Posts tagged curry

Cauliflower Trio & Seabream

January 23, 2021 Comments Off read Seafood

auliflower puree*; curried roasted cauliflower; pickled cauliflower; pan fried sea bream; crispy curry leaves. Topped with a prawn bisque sauce.

*mine was more like mash…I need a new blender!

Cauliflower is clearly one of my top vegetables as you can see and it feels a bit trendy right now. Its so versatile and paired with the right flavours can provide a really meaty, satiating alternative to meat if you’re on that wagon.

With so much time on my hands my mind has been wondering to food at every opportunity – I’ve literally been dreaming about ingredients. From creating bespoke menus for friends and family when we can finally have them round to creating dishes for the mid-week, Friday nights and weekends!

Serves 2

2 sea bream fillets
1 whole cauliflower (large)
1 garlic clove
1 tsp curry powder
50g butter
Splash milk
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Around 6 curry leaves
Prawn bisque sauce (see here) – heated for serving.

Cut the cauliflower into florets. Keep aside one to cut into thin slices for pickling.
For this, put the white wine vinegar and 1 tbsp of water, and the sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat. Slice the reserved floret into thin slices and add to the pickling liquid and set aside.
Keep aside an extra 6 florets and put the rest in a roasting tin and crush over the garlic. Season and add some olive/sunflower oil and roast at 200 for about 20 minutes until soft and lightly coloured.
Put the remaining florets in another roasting pan and season, add the curry powder and some olive/sunflower oil and roast at 200 for 20 minutes at the same time. Remove the tray from the oven and keep warm.
Put the roasted, plain cauliflower in a blender with the butter, seasoning and a splash of milk. Blend until smooth adding a splash of milk to get to the desired consistency. Taste and add seasoning if needed. Set aside keeping warm.
Heat a frying pan on a very high heat and add a splash of oil. Fry the fish, skin side down for about 2 minutes until crisp. Flip and finish on the flesh side for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and add the curry leaves (careful as they may pop!). Fry quickly for a few minutes then remove from the oil and dry on kitchen towel.
When ready to serve, spoon a nice smooth spoonful of puree onto a plate. Place around 3 of the curried florets on top followed by the fish. Place a few pickled cauliflower slices against the sides followed by the fried curry leaves.
Serve with the sauce!

Dal Tadka (with roasted cauliflower)

January 18, 2021 Comments Off read Vegetables and Salads

‘m a bit lost for words on this one *love eyes*. I love dal but this one is a culinary cuddle with a gentle kiss of coconut among the curry layers. I am about packing in as much flavour as possible so if you’re used to using my recipes you won’t be surprised that I normally use about double the spices so please be heavy handed!

I’ll never be a vegan but as I was cooking I realised we’d chosen something similar for our vegan/vegetarian wedding dinner option and thus realised its vegan by coincidence. Not many recipes are such, usually tirelessly omitting all the fun. But if I had to be vegan, I’d eat this one everyday!

Serving suggestions…this is devine with some warm fluffy flatbreads (250g SR flour, 150ml water mix into a dough, rest and roll thinly before dry frying!). It would also work wonderfully as a side dish to a curry feast or some grilled meat at a BBQ.

Serves about 3 people (Or 2 with leftovers in our case!)

Dal

150g red lentils
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove
1 knob ginger
1 bride eye red chilli (as hot as you like)
6 fresh curry leaves
1 tbsp black mustard seeds
1 tbsp cumin seed
1 tbsp ground cumin
1.5 tbsp curry powder
400ml coconut milk (I always recommend Dunn’s brand here hands down)
1 lime
Olive/vegetable/rapeseed oil
Flatbreads – to serve

Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower
1 tbsp Garam Masala
1 heaped tsp tumeric
Freshly cracked pepper
Handful chopped coriander

Tadka

1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seed
Few curry leaves
Ghee or oil

