Aloo Parathas with Cucumber & Mint Yoghurt

I have recently been introduced to Paratha & I have to agree these are fabulous! I served them with a Cucumber & Mint Yoghurt dip. This recipe makes 6 Parathas.

The Dough:
1 Cup Wheat Flour or Chapatti Flour
½ Cup Water

Pinch of Salt  

Potato (Aloo) Filling:
2 Large Potatoes, mashed
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Cumin Seed

1 Green Chilli, chopped
2 tbsp Chopped Coriander

½ tsp Garam Masala

½ cup of Flour for rolling.

The Dough: Mix flour, salt and water to make soft dough. If the dough is hard add a little more water, if too sticky add a little more flour. Knead the dough for a few minutes on a lightly greased surface to make smooth and pliable dough. Set the dough aside and cover it with a damp cloth. Let the dough rest for at least ten minutes.
 

The Filling: Boil the Potatoes for 15-20 mins, let them cool & mash with the back of a fork. Mix in the Chillies, Coriander, Cumin seed, Garam Masala & Salt.

Making the Paratha:

Divide the dough and potato mixture into 6 equal parts. The potato balls should a little bigger than the dough balls. Roll the dough into 3 inch diameter circles & place a potato ball in the centre. Now wrap the dough around the potato ball & seal. So you have a potato ball with a dough casing. Continue until you have 6 balls & let them settle for 5 mins before rolling them. Heat a heavy frying pan on a medium high until very hot. Roll a dough ball in dry flour, place sealed side up & roll out to 6" in diameter. If the dough sticks to the rolling pin or surface, lightly sprinkle with flour. Place the Paratha in the hot pan for about a minute then flip the Paratha over & spread 1tsp of oil with the back of the teaspoon, flip back over & spread 1tsp of oil on that side. Light press down on the Paratha & cook til golden brown on both sides. Repeat until you have all six, keep then warm before serving. Serve with any of my curries or as a starter. I was inspired to make these by a friend & found the video a help when making these Paratha. Enjoy! 

Cucumber & Mint Yoghurt:

5 tbsp Natural Yoghurt

½ Cucumber, Peeled & Cubed

10 Fresh Mint Leaves, finely chopped

½ tsp Salt

Splash of Lemon Juice

Mix all ingredients in a bowl & place in a refrigerator 1 hour before serving, to let the flavours combine. Enjoy!

Aromatic Curry - Great with Chicken, Beef, Lamb, Prawns or Fish!

This is a recipe for an Aromatic curry sauce that will work with any Meat, Prawns or fish. I used Chicken for this recipe.

Whole Spice Ingredients:

3 Cloves

1 tsp Fennel Seed

2 tsp Coriander Seed

2 tsp Cumin Seed

½ tsp Black Mustard Seed

1 Black Cardamon Pod

5 Green Cardamon Pod

8 Black Peppercorns

1 Bay Leaf

Dry fry the above spices in a small pan for a couple of minutes until they start to pop & become fragrant. Then grind with a Pestle & Mortar and set aside.

Fresh Ingredients:

2 Small/Med Onions

6 Garlic Cloves

50g Fresh Ginger

1 Fresh 5" Green Chilli

1 Fresh 5" Red Chilli

A Splash of Lemon juice

In Blender, whizz the above ingredients to a paste, you may have to add a little water. Place a large pan or Wok on a medium heat & melt 1 tbsp of butter, add the onion paste and fry this for 3-5 mins until soft. Stirring frequently.

