South Indian Pepper Chicken

 

Spiced with peppercorns rather than chilli, this creamy curry will be popular with the whole family. Fresh ginger and garlic give it a warming, spicy aroma. Serve with a refreshing salad to complement the rich sauce.

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 bay leaf
4 cloves
½ teaspoon crushed cardamom seeds
2 teaspoons crushed black peppercorns
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh root ginger
2 teaspoons finely grated garlic
625 g (1 ¼ lb) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
150 ml water or chicken stock
½ teaspoon turmeric
350 ml low-fat natural yogurt
salt

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan and when hot add the bay leaf, cloves, crushed cardamom seeds and peppercorns. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add the ginger, garlic and the chicken.

2. Stir-fry over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes before adding the water or stock and the turmeric. Season.

3. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

4. Remove from the heat, drizzle over the yogurt so that it is partially stirred in and serve.

Healthy tip:

Adding low-fat yogurt gives this dish a rich creaminess, with none of the fat that comes with cream, ground almonds or coconut - which are all popular ingredients in many Indian curries.

Masala Fennel Prawns

Fresh, juicy prawns, cooked simply in a fennel-spiced sauce, makes for a healthy lunch when served with rice and a chopped salad.

 

 

Serves: 2-3

 

Ingredients:

 

1 teaspoon light olive oil

12-15 fresh or dried curry leaves

2 large shallots, or 4 small, halved and finely sliced

2 teaspoons finely grated garlic

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh root ginger

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 tablespoon mild curry powder

5 large, ripe tomatoes, deseeded and chopped

750 g (1½ lb) raw tiger prawns, peeled and deveined

sea salt

coriander leaves, to garnish

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large wok or nonstick frying pan and add the curry leaves. Stir-fry for 30 seconds and add the shallots. Stir and fry over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes, then add the garlic, ginger and fennel seeds.


2. Cook gently for 2-3 minutes, then add the curry powder and tomatoes. Turn the heat to high and stir-fry the mixture for 3-4 minutes.


3. Add the prawns and cook over a high heat for 6-7 minutes or until the prawns turn pink and are just cooked through. Add a little bit of tomato juice if needed. Remove from the heat, season and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.


4. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Punjabi Masala Lamb Stew

This style of cooking favours dishes that use tomatoes, and in this recipe they form an integral part of the sauce.

 

 

Serves: 4

 

Ingredients:

 

600 g lamb, trimmed of all fat and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes

3 cm ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

1 red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 onions, peeled and finely chopped

2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp ground cumin

1½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp mild chilli powder

800 g chopped plum tomatoes

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp salt

450 ml natural yoghurt

coriander leaves to garnish

 

Method:

 

1. Trim off any excess fat off the lamb.

 

2. Put the ginger, garlic, chilli and a tablespoon or two of water into a food processor or blender and blitz to wet paste.

 

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wide, heavy-based pan, and when you can feel a strong heat rising add the lamb cubes and fry for about 1-2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned all over. Remove the lamb from the pan and set aside.

 

4. Add the remaining oil to the pan and add the onions, garam masala, cumin, cayenne pepper and chilli powder. Stir well and sauté gently for 3-4 minutes or until the onions have softened slightly and the spices are fragrant.

 

5. Add the ginger and garlic paste and cook for another couple of minutes.

 

6. Increase the heat and add the browned lamb, tomatoes, lemon juice and salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and partially cover the pan.

 

7. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 50 minutes - 1½ hour or until the meat is tender and the sauce thick.

 

8. Over a low heat, gradually stir in the yoghurt and simmer for a few minutes.

 

Serve immediately with warm breads or plain basmati rice. Garnish with coriandr leaves.

 



Spinach, red pepper and chickpea bhaji (HOT)

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh root ginger
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into thin strips
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons tomato purée
150 - 200 ml water
200 g baby spinach leaves
200 g can chickpeas, drained
salt

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan. Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the shallot and red pepper and cook for 5-6 minutes until slightly softened.

