Ingredients:
750 g / 1½ lb baby spinach, washed
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 large onion, chopped
thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into long julienne
1½ tbsp chopped garlic
1-2 green chillies, whole
2 tsp ground coriander
salt, to taste
250 g / 8¾ oz ready-made paneer (available from some supermarkets and Asian grocers), cut into cubes, or make your own paneer
½-1 tsp garam masala
6 tbsp whole milk, or 4 tbsp double cream
1-2 tsp lemon juice, or to taste
Directions:
Blanch the spinach in hot water for three minutes or until wilted. Drain into a colander and run cold water over it until cool. In a food processor or blender, blend to a smooth paste and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan. Add the cumin and fry for about 30 seconds, until fragrant, then add the onion and fry over a low heat for about six minutes, until soft. Add the ginger, garlic and chillies and cook for a further minute.
Add the ground coriander and salt to taste. Cook for another 30 seconds then add the spinach and a splash of water if necessary. The mixture should be loose but not watery. Bring to a boil and then simmer for three minutes.
Add the paneer cubes, garam masala and milk or cream. Stir and cook for a few minutes or until the spinach is nice and creamy. Stir in the lemon juice to taste. Serve with pilaff rice or naan bread.
Ingredients:
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-4 green chillies, whole
thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, peeled and pounded into a paste in a pestle and mortar
4 garlic cloves, peeled and pounded into a paste in a pestle and mortar
salt, to taste
½tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp garam masala
3 tomatoes, chopped into large cubes
1kg / 2¼lb mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
60g / 2oz desiccated coconut
handful fresh coriander leaves and stalks, chopped
Directions:
Heat the vegetable oil in a medium non-stick pan and fry the onion until golden brown.
Add the chillies, ginger and garlic pastes, salt, turmeric, garam masala and tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes have softened and start to break down.
Meanwhile, cook the mussels in a large pot of boiling water for about three minutes, until they have opened. Remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve the water.
Add the coconut, coriander and a splash of the cooking water to the spices and tomatoes and stir. The spice mixture should be thick enough to coat the mussels and enter the shells.
Remove some of the mussels from their shells and leave others in their shells, for a dramatic and appetising effect. Add the mussels to the spice mixture and stir thoroughly. Serve with basmati rice.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
half tsp brown mustard seeds
4 cloves
6 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 large piece cinnamon stick
1 small onion, finely chopped
5 cm / 2 in piece fresh ginger, peeled and quartered
2 large garlic cloves
1 tsp ground coriander
300 ml / 10½ fl oz coconut milk
2-4 green chillies, left whole
salt, to taste
100 ml / 3½ fl oz water
10 curry leaves (available from some supermarkets and Asian grocers)
½-1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
¾ tsp garam masala
500 g / 1 lb 2oz salmon or firm white fish fillets, cut into large pieces
To serve:
2-3 tsp lemon juice
50 g / 2 oz fresh coriander leaves and stalks, chopped
Directions:
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the mustard seeds, cloves, cardamom pods and cinnamon stick and stir fry for 20 seconds (be careful, the seeds might pop). Add half of the chopped onion and fry for 4-5 minutes until soft.
Meanwhile, place the remaining onion, the ginger, garlic, ground coriander and 100ml/3½fl oz of the coconut milk into a blender or food processor and blend to a smooth purée.
Add this mixture to pan along with the whole green chillies and salt, to taste. Cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for 12-15 minutes, giving the pot an occasional stir.
Add the remaining coconut milk, the water, the currry leaves, black pepper and garam masala and the fish and leave to cook undisturbed for about 3-5 minutes, until the fish is opaque and cooked through.
To serve, stir in the lemon juice and coriander. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then pour into bowls and serve with rice.
Ingredients:
For the marinade:
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground fennel seeds
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp white poppy seeds
salt, to taste
3 large garlic cloves
1 tbsp peeled and roughly chopped fresh ginger
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
800 g / 1 lb 12 oz lamb, cut into small cubes with the bone left in
For the curry:
3 tbsp vegetable oil
¾ tsp nigella seeds (available from Asian grocers)
1 tsp cumin seeds
500 ml / 17 fl oz water
5-8 fat, short green chillies, slit through the middle, seeds removed, but otherwise left intact
2-3 tsp fresh tamarind paste
2 handfuls fresh coriander, leaves and stalks, chopped
Directions:
For the marinade, place all the ingredients, excluding the lamb, for the marinade into a food processor and blend until smooth.
Transfer the marinade to a bowl, add the lamb and leave to marinate for several hours, or overnight, if possible.
For the curry, heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large pan, add the nigella and cumin seeds and stir fry for about 30 seconds, or until the cumin begins to brown.
Add the marinated lamb and cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 12-14 minutes. Taste to ensure the spices have been cooked - it should have no harsh elements.
Add the water and bring to the boil. Then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes, or until the lamb is tender. Check on the pot regularly, stirring occasionally and adding more water if it gets too dry.
Halfway through cooking the lamb, heat the remaining oil in a small pan and gently fry the chillies for two minutes, stirring often. Pour into the curry.
Once the lamb is cooked, uncover and stir in the tamarind paste. Taste and adjust the seasoning, add a little extra water if necessary, and stir in the coriander. Serve with naan or rice.
Ingredients:
2½ tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ medium onion, sliced
1-2 green chillies, sliced in half lengthwise
¾ tsp ground turmeric
salt, to taste
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
½ cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeds removed, chopped into 1cm/½in pieces
100gm / 3½ oz green beans, topped, tailed and chopped into thirds
50 gm / 2 oz shallots, peeled and halved
10 gm / ½ oz fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
60 gm / 2½ oz desiccated coconut, soaked in water to just cover
2 small handfuls frozen peas
12 fresh or dried curry leaves
5-6 tbsp plain yoghurt
1 tbsp coconut oil (optional)
Directions:
Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan. Add the cumin, onion and chillies and cook until the onions are soft and beginning to colour.
When the onions are cooked, stir in the turmeric, salt, carrots and potatoes. Cover the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring often. If necessary, add a splash of water to prevent the vegetables from burning.
After about 15 minutes, add the cucumber and beans. Cover the pan again and cook for a further 5-10 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile, place the shallots, ginger and coconut (complete with its soaking liquid) into a blender. Blend to a fine paste before adding to the pan, along with the peas. Cook for a further five minutes, stirring thoroughly. Tear the curry leaves into the pan and stir in the yoghurt.
To serve, take the pan off the heat and pour the coconut oil over the vegetables, if using. Spoon the mixture on to six serving plates and serve with basmati rice.
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