dry with paper towels.

Spoon the stuffing into the holes in the aubergines.

Pour a thin layer of oil into a frying pan and saute the aubergine steaks for about two minutes per side until the aubergines are nicely browned.

Serve the stuffed brinjal masala with a nice spoonful or two of the yogurt sauce.

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BREAD RECIPES

Chapati Breads

Puris

Pan Cooked Naans

Baked Naans

Dosas

Chapati bread

homemade chapati bread

Chapati bread is simple but delicious. It is made with chapati flour which can be purchased in Indian markets. If you can't find chapati flour, you can substitute three parts fine whole meal flour with one part plain white flour.

Chapatis are often cooked on a tava which is a flat cast iron plate with a long handle. You could just as easily use a large frying pan but it is fun to cook on a tava if you can find one.

To this day I have never made a perfect round and flat chapati bread but they are always delicious.

This recipe makes about 10.

Preparation Time and Cooking Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

250g chapati flour

1/2 cup (approximately) water

Vegetable oil

Method

Pour the flour into a bowl and then add the water a little at a time. Stir with a wooden spoon and your hands until you have a soft dough.

Knead the dough for about three minutes and then set aside covered while you heat up your pan over medium heat.

Dust the work surface with a little flour and divide your dough into about eight to ten smaller balls.

Flatten each ball between your hands and then flatten them more with a rolling pin until they are about six inches in diameter and one to two millimeters thick.

Dust each very lightly with flour.

Now oil the pan with just enough oil to create a film - 1/2 teaspoon should do the job - and dry fry your first chapati for 30 seconds on one side.

Then flip it over and fry for another 30 seconds. Brown spots should appear on both sides.

If you are cooking on an electric stove, turn the chapati over one last time and apply pressure to the surface with a spatula or kitchen towel. It should puff up.

If you are cooking over gas flame, lift the chapati out of the pan and place it carefully directly on the flame. This will cause it to puff right up into a nice light chapati bread.

Store in a kitchen towel lined bowl to keep warm while you make all the chapatis.

For best results serve immediately. Chapati breads can also be warmed up in the microwave if necessary.

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Puris

I can still remember the first time I tried a stuffed puri. I was at an Indian restaurant in Croydon with a group of friends. One ordered prawn puri and recommended I do the same. I went for the lamb keema puri and it was amazing.

Since that day about 20 years ago, puris have become sort of a naughty treat. I love them but they aren’t exactly low in calories. Fattening though they may be, they are so nice.

If you are having a group of people over for a curry night dinner and really want to impress, making homemade puris should be on your to-do list. You can serve them with prawns, lamb mince, potatoes, chicken tikka… almost anything you serve with these fried breads will go down well.

Most restaurants use cooking oil to fry their puris. The traditional way to fry them is in ghee. I’ll leave it up to you. You will get a much more British Indian restaurant (BIR) experience if you use oil but I have to say I do love puris cooked in ghee.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

500g (4 cups) chapatti flour

A pinch of salt

Warm water

Oil or ghee for deep frying.

Method

Sift the chapatti flour into a large bowl with the salt.

Slowly add the warm water until you have a soft, pliable dough.

Kneed the dough for about ten minutes and then set to the side, covered with a tea towel for about 30 minutes.

Separate the dough into smaller balls that are just slightly larger than golf balls.

Using a rolling pin, roll the small dough balls on a floured surface until round and quite flat.

Heat the oil/ghee in a large wok. When the oil/ghee is hot enough to brown a bread crumb in about 25 seconds, it’s ready for frying.

Slowly lower the flat puris into the oil one at a time and deep fry for 30 seconds until the puris puff up and are light brown in colour. I usually turn my puris in the ghee/oil at least once.

Remove when ready to rest on paper towels which will absorb any excess oil.

You can serve puries on their own like you would naans or filled with the filling of your choice.

For best results, puris should be eaten immediately.

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Pan Cooked Naans

Finally - A Fantastic Naan Recipe That

Can Be Made On the Hob.

Home-made naans

One great things about Indian curries is that they usually taste better warmed up the next day. My family likes to go camping and we almost always have a big curry feast the night of arrival. While other campers are bringing out the hotdogs and burgers, we're digging into our curries.

Freshly made naans are always part of our dinner. I make the curries the evening before and then warm them up next to the fire. I also make the naan dough and bring it with us. This fantastic naan recipe brings it all together.

In fact I recommend making the naan dough the day before. By letting it rise for 24 hours, you will end up with nicer, chewier naans just like those in your favourite tandoori restaurant.

Serves 4 - 6

INGREDIENTS

900g plain white flour

50g fresh yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

Scant 1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons baking powder

300ml milk

300ml plain greek yogurt

3 eggs

3 tablespoons melted butter or ghee

Method

Heat the milk in a jug in the microwave or on the hop until it is hand hot.