2. Stir in the chilli powder, ground cumin, ground coriander and tomato purée. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, then pour in the measured water, stir and bring to the boil. Stir in the spinach and chickpeas and cook for 5-6 minutes until the spinach has just wilted. Season.

Half the spices if you don't like it too hot.

Serve with indian roti bread.

Indian spiced carrot soup

 

En het smaksensation av Indien.

Antal: 4 personer

Ingredienser:

3 st schallotenlök
2 st vitlöksklyftor
6 st medelstora morötter
2 st bakpotatis ca (500 g)
½ röd chili (om du önskar) skall då hackas ned i småbitar och fröna tas ur.
1 tsk hel kummin
1 tsk salt
1 tsk strong curry
1 tsk strösocker
2 tsk mild curry
2 tsk mald koriander
2 msk rapsolja
2 msk koncentrerad hönsbuljong
2 st hel kardemumma (cardamom pods)
10 st torkade curry blad

Arbetsbeskrivning:

1. Skala och hacka lök och vitlök. Skala och grovhacka morötter och bakpotatis.

2. Fräs löken, vitlöken och alla kryddor i en kastrull eller gryta tillsammans med oljan, ca 3 min.

3. Häll i vattnet, tillsätt buljongen, koka upp och sjud under lock ca 20 min tills morötterna och potatisen är helt mjuka. Finfördela soppan i matberedare eller med mixerstav. Späd med vatten om du tycker att soppan känns för tjock.

4. Häll tillbaka soppan i kastrullen och värm upp.

5. Servera med bröd.

Tips:

Garnera soppan med persilja eller koriander.
Samt droppa tryffelolja eller chiliolja på soppan.

Vegetable Samosas

A selection of highly spiced vegetables in a pastry casing makes these samosas delicious snack at any time of the day.

Makes: 28

Ingredients:

3 large potatoes, boiled and roughly mashed

75 g frozen peas, thawed

50 g canned sweetcorn, drained

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dry mango powder (amchur)

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 fresh green chillies, finely chopped

2 tbsp coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped

2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, chopped

juice of 1 lemon

salt, to taste

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Cut each sheet of filo pastry in half lengthways and fold each piece in half lengthways to give 28 thin strips. Lightly brush with oil.

2. Toss all the filling ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until they are well blended. Adjust the seasoning with salt and lemon juice if necessary.

3. Using one strip of the pastry at a time, place 1 tbsp of the filling mixture at one end and fold the pastry diagonally over. Continue folding to form a triangle shape. Brush the samosas with oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Beef Biryani

This biryani, which uses beef, is a speciality of the Muslim community. The recipe may seem long, but biryani is one of the easiest and most relaxing ways of cooking, especially when you are entertaining. Once the dish is assembled and placed in the oven, it looks after itself and you can get on with greeting your guests.

Serves :4

Ingredients:

2 large onions

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2.5 cm fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

1 fresh green chilli, seeded and chopped

small bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro)

4 tbsp flaked (sliced) almonds

3 tbsp water

1 tbsp ghee or butter, plus 25 g butter for the rice

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp sultanas (golden raisins)

500 g braising or stewing steak, cubed

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tbsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp ground fenugreek

good pinch of ground cinnamon

175 ml natural (plain yogurt, whisked

275 g basmati rice

about 1.2 litres hot chicken stock or water

salt and black pepper

2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered, to garnish

chapatis, to serve

Method:

1. Roughly chop one onion and place it in a food processor or blender. Add the garlic, ginger chilli, fresh coriander and half the flaked almonds. Pour in the water and process to a smooth paste. Transfer the paste to a small bowl and set aside.

2. Finely slice the remaining onion into rings or half rings. Heat half the ghee or butter with half the oil in a heavy flameproof casserole and fry the onion rings for 15 minutes until they are deep golden brown. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.

