Potato Curry

 Essentially this is aloo palak curry made with ground beef, minus the ingredient of spinach. With red and yellow peppers, plus diced white onion, tomato puree, ginger and black pepper. 

King Prawn Curry with Spinach

Prawn curry with spinach, with the basic recipe stolen from the 'Jono and Jules do food and wine' site. https://jonoandjules.com/2018/07/30/prawn-spinach-curry/

I skipped the extra sugar, and the coriander, but otherwise it is very similar. I created some creamed coconut, and mixed it all together with the Madras curry powder and the tomato puree. I added lots of diced spinach.

The rice was steamed earlier in the day, and spinach and the peas were added. The king prawns (from Vietnam) were added to the top of the steamed rice, and steamed once again for fifteen minutes.

Served with the tomato and curry salsa. Delicious!

Ras el Hanout Beef and Bean Curry with diced Garlic

Beef and Bean curry with Ras el Hanout seasoning and diced garlic. Based on an earlier meal with well tenderised beef. 

The beef was cooked with diced leek. Served here with additional spring onions, plus Oregano.

 

Tandoori Masala Bean Curry

A bean curry with fried diced potato and half of a red pepper. The simplest way to make this curry is to start with half a tin of baked beans, and add a dessert spoonful of Tandoori Masala powder. Stir thoroughly, and cook at a medium heat. 

The potato pieces and the diced red pepper were fried separately in sunflower oil under glass for twenty minutes, also at a medium heat. 

 

Carrot & Yellow Pea Curry

The yellow peas were soaked overnight, and cooked with the chopped carrot pieces for an hour or so. I added two teaspoonfuls of madras curry powder, one teaspoonful of chilli powder, diced garlic, and a dusting of ground cardamom. Cooked for another hour. After half an hour, I added the chicken stock, and three tablespoons of yoghurt, stirred through. . 

The rice was cooked slowly for twenty minutes or so, and then cooked slowly in a drizzle of sunflower oil under glass for half an hour, until the rice was crispy (but not burned).

Served with a generous helping of mango chutney. 

 

Ground Beef with Spring Onion and Curried Rice

5% fat ground beef, browned for twenty-five minutes in some sunflower oil. Eight chopped spring onions (cybes) plus two diced carrots were caramelised in a separate small pan at the same time.

Added together, along with some Sainsbury's gravy granules, and with some boiling water, and beef stock. Actually inferior to the traditional way of thickening beef mince, which is to use cornflour. Sainsbury's granules contain wheat flour, which I try to avoid. Always read the label before buying.

Simmered for at least an hour under glass at a low heat. Longer is better, if you like your beef tender.

The rice was cooked for ten minutes with curry powder, salt, turmeric and a green chilli. Drained, and the whole green chilli was removed before serving. 

Madras Bean Curry, with Flat Cut Turmeric Potatoes

A simple vegetarian Madras bean curry, made with kidney beans, black chickpeas, white and red onion, diced orange pepper, Green peas, powdered ginger, carrot, salt, tomato puree, and diced green finger chillies (3).

The black chickpeas were soaked overnight, but the kidney beans and the peas came from tins. The curry was based on those, plus carrots, white onion, Madras curry powder, ginger powder, tomato puree, and diced finger chilli. Cooked for at least an hour and a half under glass.

The dish was served with flat cut potato pieces, cooked in turmeric and salted water for twenty five minutes under glass. Plus a side-serving of finely sliced red onion, strips of orange pepper, and garden peas, steamed for half an hour.

The dish was dressed in a large pinch of coriander leaf. Delicious!

Chickpea Curry with Pilau Rice

Black chickpeas were soaked in water for six hours, until they became soft. Then they were boiled, and I added diced carrot, diced leek, diced green chillies (3), tomato puree, a dessert spoonful of Madras curry powder, half a teaspoonful of powdered ginger, and three crushed garlic cloves. Plus the vegetable stock, and a quarter teaspoonful of turmeric. Cooked slowly under glass for two hours.

The basmati rice was cooked slowly with pilau rice spices, and a pinch of turmeric, for fifteen minutes, in a partially lidded pan.

Served with a garnish of coriander leaf.

Kala Chana Curry

A chickpea curry, made with diced leek, lentils, and standard chickpeas and black chickpeas. I used madras curry powder, cumin seeds (one pinch), dried coriander, turmeric and tomato puree.

The standard chickpeas were dried, so were soaked overnight. Cooked with the leek and the lentils for an hour. Then the contents of the pot were mashed.

After that I added the black chickpeas (200g from a tin), and all of the other ingredients. Simmer for around half an hour, and serve the curry with basmati rice, or with a toasted garlic and coriander naan bread. Delicious!

Baked Bean Curry

An ideal student dish (inexpensive, easy to prepare, and tasty). Made with half a medium sized leek, eight chopped baby plum tomatoes (or similar), about 120g of tomato passata (or paste), half a standard tin of baked beans, half a dessert spoonful of curry powder, half a teaspoonful of powdered ginger, half a teaspoonful of dried coriander, one red chilli (deseeded), plus a pinch of cumin seeds (or powdered cumin).

The leek was divided lengthwise, and the halves were further divided, then diced. Added to a small pan with a drizzle of sunflower oil, and cooked at a medium heat until the leek pieces soften and begin to brown. The the chopped tomatoes were added and stirred through. Cooked until thoroughly softened (about ten minutes or so).

Add a little water. Add the tomato passata, and stir. Allow to simmer until the mixture thickens (watch carefully). Add the curry powder, the red chilli, the cumin seeds, the coriander, and the ginger. Stir through for a minute or so.

Finally, add the half tin of beans. Allow to heat close to boiling, then serve with a halved garlic and coriander naan bread, cooked in a toaster until it begins to sizzle!