Now add the following ingredients to the pan

6 tsp My Curry Paste

400g Tin of Tomatoes

1 tbsp Tomato puree
½ tsp Tumeric
½ tsp Garam Masala
A good pinch of Salt

4 tsp Sugar

350ml Water

Give your sauce a good stir & simmer for 10 mins, add more water if necessary. You should now have a smooth aromatic curry sauce, if not whizz again in your blender until smooth. Set aside. To make your curry, you will need;

2 tbsp Oil

1 Red Onion, Sliced

4 tbsp Natural Yoghurt

Your chosen Meat, Chicken, Beef, Lamb, Prawns or Fish

Fry your sliced Red Onion in the oil. Now add your chosen Meat & lightly brown all sides, then add the Yoghurt one tbsp at a time, stirring until the yoghurt has evaporated & thickened. Now add your curry sauce to the pan & simmer for 15 mins. Decorate with a little coriander & Serve with rice or Indian bread. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Lamb Jalfrezi

Ingredients:
2 tbsp Oil
1 Onion, Grated
2 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
500g Diced Lamb
3 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Chili powder
1 tsp salt
400g Can of Chopped Tomatoes
2 tsp Butter

2 Fresh Chillies, Sliced (Green & Red)

3 tsp Cumin
3 tsp Coriander
2 tbsp Fresh Ginger, Grated

2 tbsp Fresh Coriander, Chopped

Method: 

1. Heat the oil in a large deep pan or Wok over medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for about 3-4 minutes. 

2.Add the Lamb, Turmeric, Chili powder and Salt. Fry gently, scraping the bottom of the pan frequently and turning the Lamb until it brown in colour.

3. Pour in the tomatoes with their juice, cover the pan, and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. Uncover, and simmer for another 10 minutes allow to thicken slightly.

4. Add the Butter, Cumin,Coriander, Ginger and Fresh Chillies and simmer for another 5-6 minutes, now add the fresh coriander & simmer for 2 minutes more then serve with rice or Naan bread. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Murgh Markhani - Butter Chicken

Step 1: The Marinade

2-3 Chicken Breasts (Cubed)

1 tbsp Lemon Juice

1 tsp Chilli Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

6 Cloves

8 Pepper Corns

1 tsp Cinnamon

2 Bay Leaves

1 tbsp Flaked Almonds

1 heaped tsp Coriander

1 tsp Cumin

1/4 tsp Tumeric

1 Garlic Clove

1 tbsp Tomato Puree

1 Cup Natural Yoghurt

Place the Chicken in a bowl & add the Lemon Juice, chilli powder, salt & mix well. Cover and place in the fridge. Then heat a frying pan & dry fry the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, bay leaves & Almonds for 2 mins until fragrant. Allow to cool then whizz in a blender adding the coriander, cumin & Tumeric. Mix the spice mixture with the Chicken that’s in the fridge, then fold in the Tomato puree & yoghurt. Re-cover with Clingfilm & place back in the fridge for at least 2 hours or the longer the better. 

Step 2: The Sauce

2 Onions (Chopped)

2" piece of fresh Ginger (Grated)

5 Garlic Cloves (Crushed)

2 tbsp Fenugreek leaves

1 tbsp Curry leaves

400g Tin Chopped Tomatoes

1 heaped tbsp Tomato puree

1/2 tsp Garam Masala

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Paprika

1/2 tsp Chilli Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Sugar 

 

Heat a frying pan or wok & add the Onion, Garlic & Ginger. Cook until softened then add the Fenugreek & Curry leaves, fry for another minute then add the Tin Tomatoes, puree, Garam Masala, Paprika, Sugar, Chilli Powder & Salt. Stir & simmer for 2 mins. Allow to cool, then whizz this mixture in a blender until a smooth paste is achieved & set aside. 

Final Stage: Bringing it together

60g Butter

100ml Single Cream

Fresh Coriander

Heat your pan/wok on a medium heat and add the butter, when the butter is melted and add the chicken along with all of the yoghurt mix, cook for 5 mins stirring frequently. Now with a slotted spoon remove the chicken & continue cook the yoghurt mixture until it thickens slightly, add the tomato base mixture that you set aside earlier & then toss the chicken pieces back in. Cover & simmer for 15 mins. Stir in the cream, sprinkle with fresh coriander. Serve with rice or naan & Enjoy!