Preheat the oven to 200. Break the cauliflower into florets and cut the bigger pieces in half or quarters (think big bitesize so you don’t need a knife!). Add to a large roasting tray in a single even layer so they aren’t cramped.
Scatter garam masala, turmeric and a good pinch of salt and pepper and then drizzle with some olive/vegetable oil and toss to combine.
Timing with the dal cooking times below, roast for about 10-15 minutes during step 8 of making the dal below on a high heat to char the florets but not overcook. Remove from the oven when ready. Scatter with the chopped coriander and keep warm.
For the dal, heat a splash of olive oil in a saucepan pan and soften the chopped onion for about 5 minutes.
Grate in the garlic, ginger and chopped chilli and stir. Add curry leaves and season.
Add the spices and mix well for a few minutes to coat the oily onions and release their flavour!
Add the lentils and stir to combine.
Add the coconut milk and about 100ml of boiling water and stir well. Simmer well for about 20 minutes making sure to stir often to avoid it sticking or catching on the bottom. You may need to add another 100ml of water if it gets thick. I used about 800ml of liquid in total but it may depend on the quality of your coconut milk. (I always recommend Dunn’s brand here hands down).
After 20 minutes of so it should be thick and shiny and the lentils just cooked. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
When ready, squeeze in the juice of the lime and keep warm.
Finally, to make the tadka, add a small tsp of oil of ghee to a frying pan. When really hot, add the mustard and cumin seeds and let them sizzle and release their lovely flavours! Add the curry leaves, careful as they will spit (due to their moisture content!). Let them crisp for a few seconds and remove from the heat.
Serve a nice creamy scoop of dal in a warm bowl, top with roasted cauliflower and coriander and finally a little spoonful of that tadka!

Katsu Chicken Curry

May 7, 2020 Comments Off read Poultry

hat is it with boys and Katsu curry? I’ve only eaten this dish twice. I’ll admit that and both of these have been my own recipes and at the request of a man! Forgive me for never trying the real deal in Wagamama but I’ve never seen the hype. That said, this went down a treat! After an early morning work out, busy day at the desk and gorgeous cycle round London to end the evening, I greedily settled into the kitchen with a beer and some curry powder. This for me is like a spiced roast dinner comfort. A hug in a bowl. The sauce was easier than I ever imagined and probably a reason why I never will try that famous takeaway version.

Ladies…if your other half is a fan, this will make the perfect date night treat.

Serves 2

2 free range chicken breasts
Breadcrumbs (3-4 slices, blitzed to breadcrumbs)
1 egg, beaten
Plain flour
Sunflower oil

Curry Sauce

1 white onion, chopped finely
2 garlic gloves, grated
1 knob ginger, grated
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp tumeric
2 tbsp flour
500ml chicken stock
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp runny honey

Serving – I served mine with some boiled rice mixed with lime juice and freely chopped coriander at the end and some steamed veggies!

Start by prepping the chicken. Put the chicken breasts between two sheets of cling film and bash with a rolling pin until flattened slightly or at least so they are a similar thickness all over – a bit like a schnitzel but don’t go as flat!
Prepare 3 bowls, one with some flour, one with the egg, and the other with the breadcrumbs. Dip each chicken breast, one at a time, first into the flour (shaking off any excess) and then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs. Press the breadcrumbs lightly onto the eggy chicken until covered well! Place both chicken breasts once done on a plate and refrigerate.
Preheat the oven to 200 while you make the sauce.
Gently heat some sunflower oil in a pan and add the onion. Gently sweat and soften the onion for about 15 minutes – keep the heat low or it’ll burn. After this, using a fine grater, grate in the garlic and ginger and fry for a few more minutes.
After this time, add the curry power, flour and the turmeric and stir well for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock a bit at a time, stirring well to avoid clumps! Once all added and smooth stir in the soy and honey.
Bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes then blend with a hand blender. Keep on a low heat while you cook the chicken. Taste and adjust with seasoning if needed.
At this stage, cook the rice while you prepare the chicken.
Heat a frying pan on a medium high heat and add a generous few tbsp’s of sunflower oil and a knob of butter. Once hot, add the chicken and fry until golden for a few minutes. Turn onto the other side and cook until golden again. Remove from the pan, add to a lined baking tray and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
When ready to serve, slice the chicken into thick but manageable slices. Serve on top of the rice and spoon over as much ‘curry gravy’ as you like.