Crumble in the fresh yeast, sugar and salt and whisk it all together.

Cover with a cloth in a warm place for about 20 minutes.

Now sift the flour into a large bowl.

Add the baking powder.

Lightly beat the eggs and yogurt and add to the flour.

When the yeast/milk mixture has bubbled up, pour it into the bowl and mix everything to combine.

Knead the dough for about ten minutes until you have a soft - slightly sticky dough ball.

Place the naan dough back in the bowl and allow to rise for at least one hour and up to 24 hours. The longer the better.

To finish

Take a piece of dough off the dough ball that is about the size of a tennis ball.

Using your hands or a rolling pin, roll the ball out into a flat circular disc that is nice and thin.

Now heat a dry frying pan over high heat and place the naan in it.

The naan disc will begin to cook on the underside and then bubble on the top.

Check the bottom regularly to ensure in doesn't burn. If it begins to get too dark, turn the naan over to get a bit of colour on the top.

Each naan should take you know more than 3 minutes. Keep the naans in a warm place while you cook the remaining dough.

That's it. Simple and delicious every time.

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Baked Naans

I don’t know about you but when I go out for a curry I always order naans. It’s mandatory. My whole family just loves them. Dining out we’ve had some pretty amazing naans and we’ve also been disappointed on a few occasions.

Over the past couple of years I’ve experimented with many recipes. When I first started my blog I published a recipe called “The Best Naan Bread You Will Ever Eat.” They weren’t bad but didn’t quite deserve the title. I’ve also demonstrated how to make naans in a small home tandoor oven as well as on the stove. For me, it was the use of fresh yeast that made my homemade naans the perfect addition to my curry evenings.

So it goes without saying that cooking at Sachins in Newcastle was a real eye-opening experience for me. I was invited by Bob Arora – the owner of Sachins cook with him. I learned some gorgeous recipes, one of which was similar to this naan recipe which I have tested in my oven and also in the tandoor.

Anyone who has dined at Sachins will know how extraordinary their naans are. I was very surprised to learn that Bob doesn’t use yeast in his naans. Instead, he uses full fat plain yogurt which he mixes with other ingredients into a soft dough which he then allows to rest for at least six hours before cooking. The active cultures in the yogurt work like yeast but the dough doesn’t rise as much as if yeast were used.

Here is a recipe that will get you through until the next time you get to go to Sachins and eat them there.

Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS

A pizza stone will work really well here!

450g plain flour

150ml warm milk

150ml full fat plain Greek Yogurt

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg – lightly beaten

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon nigella seeds (Often referred to as black onion seeds though they aren’t onion seeds at all.)

Ghee or butter

Method

Mix all of the ingredients together and knead into a soft dough.

The dough should be a little sticky but you should be able to work with it without it sticking to your hands.

Place the dough in a floured bowl and cover with a damp cloth for at least six hours.

The dough can be stored in plastic wrap for up to three days in the fridge.

When you are ready to cook the naans, heat your oven to its highest temperature and place a pizza stone or baking try on the top shelf.

Separate the dough into about 6 tennis ball sized dough balls.

On a floured surface, roll them out into large thin circles or the shape of your choice. If you prefer crispy naans, roll them out as flat as you can. For thicker, chewier naans make them about 1/4 inch thick.

At Sachins the naans are served

thin and crispy. They are really nice.

Place one of the naans in the oven and cook for about six minutes. Ovens do vary so please watch the first few so that you don’t burn them.

Store the finished naans in a warm place while you cook the rest.

Just before serving, brush a little melted ghee or butter over the top of each naan. I think you’re going to love this one!

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Dosas

The great thing about dosas is that they are really good for you. The batter is made from basmati rice and white urad dhal lentils which can be purchased in Indian shops.

You do need to plan a day ahead to make these Indian crepe-like delights but I promise you’ll be very glad you did.

Before we get started, let me stress one thing… get yourself a non-stick pan if you don’t have one.

Serves 8 to 10

INGREDIENTS

600g Basmati rice

150g urad dhal lentils

water

1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds

2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leave

A pinch of salt and pepper

1 onion cut in half

Vegetable oil for cooking

Method

Place the rice in a large bowl and soak in plenty of water overnight.

In a separate bowl, soak the dhal and fenugreek seeds together in water overnight.

In the morning, drain the rice and put it in a blender with 125ml of water and begin to blend.

While blending, add another 125ml of water until it turns to a smooth paste. This will take 3 to 4 minutes. You may need to give your blender a rest during this time.

Pour the rice paste into a bowl and then add the lentils to the blender.

Now I know what you’re thinking… ‘Why not just blend everything at the same time?’

Believe me, you don’t want to go there!

OK, so you’ve added the lentils and fenugreek seeds to the blender.

Turn on the blender and begin adding water a little bit at a time until it begins to blend and turn into a smooth paste. This will take 5 to 7 minutes and you will need give your blender a rest as it will begin to smoke. Don’t panic! Just let the blender have a break.

