One of the things I love about a great curry is that it's just as good, if not better, the

next day.

The spices seem to infuse and settle overnight, mingling and melding with the other
ingredients.

If I'm using meat in a curry, it's often lamb, and shoulder of lamb is my favourite cut
for the long, slow cooking that a curry really likes.

My coconut lamb curry recipe is ideal if you want to make a large quantity and batch
freeze it for those evenings when you know you won't have time to cook. Serve it with
a bowl of steaming rice, some raita, chutney, and some Indian flatbread such as
poppadoms, chapatis or naans, and you have one of my favourite suppers of all time.

The chicken and tomato curry recipe is such a crowd-pleaser. If you're making this in
advance, I recommend using the more juicy and succulent brown meat from the
chicken legs, as it doesn't dry out if it is being reheated. However, if you want to use
chicken breast, just make the curry up to the stage of adding the meat. When you're
ready to eat, reheat the sauce and cook the chicken in it.

For a vegetable curry at this time of the year, you can't get better than using squash
or pumpkin, which are such sponge-like veggies when it comes to soaking up big
flavours. I love the creamy but light and fragrant Asian flavours that are in this
delicious autumn squash and coconut curry, also far right.

For a quick curry accompaniment, peel and slice 2-3 bananas, squeeze over the juice
of one lime and scatter with one tablespoon of desiccated coconut.

This is the time of the year to use glorious Irish pumpkins and squash, which are just
being harvested now. Sometimes it's not necessary to peel them when they're small
and very fresh - just taste a bit of the skin, and if it's not thick and leathery, leave it
on.

To make a lamb and tomato curry, use tomato passata (or blended tinned tomatoes)
in place of the chicken stock.

The following spicy dishes are ideal for batch cooking. Enjoy!

Chicken and tomatoes with fragrant spices

Serves 6

You will need:

4-5 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil

275g chopped onions

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon garam masala

The ground seeds from 8 green cardamom pods

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of ground cloves

1 teaspoon salt

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

2 cloves of garlic, finely grated

1 teaspoon finely chopped chilli

750g skinless, boneless chicken meat, preferably from the legs but you can use white
meat, cut into 3cm chunks

250g peeled and chopped tomatoes

150ml chicken stock or water

3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves

Naan bread, to serve

1 Heat the olive oil or coconut oil, whichever you're using, in a pan. Add the chopped
onions and saute them for four to five minutes until they are golden brown.

2 While the onions are cooking, prepare all the spices - the ground coriander, the
ground cumin, the ground turmeric, the garam masala, the ground cardamom seeds,
the cinnamon, the ground cloves - and mix together. Once the onions are golden, add
in the spice mix, the salt, the bay leaf, the finely grated fresh ginger, the finely grated
garlic and the finely chopped chilli. Cook for a couple of more minutes, stirring
continuously while scraping the bottom of the pan to avoid the mixture getting burnt

3 Now add the chicken chunks and the chopped tomatoes, along with the chicken
stock or the water, whichever you are using.

4 Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook, covered with a lid, for about 20-25
minutes, until the meat is just cooked.

5 Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if necessary, and add the chopped fresh
coriander leaves.

6 Serve with naan bread.

Coconut lamb curry

Serves 6

You will need:

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

¼ teaspoon cardamom seeds (from about 8 green cardamom pods)

4 cloves

4 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil

4 onions, peeled and sliced

1 kg lamb shoulder. Remove the fat and cut into 2cm dice

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk

150ml chicken stock

Juice of 1 lime or ½ lemon

Fresh coriander leaves, to garnish

Rice, to serve

Raita, chutney and Indian flatbread, to serve

1 Put the coriander seeds and the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium-to-
high heat, and toast them for one or two minutes until they are a couple of shades
darker. Put them in a pestle and mortar along with the cardamom seeds and the
cloves and crush them. Set aside.

2 Pour two tablespoons of the olive oil or coconut oil, whichever you're using, into a
large, lidded casserole pot or heavy-based saucepan on a high heat. Add the sliced
onions and saute them for seven to eight minutes until they are softened and nicely
golden.

3 Transfer the onions to a bowl, add the remaining olive oil or coconut oil, whichever
you're using, into the pot and reheat. Put the diced lamb into the hot pan and sear it
until it is well browned all over - work in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan and
stew the meat.
4 Return the onions and all the seared meat to the pan and add the crushed spices
you set aside earlier, along with the ground turmeric, the finely chopped garlic, the
finely chopped fresh ginger and the finely chopped chilli, if you are using it. Season
with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then stir everything together to combine.
Next, stir in the tinned coconut milk and the chicken stock, scraping any sediment
from the bottom of the pan.

