A perfect weekend dish, this Chicken, Spinach and Chickpea Curry recipe from the team at Middleton-on-the-Wolds based Soanes Poultry uses their award-winning, high welfare chicken to create a simple but delicious supper. For more recipe inspiration visit their website www.soanespoultry.co.uk
This delicious dish from the team at West Yorkshire based salad growers W.S. Bentley is not only packed full of flavour but healthy and hearty too. The creamy coconut pairs perfectly with the crunchy chickpeas and fresh pea shoots and makes this curry the perfect quick and warming supper on a chilly evening. For more recipe inspiration visit www.wsbentley.co.uk
Crush the chillies and garlic together with a pinch of salt with a pestle and mortar (or in a blender) to make a fine masala paste. Put the batter ingredients and the masala paste in a medium bowl and gently mix, working the spices through it, to form a relatively runny batter. Cut the potatoes in 5mm-thick slices. Mix the coriander seeds and pepper in a small bowl. Heat the frying oil – about 15cm deep – in a large pan over a high heat (or in a deep fat fryer, if you have one) and when you think it is hot enough, test the temperature by sprinkling a few drops of batter in the oil. When it is up to temperature, the drops will quickly spring back up to float on the surface. Reduce the heat to medium. Put four potato slices in the batter and work them around to make sure they are fully coated. Lift one slice out of the batter by its edge, hold over the bowl for a moment to allow any excess batter to drip off, then turn to hold horizontally. Sprinkle the top surface with seed-pepper mix and carefully place in the oil sprinkled-side uppermost. Repeat with the other three battered slices. Some batter droplets may run off the potato slices – use a tea strainer or small sieve to remove them so that they do not burn. After three minutes turn the slices over with a slotted spoon or strainer to cook the other side. Cook for a further 4-5 minutes until the batter is a crispy golden brown and the seeds are dark brown. Remove from the oil and leave to rest on absorbent kitchen towels while you batter and fry the remaining potato slices in batches of four at a time.
Vindaloo originates from Goa where the cooking combines Portuguese influences with fiery Indian flavours. Vindaloo dishes are made by families for their Christmas celebrations. Use of spices and vinegar that makes a vindaloo as well as the chillies. : 1. Using a spice grinder, grind the whole spices to a fine powder. Make a fine paste with the ginger, garlic, chillies and vinegar. 2. Marinate the pork along with the spices, paste and salt for couple of hours. 3. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and cook until brown, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and tomato puree and stir. 4. Next add the pork and marinade and brown gently over a moderate heat for 6-7minutes. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook until the pork is done, approx 40 minutes.
Make the batter 1. Mix all the ingredients excluding Bicarbonate of soda, onions and potato together in a bowl. 2. Add luke warm water to form a batter. Fairly thick consistency. Leave to one side for 15 minutes for the flavours to combine. (This can be done a day in advance) 3. Heat up the oil in a frying pan. 4. Just before frying add the Bicarbonate of Soda into the mixture. Stir in thoroughly. 5. Add the chopped onions and grated potatoes. 6. Drop medium size balls into the frying pan and cook turning once for 2-4 minutes. 7. Drain and serve with mint sauce or any chutney/salsa. Note: Also add mixed vegetables if required.