When you have a smooth lentil paste, add it to the rice paste and throw in your fenugreek leaves and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well to combine.

Now cover the bowl with a wet cloth and set it in a warm place for 12 hours to ferment and take on take on its delicious flavour.

The batter will begin to bubble and expand a bit and will smell quite nice.

To cook

Place a non-stick shallow frying pan over high heat and get the pan very hot.

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Onion for cooking dosas

Add about a tablespoon of oil to the pan and spread it around with the halved onion. The starch in the onions helps ensure the dosas don’t stick and it also adds nicely to the flavour.

Take a ladle or tea cup full of you batter and swirl it around the edge of the pan and then quickly spread the batter to cover the bottom of the pan as if it were a crepe.

The dosa begins to cook!

All you need to do now is wait a few minutes.

If you are serving your dosas plain, you will want to flip the dosa after about two minutes and cook for another two minutes on the opposite side.

Add the filling if using.

If you are filling your dosas, cook on one side for about two minutes and then add the stuffing.

The top of the dosa will still be under-cooked but that’s okay.

Spread your filling – your favourite curry for example - over the surface and cook for another minute and then fold over as shown in the picture.

As mentioned above, I have filled these dosas with my vegetarian masala potatoes. They are also good filled with cheese, lamb rogan josh, chicken tikka masala, last night’s spaghetti, eggs…

I think you get the idea.

RICE RECIPES

Many people are afraid to cook rice for friends and family. Follow my instructions and you’ll be servicing perfect rice every time.

Perfect White Rice

Lemon Saffron Rice

Rice Pilau

Perfect White Rice

This is a recipe that is certain to achieve brilliant results. I’ve made rice using this recipe thousands of times and it turns out perfectly each and every time. Now I would like to show you how I do it.

Always use the best quality basmati rice you can get your hands on. Basmati rice is in my opinion the only rice you should use when making Indian food.

Many people have asked me how much rice to serve per person. I have found that 1 cup (250ml) of dry rice serves two people easily.

This white rice recipe may seem a bit long and drawn out but trust me here. If you want perfection, you’re going to get it here.

To make this white rice recipe you need a sauce pan with a tight fitting lid. Never fill your pan more than one third full or the rice will not cook correctly.

The water ratio is alway 1 measure of rice to 1½ water.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2 cups (500ml) basmati rice

3 cups 750ml water

A pinch of salt

1 tablespoon butter

Method

Pour the rice in a large bowl and cover with water. Swirl the rice around in the water with your hand until the water becomes milky.

Drain and repeat until the water runs clear. Ten to 15 changes of water is not out of the question.

Now cover the rice one more time with fresh water and allow to soak for 30 minutes.

Drain after 30 minutes and then cover the rice with three cups of fresh water.

Add the butter and salt and cover with the lid.

Bring to a rapid boil and then turn off the heat.

DO NOT be tempted to lift the lid for 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes, lift the lid and fluff the rice very carefully with a fork.

I say carefully because basmati rice will split and become mushy if handled to harshly. Simply run the fork through the rice slowly separating all the grains.

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Lemon and Saffron Rice

Lemon rice recipes can be found in almost every good Indian cookbook. In India lemon rice is usually reserved for special occasions such a weddings and birthdays. This recipe makes a light, fluffy rice that has a tangy lemon flavour that is perfectly matched with a hint of saffron and turmeric which gives the rice nice yellow glow.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups basmati rice

3 cups water

1 big pinch saffron (Iranian saffron if you can find it)

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 tablespoons milk

Juice of one lemon

1 two inch stick of cinnamon

1 tablespoon black mustard seeds

3 black cardamom pods - bruised

10 fresh curry leaves

Finely grated zest of one lemon

2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves

1 tablespoon butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Warm the milk so that it is hand hot and put your saffron in it.

Stir to combine and allow to sit for about ten minutes. Set aside.

Place the rice in a saucepan with a tight fitting lid and cover with water.

Swirl the rice around with your hand in the water until the water becomes milky white.

Drain and repeat at least ten times until the water runs clear.

Cover with water again and let soak for 30 minutes. Drain.

Now cover the rice with 3 cups fresh water.

Add the saffron infused milk, turmeric, cinnamon and a pinch of salt and cover.

Place the rice over high heat, covered and bring to a boil. When the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat and keep covered for about 40 minutes.

Bamati rice is very tasty but it is also very delicate. With a fork, carefully stir the rice so that it doesn’t stick together. If you stir too fast or too hard, the grains will split and you will be left with a bowl of rice mush.

At this stage you can add the lemon juice, mix and cover again.

Pour the oil in a small frying pan. When it is hot, throw in the mustard seeds and curry leaves and fry for about two minutes.

Be careful not to burn the curry leaves.