Roasted Indian Chicken Curry

May 1, 2018 Comments Off read Poultry

oasting (especially if done slowly) always brings out a flavour that can’t be beaten by quick or lazy cooking. Combining amazing spices, some ginger heat and of course some coconut milk and popping this in a hot oven care free was the ideal way to focus my time, attention and love on a juicy glass (ahem…shared bottle) of Syrah from South Africa (see foot note). I’d recommend cooking this on a Sunday if you fancy a change from a roast but with all the depth of flavour. Feel free to experiment with different spices, cuts of meat or side dishes. My nigella seed flatbreads dipped in mango chutney would work a treat. This is also a very mild curry (note, no chilli) so don’t expect to be punched by heat! But do add accordingly if that’s how you want your Sunday evening.

TIP: This can by all means be made simply roasted in tray from start to finish with no fuss! (I opted to use a tray and then a casserole dish but this can be ignored). Roasting in a deep roasting tin then adding the coconut milk gives you crispy potatoes, chicken and minimal washing up. When you ‘roast’ in a casserole dish you don’t get the circulation of air and the crispy finish that you do when in a tray so this is preferred. However, I often like to manipulate the sauce consistency so I prefer to manage this by adding to a casserole once ready to add the coconut milk. But this is up to you!!

Serves 2

4 x chicken pieces on the bone (2 x thighs and 2 x drumsticks)
1 large red onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
500g small potatoes/new potatoes (halved if needed)
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground tumeric
1 x can coconut milk
Handful curry leaves
150g frozen peas
Large handful green beans
1 lime
Bunch coriander, chopped

Marinade

Knob of ginger, freshly grated – 2 tbsp
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 limes, zest only (reserve for serving)
1 tsp ground tumeric
2 tsp ground coriander
1 large tsp ground garam masala
Sunflower oil

To serve

Popadoms
Mango chutney
Chopped coriander
Lime wedges (from marinade)

Start by marinating the chicken (at least 30 minutes before, overnight if possible). Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and add the chicken and potatoes. Add a few tsp of sunflower oil and use your hands to fully coat. Cover and refrigerate.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200°C.
This can be made in either a roasting tray OR a large flameproof casserole dish however I found the combination of the two the best (see above tip). Drizzle a little oil in the roasting tray and add the sliced red onions and garlic. Remove the chicken and potatoes from the fridge and add to the dish. Make sure the skin of the chicken is facing upwards and that the chicken is sitting on top of the everything.
Roast in the oven for 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over a high heat and dry fry the fennel, coriander, cumin and mustard seeds for a few minutes, just until fragrant. Remove form the heat and grind in a pestle and mortar.
Add these spices and the ground spices to the coconut milk and whisk. Add the curry leaves.
After 50 minutes, remove the tray from the oven. Transfer the contents to a large casserole dish, ensuring your scrap all the delicious goodness off the bottom.
Add the coconut milk (avoiding soaking the crispy chicken skin if you can) and ensure again that the chicken pieces are facing upwards, skin on the top.
Bake in the oven for another 30 minutes.
After this time, add the beans, peas and a generous squeeze of lime. Return to the oven for 5-10 more minutes.
When ready to serve, scatter over the chopped coriander. Serve with popadoms and mango chutney.

WINE: We devoured this with a delicious Syrah from South Africa from the gorgeous Vrede en Lust. Benefits from decanting.

Chana Dahl and Flatbread

February 13, 2017 Comments Off read Seafood, Vegetables and Salads

e all know our favourite comfort foods on a cold, challenging day or just after a bit of a tough one be it winter or summer. They usually consist of English favourites like bangers and mash or a hearty pie. Mine vary throughout the seasons but usually consist of a creamy coconut rice topped with Asian salmon (recipe here) or a big bowl of fish soup. But dahl is another comfort food altogether and one that so effortlessly lives up to the job.