Serves 4

Bengali Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

large pinch ground Asafoetida

1 Bay Leaf

½ tsp Bengali five-spice (panch phoran)

1-2 Red chillies

1 small onion, chopped

½ tsp ground Turmeric

2 level tsp ground Cumin

1 heaped tsp ground Coriander

salt, to taste

sugar, to taste

2 tsp ginger paste (make your own by blending fresh ginger to a rough paste, adding water if necessary to loosen)

500g Butternut squash or Pumpkin, peeled, seeds removed & cut into 1" cubes

200ml boiling water

200g canned chickpeas, drained and washed

1 tsp ground garam masala

1 tsp ground fennel seeds

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over a medium heat. Add the asafoetida, bay leaf, panch phoran and chillies and fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring well to combine.

2. Add the onion, stir to coat in the spices, and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until softened and golden-brown.

3. Add the ground turmeric, cumin and coriander, the salt, sugar and ginger paste and stir well. Add a splash of water, stir and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.

4. Add the butternut squash pieces and the boiling water. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the butternut squash is tender.

5. Add the chickpeas, ground garam masala and fennel seeds and another splash of water if necessary to keep the mixture loose. Add more salt and sugar, if you like, to taste. Stir well and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes, or until warmed through. Serve with rice or naan. Enjoy!

Italian Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

2 Large Chicken breasts (cubed)

1 large onion, finely sliced

6 Curry leaves
½ tsp Garam Masala
50ml Double Cream

80g Italian Ham (Prosciutto), cut into strips

180ml coconut milk

Fresh coriander, to garnish

For the Paste:

3 green chillies, deseeded and chopped

¼ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp turmeric

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

1” Piece of fresh ginger, chopped

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt, to taste

Method:

1. In a blender place the chillies, coriander, turmeric, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp cold water and a couple of pinches of salt. Blitz to make a paste.

2. In a large wok heat the remaining oil and over a medium heat fry the onions  for 2 minutes. Once the onions are softened, add the paste and cook for a further minute.

3. Add the chicken in the wok with the sauce, mix well and cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

4. Then add the Ham, Stir then add in the cream and coconut milk and cook on a medium heat for a further 8 minutes without the lid until the sauce starts to thicken.

Once ready, add the Garam Masala & sprinkle some fresh coriander and serve immediately with fluffy rice.

Serves 4

Easy Pilau Rice

A really easy Pilau Rice Recipe that cooks

the rice to perfection! 

Ingredients: 
30g Butter

1 Small Red Onion (Finely Chopped)

1 Garlic Clove (Sliced)
1/4 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

4 Cardomon Pods (Split)
5 Cloves
1/2 tsp Tumeric
2 Bay Leaves
Small handful of Sultanas (Optional)
250g Basmati Rice 

Method: 
Wash the rice until the water runs clear & then drain in a colander. Heat a large saucepan & dry fry the Cumin Seeds for 1 minute then remove a crush in a Motar & Pestal. Put the pan back on the heat & add the butter, when melted add the Red onion & Garlic a fry until soft. Now add all the other ingredients (except Sultanas) to the pan & stir in the rice. Now add Cold water to the pan so it just covers the rice. Bring to the boil (uncovered), once boiled, cover with the lid & simmer for 4 minutes then take off the heat and leave to stand (Covered) for 15 minutes. Remove Bay Leaves, throw in the Sultanas & serve with your favorite Curry. Enjoy!
Serves 4

Chicken Dhansak

Chicken Dhansak. This looks tricky, but I assure you
it's really easy! A little prepration is required. 
Step 1 

Ingredients:

150g Yellow Split Peas

50g Red Lentils

1 Red Onion (Chopped)

2 Tbsp Oil

1/2 Tsp Tumeric

2 Garlic Cloves (Crushed)

1 Tbsp Butter

Place all Ingredients except the Garlic & Butter into a saucepan with 1Ltr Boiling Water & 1 Tsp Salt, boil gently for 40 mins then drain off any excess water. Fry the Garlic in butter for 2 mins then add the drained lentils, mix & fry for 2 extra mins. Set Aside. 