Pour the mixture over the rice and stir carefully to ble

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Rice Pilau

An easy yet tasty rice pilau

Done correctly, rice pilau can be eaten with your favourite curry or simply on its own. You could also fry the rice at the end in a bit of sesame oil and stir in some scrambled egg for an amazing egg fried rice.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2 cups (500ml) Basmati Rice

1 pinch of saffron

3 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 finely chopped onion

3 black cardamom pods or 6 green cardamom pods

1 2″ cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 bay leaves.

Method

Follow the recipe for my Perfect White Rice.

Pour about 3 tablespoons of milk into a cup and place in the microwave for about 25 seconds until the milk is hand hot. Put the saffron threads in the milk and set aside to infuse.

In a large pot with a tight fitting lid, pour the 3 tablespoons of oil and one tablespoon of the ghee.

Over medium heat, fry half of the finely chopped onion until crispy. Remove the fried onion to a paper towel to dry.

Now throw in the spices and the rest of the onion. Fry – adding a little more oil if needed – for about five minutes or until the onion is translucent and lightly browned.

Add the rice and about 750ml of water and cover with the lid.

Bring to a boil for about ten seconds and then turn off the heat. DO NOT take the lid off of the pot. Allow the rice to sit in the covered pot for 40 minutes undisturbed.

Just before serving, take the lid off, add the saffron milk, the rest of the ghee and the crispy onions and lightly stir with a fork to get rid of any clumps.

When cooking basmati rice, it is important to to stir too vigorously as the rice grains will split and become mushy. Be careful.

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Curry Essentials

In this chapter you will learn about the important ingredients needed to make your own BIR meals at home.

Topics Include;

Purchasing Ingredients

A Word About Spices

Dry Spice Checklist

Fresh Ingredients Checklist

Garlic, Ginger and Chili Pastes

Curry Powder

Tandoori Masala

Garam Masala

The Basic Curry Sauce

Pre-cooked chicken

Pre-cooked meat

Purchasing Ingredients

In my opinion, the recipe is only 10%

of a great dish. Success is down to the ingredients you use.

Fresh Vegetables, Fruit, Fish and Meat

Always use the freshest ingredients you can find. This will improve the flavour of your BIR dishes. When possible, shop at the excellent farmers markets and farm shops, fishmongers and butchers that are dotted around the globe and you will be well on your way to making curries that are as good as - if not better than - the most popular Indian restaurants.

A Word About Spices

One thing I’ve learned from years of cooking authentic Indian food is that the quality of your spices and how you use them is very important. For best results spices should be purchased whole and roasted or smoked. If grinding the spices, they should be stored in airtight containers and used within a couple of months. Ground spices lose their flavour quite quickly. You will find a few of my own spice blend recipes here in this book.

That said, roasting and grinding spices just isn’t possible in most busy Indian restaurant kitchens. It’s quite time consuming, especially on the scale that they would need to do it. Such work just wouldn’t be cost effective without charging a lot more than most people are prepared to spend for a night out. Instead they use commercial brands of varying quality to use in their dishes.

Kulmeet Arora and me cooking at The World Curry Festival in Bradford 2012

I was invited by Kulmeet (Bob) Arora - the owner of Sachins in Newcastle - to cook with him in his kitchen. Sachins is an upmarket Punjabi restaurant and it was great to get a behind the scenes look at how they do things. Kulmeet has his own house recipe for garam masala which he uses in many of his dishes. While I was there, we roasted spices and ground them and then made a couple of curries with the spice powder. They were absolutely out of this world!

It may say ‘curry powder’ on the container

but I’ve yet to find two the same!

That day it dawned on me that all of the names given to Indian spice blends such as curry powder, tandoori masala and garam masala are no more than different names for the same thing. They are all simply spice blends. Curry powder, for example was first marketed to the British people returning from India at the end of the British Raj as an easy way of making their much loved Indian food at home in the UK. Tandoori masala, was created to spice up tandoori dishes though it is often used in curries and dips in a similar way to curry powder. The commercial brands used in most restaurants add red food colouring to help give the meat, fish and vegetables that famous red glow. Garam masala is usually sprinkled on authentic Indian food at the end of cooking but as I learned that day at Sachins, fresh garam masala can also taste great added to curries and tandoori dishes just as you would a curry powder.

The top Indian chefs of the world often frown at the use of one mix fits all spice masalas.  These spice blends, however have helped make BIR cooking what it is today. I recommend trying the commercial spice masalas and making your own blends using the recipes in this book to see which is closest to the flavour you are trying to achieve.

Dry Spice Checklist

Many of the dry ingredients in these recipes can be found at any supermarket or farm shop. If you really want to get that BIR flavour, however I recommend taking a stroll down to your local Indian food market to purchase your spices as well as fruit, vegetables and dairy products.  I have found the quality to be very good and the prices are much lower than at supermarkets.

