INDIAN RESTAURANT RECIPES

Chicken Vindaloo

Ingredients: 4 Chicken Quarters (or breast pieces), skinned 2 Large Onions, sliced 6 tbsp Vegetable Oil or Ghee 2 Green or Red Chillis, chopped 25g/1oz Fresh Ginger, chopped 3 Garlic Cloves, chopped Instructions

2 teaspoon Turmeric 2 teaspoon Ground Coriander 1 teaspoon Garam Masala 2 tbsp Vinegar 300ml/10fl.oz. Water 1-2 teaspoon salt 50g/2oz Desiccated Coconut

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onions and fry until golden brown. It is better to use Ghee, which is clarified Indian butter, but oil will do if this is not available. 2. Add the chillies, ginger, garlic, turmeric, coriander and garam masala and fry for a further 3 minutes. Dont forget to wash your hands after chopping the chilles! 3. Add the vinegar and water, mix well then add the chicken pieces and turn to coat thoroughly. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. 4. After this time, remove the lid and boil rapidly until the sauce thickens then add the salt and coconut and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Chicken Bhuna

Ingredients: 120ml/4fl.oz. Vegetable Oil (or Ghee) 2 teaspoon Garlic Paste 2 teasoonpoon Ginger Paste 200g/7oz Natural Yoghurt 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds 2 teaspoon Coriander Seeds 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric 1-2 teaspoon Salt Instructions

1 teaspoon Chilli Powder 675g/1 1/2lb Boneless Chicken Breasts, cut into 2.5cm/1 inch pieces 1 Large Onion 5 Tomatoes, chopped Freshly chopped Coriander to garnish

1. Heat the oil or Ghee in a large pan, add the garlic and ginger pastes and cook for 1 minute. 2. Reduce the heat and gradually stir in the yogurt then add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, turmeric, red chili powder and salt stirring constantly. 3. Add the chicken and simmer over a very low heat until all the yogurt has been absorbed. 4. Meanwhile, cut the onions into 2.5cm/1inch pieces then add to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes. 5. Add the tomatoes, mix well and cook for a further 5 minutes. 6. To serve - transfer to a heated serving dish and garnish with chopped coriander. To make Lamb Bhuna, just use a good quality Lamb, diced and as fresh as possible.

Chicken Passanda
Ingredients: 5 tbsp natural yogurt 0.5 tsp black cumin seeds 4 cardamom pods 0.5 tsp ground black pepper 2 tsp garam masala 2.5 cm / 1 inch cinnamon stick 1 tablespoon ground almonds 1 teaspoon garlic pulp or 1 clove fresh Garlic 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, chopped 1 teaspoon chili powder 675g / 1.5 lb chicken (boned and cubed) 5 tablespoon corn oil or Ghee 2 medium onions (diced) 3 fresh green chillies (chopped) (OPTIONAL) 3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander 150ml single cream

Method: 1. Mix the yogurt and the spices in a large mixing bowl. Add the chicken pieces and leave to marinate for 2 hours minimum. This is better if left overnight in the fridge. 2. Heat the oil or Ghee in a deep frying pan and fry the onions until golden brown. 3. Pour in the chicken mixture and stir to blend in the onions. Cook over a medium heat until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened. 4. Add the chillies (Optional), fresh coriander and cream. Boil briefly and serve immediately garnished with more coriander.

Chicken Korma

6 chicken breasts, sliced into

8 green cardamoms

pieces 5 garlic cloves 10 strands of saffron 2 onions (chopped) 2 green chillies (chopped) (OPTIONAL) 2 cups plain yoghurt 1/4 cup oil

4in / 10 cm cinnamon stick 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1/2 tsp ground ginger 2 cups chicken stock 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

can on Coconut Milk 4 cloves (optional) Boil the chicken breasts for 3-4 minutes with 2 garlic cloves. Crush the remaining garlic and soak in 1/2 cup of water to make a garlic infusion. Repeat with the saffron. Puree the onions with the green chillies (optional). Heat the oil, fry the onion puree until golden brown. Add the cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon and turmeric last. Add the chicken, garlic infusion and yoghurt. Simmer covered for 10 minutes. Add the ground ginger, and saut for 4 minutes until the chicken is lightly browned. Add the chicken stock. AT THIS POINT, YOU CAN ADD THE COCONUT MILK IF REQUIRED. Simmer for about 40 minutes, and when the chicken is tender sprinkle with the saffron infusion, pepper and coriander leaves.