3. Fry the remaining flaked almonds briefly until golden and set aside with the onion rings, then quickly fry the sultanas until they swell. Transfer to the plate.

4. Heat the remaining ghee or butter in the casserole with a further 1 tbsp of the oil. Fry the cubed meat, in batches, until evenly browned on all sides. Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside.

5. Wipe the casserole clean with kitchen paper, heat the remaining oil and pour in the onion, spice and coriander paste made earlier. Cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring all the time, until the mixture begins to brown lightly. Stir in all the additional spices, season with salt and ground black pepper and cook for 1 minute more.

6. Lower the heat, then stir in the yogurt, a little at a time. When all of it has been incorporated into the spice mixture, return the meat to the casserole. Stir to coat, cover tightly and simmer over a gentle heat for 45 minutes until the meat is tender. Meanwhile, soak the rice in a bowl of cold water for 15-20 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 160°C/ 325°F/ Gas 3. Drain the rice, place in a pan and add the hot chicken stock or water, together with a little salt. Bring back to the boil, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Drain the rice, and pile it in a mound on top of the meat in the casserole. Using the handle of a spoon, make a hole through the rice and meat mixture, to the bottom of the pan. Place the fried onions, almonds and sultanas over the top and dot with butter. Cover the casserole tightly with a double layer of foil and secure with a lid.

9. Cook the biryani in the preheated oven for 60-70 minutes. To serve, spoon the mixture on to a warmed serving platter and garnish with the quartered hard-boiled eggs. Serve with chapatis.

Shrikhand (flavoured hung yogurt)

This is a wonderful sweet or sour yogurt dessert and is so easy to make. It is served on auspicious occasions in Maharashtra.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 litre yogurt

1 tbsp milk (lukewarm)
a few saffron strands, enough to give a little taste and colour.
130 g caster sugar ( to taste, depending on the acidity of the yogurt)
¼ tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp sliced almonds
1 tbsp sliced pistachios

Method:

1.Drain the yogurt – Put a muslin or cheese cloth over a strainer. Now pour the yogurt over muslin cloth to drain. Place a bowl underneath the strainer to collect the excess water.

 2.Next gently squeeze the excess water from yogurt. Make sure not to squeeze out the yogurt.

 3.Move the yogurt with strainer and bowl into the refrigerator for at least six hours to drain excess water.

 4.Yogurt will become thick in consistency.

 5.Dissolve the saffron in warm milk. Milk will take on the saffron color, yellowish orange.

 6. Add sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron milk to yogurt and beat well till sugar dissolves. You may use a mixer.

 7.Mix in most of the almonds and pistachios to the yogurt mix and the remaining nuts will be used for garnish.

 8. Chill the shrikhand before serving.

 9.Traditionally shrikhand is served with puri (fried flat bread).

Spinach with Curd Cheese

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

450 ml milk
100 ml live yogurt
salt
2 tsp lime or lemon juice
250 g fresh spinach or 1 small packet frozen spinach
2 green chillies, chopped
½ tsp chopped fresh ginger
2 tbsp oil
a pinch of fenugreek seeds
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped¼ tsp cumin seeds
2 tomatoes, puréed

Method:

1. To make curd cheese, bring the milk just to boiling point, then add the live yogurt with a pinch of salt and the lime or lemon juice. Continue boiling for 7-10 minutes. The milk will separate. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

2. Place a large strainer over a bowl and pour in the milk to collect the solids in the strainer, allowing the whey to remain in the bowl below. Keep the milk solids in contact with the whey until required for cooking. When ready to use, press down the solids in the strainer with a potato masher or the back of a large spoon to squeeze the moisture out or use a jelly bag or cheesecloth. You will get about 100 g curd cheese or paneer.

3. Cook the spinach with the chillies, ginger, a pinch of salt, and just a sprinkling of water if using fresh spinach. Cook uncovered so that the bright green colour is retained. (Salt is also required for retaining the colour.) When cool, purée in a blender.