Most Indian restaurant chefs order their ingredients from quality Indian and Asian shops. If possible, you should too. Following is a shopping list of spices you will want to have in your BIR larder cupboard if you want to make your own spice blends. Even if you intend on making your own curry powder, garam masala and tandoori masala from my recipes, you might also want to purchase ready made powders to see which you prefer. I think you’ll love the smoky flavour of The Curry Guy range!

Ajwain seeds

These seeds are used often in chutneys, pickles and bhajis. They are not asked for in many of the recipe in this book but I always have some on hand.

Asafoetida

Asafetida is the combination of several dried gum resins obtained from the roots of Iranian and Indian plants. It smells terrible in its powdered form but fills the room with a beautiful onion like smell when fried in oil or ghee. It most often used in recipes that do not include onion.

Bay Leaf

There are two types of bay leaf used in Indian cooking. The Indian bay leaf is the leaf of the cassia tree and tastes a lot like cassia and cinnamon. The other is the sweet bay laurel leaf. This is the bay leaf most of us in the West know and use. You can purchase cassia bay leaves from Asian markets dried.

Note: The cassia bay leaf and the laurel bay leaf taste completely different though I have used both in my experimenting and they can both be used in most curries.

Cardamom

Native to South India and Sri Lanka, cardamom pods are available in two varieties: black and green. The smaller green cardamom pods are available everywhere. They have a delicate and sweet taste used to flavour many different types of foods sweet and savoury.

The black pods are far less common and are available in Indian markets. Black  cardamom pods are larger and uglier than the petit green pods. It is also a lot stronger both in flavour and aroma.

If you cannot find black cardamom pods, green pods can be used instead. Simply double the amount asked for in the recipe.

Chili Powder

Red chili powder is used in many different Indian recipes. When people think of curry house dishes, they often think of the hot spices that are added to so many recipes. Not many people know this, but the use of chili powder in Indian recipes was introduced quite late. The chili pepper that grows very well in India is native to the Americas and introduced to India by Portuguese colonists.

Chili powder is available in mild, medium and extra hot. I recommend trying a few to decide which you prefer. One of my blog’s readers actually blamed me for telling him to put too much chili powder in his curry and he couldn’t eat it. Always add chili powder in small amounts. You can always add more later but it’s hard to take out once added.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is used in countless Indian recipes. I tend to purchase cassia, which is also known as false cinnamon. It is less expensive and tastes the same. True cinnamon is much nicer to look at. If you are using it to spice up a drink or decorate for a curry club function, go for the true cinnamon sticks. If all you’re doing is using it for seasoning, cassia will do the job just fine.

Cloves

Cloves are dark brown in colour and can be purchased pretty much everywhere. They have a sharp, sweet flavour and aroma. In Indian cooking, cloves are used both whole and in a ground powdered from. It is an important ingredient in many different spice mixtures and pastes.

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Coriander Seed

Available world-wide, the coriander ‘seed’ is actually the dried ripe fruit of the coriander plant. These fruit are about the same size as black peppercorns and are a very important spice in Indian cookery.

As with all ingredients it is important to buy fresh! Old coriander seeds taste like saw dust. Fresh seeds have a slightly lemony flavour.

Cumin

Cumin seeds are the dried fruit of the cumin plant and one of the most important spices in Indian cooking. For that matter, cumin is the second most used spice in the world, second only to black pepper. There are three different versions. White cumin is the most common. There are also brown and black cumin seeds that are usually lumped together and just called black cumin.

Black cumin is not as common but is equally as delicious. I recommend purchasing both black and white cumin seeds and then roasting and grinding them for the best flavour.

Curry Leaves

These are the petit green leaves of the curry plant. They are not used in many Indian restaurants in the UK but I like to add them to dishes. They have a flavour and aroma that is all there own. Once tried, you probably won’t want to be without them.

Curry leaves are difficult to find in some places if not impossible. Once purchased, you need to use them within a couple of days or freeze them. They wilt and dry out soon after being harvested.

I tend to stay away from dried curry leaves available in some spice shops.  They can be expensive and are rather flavourless.

Curry Powder

Curry powder is required in almost every BIR dish. You will need to either make your own from my recipe or find a good quality curry powder to use.  You can usually use good quality garam masala or tandoori masala instead of curry powder.

Fennel Seed

Fennel is the dried seed-like fruit of the fennel plant. It is found and used in cooking world-wide. Fennel seed is a very important ingredient in many Indian recipes and tastes similar to star anise.

Fenugreek Seed

The fenugreek seed is hard and slightly rectangular in appearance. It is available in Indian and Asian markets. You can also purchase fenugreek in ground powdered form. Fenugreek is used in many curries, dhals and pickles. The leaves are also available and taste the same.