8. Serve with plain boiled rice.

Chicken Tikka Masala

A bit more complicated than the others, but worth it! You can forget the whole Tikka stages and replace with Tikka made from the Chicken Tikka recipe on a separate sheet. (If you do this, start from step 6)

For the tikka: 700g skinned chicken breast fillets 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar 75g natural yoghurt 100ml double cream 1 tbsp ginger pure 1 tbsp garlic pure 2 tbsp Tandoori Massala Powder (see Tikka recipe) tsp ground turmeric tsp garam masala tsp chilli powder 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander leaves 40g melted unsalted butter For the sauce: 50g blanched almonds 40g unsalted butter 1 medium finely chopped onion 1 tsp ginger pure 1 tsp garlic pure 1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped 1 tsp paprika tsp cardamom, ground 2 tsp ground coriander 1 tbsp tomato pure 250ml fresh chicken stock 200ml passata with 3 drops red food colouring 250ml double cream or half-fat double cream 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves naan bread to serve

1. Cut the chicken into cubes of about 5cm and put in a bowl. 2. Mix the remaining tikka ingredients, except the butter, until well blended. Pour

this over the chicken; mix and cover the bowl with cling film. Leave to marinate in a cool place for 4-6 hours or overnight in the fridge. The longer the better. 3. Preheat the grill to high and the oven to 120C/250F/gas mark . Remove the grill pan grid and line with a piece of lightly oiled foil. 4. Brush 4 metal skewers with butter. Thread the chicken on to the skewers with a gap between each piece. Place on the grill pan and cook about 7.5cm from the element for 2-3 minutes. Brush with some melted butter and grill for a further 2 minutes until the edges are charred. 5. Turn the skewers over, brush with more butter and cook for 3-4 minutes until charred as before. Remove from the grill and set aside for 3-4 minutes. Ease the tikkas from the skewers and leave in the foil in the pre-heated oven as you make the sauce. 6. Put the almonds in a bowl and pour over 150ml boiling water. Set aside for 10-15 minutes, then pure it in a blender. 7. Saut the onions, ginger, garlic and chilli together in the rest of the butter for 5-6 minutes, stirring often. 8. Add the spices. Cook for 1 minute; add the tomato pure and cook for a further minute, stirring. 9. Add the pured almonds and the remaining ingredients, except the coriander leaves. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 6-7 minutes. Stir occasionally. 10. Add the tikka pieces, and any cooking juices. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, stir in the coriander leaves. Remove from the heat and serve with naan bread.

Lamb Madras

1 large onion, chopped finely cup Oil or Ghee. 3 large garlic coves, chopped 2 teaspoon garam masala 1-2 tablespoon cayenne pepper 2 teaspoon ground coriander seed 2 teaspoon ground cumin seed 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger 1 lb boneless lamb, trimmed, cubed 1/4 cup tomato paste, mixed with 3 tablespoons water 1/2 teaspoon whole cardamom seeds 1 tbs lemon juice 1/2 tsp salt

1. In a large, big pan heat the oil until it is fragrant. 2. Add the onion and saut over high heat, stirring frequently, until it starts to brown a little, usually about 3-4 minutes. 3. Lower the heat and continue cooking, stirring often, until the onion turns golden brown,about 10 minutes more. 4. Add the garlic, garam masala and cayenne, lower the heat to mediumhigh, and saute for another 2 minutes. 5. Stir in the ground spices and saute another 2 minutes, stirring. 6. Add the meat, stir well, and brown it in the spices for about 5 minutes. 7. Add the tomato paste mixture and cardamom seeds and stir well. Lower heat, cover pan tightly, and simmer about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water (little by little) if sauce starts to stick to the pan. 8. Uncover the pan and stir in the lemon juice and salt. 9. Simmer uncovered about 10 minutes longer, stirring frequently, until the meat is tender and the sauce is very thick.

Peshwari Naan

To make plain Naan, you can omit the sultanas, almonds and seeds. Peshwari Naan, however, is much tastier!

1lb self-raising flour 5 tbsp sugar 4 tbsp ground almonds 2 tbsp finely chopped sultanas 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds (optional) 1/2 cup single cream Water to make the dough

Put the flour in a large bowl and mix with 3 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp ground almonds, 1 tbsp sultanas, and 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds. Add enough water to make a nice dough. Knead the dough and leave for up to 2 hours. This is most important as it allows the dough to rest and become easier to manage. Knead the dough again and carefully pour in the cream. Roll out a piece of the dough at a time for up to 3 inches in diameter. With each disc, put a quarter of the sugar, ground almonds, sultanas, and pumpkin seeds, in the centre and then roll out to twice the size. You should obviously get 4 discs ready to be cooked. Place in a very hot, preheated oven for 3-4 minutes or until cooked. To serve, drizzle with a little olive oil.

