Mejadra–very moorish…

Strangely I come across this recipe almost three years to tge day that it appeared in the Observer. I imagine most of west london has already moved on, but more fool them as it’s a particularly suitable dish for this time of year when you start to think about needing something warming to fight of the first wave of colds sweeping the city.

So – better late than never….

Bittersweet fried onions cooked with sweet spices and topped with yoghurt make a meal to remember

Photograph: Colin Campbell for the Guardian

Yotam Ottolenghi  -  Serves four

250ml sunflower oil
4 medium onions, thinly sliced
250g green or brown lentils
2 tsp cumin seeds
1½ tbsp coriander seeds
200g basmati rice
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp ground turmeric
1½ tsp ground allspice
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp sugar
Salt and black pepper
350ml water

Heat the sunflower oil in a medium-size heavy-based saucepan. When very hot, carefully add a third of the sliced onion. Fry for five to seven minutes, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until the onion takes on a nice, golden-brown colour and turns crispy. Use the spoon to transfer the onion to a colander and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with two more batches of onion.

I did this in a wok, which in hindsight was a little dangerous even on a stand, but did mean i used a little less oil. Don’t be tempted to shallow fry the onions as it takes forever and they won’t be as crisp

Meanwhile, put the lentils in a small saucepan, cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the lentils have softened but still have a little bite. Drain into a colander.

Wipe clean the saucepan in which you fried the onion and drop in the cumin and coriander seeds. Place over a medium heat and toast the seeds for a minute or two, until they release those distinctive aromas. Add the rice, olive oil, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, sugar, half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Stir to coat the rice with oil, then add the cooked lentils and water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat, lift off the lid and cover the pan with a clean tea towel. Seal tightly with the lid and set aside for 10 minutes. Finally, tip the rice and lentils into a large mixing bowl. Add half the fried onion and stir gently with a fork. Pile up in a shallow serving bowl and top with the rest of the onion.

Serve with plain yoghurt or some tzatziki. Some fiery chili sauce on the other side is also very good for a hot  / cold / soothing contrast.

Add grilled fish / meats and salad for more of a complete dinner.

Saag Paneer–better than Khan’s..

 

Saag Paneer probably appears on 95% of all our takeaway curry orders but I’d never made it from scratch – too much spinach and cream for me to be bothered with.

Frozen spinach and yoghurt completely transform the prospect and paneet keeps in the fridge for ages so you can pretty much always have the ingredients for this. I made a cauliflower curry on the side too – not so successful. Still – better than Khan’s is good enough to make it again.

Recipe courtesy Aarti Sequeira – Foodnetwork

Prep Time:

10 min 

Cooking Time:

45 min

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or Kashmiri chilli powder
• Sea salt
• 3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 tablespoons veg oil or ghee, or mix of both
• a block of paneer – around 200-300g, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 500g frozen chopped spinach
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped – if you can get Indian pink onions they are beautiful although often pricey – well, for onions anyway.
• 1 thumb of ginger, peeled and finely chopped (about 1-2 tablespoon)
• 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 2-3 Indian green chillies, finely chopped or other chillies to whatever heat strength you like it.
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 2 heaped teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 heaped teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup plain yoghurt, stirred until smooth

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together the turmeric, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons oil. Gently, drop in the cubes of paneer and gently toss, taking care not to break the cubes if you're using the homemade kind. Let the cubes marinate while you get the rest of your ingredients together and prepped.

Thaw the spinach in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish, and then chop a bit more if it’s too chunky for you. 

Place a large frying pan (non-stick if it is undamaged or a good well seasoned cast iron one preferably)  over medium heat, and add the paneer as the pan warms. In a couple of minutes give the pan a toss; each piece of paneer should be browned on one side. Fry another minute or so, and then remove the paneer from the pan onto a plate.

Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Add the onions, ginger, garlic and chili.

Gently fry the onion mix until it’s a rich golden colour - which should take about 15 minutes, although inevitably it takes longer. Don't skip this step - this is the foundation of the dish! If you feel like the mixture is drying out and burning, add a couple of tablespoons of water.

Add the garam masala, coriander and cumin. If you haven't already, sprinkle a little water to keep the spices from burning. Cook, stirring often, until the raw scent of the spices cook out, and it all smells like it knows each other a bit, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the spinach and stir well, incorporating the spiced onion mixture into the spinach. Add a little salt and 1/2 a glass of water, stir, and cook about 5 minutes with the lid off.

Turn the heat off. Add the yogurt, a little at a time to keep it from curdling. Once the yogurt is well mixed into the spinach, add the paneer. Turn the heat back on, cover and cook until everything is warmed through, about 5 minutes.

Eat with bread or rice. In general also think most of this kind of food should come with some sort of salad, from a kachumber, to a simple green or tomato, it often needs just a sharp lemon juice and salt dressing to offset the richness of the spices. Try it and see what you think.

Bean Curry–adapted very slightly from Madhur Jaffreys Ultimate Curry Bible.

 

Get yourself some fresh curry leaves. Really nothing like them. Although they did lead to a week of Curry.