Ginger Powder

This is the powder made from drying and grinding fresh ginger roots. Good quality ginger powder is light in colour with a sharp taste and sweet smell. It is used in everything from curries to pickling to homemade relishes.

Mace

Mace and nutmeg are both part of the fruit nutmeg tree. When the nutmeg fruit is ripe, the skin of the fruit (the mace) peels away from the fruit to expose the brown nutmeg berry. The mace is carefully removed from each nutmeg fruit and then dried. The resulting dried spice is often referred to as mace blades.

Although mace and nutmeg are both from the same source, they have completely different flavours and cannot be used interchangeably. Mace is used as a flavouring in curries, pickling and relishes.

Mango Powder (Amchoor)

I cannot begin to tell you how often I now use this spice after years of ignoring it in recipes. The mango is native to India but grown in tropical climates around the world. To make the powder, unripe mango fruits are picked, peeled and sun dried and then ground to produce a pale tangy powder.

Mango powder is often used as a souring agent in place of or with lemon juice. It is a nice addition to curry powder blends.

Mustard Seed

Mustard seed is one of the most important ingredients in Indian cooking. Both the seeds and leaves are used in many different dishes. Indian mustard seeds are dark brown – not yellow like the Western version. They have a pungent aroma when cooked and are sour, almost bitter to taste. Although the seeds are brown, recipes often refer to these Indian mustard seeds as ‘black mustard seeds.’

Nutmeg

Nutmeg is found worldwide and has a sweet taste and gentle aroma. It is available both whole and powdered. It is used for flavouring many different Indian dishes.

Onion Seed

Also known as Nigella, ‘onion seed’ looks a lot like true onion seeds but actually has nothing to do with the onion plant. These seeds have a sweet taste and aroma similar to oregano. It is sold whole in Indian markets. Nigella seeds are used often in naan recipes.

Paprika

Indian paprika comes from a mild chili pepper grown in the Kashmir region of India. When the chili is ripe, it is sun dried and then ground into a powder to produce a mild tasting spice that is brilliant red. It is sweet just like the more common Hungarian version. Indian Paprika is available in Indian food stores. You can substitute of paprika varieties if you cannot find Indian produced paprika.

Saffron

Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world. It is actually more expensive than gold. Due to its high price tag, saffron is used quite sparingly. It is not used in BIR cooking because of the expense though I do like to add it from time to time as a treat. You need to have some on hand!

Tamarind

Native to India, the tamarind pod resembles pea pods. It is quite sour. Tamarind is available in block or concentrate variety. I prefer the concentrate as it tastes like block tamarind but is a lot less work. Tamarind is used in many relishes and curries. Vinegar is often used as a substitute though you should try to use tamarind if you can.

Tandoori Masala

Just like curry powder, tandoori masala is used a lot in BIR cooking.  It is used often so it is good to have on hand. Make your own from my recipe or purchase a ready-made blend.

Turmeric

Good quality turmeric is one of the most important ingredients in commercially made curry pastes and used in most curries. It is used throughout India primarily as a yellow colouring agent but it also adds a woody unique flavour to dishes.

It is used in almost every Indian meat dish!

Fresh Ingredient Checklist

You are going to want to have the following on hand. These ingredients can also be used in many other types of cooking.

Chili Peppers

Choose the type you like to cook with and keep them on hand. I prefer the small fresh green chilies but I always have a nice variety to use in my cooking.

Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is available in tins can is almost everywhere these days. You could also get the coconut milk from raw coconuts though this is a lot of work and few Indian restaurants would have the time to do this.

Cream

Fresh cream is used in some curries – especially the milder curries such as chicken tikka masala and chicken korma.

Garlic

You don’t need me to tell you want garlic is. Garlic is best purchased rock hard. It comes in different varieties. Generally speaking, the smaller the garlic bulb the stronger the flavour. I prefer purple garlic.

Ginger

Just like garlic, look for ginger that is hard and has a tight skin. When the skin begins to loosen and the ginger becomes soft, it’s time to put it in your compost heap.

Contrary to popular belief, ginger can be eaten with or without the skin. In fact, when making curries I don’t peel the ginger as the skin has a lot of flavour and goodness in it.

Ghee

Ghee is Indian clarified butter. You could make it yourself but I recommend purchasing Indian ghee if you can find it.

If you decide to make your own, take a cube of butter and melt it slowly over low heat in a small pan. As the butter melts you will see that white solids gather on the bottom of the pan and other solids rise to the top. Skim the solids of the top and then pour the melted butter into a cup leaving the remaining solids on the bottom in the pan.

The clarified butter can then be stored in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.

Lemons

You’ll just plain need them.

Limes

Like lemons, you can never have too many.

Onions

You’ll need a lot of onions in BIR cooking. The curry sauce most Indian restaurants make is actually an onion based sauce. I use 20 onions when making a large batch of curry sauce. If you are making a curry for 4 to 6 people you will need four good sized onions.