5 Bring slowly to the boil, then immediately reduce the heat, and cover the pot with a
lid. Leave the curry to gently simmer for about one hour, removing the lid for the last
15 minutes. Alternatively, cook the curry in the oven, preheated to 150°C, 350°F, Gas
2, for an hour, leaving the lid on for the whole cooking time. Check that the lamb is
tender, cooking it for a little longer if necessary, then add the lime juice or the lemon
juice, whichever you're using. Check the seasoning, adding more salt and freshly
ground black pepper if necessary. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

6 Serve straight away, or reheat to serve with rice, raita, chutney, and some Indian
flatbread.

Autumn squash and coconut curry

Serves 8

You will need:

2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 lemongrass stalks, outer leaves removed and finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 kaffir lime leaves, shredded (use dried if fresh are unavailable)

2 teaspoons toasted and ground coriander seeds (see lamb curry recipe for toasting
method)

2 teaspoons toasted and ground cumin seeds

4cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1-2 small red chillies, deseeded and thinly sliced

4-5 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon crunchy peanut butter

1 x 400g tin of coconut milk

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime

2kg butternut squash or pumpkin (see In Season) peeled, deseeded and cut into 4cm
chunks

2 tablespoons torn or sliced fresh basil

1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh coriander

2 tablespoons toasted cashew nuts

3 spring onions, thinly sliced at an angle

Jasmine rice, to serve

Mango chutney, to serve

1 First, preheat the oven to 200°C, 390°F, Gas 6.

2 Heat a saucepan or casserole pot over a medium heat and add the coconut oil or
olive oil, whichever you're using. Stir-fry the finely chopped onion for four to five
minutes, then add the finely sliced lemongrass and the crushed garlic, and cook for a
couple of minutes more.

3 Now mix in the shredded kaffir lime leaves, the toasted and ground coriander
seeds, the toasted and ground cumin seeds, the grated fresh ginger, the thinly sliced
chilli, half of the fish sauce, the crunchy peanut butter, the tinned coconut milk, the
lime zest and the lime juice. Stir well to mix everything, then add in the prepared
butternut squash or pumpkin, whichever you are using, and half of the torn or sliced
fresh basil, whichever you are using, and half the roughly chopped fresh coriander.

4 Bring the mixture to the boil, then cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes,
stirring occasionally, removing the lid for the last five minutes if the mixture is a bit
soupy. By now the butternut squash or pumpkin should be tender and have absorbed
lots of delicious flavour. Taste, and add more fish sauce and lime juice if necessary.

5 Pour the curry into a warm serving bowl and scatter with the remaining torn or
sliced fresh basil, whichever you are using, and the rest of the roughly chopped fresh
coriander, the toasted cashew nuts and the sliced spring onions.

6 Serve with jasmine rice and some mango chutney.

One of the things I love about a great curry is that it's just as good, if not better, the
next day.

The spices seem to infuse and settle overnight, mingling and melding with the other
ingredients.

If I'm using meat in a curry, it's often lamb, and shoulder of lamb is my favourite cut
for the long, slow cooking that a curry really likes.

My coconut lamb curry recipe is ideal if you want to make a large quantity and batch
freeze it for those evenings when you know you won't have time to cook. Serve it with
a bowl of steaming rice, some raita, chutney, and some Indian flatbread such as
poppadoms, chapatis or naans, and you have one of my favourite suppers of all time.

The chicken and tomato curry recipe is such a crowd-pleaser. If you're making this in
advance, I recommend using the more juicy and succulent brown meat from the
chicken legs, as it doesn't dry out if it is being reheated. However, if you want to use
chicken breast, just make the curry up to the stage of adding the meat. When you're
ready to eat, reheat the sauce and cook the chicken in it.

For a vegetable curry at this time of the year, you can't get better than using squash
or pumpkin, which are such sponge-like veggies when it comes to soaking up big
flavours. I love the creamy but light and fragrant Asian flavours that are in this
delicious autumn squash and coconut curry, also far right.

For a quick curry accompaniment, peel and slice 2-3 bananas, squeeze over the juice
of one lime and scatter with one tablespoon of desiccated coconut.

This is the time of the year to use glorious Irish pumpkins and squash, which are just
being harvested now. Sometimes it's not necessary to peel them when they're small
and very fresh - just taste a bit of the skin, and if it's not thick and leathery, leave it
on.

To make a lamb and tomato curry, use tomato passata (or blended tinned tomatoes)
in place of the chicken stock.

The following spicy dishes are ideal for batch cooking. Enjoy!

Chicken and tomatoes with fragrant spices

Serves 6

You will need:

4-5 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil

275g chopped onions

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon garam masala

The ground seeds from 8 green cardamom pods

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of ground cloves

1 teaspoon salt

1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

2 cloves of garlic, finely grated

1 teaspoon finely chopped chilli

750g skinless, boneless chicken meat, preferably from the legs but you can use white
meat, cut into 3cm chunks

250g peeled and chopped tomatoes

150ml chicken stock or water

3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves

Naan bread, to serve

1 Heat the olive oil or coconut oil, whichever you're using, in a pan. Add the chopped
onions and saute them for four to five minutes until they are golden brown.