4. In a frying pan, heat the oil and fry the fenugreek seeds for 30 seconds, then add the onion and fry until lightly coloured. Add the garlic and cumin, and after 30 seconds the tomatoes. Fry for about 5 minutes.

5. When the liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated, add the curd cheese and stir gently. Add the puréed spinach and cook for a couple of minutes. It is now ready to serve.

Potato Raita

Ingredients:

1 large potato
salt and pepper
300 ml full-fat yogurt

⅛ tsp cumin powder and a pinch of paprika powder
1 tsp chopped coriander leaves　

Method:

1. Boil the potato in its skin with a little salt until cooked.

2. When cool, peel and cut into small cubes.

3. Whisk the yogurt.

4. Add a little water if desired.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste and the cumin, and mix well.

6. Add the potatoes and stir gently.

7. Put into a serving bowl.

8. Garnish with paprika and coriander leaves.

Red Chutney

Ingredients:

100 g grated fresh coconut
1 small onion, chopped
2 tsp chopped coriander
2 cm piece chopped ginger
1½ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp cumin powder
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
6 dates, stoned
2 tsp lime juice
½ tsp salt

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients into a blender and grind to a paste.

Peda-Indian Sweets

Ingredients:


Instant Dry Milk (Milk Powder) – 2 cups (150gm)
Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1, 14oz can (396gm)
Unsalted Butter – 1, 4oz stick (113gm)

Method:

1. In a microwave safe dish, melt the butter.

2. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

3. Cook in the microwave for 3 minutes, stirring very well after every minute.

4. After the 3 minutes, mix well again and leave aside for the mixture to cool down enough to handle.

5. Once the mixture has cooled down, grease your hands and make balls.

6. Gently press the balls and flatten them to shape…round and flat.

7. Decorate them with colored sugar, almonds, cashews, pistachios or raisins.

8. Let the pedas set and cool down.

9. For a pretty presentation, place them in baking cups and serve.

Tips:

1. Powder some cardamom seeds and add to the mixture for additional flavor.

2. Roll out the peda mixture and cut with cookie cutter for some fun shapes.

3. For best results, store in the refrigerator but serve at room temperature.

Beef Kofta Curry

Small, spicy balls of minced beef cooked in a smooth, spicy sauce make a warming supper. Serve with Indian flatbreads and fresh Indian salad or salsa. Wrap the koftas and saladup in the bread for an informal meal.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

625 g lean minced beef

1 tsp finely grated fresh root ginger

2 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp turmeric

2 tbsp mild curry powder

500 ml tomato passata

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Low-fat yogurt and mint leaves to garnish

Method:

1. Place the mince and ginger in a large bowl. Roughly crush the fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle and add to the mixture with the cinnamon. Season and, using your hands, mix thoroughly. Form the mixture into small, walnut-sized balls and set aside.

2. Place the turmeric, curry powder and passata in a wide, nonstick saucepan and bring to the boil. Season, reduce the heat and carefully place the meatballs in the sauce. Cover and cook gently for 15-20 minutes, stirring and turning the meatballs around occasionally, until they are cooked through. Remove from the heat, drizzle with the low-fat yogurt and scatter with the mint leaves. Serve with chapattis or other flatbreads and salad.

Potatoes Stuffed with Spicy Cottage Cheese

   

For this recipe, it is important to choose a variety of potato recommended for baking, as the texture of the potato should not be too dry. This makes an excellent low fat snack at any time of the day.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 medium baking potatoes
225 g low fat cottage cheese
2 tsp tomto purée
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp oil
½ tsp mixed onion and mustard seeds
3 curry leaves
2 tbsp water

For the garnish:

Mixed salad leaves
Fresh coriander (cilantro) sprigs
Lemon wedges
2 tomatoes, quartered

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Wash each potato and pat dry. Make a slit in the middle of each potato. Prick the potatoes a few times with a fork or skewer, then wrap them individually in foil. Bake in the oven directly on the shelf for about 1 hour, or until soft.

