Tandoori Lamb Joint

This is a perfect way to cooking up a small leg of lamb or shoulder. Don't worry about overcooking the lamb as the crispy edges are gorgeous.

Ingredients and method

Liberally rub in tandoori spices, garam masala and chili powder into the lamb and then drizzle over the juice of one lemon.

Leave for at least 12 hours before cooking for two hours at 200 degrees. Turn over the piece of meat half way through.

Use the resulting meat fresh out of the oven, or cold.

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Hot vindaloo-style lamb curry with cooling option

The curry recipe below is not in any way a replica of a vindaloo, famous in England for being one the spiciest curries, but it generates a similar level of intensity and fiery flavour. So, if you can handle the spice you might enjoy giving this a try, although using a cooler such as coconut yoghurt means you can lighten the heat if required.

Ingredients

400g small pieces lamb (ideally cut from a nice leg of lamb)
1 tbsp tandoori spice mix
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 onion
1 small garlic (puree together with the onion)
4 cardamon pods
3 cloves
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp black pepper corns
1 inch of chopped ginger
2 red and 2 green chilies
1 tbsp of tomato puree
1 tbsp of chili powder
400ml lamb stock (or water)
1 tsp salt

Method

The night before cooking this curry rub in to tandoori spice mix, chili powder and garam masala.
Using a pestle and mortar lightly grind the cardamon, cloves, coriander seeds and black peppercorns.
Heat some oil in a saucepan and when hot add the mixture that has been grinded.
After 30 seconds add the chillies and ginger.
Stir well and after a minute add the pureed onion and garlic.
After three minutes add the lamb and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add the tomato puree, table spoon of chili powder, salt and lamb stock and simmer for 30 minutes.

Mix in some coconut yoghurt to cool if necessary.

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Spicy coconut egg fried rice

If you fancy livening up a serving of rice to accompany a curry then this recipe may be want you are looking for. It is simple to create and the result is a dish that is worthy of serving on its own.

Ingredients

Freshly cooked rice (plain or basmati)
Half a small onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 red chili (medium)
tsp of finely chopped root ginger
4 cardamon pods
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
50g chopped cashew nuts
25g of soaked desiccated coconut
1 egg
Vegetable oil
Salt to serve

Method

1. Start by soaking the desiccated coconut in water.
2. Next in a dry pan heat the cardamon, coriander and mustard seeds until the seeds begin to pop. Once cooled lightly crush with a pestle and mortar.
3. Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil and then fry the onion, chili, garlic and ginger. 
4. After 5 minutes add the lightly crushed spices and stir constantly for another five minutes.
5. Add the cooked rice, soaked coconut and chopped cashews and stir together. Add salt to taste at this point.
6. Crack an egg into the pan and stir in for a further three minutes.

Serve this egg fried rice recipe immediately with your favourite home cooked curry.

Click here for more Indian cooking recipes.

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Peshwari Naan Bread Recipe

Regardless of what kind of curry I am cooking, I have to accompany it with a sweet, peshwari naan, full of fruit and coconut.

These are quite unlike those you may receive from your local indian curry house and are quite solid, so make them smaller than is normal so not to daunt people. If you do make too much they are fantastic on their own the next day.

Makes 5

Ingredients: 

250g plain flour
125ml of semi-skimmed milk
2 tbsp of sunflower oil
2 heaped tsp caster sugar
1 level tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
50g desiccated coconut
50g sultanas
25g caster sugar
1 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Whisk the milk and sunflower oil together and leave in a jug
   
2. Mix the flour with the tsp measurements of sugar, salt and baking powder.
   
3. Make a dip in the middle of the flower and pour in the liquid.
   
4. Knead vigorously for at least 5 minutes. Adding further flour/milk if required to form a dough like consistency.
   
5. Wrap in cling film and place in a warm place (airing cupboard) for 30 minutes at least.
   
6. While you are waiting you can measure out the remaining sugar, coconut and sultanas and mix together.
   
7. Retrieve the dough and divide into five equally sized pieces. Roll into balls and proceed to make one at a time, while leaving the others covered with cling film so they do not dry out.
   
8. Push the dough ball down with your fist, as firmly as you can. Now add a handful of the sweet mixture and place it in the middle of the squashed dough ball.
   
9. Fold the dough over and push down the edges to seal. Now use a rolling pin to flatten out the bread, so that it takes the shape of a tear drop. Don't make the naan too thin.
   
10. Brush lightly with olive oil and place on a preheated grill pan and put in a preheated grill for roughly 90 seconds, turn over and cook for a further minute.
    

Serve straight away with your favourite curry dish.

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Chicken and Almond creamy curry - A korma style curry children can enjoy

I am not sure what actually defines a dish as being a curry, but this one resembles that of what is considered a korma. However, this dish is not spicy, oily and is certainly suitable for children. My two-year-old loves it!

This serves three and takes less than 90 minutes from start to finish to reproduced.

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts (or 300g of boneless chicken)
2 large onions
5 cloves of garlic
25g of root ginger
2cm stick of cinnamon
5 green cardamon pods
15 coriander seeds (roughly)
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp tumeric
100g of low fat yoghurt
1 tsp of salt
2 tsp of caster sugar
25g desiccated coconut (dry fried and soaked in water)
50g ground almonds
25g flaked almonds
knob of butter
75ml of double cream (replace with single if you wish)

There are a lot of ingredients listed above - do not fear if you are missing one or two, the basis of this dish will carry it through regardless.

Method:

Firstly in a dry saucepan heat the stick of cinnamon until it starts to let off a smell. Now add the cardamon pods and coriander seeds and heat until they begin to darken in colour.
Remove the spices from the heat and using a spice grinder reduced to a fine powder. Use a sieve to check the powder is fine.
Blitz the garlic and ginger with a slash of water to form a paste
Mix together the spices, garlic/ginger paste, yoghurt and salt and marinate the chopped chicken (use bite-sized pieces).
Return to the fridge for as long as it takes to prepare the rest of the meal.
Chop the onions and using a hand blender reduce to a puree.
Heat the butter in a saucepan and then cook the pureed onion for five minutes.
Now add the marinated chicken, nutmeg and tumeric and simmer in the pan with the lid on for 20 minutes.
Add the almond powder, flaked almonds and desiccated coconut to the mix and cook for five more minutes.
Now add the double cream and cook for a further two minutes.

Serve with rice and/or peshwari naan bread

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