Rinse the masoor dhal at least 3 times in warm water, then drain and place in a large pan with 650ml of boiling water. Bring to the boil, then simmer over a medium heat for a couple of minutes until it starts to foam. Skim the froth from the surface, add the teaspoon of oil and simmer three-quarters covered for 18–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the dhal is soft and cooked through. Remove from the heat, drain and set aside. Heat the frying oil – about 20cm deep – in a large pan (or deep fat fryer, if you have one). Test the temperature by dropping a potato cube into the oil – when it is hot enough, the potato will immediately start to sizzle and bubble. Reduce to the heat to medium. Carefully lower the potatoes into the oil and use a wooden spoon to move them around so that they cook evenly all over. Fry for 4–5 minutes, or until golden brown and just becoming crisp. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and leave to rest on kitchen paper while you fry the other vegetables. Fry the carrots for 2 minutes, moving them around so that they cook evenly, then remove and leave to rest on kitchen paper. Next fry the pepper pieces for 2–3 minutes, then remove and leave to rest with the potatoes and carrots. Finally, fry the onions for 7–8 minutes and add to the other fried vegetables. Crush the chillies, garlic and ginger together with a pinch of salt using a pestle and mortar (or a blender), to make a fine masala paste. Rinse the rice twice in warm water, then drain. Heat the 100ml of oil for the rice in a large pan over a high heat for 30 seconds. Add the rice, salt and masala paste and stir gently. Fry together for a minute, then pour in 650ml of boiling water. Boil the rice uncovered over a high heat for 10–11 minutes, until almost all the water has evaporated and it starts to look dry. Put a large square of foil on top, tucking it round the sides, then put a lid on the pan, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and leave to cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. Tip the dhal into a large bowl. Add the garam masala, salt and bay leaves and mix gently. Add the rice and butter and gently mix again to combine. Spoon about a third of the rice / dhal mixture back into the rice cooking pan to form a layer roughly 2cm thick, followed by half the fried vegetables. Add another layer of rice / dhal mixture (about half of what's left), followed by the rest of the fried vegetables. Use the remaining rice / dhal to create a final layer. Put a large square of foil on top, tucking it round the sides, then put a lid on the pan and place it over a high heat for 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and leave to cook for 18–20 minutes or so, then remove from the heat and set aside to rest, covered, for at least 10 minutes. Serve piping hot, spooning up from the bottom of the pan to make sure each serving contains all the different layers (removing the bay leaves as you come across them). Enjoy it with a glass of chilled mango lassi. – This recipe is taken from Prashad: Indian Vegetarian Cooking by Kaushy Patel
Boil the potatoes in their skins for 40 minutes or so, until a knife tip will slide in easily, then peel and cut into 2cm cubes. Soak the dried tamarind in 200ml of boiling water for 10 minutes, then pulp with your fingers and sieve into a small bowl. Crush the ginger using a pestle and mortar (or a blender) to make a fine pulp. Heat the oil in a large pan for a minute over a medium heat and add the dried red chillies, cumin seeds and mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to pop, reduce the heat to low and stir in the asafoetida, tomatoes and jaggery. Stir over a low heat for a minute or so, until the jaggery has dissolved. Increase the heat to high and stir in the tamarind water, crushed ginger, chilli powder, ground coriander, turmeric, salt, half the fresh coriander and 400ml boiling water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes to bring the spices together and intensify the flavours. Add the garam masala and stir well – this is a strong flavour and needs to be thoroughly mixed in before you add the dish's main ingredient. Stir in the potatoes gently to avoid breaking them up, then remove the pan from the ehat, sprinkle with the remaining chopped coriander and leave to rest, covered, for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse. Reheat over a medium heat and serve with puri (unleavened, deep fried indian bread) and kakadhi raitu (a cool cucumber and yoghurt dip).
Wash and carefully dry the okra. Trim the tops, cut in half lengthways, then cut each piece into 3 chunks (each about 2cm long). Spread out on a baking tray and leave uncovered to oxidise and dry for about 24 hours. Crush the chillies and garlic together using a pestle and mortar (or a blender), to make a fine masala paste. Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks roughly 1 x 4cm. Heat the oil in a large frying pan for about 1 minute over a medium heat, then add the fenugreek and mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to pop, stir in the asafoetida and potatoes, ensuring that the potatoes are well coated in oil. Increase the heat to high and fry for 1 minute, then stir in the okra and return the heat to medium. Gently stir in the salt and turmeric, then cover the pan and leave to cook for three minutes. Add the masala paste, ground coriander, ground cumin and chilli powder and stir gently to mix, being careful not to break the delicate okra. Cover and leave to cook for 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through. Stir once more, then remove the pan from the heat and leave to rest, covered, for about 5 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse. Reheat over a low heat until piping hot, then sprinkle with the chopped coriander and serve.