Fragrant Chicken and Spinach Curry

What I love about this tomato based curry is that it has all the wonderful spices that I love: ground cumin, coriander, tumeric, cayenne pepper but it doesn't call for cream or coconut milk. Delicious yet healthy.

Fragrant Chicken and Spinach Curry

Fragrant Chicken and Spinach Curry Recipe (Serves 4)

(Adapted from Bill Granger's Everyday Cookbook)

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 750 g (1 lb 10 oz) boneless chicken thighs, cubed
• 400 g (14 oz) tin chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 90 g (3 1/4 oz / 2 cups) baby English spinach, finely chopped
• Large handful fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the spices, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more. Add the chicken and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is browned.
2. Stir in the tomatoes and salt and bring to simmering point. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add the sugar, lime juice and spinach and stir until the spinach has just wilted. Remove from heat, sprinkle with coriander and serve with steamed rice.

Indian Matar Paneer (Paneer Cheese with Green Peas)

Paneer is a firm Indian Cheese, made by curdling hot milk with lemon juice or vinegar, then straining through muslin, rinsing off in water and pressing into rectangular blocks. It has the unusual properties of being suitable for frying and it does not melt when cooked, but stays in soft, neat little chunks.

Matar Panner is one of my favourite Indian vegetarian dish. I cook it very often and sometimes I replace the peas with spinach. It's not a difficult recipe and do try out this wonderful exotic vegetarian dish.

Indian Matar Paneer (Paneer Cheese with Green Peas)

Indian Matar Paneer (Paneer Cheese with Green Peas) Recipe (Serves 4)

(Adapted from Rick Stein's Coast to Coast)

Ingredients

• 275 - 350 g (10 - 12 oz) Paneer
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 1/2 cm (1") piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 medium-hot green chillies, seeded and chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, skinned and roughly chopped
• 350 g (12 oz) fresh or frozen peas, 900 g (2 lb) in the pod
• 1 small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper
• Rice or naan bread, to serve

Method

1. Cut the paneer into 2 1/2 cm (1-inch) pieces.
2. Heat half of the oil in a large shallow pan, add the paneer and fry gently until lightly golden on all sides. Lift onto a plate and set aside.
3. Add the rest of the oil and the onion, garlic, ginger, chillies, cumin seeds, coriander, turmeric and cayenne pepper to the pan and fry gently until the onion is soft but not browned.
4. Add the tomatoes, peas, 3/4 tsp salt and 2 tbsp of water and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the paneer and cook gently for another 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the coriander and sprinkle with a little black pepper to garnish. Serve with rice or some warm naan bread.

Beef Biryani Rice (Nasi Biryani Daging)

Recipe adapted from Bill Granger's Every Day: Lamb Biryani. I used beef instead of lamb and reduced the quantity of meat from 1kg to 500g. I cooked this dish in a rice cooker instead of baking it in an oven.

Beef Biryani Rice (Nasi Biryani Daging) Recipe

Ingredients

• 500g (1 lb 2 oz) good quality beef, trimmed and diced (I use beef fillet steaks)
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 300g (10 1/2 oz / 1 1/2 cups) Basmati rice
• 750ml (26 fl oz / 3 cups) chicken stock (You can use Beef stock but I prefer chicken stock)

Method

1. Put the beef in a large bowl with the garam masala, cumin and turmeric and toss to coat the beef in the spices. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the beef in batches and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until browned all over, adding a little more oil if necessary. Remove and set aside.
2. Add the remaining oil, onion, garlic and ginger to the frying pan and cook over medium heat until the onion is soft and pale golden. Add the rice, stir together and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from frying pan and pour into the rice cooker.
3. Add the beef to the rice cooker in a single layer on top of the rice and carefully pour in the stock. Turn on the rice cooker.
4. Serve immediately when it's cooked.

Note: If you prefer to use oven over rice cooker, you can bake it in a 200C (400F / Gas 6) oven for 35-45 minutes using a flameproof casserole with lid on.

Pineapple Relish

The sweetness of pineapple combined with fresh chillies and spices makes this relish a perfect side dish for a curry meal.

The recipe is so simple and you can make it in advance, refrigerate for up to a week.

Pineapple Relish

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 small fresh red chillies, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 pineapple, chipped

Method

1. Heat oil in pan, add onion and chillies, cook, stirring for a few minutes.
2. Add ginger, nutmeg, sugar and pineapple. Cook, stirring occasianlly, for 8-10 minutes.
3. Cool, place into a jar, cover, refrigerate.
4. It's best served cold directly from the fridge.

Prawn Korma Curry

I used ready made korma paste to cook this curry. Korma curry is a very mild Indian curry, the paste is flavoured by dessicated coconut and coriander. It blends very well with seafood and vegetables. I like to add cherry tomatoes during the cooking process to add the extra sweet and sourness.

Prawn Korma Curry (Serve 6-8)

Ingredients

• 20 large King prawns, shelled, deveined with tails on
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 medium (300g) onions, chopped
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) korma curry paste (I use Patak brand)
• 1 cup (250 ml) cream
• 1 cup (250 ml) water
• 250 g green bean, halved
• 250 g cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Method

1. Heat oil in large pan, add onion, cook, stirring, until onions are just tender. Add paste, cook, stirring, 1 minute.
2. Add cream and water, simmer, covered, until just below boiling point.
3. Add bean, coriander and tomato, simmer, covered, about 7 minutes.
4. Add prawn, stir gently, continue to simmer for a further 3 minutes or until prawn is cooked.