There are many types of dahl, made from varying pulses. Having sampled ‘Dishmoon‘s’ infamous black dahl I’ve been on a quest to make a rival recipe! I religiously order it with every visit to Dishoom. I even have a colleague who orders a portion with the bill so he gets a bowl ‘to go’. Its that good! However, I’ll be confidently honest here and admit that my attempt at a black dahl (recipe here) ticked the box for me in terms of flavour and decadence.

However, this variation is suitably named as ‘Speedy dahl’. The flavour is there but you don’t get the depth that you get from a slow cooked and infused recipe with commitment of time and love. So, after a long run around London last Sunday afternoon, a cold bitter chill in the air and a deserving appetite I set my pan on the hob to master a new recipe. Serve in bowlfuls with roti, naan, chapatis or flatbread alone or refined here with a piece of elegantly friend sea bass, it’ll offer the comfort you need. Its a hug in a bowl…..

Serves 4

3 tsp cumin and coriander seeds
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
3 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, finely chopped
Knob ginger (about 35g), finely pounded with a pestle & mortar/grated
1 large garlic clove, finely pounded with a pestle & mortar/grated
1/2 can chopped tomatoes
600ml coconut milk
250g yellow split peas (rinsed well)
3-4 small green chillies, finely chopped
4 fresh curry leaves
1-2 limes
Coriander, roughly chopped

To start, drain the split peas well in 4-5 changes of water then allow them to sit in a bowl of water while you start the dahl.
Dry fry the cumin, coriander and mustard seeds in a hot frying pan until fragrant. Next pound in a pestle and mortar.
Add the turmeric, garam masala and set aside
Heat the coconut oil in a hot frying pan and sweat the onion of ragout 10 minutes until soft and beginning to carmalise.
Next add the ginger, garlic and chopped chillies and cook for a few more minutes.
Add the dry spices (and a touch more coconut oil if needed) and stir all to combine, frying the spiced onions for 2-3 minutes more.
Add the tomatoes, coconut milk and the curry leaves. Drain the split peas and add these too.
Bring to the simmer and then allow to bubble slowly and gently for about 1 – 1.1/2 hours (alternatively pop in a low 150°C oven with a lid on) until the split peas become tender and begin to break down. Keep an eye on it while it simmers so it doesn’t catch on the bottom. Add a touch of water if its drying out.
After this time and the lentils are soft, remove from the heat. Use a potato masher to gently ‘mush’ the lentils into a paste. This is just to make it thicker, you don’t need to aim for a smooth dahl.
Taste and season well and add the juice of at least 1 lime or more if required. It should lift the taste of the whole dahl.
Scatter with the coriander and the dahl is ready to serve!

I served mine with fennel seed flatbreads (recipe here). Amend the spice/seeds as needed.

Chickpea Curry, Coconut Yoghurt, Naan and Mango Chutney

October 24, 2016 Comments Off read Vegetables and Salads

am not a vegetarian (lets just make that clear) but sometimes meat just isn’t required. When flavour is so prominent there is sometimes no need for it and this curry certainly has a big punch of spice. If you’re going to make a curry, don’t be timid, the more spice the better in my eyes! And I reassure you that you won’t miss the meat in this one – chickpeas make a substantial replacement. However feel free to replace with diced chicken, whole chicken legs, chunky white fish or even lamb. Or keep it vegetarian but pulse free with chunky cauliflower or broccoli or stirring through some spinach at the end.

Homemade flatbreads, sweet mango chutney and a cooling coconut yoghurt are the perfect side dishes. Who needs a takeaway….