2. Put the cottage cheese into a heatproof dish and set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, mix the tomato purée, ground cumin, ground coriander, chilli powder and salt.

4. Heat the oil in a small pan for about 1 minute. Add the mixed onion and mustard seeds and the curry leaves and tilt the pan so the oil covers all the seeds and leaves.

5. When the curry leaves turn a shade darker and you can smell their beautiful aroma, pour the tomato purée mixture into the pan and turn the heat immediately to low. Add the water and mix well. Cook for a further minute, then pour the spicy tomato mixture on to the cottage cheese and stir together well.

6. Check that the baked potatoes are cooked right through, by inserting a knife or skewer into the middle of the flesh. If it is soft unwrap the potatoes from the foil and divide the cottage cheese equally between them.

7. Garnish the filled potatoes with mixed salad leaves, fresh coriander sprigs, lemon wedges and tomato quarters and serve hot.

Spinach and Potato Curry

Spinach, potatoes and traditional Indian spices are the main ingredients in this simple but authentic curry.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

450 g spinach
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2.5 cm fresh root ginger, finely chopped
675 g potatoes, cut into 2.5 cm chunks
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp salt
120 ml water

Method:

1. Wash and trim the spinach, then blach it in a pan of boiling water for about 3-4 minutes.

2. Drain the spinach thoroughly and set aside. When it is cool enough to handle, use your hands to squeeze out any remaining liquid.

3. Heat the oil in a large heavy pan and fry the mustard seeds for 2 minutes or until they splatter.

4. Add the sliced onion, garlic cloves and chopped ginger to the mustard seeds and fry for 5 minutes, stirring.

5. Add the potato chunks, chilli powder, salt and water and stir-fry for a further 8 minutes.

6. Add the drained spinach. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Serve hot.

Balti Chicken Pasanda

Yogurt and cream give this tasty dish its characteristic richness. Serve it with Peshwari naan to complement the almonds.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 tbsp Greek (US strained plain) yogurt
½ tsp black cumin seeds
4 cardamom pods
6 whole black peppercorns
2 tsp garam masala
2.5 cm cinnamon stick
1 tbsp ground almonds
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp grated fresh root ginger
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp salt
675 g skinless, boneless chicken, cubed
5 tbsp corn oil
2 medium onions, diced
3 fresh green chillies, chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
120 ml (light) cream

Method:

1. Mix the yogurt, cumin seeds, cardamoms, peppercorns, garam masala, cinnamon stick, ground almonds, garlic, ginger, chilli powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add the chicken pieces, stir to coat, and leave to marinate for 2-3 hours.

2. Heat the oil in a large karahi, wok or deep pan. Add the onions and fry for 2-3 minutes.

3. Tip in the chicken mixture and stir until it is well blended with the onions.

4. Cook for 12-15 minutes over a medium heat until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through.

5. Add the green chillies, and fresh coriander, and pour in the cream. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, and serve garnished with more coriander, if you like.

Chicken in Orange and Black Pepper Sauce

A low-fat version of a favourite Indian dish, this is very creamy.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

225 g low fat fromage frais or ricotta cheese
50 ml natural (plain) low fat yogurt
120 ml orange juice
1½ tsp grated fresh root ginger
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground coriander
1 small chicken, about 675 g, skinned and cut into 8 pieces
1 tbsp oil
1 bay leaf
1 large onion, chopped
1 tbsp fresh mint leaves
1 fresh green chilli, seeded and chopped

Method:
1. In a small mixing bowl whisk the fromage frais or ricotta with the yogurt, orange juice, ginger, garlic, pepper salt and coriander.