No great harm in that. 

Probably takes about 20-30 mins all in.

Ingredients

• 1 can of beans – drained and rinsed (Black Eye were good, Kidney if you must)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 whole, dried, hot red chillies
• 1 tsp whole brown mustard seeds
• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
• A generous pinch of ground Asafetida
• 15 fresh curry leaves, if available
• 3 medium tomatoes, grated on the coarsest part of the grater  (or just chopped up a bit if you think life’s too short)
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 3 fresh, hot green chillies, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 tsp peeled fresh ginger grated to a pulp
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1½ tsp salt

Method

1. pour the oil into a medium pan and set over a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the red chillies, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafoetida. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the curry leaves and tomatoes. Stir once, then add the turmeric, coriander, cumin, green chillies, garlic, ginger, sugar and salt. Stir and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
2. Pour the beans into the pan with the spiced tomato mixture. Bring to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, on a very low heat, for 10-15 minutes.

Pineapple Curry

 

Didn’t make this myself, L did, but brought back fantastic memories of our trip to Sri Lanka in January and a very welcome ice cold drink and fan at the Sun House in Galle at the start of the Galle Literary festival.

From their kitchen via Rick Stein and the BBC.

For this recipe, you only need a small amount of the roasted Sri Lankan curry powder. The remaining curry powder can be stored in a screw-top jar for up to three months and used in other recipes.

If you are in Sri Lanka pick up a bag of this and the unroasted kind as well and this curry can be ready before the rice is cooked. Pandan Leaf not that easy to come by, but you can get essence in Asian food shops.

Great with a Sri Lankan cooked salad (and maybe some chicken curry too if you eat meat)

 

Ingredients

For the roasted Sri Lankan curry powder

• 1 tbsp uncooked long-grain or basmati rice

• 50g/2oz coriander seeds

• 25g/1oz cumin seeds

• 25g/1oz fennel seeds

• 1 x 7.5cm/3in cinnamon stick

• 1½ tsp fenugreek seeds

• ½ tsp cloves

• ½ tsp cardamom seeds (from about 10 green pods)

• ½ tsp black mustard seeds

• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns

• 3 dried red Kashmiri chillies

• 1 tsp ground turmeric

For the pineapple curry

• 4 tbsp vegetable oil

• 25g/1oz finely chopped garlic

• 100g/3½oz onions or shallots, peeled, finely sliced

• 1 x 5cm/2in cinnamon stick, broken into smaller pieces

• 24 fresh curry leaves (available from some Asian supermarkets)

• 6 x 2.5cm/1in slices pandan leaf (available from some Asian supermarkets)

• 3 tbsp roasted Sri Lankan curry powder (see above)

• 1 tsp ground turmeric

• 1 x 400ml/14fl oz can coconut milk

• 650g/1lb 7oz pineapple chunks

• 4 green cayenne chillies, peeled, finely sliced

• 1 tsp salt

Preparation method

1. For the roasted Sri Lankan curry powder, heat a heavy-based, deep-sided frying pan over a medium heat. Add the uncooked rice and cook for 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan regularly, until the rice is toasted and pale golden-brown. Transfer the toasted rice to a large mortar or spice grinder and set aside to cool.

2. Repeat the dry-frying process with the spices, then tip into a bowl and set aside to cool.

3. In the same pan, repeat the dry-frying process with the dried chillies, then tip into a bowl and set aside to cool.

4. When the toasted rice, spices and chillies have cooled, add the remaining spices, dried chillies and ground turmeric, and grind to a fine powder (do this in batches if necessary).

5. For the pineapple curry, heat the oil in the same frying pan. Add the garlic and fry for 1-2 minutes, then add the onions or shallots, cinnamon stick, curry leaves and pieces of pandan leaf and fry, stirring regularly, for 2-3 minutes.

6. Add the three tablespoons of the roasted Sri Lankan curry powder and the ground turmeric. Continue to fry for a further minute, or until the spices are fragrant.

7. Add the coconut milk, stir well and bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering, then continue to simmer for a further 1-2 minutes.

8. Add the pineapple chunks, green chillies and salt and return the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat again until the mixture is simmering and continue to simmer for a further 4-5 minutes.

9. Serve immediately.

Chipotle Smoky Beef–best easy recipe yet

Easiest Chilie beef ever.

Chipotles add a smoky flavor but aren’t that hot…..probably. 

Prep Time: 10 minutes (max)

Cook Time: 4 hours ish

Feeds a lot, 6 as a main I reckon – especially if you turn it into burritos then probably about 10 or more.

Ingredients:

· Anywhere between 1kg and 1.5kg of beef – ideally in one piece and the kind that will respond to long slow cooking. Buy quality, but no need for a quick roasting  joint or steak.

· 1 can of chopped tomatoes

· 1 can full of  beef stock (put stock cube – the knorr jelly ones are good into the empty tomato can, fill with boiling water, stir, add to pan)

· 1 can of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce ( you can get these in Picante next time you go) or you could use some dried chilies(10 or so depending on heat) and a large slug of smoked paprika ground together and some tomato paste– but that’s a lot harder than opening a tin and not as good.