Serves 4

Curry

2 x cans chickpeas, drained
1 can (full fat) coconut milk
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 large/ 2 small red onions roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 red chilli, chopped
1 thumb piece ginger, grated
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp fengrueek seed
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp each ground cumin, coriander, garam marasal, curry powder, tumeric
5 cardamon pods
Bunch coriander
1 lime
Spinach or extra vegetable optional

Yoghurt & Flatbread

250g plain yoghurt
2 large handfuls desiccated coconut
500g self raising flour
1 tbsp nigella seeds
Milk
Mango chutney to serve

Start by mixing the flatbread dough. Add the flour, nigella seeds and some salt and pepper in a bowl. Add a small splash of milk (a little at a time) mixing as you go until you have a smooth dough that is not too wet. If you do add too much milk just counteract with some extra flour. Tip the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes until combined and smooth. Leave the dough ball to rest in a floured bowl while you make the curry.
Start the curry by toasting the whole spices in a hot dry frying pan for a few minutes to release the fragrance. When you smell them toasting remove from the heat and add to a pestle and mortar and grind well. Add the dry spices and set aside.
Heat a little vegetable oil in a frying pan/saucepan (bear in mind you will need the curry in a saucepan later so use whatever is easiest) and gently soften the red onion for about 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and fry for a few more minutes.
Next add the spices to the onion mix and fry for about 2 minutes adding a splash more oil if needed.
Next add the tinned tomatoes and simmer gently for a minute mixing well to incorporate the onion spice mixture before adding the coconut milk to the sauce.
At this stage I recommend transferring the sauce to a saucepan with a lid if you haven’t already. Simmer gently for 5-10 minutes to thicken the sauce before adding the chickpeas. Season to taste and keep on the simmer while you make the flatbreads and yoghurt. Add a splash of water for a thinner sauce or simmer to reduce for a more concentrated texture (depending on preference)
Toast the coconut in a dry frying pan until just turning golden. Remove and add to the yoghurt. Set aside.
Take the rested flatbread dough and divide out into generous golf ball sized rounds. Roll into flatbreads, the thickness of a 10p piece and set each aside. Heat a dry frying pan on high and turn on the extractor fan! Dry fry the flatbreads on each side. They should puff up a little in pockets and char a little. You’ll have to play with your own hob temperature but a high heat is needed. Continue with all the breads, wrapping them in a pile in a clean tea towel to keep them warm and soft after each one.
(If adding any vegetables, add to the hot curry now and simmer until cooked.)
When the breads and yoghurt are done and the mango chutney is at hand and ready to go, chop a large handful or coriander and the stems and add to the curry. Squeeze in the juice of the lime and taste and adjust the flavour as needed.
Serve the curry in large warm bowls topped with the yoghurt, chutney and a scattering of coriander. Dip in your flatbreads to your hearts content.

‘Kedgeree’ restyled

May 7, 2016 Comments Off read Seafood

edgeree restyled = Smoked haddock, chive and parsley risotto topped with samphire, pan fried curried haddock loin, soft poached egg and sourdough crispy crumbs.

A modern take on kedgeree if you like and a recipe thats been on my ‘testing’ list for little under a year? I often come up with ideas of dishes that I want to experiment with but there are never enough meals in the week, pounds in the purse or free blog appropriate evenings to do so. But as I sit and indulge in the Masterchef final I write this post and realise the influence this years competition has had on my food. Restaurant worthy presentation for an otherwise hearty, homely supper. But with all the elements of a traditional kedgeree (smoked fish, eggs, rice and curry) its a winner on flavour combination.

I used poached duck eggs here instead of the traditional boiled egg as I don’t know anyone or any dish that doesn’t benefit from a cascade of delicious vibrant orange yolk. But with the soft texture of the egg, fish and risotto, some crispy baked sourdough breadcrumbs are the perfect textural contrast. Also feel free to use cod or any other meaty white fish.