Step 2

Ingredients:

1 Onion

2 Medium Tomatoes

1/2 Green Pepper

15-20g Fresh Ginger
1 Garlic Clove

2 Green Finger Chillies

Small Handful of Fresh Coriander
4 Tbsp Oil

1/2 Tsp Tumeric

1/2 Tsp Salt

200ml Water

Add all ingredients (chopped Roughly) to a saucepan, cover & genlty boil for 20 mins or until soft. When cooked place into a blender & whizz to a puree. Set Aside.

Final Stage

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Oil 
1 Garlic Clove (Crushed)

1 Onion (Finely Sliced)

4 Green Cardomom Pods

2 Bay Leaves
400g Chicken Breast (Cubed)

4 Heaped Tsp Curry Paste 

4 Tsp Sugar

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp Tomato Puree 
Fresh Coriander (Chopped)

Heat The Oil in a pan or wok & add the Garlic, Cardomoms & Bay leaves and slowly fry until the garlic is golden. Add the Onion and fry gently until soft. Add the Curry Paste, Sugar, Lemon Juice & cook for 1 min (Stirring Continuously) then add then Vegetable Puree that you set aside, also add the Tomato Puree & cook for 3-4 mins. Add the Chicken Breast & cook for 2 mins until the Chicken has colour, add 100ml water & cook for a further 2 minutes, then turn down the heat, cover & simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cooked Lentils that you set aside earlier, stir and leave to cook for a further 5 minutes, then add the chopped coriander, stir once again (add a little water if nessasary) & serve with Basmati rice or Naan Bread. Enjoy!

Serves 4

My Own Curry Paste

Instead of buying a paste like 'Pataks' Make your own!

Ingredients:

2 Fresh Chillies (1x red, 1x Green)

35g Fresh Ginger (Grated)

10 Garlic Cloves (Crushed)

10g Fresh Coriander (Chopped)
250ml Oil

5 Tbsp Ground Coriander

7 Tbsp Ground Cumin

1 Tbsp Paprika

1 Tbsp Tumeric

1 Tbsp Chilli Powder

Method:

Fry Chillies,Ginger,Garlic & Fresh Coriander in oil for 2 minutes, add the spices and fry for further 2 minutes. Fill into an air tight jar and store in the refrigerator. Done!

Beef & Butternut Squash Curry

Ingredients:500g Beef (Rump, Sirlion) Cubed
400g Butternut Squash or Pumpkin, Peeled and Cubed
2 Tbsp Oil
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Honey
2 Tsp Curry Powder
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Chlli Powder
3 Cardamom Pods
1 tsp Coriander Seeds
1 Onion, Sliced
3 Garlic cloves, Crushed
2" Fresh Ginger, Peeled & Grated
1 Red Pepper, Deseeded and Sliced
1 Can of Coconut Milk
150ml Double Cream
1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Coriander
1 Tsp Chopped Fresh Mint
Fresh Coriander & Lemon Wedges to Garnish
Fresh Green Chilli
Garam Masala

Method:
1. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, honey and 1 tsp of the curry powder. Add the cubed Beef, cover and set aside to marinate for at least 2 hours, over night is best.
2. In a Pan or Wok, heat the oil & add the Butternut Squash. Fry for 4-5 Mins
3. In a Motar & Pestle, crush the Cumin & Coriander Seeds and add the Chilli Powder,Cardamoms & add this to the frying Butternut Squash.
4. Add the Onion, Garlic, Ginger and Red Pepper and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
5.Then, add the Beef & any marinade. Cook for a further few mins until the beef is coloured.
6. Now add Coconut Milk, bring to a boil a reduce by simmering until the sauce thickens & the Squash is cooked.
7. Add the Cream, simmer again for a minute. Then add the Freshly Chopped Coriander & Mint.
8. When Ready to serve sprinkle with Garam Masala & garnish with the fresh Coriander, Green Chillies & Lemon Wedges, serve with Rice or Naan bread.

Serves 4