Onions, red and white are also used a lot in Indian salads, pickles, chutneys and of course onion bhajis.

Plain Greek Yogurt

Plain yogurt is used often in many different Indian mains and side dishes.

Tomatoes

Both fresh and tinned will be used often. I have found that tinned tomatoes are just as good - sometimes better - than fresh when used in curries.

Essential Blends

When getting started, you might like to make a few of the essential blends you will need to create your own BIR meals. This will make cooking on the day much faster and easier.

Garlic, Ginger and Fresh Chili Pastes

You will notice that many of my recipes ask for garlic puree and ginger puree.

These are must-have ingredients in Indian food. Usually I make these purees fresh when I'm cooking but they also freeze well. If you make a large quantity, you can put the paste into ice cube trays and freeze them. Then store the frozen cubes in air tight freezer bags until needed. They will stay fresh in the for up to three days.

Making the essential garlic, ginger and chili pastes

Couldn’t be easier!

To make these essential purees, all you need to do is take a quantity of garlic, chili and/or ginger and blend them with just enough water to make a paste.

Curry Powder

You could use off the shelf curry powders to create your BIR curries just like they do in most Indian restaurants. Spice mixtures are time consuming to make so it is not economically feasible for most restaurant chefs to make their own curry powders, tandoor masalas and garam masalas. Instead they purchase large amounts of these pre-ground spice blends, which they use to make your favourite curries.

This is part of the reason why I decided to work with Besmoke Foods to produce my new smoky spice blends.

That said, making your own spice blends can be fun and quite satisfying.  You will most likely not be under the same pressures as curry house chefs to get many delicious meals out quickly and still make a profit. Making your own roasted spices adds flavours to your food that just would not be possible at most restaurants.

To my knowledge, there are not any commercial brands that roast and/or smoke their spices – other than my range. These additional steps will give your curries a deeper and more interesting flavour.

Do you want to experiment instead? If so, purchase whole spices or smoked whole spices and give this curry powder recipe a go!

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons cumin seeds

3 tablespoons coriander seeds

2 tablespoons fenugreek seeds

2 tablespoons fennel seeds

1 tablespoon black mustard seeds

1 tablespoon black cardamom seeds (removed from the pods)

10 cloves

2 inch piece of cinnamon or cassia bark

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon red chili powder

1 tablespoon gram flour

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon onion flakes

1 tablespoon dried garlic flakes

3 bay leaves

Method

Place the cinnamon, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds and cloves into a dry frying pan and place over medium high heat.

Move the spices around in the pan so that they roast evenly.

When the spices begin to smoke lightly, add the dried garlic flakes and onion flakes. Note that if you cannot find garlic and onion flakes, you can use half the amount of onion and garlic powders.

Roast for a further 30 seconds moving everything around in the pan and then remove from the heat.

Add the other ingredients and then stir to combine.

Using a spice grinder, grind the roasted ingredients in batches into a fine powder.

Store in an air-tight container in a cool place.

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Tandoori Masala

Homemade tandoori masala pictured with a red dyed popular brand

This tandoori masala - or mixture - can be used to brighten up curries, and marinate meat and vegetables and it works well as a dry rub for brilliant BBQs. If you compare it to some of the popular store bought brands you may notice that it not only tastes different but looks different.

Feel free to work with your spice blends. Use food colouring if you want though it adds no flavour. I tend to leave it out of most of my cooking.

The spices that make up this tandoori masala

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons coriander seeds

3 tablespoons cumin seeds

1 tablespoon black mustard seeds

2 inch piece of cinnamon stick/cassia bark

3 dried bay leaves

5 tablespoons dried garlic flakes

1 small piece of mace

1 tablespoons onion powder

1 tablespoon ginger powder

1 tablespoon amchoor (mango) powder

Method

Place the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and cinnamon/cassia stick in a dry frying pan and place over medium heat.

Move the spices around in the pan so that they roast evenly.

When the seeds begin to lightly smoke, add the garlic flakes and mace and continue cooking for about 30 more seconds.

Remove the spices to a cool bowl and pour in the remaining ingredients. Note that if you have trouble finding mango powder, you could just add a bit of lemon or lime juice to whatever you are cooking when using this tandoori masala.

Grind the spice mixture in a coffee or spice grinder and store in an air-tight container in a cool dark location.

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Garam Masala

There are so many great garam masala recipes. I’ve never seen two alike. I tend to make them differently each time but this recipe should get you started.

You may be interested to learn that ‘garam’ means ‘hot’ and ‘masala’ means ‘mixture. That is what garam masala is… a mixture of hot spices.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons coriander seeds

3 tablespoon white cumin seeds

1 inch piece cinnamon stick or cassia – broken into pieces

8 cloves

4 black cardamom pods

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (optional)

2 tablespoon black peppercorns

2 dried bay leaves

Method

Place a frying pan over medium heat.