Serves 2

200g (or two large handfuls) risotto rice
750ml hot fish stock
1 shallot, diced finely
1 large garlic clove
50g butter
125ml dry white wine
Handful chives, chopped
Handful flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 lemon, juice and zest
2 haddock fillets
1 tbsp curry powder
1 large filler of smoked haddock (skin removed), chopped into cubes
1 fresh duck eggs
1 x packet samphire (enough for two)
2 slices sourdough bread

Start by rubbing the haddock fillets with the curry powder. Season and set aside until ready to cook. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Place the sourdough breadcrumbs on a baking tray and drizzle with a little oil and season. Toast in the oven for about 10 minutes until crispy and golden. Remove and set aside until serving.
For the risotto, melt half the butter and a tsp of oil in a saucepan. Add the shallot and soften over a gentle heat until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and soften for another minute or so.
Turn up the heat and add the rice. Toast for a few minutes until beginning to turn a little translucent too. Add the wine and simmer away until fully absorbed. Have the fish stock hot and ready in a nearby saucepan. Keeping the risotto at a gentle simmer add ladle by ladle of the stock to the risotto making sure it doesn’t dry out. You may or may not need all the stock but you want to simmer for 18-20 minutes until the rice is cooked and you have a thick but still oozing consistency.
When the rice is cooked add the chunky cubes of smoked haddock and stir through until cooked. The fish will turn white quickly as it cooks in the hot rice (a matter of minutes). It will flake apart when done so use a fork to flake it through to distribute amongst the risotto.
Remove from the heat and add the remaining butter, the chopped herbs and the lemon zest and juice. Add plenty of black pepper and salt to taste. Once the butter has melted, stir all to combine. Place a lid on top and set aside to keep warm.
Meanwhile, steam the samphire for 3 minutes and keep warm.
Get a frying pan really hot and add a splash of oil and at the same time heat a pan of boiling water for the eggs bringing it to a gentle simmer.
Fry the curried haddock fillets for 1 minute on each side in the frying pan, just to get the coating golden and crisp before adding to the oven and cooking through for about 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish.
In this 5 minutes, poach the eggs. Turn the water down to a gentle simmer and crack your duck eggs into the water. Poach for a few minutes just until the white is set but the yolk is still runny and soft to touch when tested. Remove using a slotted spoon and rest while your plate the rest of the elements.
When ready to plate up make sure you have some pre warmed serving bowls. Serve a generous spoonful of oozing risotto into the middle. Top with a handful of samphire and then the cooked curried haddock. Top with one of your poached eggs and crack over some black pepper. Drizzle with any curried oil leftover in the baking try from the curried fish and scatter with a handful or crispy sourdough breadcrumbs.
Serve!

Beef Rendang

November 17, 2015 Comments Off read Meat

‘ve been looking for a cold carefree weekend to indulge in this slow cooked curry for ages but with long busy working days, midweek life hasn’t obliged. I love any form of slow cooking and coupled with my more recent love and commitment to the Asian flavours of the East they are combined lovingly here in a comforting wintery curry that while warming the heart will also transport you to the sunny climates of Malaysia….of Bruges!?

Bruges might not seem like the most logical inspiration but a quick hop skip and jump over to Belgium for the evening promoted this weeks blog post! The cold chilly weather, the (sadly) persistent rain and the festive Chrismassy lights was cue for something warming on return to the UK. But my main incentive starts with beer.

Histroical, medical and romantic, Bruges is a small and compact little city. But it has without a doubt the highest concentration of chocolate shops and beer merchants littered on every corner! Belfry view done and canals walked it was time for the brewery tour!

ne of the oldest breweries left in Bruges, De Halve Maan promised history and charm and certainly delivered. We began in the brewing room before winding our way romantically around the high beams and rafters of the old listed building from cold cellar to the top of the roof before ending up in the restaurant bar, rewarding beer in hand, leather sofas and a warming fire to dry our wet feet. With Belgium beer on tap we drank away the rainy afternoon with a platter of meat and cheese and long outstayed our welcome.

o on return home and that carefree Sunday afternoon to indulge, we drank our loot with this warming curry.

