Spiced Lemon Rice

A typical southern Indian favourite, this citrus-flavoured rice dish is a perfect accompaniment to plain grilled fish, lamb stew or chicken.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

200 g basmati rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bay leaf
12-14 fresh or dried curry leaves
1 dried red chilli
2,5 cm cinnamon stick
3-4 cloves
4-6 cardamom pods
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
8-10 black peppercorns
¼ teaspoon turmeric
juice of 1 large lemon
450 ml boiling water
salt

Method:

1. Place the rice in a sieve and wash it throughly under cold running water. Drain well and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a nonstick saucepan; when it is hot add the curry leaves, chilli, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, bay leaf and turmeric. Stir-fry for 20-30 seconds and add the rice. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add the lemon juice and the measured water.

3. Bring to the boil, cover the pan tightly and reduce the heat to low.

4. Cook for 10-12 minutes, remove from the heat and allow to stand undisturbed for 10 minutes. Fluff up the rice with a fork and season before serving.

Healthy tip:

Lemons are an excellent source of vitamin C, which is important for boosting the immune system, healing wounds and protecting against heart disease. Vitamin C also helps the body absorb iron.

Crispy Grilled Red Masala Mackerel

 

Serves: 2

Oven: 225 ˚C, 437 ˚F (hot air)

 

Ingredients:

 

2 fresh mackerel, each around 250-300 g, (8-10 oz), cleaned and gutted

 

Red Masala Paste:

 

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh root ginger

2 teaspoons finely grated garlic

2 red chillies, deseeded and very finely chopped

1 teaspoon chilli powder

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

3 tablespoons tomato purée

1 teaspoon brown sugar

juice of 1½ - 2 lemons

 

Method:

 

1. Make a 4-6 deep diagonal slices on each side of the fish.

 

2. Make the paste by placing all the ingredients in a food processor and mix unil fairly smooth.

 

3. Season well and spread over the fish, making sure it gets into the slits.

 

4. Leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

 

5. Cook under a hot grill for 6-8 minutes on each side until cooked through and lightly charred at the edges. Cover with aluminium foil if it gets to dark.

 

6. Serve immediately with salad.

 

Salad:

 

½ cucumber, halved and sliced

10 cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 red onion, sliced

 ½ tbsp oil,

pinch of black pepper,

1 tbsp lemon juice

½ tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

 

Healthy tip:

 

The spices in this masala have many therapeutic properties, including boosting the immune system, improving circulation, improving mood and reducing inflammation.

 

 

 

 

 



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.

 



Stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts

 

NUTS ARE OFTEN ADDED TO THAI STIR-FRIES, just as they are to similar Chinese dishes. The important thing to remember when stir-frying is to have all the ingredients prepared and the vegetables chopped before you fire up the wok. Once you start cooking, it literally takes minutes to get the dish to the table.

 

 

Serves: 4

 

Ingredients:

 

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 500 g in total.

sea salt and blackpepper

2 tbsp vegetable oil or groundnut oil

100 g cashew nuts

1 small onion, peeled and sliced

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and sliced into small pieces

3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

3 spring onions, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 3 cm pieces

1 ½ tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

pinch of caster sugar

1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced on the diagonal

 

Method:

 

1. Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and mix with a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.

 

2. Heat the oil in a wok or a wide frying pan. Add the cashew nuts and stir over a medium heat until toasted and lightly golden. Remove from the wok with a slotted spoon and set aside.

 

3. Add the onion and garlic to the wok and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes. Tip in the sliced chilli, then add the chicken pieces. Stir-fry for 2 minutes until the chicken is opaque. Add the asparagus, spring onions, fish sauce, soy sauce and a pinch of sugar and stir-fry for another minute. Finally, tip in the toasted cashew nuts. Stir well and turn off the heat.

 

4. Spoon the mixture onto a warm platter or divide between warm bowls and serve immediately, with freshly steamed basmati lemon rice.