Curry Feast - Indian Buffet
07/09/2012 10:09
CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
Serves 4-6
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 onions, peeled & sliced
5cm/2in piece ginger root, peeled & finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled & finely chopped
1 tsp honey
4 tsp garam masala
2 ts turmeric
3 tbsp natural yogurt
1 x 700g jar passata
4 skinless chicken breast fillets- cut into large chunks
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, cook the onions with the ginger for 5 minutes.
Push the onions to the side of the pan, add the chicken and stir-fry until it begins to colour. Add the garlic and cook for a minute.Add the honey, passata, turmeric & garam masala, and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Stir in the yogurt and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Continue to cook over a gentle heat until the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle over some fresh corainder leaves to serve.
PILAU RICE WITH RAISINS & PISTACHIOS
Delicately fragrant
Serves 4-6
500g / 1lb 2oz basmati rice
4 tbsp sunflower oil
cinnamon stick
3 bay leaves
4 cardamom pods
110g/4oz raisins
110g/4oz shelled pistachios
1 litre/ 1 1/3pt hot vegeatble stock
Wash the rice thoroughly in cold waterand drain. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the cardamom, bay leaves & cinnamon, and stir in the drained rice. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil, reduce the heat a little, cover and cook gently for about 10-12 minutes, until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is tender.
Turn off the heat and leave covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff up the rice with a fork and stir through the raisins and pistachios and serve.
AUBERGINE CURRY
A lovely Vegetarian dish.
Tender aubergines in a creamy, warm spicy sauce.
Serves 4
2 Aubergines, cut into wedges, then halved.
1 onion, finely chopped
300g cherry tomatoes, halved
200ml coconut cream
1/2 tsp sea salt
4 tbsp cooking oil
6 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
FOR CURRY PASTE
2 Red chillies,seeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves
2 tbsp cooking oil
4 tsp garam masala
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
In a blender, put all the curry paste ingredients and puree to make a nice thick paste, then put to one side.
Heat the oil in a large pan, add the aubergines and cook for 10 mins until soft and lightly charred. Next, add the onion, salt and cook for 5 minutes. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring for 5 mins. Then add the coconut cream and the tomatoes, along with 200ml water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 - 8 minutes. sprinkle in the coriander and serve.
Serve this dish with a large naan bread or with fluffy rice.
Tips ~ Salting the aubergines can help to remove their bitterness and moisture.
Aubergines are like sponges, salting them will reduce the amount of oil the aubergines absorb during cooking. Cut the aubergine into thick slices, salt well and stand in a colander for around half an hour to allow the juices to drain away. Rinse thoroughly and dry with a kitchen towel.
CAULIFLOWER & POTATO GOBI
This is a Indian style curry side dish, which can also be made into a main dish- see tip below.
Small Cauiflower, cut into florets
500g Charlotte pototoes, cut into slices- (these are a salad potato, you can use any other small pototoes)
1 -2 green chillis, chopped
1tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2tsp ground coriander
Thumb sized piece of ginger - grated
300ml veg stock
25g butter
spring onions, to garnish
Heat oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds, and fry for 30 seconds, add the turmeric, coriander, ginger, and the chillies and fry for 1 minute.
Next, stir in the pototoes and cauli florets, add the veg stock. Cover the pan and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes or until veg tender. Remove the pan lid and cook over a high heat for 5 minutes, this will remove any excess moisture, then stir in the butter. ~ Serve in a bowl and garnish with the chopped spring onions.
Tip ~ You can also make this into a main dish, just add spinach and some fried paneer cheese.
NAAN BREAD
These are delicious served along side your curry.
Makes 3
500g / 1lb 2oz strong White flour, plus extra for dusting
1 1/2 tsp Salt
15g / 1/2 oz Yeast
2 tsp Nigella seeds (black onion seeds)
Olive oil-for frying
Water to mix
Put the flour, salt & yeast into a bowl and add enough water to make a soft dough. Knead well until the dough is smooth. Push the nigella seeds into the dough and knead the dough again until the seeds are incorporated. Place on a tray and cover with a piece of cling film, leave to rise for 1 hour.
Divide the dough into three. Use a rolling pin to flatten the pieces of
dough and roll into a teardrop shape, leave to rest for futher 5 minutes. Heat the frying pan to a medium heat, add a little olive oil and fry each naan until golden brown on both sides, cool slighty before serving.
ONION BHAJIAS
Makes 10
175g gram flour (also known as chick pea flour)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala
50 ml water
175g finely sliced onion
1 tsp salt
Sift the flour, turmeric, cumin and garam masala into a basin, add the sliced onion and salt, moisten with the water and mix to a firm paste.
Drop tablespoonfuls of the mixture into hot oil and deep fry for 5 minutes until golden, drain and serve.
* You can either serve these straight away, or leave them to cool and reheat in a hot oven (200°C, 400°F, gas mark 6) for 10 minutes.
* The bhajis also store well in the freezer. Simply defrost and reheat.
CUCUMBER & MINT RAITA
Serves 4
250ml greek yogurt or natural yogurt
1/2 cucumber, grated or finely chopped
Large handful mint leaves, chopped
1/2- 1 green chilli, deseeded & finely chopped ( optional)
pinch salt
Mix together all ingredients and serve chilled as a accompaniment to any curry or as a dip for those onion bhajis.
Tip ~ if grating the cucumber, then squeeze out as much of the juice as possible before adding and mixing with the other ingredients.
DESSERT
There is always room for dessert. Choose one of these cooling creamy desserts to finish off your meal.
Mango & Cardamom Lassi
A delicious Indian Drink, that can also be served as dessert.
2 large mangoes - mango flesh, peeled & chopped
400ml natural yogurt
200ml milk
3 cardamom pods
freshly grated nutmeg
Split the cardamom pods and remove & crush the seeds, until finely ground.
Place the mango flesh in a blender, add the yogurt, milk & ground cardamoms. Whizz until smooth. Taste, add a little honey if needed. Pour into glasses, grate over some nutmeg and serve.
For a simple dessert, make and serve this delicious vanilla ice cream. Serve with some toasted desiccated coconut, or top it with some chopped pistachios, and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon. Or even chopped toasted almonds and some mint leaves.
VANILLA ICE CREAM
A rich country-style ice cream.
Serves 4- 6
4 Egg Yolks
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
300g Sweetened Condensed Milk
500ml Thick (double/heavy) Cream
Whip the egg yolks with vanilla until well fluffed up, add the condensed milk, and continue whisking until it is well mixed in. Whip up the cream in a separate bowl until it thickens and holds soft peaks, then add the egg yolk mixture to the cream, whisking until it is well incorparted. Cover and put the bowl into freezer, after an hour, remove the bowl from freezer, and give it a good whisk, either with hand whisk or electric one, then return the bowl back to freezer again. Whisk again after another couple of hours, and once more just before it's nearly firm, Transfer to a suitable freezing container with a lid and let it set until it is firm.
Tip - Alternatively, pour the mixture into a ice-cream machine and freeze.
Remove the ice-cream from freezer 10 minutes or so before serving.