Serves 3

500g braising steak, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large red chilli, chopped (a hot as you dare!)
2 inch large piece ginger, chopped
1 tsp tumeric
1 lemongrass, bashed roughly
15 g tamarind paste (about 1 tbsp)
1/2 tbsp brown sugar
Large pinch ground coriander and cumin
2 kaffir lime leaves
5 cardamon pods
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
5 tbsp desiccated coconut
350ml coconut milk
Rice, lime and coriander to serve

Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Start by making the paste. Place the onion, garlic, chilli, ginger, turmeric, lemongrass, tamarind and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process until you have a fine paste.
Heat 1 tbsp of sunflower oil in a large ovenproof saucepan/casserole dish over a medium heat. Cook out the paste for about 5 minutes but don’t burn or let it catch. Next add the lime leaves, cardamon, star anise and cinnamon stick.
Add the chopped beef and cook for 10 minutes on a medium high heat until starting to colour and brown.
Meanwhile, dry toast the coconut in a hot frying pan until golden brown and toasted (careful not to burn). Set aside.
Next add the ground spices and the coconut milk to the beef.
Bring to the simmer and mix well. Add the coconut. Place in the oven with a lid for 1 1/2 hours .
During this time, check and stir occasionally. After this time, check the thickness of the sauce. If it needs to be reduced, remove the lid and placed back in the oven for 5 minutes or so or reduce on the hob. Add a splash more coconut milk if it looks too dry.
Serve on warm rice dressed in lime juice and scattered with coriander.

Sweet Potato, Cashew and Coconut Curry

April 2, 2014 Comments Off read Vegetables and Salads

With half a can of coconut milk left over in the fridge, some potatoes and not much else but a stocked pantry and an unwilling motivation to delve into my skinny looking purse I threw together a vegetarian (and equally as satisfying) version of my Keralan Fish Curry.

Serves 3-4

1 large onion
1 small red chilli, chopped finely
2cm piece of ginger, grated finely
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp coriander seed
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric
Bunch coriander, chopped
400ml coconut milk
200ml water
1 Kaffir lime leaf OR ½ juice of a lime
Handful of desiccated coconut
2-3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tsp tamarind paste
Large handful of cashew nuts
Few large handful of sugar snaps/mange tout/green beans

Par boil your sweet potatoes until just cooked but still a little firm. Drain and set aside.
Heat a little oil in a heavy based pan. Add the mustard, fenugreek and coriander seed and fry until beginning to pop and smell fragrant.
Add the chopped onion and fry on a lowish heat for about 5 minutes until really soft.
Once soft, add the chilli and cook for a few more minutes before adding the ginger and doing the same.
Add the ground dry spices and cook out for 1 minute or so.
Add the coconut milk, the stock and the lime leaf
Simmer gently for about 10-15 minutes until thicker and creamy.
Once nearly at the desired consistency, add a handful or two of dessicated coconut and a handful or chopped coriander, saving most for garnish. Add the tamarind paste for sweetness.
Add the sweet potato, the cashew nuts and throw in your vegetables for a few minutes.
(If not using a Kaffir lime leaf, squeeze in ½ the juice of your lime here)
Serve with rice or naan bread. Garnish with extra chopped coriander, sliced spring onions if you like and an extra handful or two of cashew nuts.

Keralan Fish Curry (and a lime flavoured discovery)

January 14, 2014 Comments Off read Seafood

Coconut is definitely up there in my top 5 favourite ingredients…go ahead and strand me on a dessert island with nothing but this hairy white fleshed treat (FYI..coconut oil also makes a great hair conditioner….I diverge). Keralan curries are notoriously flavoured with coconut along with the stereotypical scents of whole and ground spices. The curries here are different from the Northern region and much fresher for my tastes anyway. This fish curry is spicy but feels light and cleansing. Not stodgy and firey like some can often be.