Add the spices and dry fry for about 30 seconds. Be sure to move the spices around in the pan so that they roast evenly.

Remove from the heat and grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar.

That’s it… Easy!

Sources

If you live in the UK and would like to use a few of my excellent suppliers, here is a list.

Alternative Meat: Suppliers of everything from top quality rose veal to zebra. If you’re looking for something a bit out of the ordinary or just want top purchase top quality meat online, go to http://www.alternativemeats.co.uk

Farmer’s Choice: Suppliers of free range meat from around Britain. Very good quality and top service. They deliver.

http://www.farmerschoice.co.uk

Delish Fish: Looking for delicious seafood? You’ll find it at Delish Fish. This company fillets fish directly from the North Sea and sends it out same day. You can ask for the fish to be frozen or delivered ice cold and ready to cook.

http://www.delishfish.co.uk

Dedication

For Caroline, Katy, Joe and Jennifer

Two Quick Recipes From My Next Book

Thank you so much for purchasing my ebook. I’m busy working on my next books. Yes books. As a special thank you, I’d like to show you two of the recipes which will appear in my nearly finished Indian Seafood Cookbook.

Flip the page -

Pan Seared Cod With A Spicy Spinach Sauce

The first time I made this recipe, it wasn’t really a spinach curry but more of a soup. In fact without the pan seared cod, it could still be enjoyed as a soup which I do often.

That said, the cod sure does taste great in it.

You can literally make the dish in about 30 minutes. Often I cook the spinach curry part a day before eating as it keeps really well for up to three days in the fridge. Do that and this posh dish could be a five minute job.

Seafood lovers are going to devour this cod and spinach curry!

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

6 x 150g skinned and boned cod, hake or coley fillets

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoon butter

500g fresh baby spinach leaves

1 small or large bunch coriander leaves (I love coriander so I found a nice large bunch!)

3 medium onions finely chopped

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

3 fresh green chillies

250ml (1 cup) white wine

750ml (3 cups) chicken stock or water

200ml (3/4cup) double cream

1 tablespoon garam masala

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat two tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat.

When melted, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for about 20 seconds.

Now add the chopped onion and reduce the heat to medium and fry for about ten minutes until the onions are translucent and soft.

Add the garlic and chilies and fry for a further 20 seconds.

Dump in your spinach leaves and stir to help them release their moisture and wilt a bit.

Pour in the stock/water and continue stirring until the spinach is completely submerged.

Simmer for about three minutes and then pour the mixture into a blender or use a hand blender and blend until smooth.

Return the spinach curry to the pan and add the cream and garam masala.

Keep warm while you fry the fish.

Place the olive oil and the remaining butter in a non-stick frying pan.

When the butter has melted, lay the fish in the pan and fry for about one minute per side. Carefully turn the fish only once.

You want the fish to be just cooked through.

To serve

Ladle the spinach curry into warm bowls and then set a pieces of fish on top.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and a little garam masala.

The Curry Guy’s White Fish Balti

I enjoy going out to Indian restaurants just like many people do. It’s great trying new flavour combinations and experiencing Indian food at its best.

The thing is, I also enjoy doing it all at home. Living in a rural location as I do, it isn’t always that easy to get to my favourite Indian restaurants.  This is one of the main reasons I started writing my curry blog. I had to achieve that Indian restaurant food flavour without having to get in the car.

This fish balti is one of the first seafood curries I ever cooked. We used to have a balti house nearby and this recipe was taught to me by the chef. I remember he always used the freshest ingredients and the food was out of this world. Unfortunately he retired but this recipe lives on.

This is an easy recipe. It can be made in about fifteen minutes. I use fresh filleted salmon and cod but you could use any meaty fish.

Be sure not to over cook the fish. If you do, it will fall apart. Just cook it through and you are in for a real treat!

INGREDIENTS

- 700g fresh meaty fish cut into one inch cubes

- 2 tablespoons ghee or olive oil

- 2 onions – finely chopped

- 1 tablespoon garlic paste

- 1 tablespoon ginger paste

- 400ml chopped tomatoes

- 1 small bunch fresh coriander

- 2 green chili peppers

- Juice of two limes

- 1 tablespoon cumin powder

- 2 tablespoons homemade or good quality Balti Masala

- 2 tablespoons yogurt

Method

Heat the ghee or oil in a large pan or balti dish.

Add the chopped onions and fry over medium high heat for about then minutes.

Add the ginger and garlic pastes and fry for a further two minutes.

Pour in the chopped tomatoes along with the balti masala and cumin.

Place the coriander, lime juice and green chilies in a small blender and blend to a liquid. You may need to add a drop of water to do this.

Add the coriander mixture to the fish balti and then add the yogurt one tablespoon at a time stirring continuously.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Check for seasoning and serve with rice or naans.

Enjoy!

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