· Peppers (two – red and / or orange Ideally) chopped into smallish bits

· 1 tablespoon cumin (maybe more if you feel like it)

· 1/2 tablespoon oregano

· 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped or crushed

· Optional (1 or 2 large dried ancho chilies toasted and ground)

· Some fresh chilies – depends on you really how many – Scotch Bonnet or The Thai ones are good here but any will do.

· A large onion, peeled and medium chopped

· Optional (if you must have beans in your beef, use a tin of rinsed black beans and stick them in for the last half hour after you’ve shredded the meat)

Preparation:

1. Turn the oven on to about 130 – 140 for non fan.

2. Boil Kettle for the stock

3. Get a big lidded casserole dish

4. Stick the beef in it fat side down

5. Pour tomatoes and beef stock over the top.

6. Pour tin of chipotles over and add the remaining ingredients so they are all poured on top of the beef.

7. Stir everything together

8. Cook for 4 or 5 hours.

9. Turn the beef over every hour or so if you remember, but at least after the first hour.

10. Could be ready after 3 if you are in a hurry – see if you can easily shred the beef into the sauce if you can, then do so with a couple of forks and then stir it all together and give it another hour ideally.

 

Serve with some or all of Rice, Salad, pickled Jalapenos, fresh tomato salsa, avocado slices, tortilla chips, Tortillas etc etc.

Oh – and Fresh Coriander and Lime wedges

 

Gets better over a couple of days.

Bloody Good Coriander Chicken

 

Make more than you need because it's great reheated the next day or shredded into flatbreads with salad leaves a drizzle of minty yoghurt or tzatziki and some extra fresh chillies. 

Either way, pretty much a 30 minute meal once you start cooking.

 

Adapted from From Curries to Kebabs: Recipes from the Indian Spice Trail. © 2003 by Madhur Jaffrey. Published by Clarkson Potter.
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, coarsely chopped (a big thumb)
• 5 good-sized cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice (a large squeeze)
• 4 chicken legs, skinned and separated into drumsticks and thighs
• 1 medium to large tomato, chopped
• a big bunch (90g) of coriander leaves and small stems
• 3-4 fresh hot green chilies, coarsely chopped (or more if you are addicted – Scotch bonnets also work well here – about 4 or 5 as the yoghurt tempers the whole thing)
• 2-3 teaspoon tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 cup plain yogurt, lightly beaten with a fork

 

Instructions

Put the ginger, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the lemon juice into a blender. Add about 2 tablespoons of water and blend, pushing down with a rubber spatula if necessary, until smooth.

Place the chicken pieces in a stainless steel or non-metallic bowl. Pour the ginger mixture over the top and rub it in. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or for up to 24 hours. Without bothering to clean out the blender, put into it the tomato, cilantro, chilies, tomato paste, the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and 2 tablespoons of water. Blend until smooth.

Pour the oil into a large, nonstick, lidded pan and set over high heat. When very hot, put in the chicken pieces, together with the marinade. Fry, stirring, until the chicken pieces are light brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato mixture from the blender. Continue to cook, stirring, until the sauce is thick and clings to the chicken and the oil separates from it, another 10 minutes. Add the yogurt. Stir and cook until the yogurt disappears and leaves a thick sauce edged with oil, 4 to 5 minutes.

Cover, reduce the heat as low as possible, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. If you think that he pan is drying out too much, stir in a tablespoon or two of water.

Summer….

Seeing as it's chucking it down with rain i needed a bit of sunshine...

This is it on a plate.

I didn’t have any chicken, but was just as good with rare beef left over from the weekend

 

Vietnamese chicken salad with Chinese cabbage and bean sprouts recipe

 

This recipe is from Rick Stein's book, Far Eastern Odyssey

Spicy, sweet and sour salads, such as this recipe, appear all over Southeast Asia in one form or another.

You will need:
750g chicken thighs and/or breasts on the bone
100g shallots, very thinly sliced
400g Chinese leaf, core removed and the leaves finely shredded
100g bean sprouts
1 large carrot, halved across and finely shredded
15g Vietnamese mint, or a mixture of coriander and mint, or Thai sweet basil leaves, roughly chopped
40g roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing:
3 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp very finely chopped garlic
2 red bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped

Put the chicken pieces into a saucepan with 1 teaspoon salt and enough water to just cover. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and leave to simmer gently for 20 minutes. Leave to cool in the cooking liquid. Then remove and discard the skin and bones and break the flesh into long thin strips. Save the stock for another dish.

Put the shallots into a large bowl, toss with half a teaspoon salt and leave to soften for 30 minutes. (skip this bit if you forget, which I always do) Mix together the ingredients for the dressing. Just before serving, add the chicken to the bowl of salted shallots with the Chinese leaf, bean sprouts, shredded carrot, herbs and most of the peanuts.

Pour over the dressing, season generously with black pepper and toss together well. Mound the salad decoratively on a plate and serve sprinkled with the remaining peanuts