As for my lime discovery. Once n a while I’ll have a foodie discovery and find an ingredient or cooking tool that just makes me smile and feel inspired. To name a handful off the top of my head…my first taste of black pudding, my first chai tea latte and perhaps (weirdly) my first devils-on-horseback one Christmas eve. I’m unsure whether its the low expectations of a food that make it all the more magical or the moment in which you eat it when you are desperately hungry which make it all the more enjoyable but everyone can name a few times they’ve eaten something memorable. So, fresh Kaffir lime leaves. I’ve only ever used the dried variety as often specified in recipes. After forking out my hard earned pennies for a tiny pot of these dried and parched leaves packaged pretentiously in fancy packaging, I pleasingly discovered the fresh type. Oh my. What a difference one green and chlorophyll packed leaf can make to a dish. I bought a packet of fresh lime leaves from my local Sainsburys (not cheaply when you think you’re buying leaves?) But WELL worth it. Popping just one (be gentle, their powerful) into my simmering and creamy coconut curry sauce for a matter of 15-20 minutes infused it with a fragrant, fresh and amazing flavour. After cutting up a lime for garnish, I aptly threw it aside- not needed here!

So my foodie followers. Find fresh leaves where you can and don’t skimp on them if you want the amazing flavour.

Serves 3-4

1 large onion
1 small red chilli, chopped finely
2cm piece of ginger, grated finely
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp coriander seed
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp tumeric
Bunch coriander, chopped
400ml coconut milk
200ml water (or see tip below for a light stock*)
1 Kaffir lime leaf OR ½ juice of a lime
Handful of desiccated coconut
400gor about 2 white fish fillets, chopped into large 2inch chunks
12 raw tiger prawns (if bought in their shells- see tip below*)
1 tsp tamarind paste
Handful of sugar snaps/mange tout/green beans enough for (3-4 people)

Heat a little oil in a heavy based pan. Add the mustard, fenugreek and coriander seed and fry until beginning to pop and smell fragrant.
Add the chopped onion and fry on a lowish heat for about 5 minutes until really soft and infused with the spicy flavour.
Once soft, add the chilli and cook for a few more minutes before adding the ginger and doing the same.
Add the dry spices and cook out for 1 minute or so.
Add the coconut milk, the stock and that magic lime leaf.
Simmer gently for about 10-15 minutes. You want to allow enough time to infuse the flavours of the spices and the lime but reduce the sauce until thicker and creamy.
Once nearly at the desired consistency, add a handful or two of dessicated coconut and a handful or chopped coriander, saving most for garnish. Add the tamarind paste for sweetness.
Throw in your vege but don’t overcook- keep it crisp.
Add the fish and turn the heat down to a low simmer so you don’t boil it. Poach the fish gently in the sauce for about 3-4 minutes (don’t be tempted to overdo it- fish will cook so easily, you could even take it off the heat and leave it and it would cook). Add the prawns for the final few minutes until the fish turns opaque and just begins to flake. (If not using a Kaffir lime leaf, squeeze in ½ the juice of your lime here)
Serve warm in large bowls with rice or naan bread. Garnish with extra chopped coriander and sliced spring onions if you like. A handful or two of cashew nuts wouldn’t go amiss here either.

A few tips

Keep the fish chunky as you don’t want it to break up too much. Please don’t be tempted to cook the fish for too long. You want it just flaking but still moist.

Similarly, don’t cook the hell out of the prawns. Overcooking can turn the juiciest and biggest of prawns into tiny, shrived and dry mouthfuls. They only need a minute or so until just turned pink

***If you buy your prawns shelled, don’t throw the shells away! Use that amazing flavour. Feel the shell (and heads if you’re lucky) from the prawns and set them aside. Fry the shells in a little oil until turning pink. Add a splash or white wine and simmer. Add some boiling water and simmer for about 5-10 minutes until fragrant. The amazing flavour from the shells will really make a difference. Sieve and discard the shells and use 200ml of this stock for your curry.

Buy fresh Kaffir lime leaves- see above for reasons

Use whole spices- they’ll really make a difference

Use full fat coconut milk- it will be creamier and more indulgent. Light will work too but it may need further reduction.

And finally, enjoy…and don’t rub chili in your eye like I’ve just done.