Bombay Potatoes

450g/1lb Potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5cm/1 inch cubes 2 x teaspoon Salt 1 teaspoon turmeric 4 tablespoon Vegetable Oil or Ghee. (Ghee is better!) 2 Green Chilies, deseeded and thinly sliced 2 Onions, sliced 1/2 teaspoon Coriander seeds 1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds 1 x 7oz tin Chopped Tomatoes Instructions 1. Place the potatoes in a pan of salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes until just tender. Drain well. 2. In the meantime, heat the oil or Ghee in a pan, add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, turmeric and sliced chilli and fry over a high heat for 1-2 minutes. 3. Add the onions and continue to cook over a medium heat until the onions are soft. This should only take a few minutes. 4. Add the drain potato cubes together with a very little water, stir well cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 5. Add the tin of tomatoes, mix well and continue to cook for 5 minutes.

PILAU RICE

275g / 10oz basmati rice. Must be basmati! 50g / 2 oz ghee or butter 1 large onion finely chopped. Make sure it is finely chopped. 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped 8 whole cloves 8 green cardamoms pods split 2 cinnamon sticks, 2-inches long each, broken up 8 whole peppercorns 1 tsp ground turmeric About a pint of water 11/2 teaspoon of salt

Wash the rice and soak in cold water for an hour. Drain well. This is a most important stage as it provides you with fluffier rice. In a heavy based pan melt the ghee or butter over medium heat and fry onions until they are soft (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon sticks and peppercorns. Stir and fry until the onions are golden brown (3-4 minutes). Add the rice and turmeric*, stir and fry for 1-2 minutes. Adjust heat to low, stir and fry the rice for a further 2-3 minutes. Add the water and the salt, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove the pan from the heat and keep it undisturbed for a further 10-12 minutes. Job done! *SPECIAL RICE WOULD ALSO INCLUDE PEAS AND BEATEN EGG (ADD AT THIS STAGE). FOR MUSHROOM RICE, ADD MUSHROOMS HERE.

Chicken Sag

This dish uses spinach as a key ingredient. To cook Lamb Sag, just replace the chicken for some good quality lamb.

10 medium sized pieces of chicken (or 4 breast chopped into bite size pieces) 3 bunches of fresh coriander leaves 8 cloves of garlic 2 green chillies 5 teaspoons of plain yoghurt) 3 large handfuls fresh spinach 1 teaspoon salt butter 3 cardamom pods 1 stick of cinnamon 4 cloves 1 teaspoon of cumin 200ml chicken stock

1. Clean and wash chicken pieces thoroughly. 2. Take the coriander leaves, garlic cloves and green chillies and grind to paste in the mixer. 3. To the above paste, add the thick yoghurt, add salt to taste and mix. 4. Marinate the chicken pieces in the above marinade for 45 mins. With most marinades, the longer the better, but if overnight, remember to put it in the fridge! 5. In a pan add butter, when butter is hot add the cardamom, stick of cinnamon, cloves and cumin. Fry for 5 minutes. 6. Now add the chicken, stock and fresh spinach and cook for 20 minutes under a closed lid, on slow heat. (Dont worry about the size of the spinach it wilts and reduces nicely!)

The Best Chicken

Tikka Recipe!
This is a recipe for making a Tikka marinade that produces the best Tikka you will ever find! It has been developed with years of experience and can be used for all types of meat. Probably the most famous use is with Chicken, however, it works equally well with most meats. Chicken and Lamb is the most common and excellent results can also be obtained with King Prawns. The ingredients can be purchased from most major supermarkets if you have a Morrisons near to you, I would suggest trying there first as they seem to stock a huge range of exotic and foreign ingredients. You will need: Ginger Either minced from a jar (1 heaped teaspoon) or freshly ground (2-3 cm root) Garlic Either minced from a jar (1 heaped teaspoon) or freshly crushed (1 large clove) Olive Oil Extra Virgin is best as it has more flavour, use 125ml Bay leaves 2 leaves, broken up into small pieces Red Food Colourant Gives a lovely rich red colour to the meat, 2-3 drops Sugar I use any sort, 2 x tablespoons Lemon Juice Freshly squeezed if possible - use half a lemon Natural Yoghurt Essential in the marinade, 1 large tub (about 500ml) Tandoori Masala Powder Available in Morrisons, if you cant get this, try a good Tandoori Rub or Paste. This ingredient is vital! Use 50g Salt Sea Salt if possible, if not normal will do. Pinch. Fresh Coriander I grow this in the garden, chop it first. This is also available at any supermarket. Good handful this adds an excellent flavour and is another vital ingredient. Cardamon Pods Use three pods, crushed and ground Tumeric Gives a natural colour to the marinade use 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds Half a teaspoon, ground up in a mortar and pestle. The whole point of a marinade is to ensure the meat gets maximum flavour through penetration over time. Certain marinades sometimes help tenderise meat. I usually make this recipe up (it will only take ten minutes or so) and give it time to work for as long as possible. The minimum time I would suggest is overnight, but I have left a marinade in the fridge for days! Add the Tandoori powder to the natural yoghurt and combine this mixture with the olive oil. Mix in all the other ingredients and stir well. Theres no real method in mixing these together, just make sure they are well combined. Before you add the meat to the marinade, you need to make sure that the maximum amount of flavour gets into it. If you are using Chicken pieces (eg quarters) or thighs,