2 While the onions are cooking, prepare all the spices - the ground coriander, the
ground cumin, the ground turmeric, the garam masala, the ground cardamom seeds,
the cinnamon, the ground cloves - and mix together. Once the onions are golden, add
in the spice mix, the salt, the bay leaf, the finely grated fresh ginger, the finely grated
garlic and the finely chopped chilli. Cook for a couple of more minutes, stirring
continuously while scraping the bottom of the pan to avoid the mixture getting burnt

3 Now add the chicken chunks and the chopped tomatoes, along with the chicken
stock or the water, whichever you are using.

4 Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook, covered with a lid, for about 20-25
minutes, until the meat is just cooked.

5 Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if necessary, and add the chopped fresh
coriander leaves.

6 Serve with naan bread.

Coconut lamb curry

Serves 6

You will need:

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

¼ teaspoon cardamom seeds (from about 8 green cardamom pods)

4 cloves
4 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil

4 onions, peeled and sliced

1 kg lamb shoulder. Remove the fat and cut into 2cm dice

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk

150ml chicken stock

Juice of 1 lime or ½ lemon

Fresh coriander leaves, to garnish

Rice, to serve

Raita, chutney and Indian flatbread, to serve

1 Put the coriander seeds and the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium-to-
high heat, and toast them for one or two minutes until they are a couple of shades
darker. Put them in a pestle and mortar along with the cardamom seeds and the
cloves and crush them. Set aside.

2 Pour two tablespoons of the olive oil or coconut oil, whichever you're using, into a
large, lidded casserole pot or heavy-based saucepan on a high heat. Add the sliced
onions and saute them for seven to eight minutes until they are softened and nicely
golden.

3 Transfer the onions to a bowl, add the remaining olive oil or coconut oil, whichever
you're using, into the pot and reheat. Put the diced lamb into the hot pan and sear it
until it is well browned all over - work in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan and
stew the meat.

4 Return the onions and all the seared meat to the pan and add the crushed spices
you set aside earlier, along with the ground turmeric, the finely chopped garlic, the
finely chopped fresh ginger and the finely chopped chilli, if you are using it. Season
with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then stir everything together to combine.
Next, stir in the tinned coconut milk and the chicken stock, scraping any sediment
from the bottom of the pan.

5 Bring slowly to the boil, then immediately reduce the heat, and cover the pot with a
lid. Leave the curry to gently simmer for about one hour, removing the lid for the last
15 minutes. Alternatively, cook the curry in the oven, preheated to 150°C, 350°F, Gas
2, for an hour, leaving the lid on for the whole cooking time. Check that the lamb is
tender, cooking it for a little longer if necessary, then add the lime juice or the lemon
juice, whichever you're using. Check the seasoning, adding more salt and freshly
ground black pepper if necessary. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

6 Serve straight away, or reheat to serve with rice, raita, chutney, and some Indian
flatbread.

Autumn squash and coconut curry

Serves 8

You will need:

2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 lemongrass stalks, outer leaves removed and finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 kaffir lime leaves, shredded (use dried if fresh are unavailable)

2 teaspoons toasted and ground coriander seeds (see lamb curry recipe for toasting
method)

2 teaspoons toasted and ground cumin seeds

4cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1-2 small red chillies, deseeded and thinly sliced

4-5 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon crunchy peanut butter

1 x 400g tin of coconut milk

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime

2kg butternut squash or pumpkin (see In Season) peeled, deseeded and cut into 4cm
chunks

2 tablespoons torn or sliced fresh basil

1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh coriander

2 tablespoons toasted cashew nuts

3 spring onions, thinly sliced at an angle

Jasmine rice, to serve

Mango chutney, to serve

1 First, preheat the oven to 200°C, 390°F, Gas 6.

2 Heat a saucepan or casserole pot over a medium heat and add the coconut oil or
olive oil, whichever you're using. Stir-fry the finely chopped onion for four to five
minutes, then add the finely sliced lemongrass and the crushed garlic, and cook for a
couple of minutes more.

3 Now mix in the shredded kaffir lime leaves, the toasted and ground coriander
seeds, the toasted and ground cumin seeds, the grated fresh ginger, the thinly sliced
chilli, half of the fish sauce, the crunchy peanut butter, the tinned coconut milk, the
lime zest and the lime juice. Stir well to mix everything, then add in the prepared
butternut squash or pumpkin, whichever you are using, and half of the torn or sliced
fresh basil, whichever you are using, and half the roughly chopped fresh coriander.

4 Bring the mixture to the boil, then cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes,
stirring occasionally, removing the lid for the last five minutes if the mixture is a bit
soupy. By now the butternut squash or pumpkin should be tender and have absorbed
lots of delicious flavour. Taste, and add more fish sauce and lime juice if necessary.

5 Pour the curry into a warm serving bowl and scatter with the remaining torn or
sliced fresh basil, whichever you are using, and the rest of the roughly chopped fresh
coriander, the toasted cashew nuts and the sliced spring onions.

6 Serve with jasmine rice and some mango chutney.