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.

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

Lamb, cumin and mint samosa filling

Filling:

 

1-2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

2,5 cm ginger, peeled and finely grated

1 tsp mild curry powder

¼ tsp hot chilli powder

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin

500 g minced lamb, or small lamb strips

sea salt and ground pepper to taste

100 g peas, thawed if frozen

1 tsp dried mango powder or 1tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 mild green chilli, deseeded and finely diced

handful of mint leaves, chopped

 

Method:

 

1. To prepare the filling, heat the oil in a karahi or a wide pan over a medium-to-high heat.

 

2. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, curry and chilli powders and ground spices.

 

3. Fry for a few minutes until the onion begins to soften and the spices are fragrant.

 

4. Add the lamb (minced or strips) and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Stir-fry for 4-5 minutes until the mince or the cubes are golden brown and cooked through.

 

5. Add the peas and dried mango powder or lemon juice and cook for a further minute before stirring in the chopped chilli and mint.

 

6. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then transfer to a wide bowl and leave to cool.

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.