score the meat by making small incisions into it. This will allow the marinade to really work and add its depth of flavour. If you are using breast pieces, just push a fork into them a few times, therefore creating small holes. If King Prawns is on the menu, I suggest that these are simply peeled. Their flesh will absorb most of the marinade through time anyway, so theres no need to score them. Next comes the waiting part. This is absolutely vital and as I mentioned previously, it is best to leave it in the marinade for as long as possible. Dont leave it too long as we dont want the meat to go off! Certainly leave it overnight, of not for a day or two. When you come to cooking the meat, it is vital that whatever you are using to cook it with is very hot. Tandooris are used in Indian restaurants; however, hot griddle pans or roasting hot ovens work fine. Take the meat out of the marinade and shake off any excess. If using a griddle pan as I do, add a small amount of Ghee to the pan (Indian clarified butter). If you cant get this, a small amount of oil will do. Theres no need to use a lot of this, as the Olive Oil in the marinade should ensure it doesnt stick to the pan. If using breast pieces, simply cook for about five minutes, turning halfway through. You will need slightly longer if using meat on the bone as the bone absorbs a lot of the heat. Adjust your cooking time accordingly. (King Prawns will require less cooking time!) If you are using a hot oven, make sure it is pre-heated to its maximum with a suitable cooking pan. With oven gloves, take the pan out of the hot oven and add the meat. You can also add onions to the pan, which will add a nice flavour, but as before, add a little Ghee or Oil beforehand. Roast breast pieces for about five minutes, thighs for about ten or quarters for fifteen (depending on size!). King Prawns will only need a few minutes. These are excellent when cooked on the barbeque! Serve with chopped, fresh coriander and a squeeze of lemon. It is inevitable that your tastes will differ from mine, so you can change the ingredients slightly to suit. For example, you may with to add more lemon juice or sugar. Cooking is all about experimenting and personal tastes. This recipe has come from the Owner and Chef of a good Indian restaurant, so youre in safe hands!

Good luck and happy munching!

Classic Dhansak
This is a superb Indian dish that is medium hot and uses lentils to create a wonderful rich sauce. If you prefer lamb, just replace the chicken for a similar quantity of good lamb. (Diced).

Ingredients

2 oz split red lentils, washed. (Make sure they are split!) 4 tablespoons ghee (Use Vegetable Oil if not available) 3 chicken breasts, skinned and cut into bite sized cubes 4 cloves 3 whole green cardamom pods 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon hot chilli powder 1 teaspoon paprika 4fl oz Chicken Stock, infused with saffron and 2 bay leaves and 2 tsp sugar 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons crushed fenugreek seeds Optional, small whole chillies. (Up to you!), fresh coriander

Method 1. Put the lentils into a pan with about 10 fl oz (half a pint) of cold water, bring to the boil and boil vigorously for 10 minutes. During this time skim off any scum that comes to the top. Then reduce the heat and cook with the water bubbling for a further 20 minutes. There should still be a little water left at the end so add a little more boiling water if the pan runs dry. Cover and set aside. 2. Grind the cloves and cardamom seeds as finely as you can in a pestle and mortar. 3. Heat a little of the oil in a large heavy frying pan then fry the chicken pieces over moderate heat until they are sealed and have turned white. Remove them from the pan and set aside. 4. Heat the rest of the oil in a heavy pan over a moderate heat. 5. Add the whole chillies (if using) and fry until they start to swell. 6. Turn the heat to low, add a little of the stock and stir round. Then add the ground cloves and cardamom seeds, cumin, turmeric, coriander, chilli powder and paprika and fry gently, stirring all the time, for a minute. Take care not to burn the spices or the curry will lack flavour and taste bitter. 7. Add the rest of the stock, the chicken pieces, the lentils and their remaining cooking liquid and some salt and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the chicken is done. Add a little hot water if the sauce starts to catch on the bottom of the pan but the idea is to finish up with a thick lenity sauce. 8. (optional add fresh coriander ten minutes before end of cooking) 9. Simmer gently for the last 10 minutes stirring frequently as the sauce should now be nice and thick.