2. Pour this over the chicken, cover, and set aside for 5 hours.

3. Heat the oil with the bay leaf in a wok or heavy frying pan and fry the chopped onion until soft.

4. Pour in the chicken mixture and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes over a medium heat. Lower the heat, cover and cook for 7-10 minutes, adding a little water if the sauce is to thick. Add the fresh mint and chilli and serve.

Cauliflower and Coconut Milk Curry

A delicious vegetable stew which combines coconut milk with spices and is perfect as a vegetarian main course or as part of a buffet.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower
2 medium tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 fresh green chilli, seeded
½ tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp sunflower oil
400 ml coconut milk
250 ml water
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp tamarind pulp, soaked in 3 tbsp warm water
salt

Method:

1. Trim the stalk from the cauliflower and divide into tiny florets. Peel the tomatoes if you like, then chop them into 1-2.5 cm pieces.

2. Grind the chopped onion, garlic, green chilli and ground turmeric to a paste in a food processor.

3. Heat the oil in a karahi, wok or large frying pan and fry the spice paste to bring out the aromatic flavours, without allowing it to brown.

4. Add the cauliflower florets and toss well to coat in the spices. Stir in the coconut milk, water, sugar and salt to taste. Simmer for 5-8 minutes. Strain the tamarind and reserve the juice.

5. Add the tamarind juice and chopped tomatoes to the pan then cook for 5 minutes only. Taste and check the seasoning and serve.

Chicken Tikka Masala

This is another of those dishes that is celebrated in the West but less well known in India. It is said to be Britain's favourite chicken dish. In this version, tender chicken pieces are cooked in a creamy, spicy tomato sauce.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

675 g chicken breast portions, skinned
6 tbsp tikka paste
120 ml natural (plain)low fat yogurt
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 fresh green chilli, seeded and chopped
2.5 cm piece fresh root ginger, grated
1 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
250 ml water,
a little melted ghee or butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
fresh coriander (cilantro) sprigs, natural (plain) low fat yogurt and toasted cumin seeds, to garnish
Naan bread or plain basmati rice to serve.

Method:

1. Remove any visible fat from the chicken and cut the meat into 2.5 cm cubes. Mix 3 tbsp of the tikka paste and 4 tbsp of the yogurt into a bowl. Add the chicken and leave to marinate for 60 minutes.

2. Heat the oil in a heavy pan and fry the onion, garlic, chilli and ginger for 5 minutes. Add the remaining tikka paste and fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée and water, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, thread the chicken pieces on to wooden kebab skewers. Preheat the grill (broiler).

4. Brush the chicken pieces lightly with melted ghee or butter and cook under a medium heat for 15 minutes, turning the skewers occasionally.

5. Put the tikka sauce into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Return to the pan.

6. Add the remaining yogurt and the lemon juice, remove the grilled (broiled) chicken from the skewers and add to the pan, then simmer for 5 minutes. Garnish with the fresh coriander, yogurt and toasted cumin seeds and serve on naan bread or with plain rice (basmati).

Chicken Dopiaza

Dopiaza translates literally as "two onions" and describes this chicken dish in which two types of onion - large and small - are used at different stages during the cooking process.

Serves : 4

Ingredients:

2 tbsp oil
8 small onions, halved
2 bay leaves
8 green cardamom pods
4 cloves
3 dried red chillies
8 black peppercorns
2 onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2.5 cm fresh root ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder
½ tsp salt
4 tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
120 ml water
8 chicken pieces, such as thighs and drumsticks, skinned
plain rice, to serve

Method:

1. Heat half of the oil in a large heavy pan or wok and fry the small onions for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and set aside.

2. Add the remaining oil and fry the bay leaves, cardamoms, cloves, chillies and peppercorns for 2 minutes. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and fry for 5 minutes. Stir in the ground spices and salt and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes and water and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add the chicken and cook for about 15 minutes.

4. Add the reserved small onions, then cover and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Spoon the mixture onto a serving dish or individual plates.
Serve with plain boiled rice.