Beef and Apple Tikka

I'd prepared ground beef beforehand, browned it in some sunflower oil, and cooked with spring onions, diced apple and carrots for twenty minutes, stirring frequently. Afterwards I added boiling water to the pan and cooked the dish under glass for an hour and a half at a low heat.

After which I added tomato Puree, Cardamom seed, Tikka spices, diced garlic, and one large deseeded and diced red chilli. Cooked for another half an hour at a low heat, adding some coriander and oregano.

Served with long grain rice, or basmati if you prefer. Dressed in this case with some diced and steamed curly kale (five minutes), or with some diced fresh coriander leaf.

Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry

Cubed sweet potato curry, with onion, tomato puree, turmeric, roast chicken pieces, red chilli, and Madras curry powder. Plus lemon juice and coriander leaf.

The sweet potato and onion were stir-fried for about seven minutes, before being added to a pot of water brought to the boil. I used one clove of garlic (crushed), and two diced red chillies, deseeded. Then I added the curry powder, the turmeric and the tomato puree.

Cooked for forty-five minutes under glass at a low heat. Stir occasionally. Then I added the roast chicken pieces from two drumsticks, and simmered until the curry sauce began to thicken. Served with diced coriander leaf and a drizzle of lemon juice, a sprinkling of coconut, and a teaspoonful of lime pickle. Plus a garlic and coriander naan. Delicious!

Cajun Curry with Black-Eyed Beans

A Cajun style curry, made with black-eyed beans, carrot, garlic, green and red chilli, green and red bell peppers, onion, and tomato puree.

I used a commercially available Cajun spice powder, which contained garlic, chill powder, paprika and cumin. But you could easily make this up from your spice cupboard.

The black-eyed beans were rehydrated overnight in unsalted water, then boiled for half an hour until soft. The pot was drained, refilled with salted water, then brought to the boil again.

Then I added the diced vegetables - the deseeded chillies, the red and green peppers, the carrot and onion, and two garlic cloves, the tomato puree, the Cajun spices, and some vegetable stock. Simmered for forty minutes. Add a generous pinch of oregano.

The black rice was cooked for twenty minutes first of all, and then drained. The pot was refilled with boiling water, salted, and a third of a cup of American long grain rice was added. Turn down the hob to a medium to low heat and cook for another fifteen minutes, stirring frequently/Drain the rice thoroughly. Add the rice to the serving plate and spoon in the curry. Delicious!

This is a vegetarian version, but the dish can be served with chicken.

Pork Curry with Jasmine Rice

A curry based on ground pork, browned for twenty minutes or so, and stirred frequently. After adding water to the pot, I added one diced onion, three desert spoonfuls of oats, a diced Bramley apple, a deseeded green chilli, and one red, and five Brussels sprouts, finely diced, Italian style. Simmer for half an hour to forty-five minutes.

I also added some pre-boiled pieces of potato, left over from another meal.

Add three squirts of tomato puree, or otherwise six dessert spoonfuls of a passata, a pinch of paprika, and half a teaspoonful of turmeric. Add a desert spoonful of a hot curry powder (Asda brand), and three diced cloves of garlic. Add the pork and vegetable stocks. Simmer for another twenty minutes, and add a pinch of coriander leaf ten minutes before serving.

Serve with  Basmati rice infused with jasmine essence. Add some lime pickle if desired.

Mushroom and Pepper Curry

A delicious curry, with a flavour you may not have tasted before. Made with one green bell pepper, deseeded and cut into strips, one Spanish onion, diced, and some large white mushrooms, also diced. Plus half a teaspoonful of mustard seeds, half a teaspoonful of cumin powder, chilli powder, and dried coriander. I used a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes also.

The onion was added to a saute pan containing a drizzle of groundnut oil (sunflower is fine as an alternative). Then I added the mustard seeds. Cook for five to ten minutes at a medium heat, until the onion begins to brown, and the mustard seeds burst.

After that I added the pepper and mushrooms. Stir fried for another five to ten minutes.

The dish was now ready for the chopped tomatoes (I added some boiling water also). The cumin and chilli powders were added, along with the dried coriander, and stirred together thoroughly.

Turn down the heat and allow the dish to simmer under glass for between fifteen and thirty minutes.

Serve with rice, or as in this case, with a toasted garlic and coriander naan bread, along with some plain Greek yoghurt.

West Indian Style Sweet Potato Curry

The original recipe can be found on the BBC Good Food site at:

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/west-indian-sweet-potato-curry

I modified the recipe, because I had stuff in the fridge which needed to be used. The substitutions work very well.








Here is the original list of ingredients, and the substitutions I made:

1 tsp rapeseed oil (cooking stage skipped)
2 red onions, halved and sliced (white onion)
thumb-sized piece ginger, finely chopped (substituted by powdered ginger)
2 tbsp Madras curry powder (substituted by Garam Massala)

1 tsp allspice (substituted by some nutmeg)
400g can chopped tomatoes (yes)
200g sachet coconut milk (substituted by Greek yoghurt)
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (I used dried thyme)
1 tbsp gluten-free vegetable bouillon (I used vegetable stock)
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes (yes)
325g white cabbage, roughly chopped (substituted with some diced brussels sprouts)
2 red peppers, chopped (yes)

I also added half a diced courgette, and some cajun seasoning, which resembles garam massala seasoning. Plus three green chillies, marinaded in vinegar. 

I made so much of the main part of the dish that I skipped everything in the rice accompaniment. I boiled some white basmati rice and added some dried thyme during the last two minutes of cooking.  For the record, the ingredients of the recommended accompaniment are as below.

125g brown basmati
1 red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp vegetable bouillon
400g can black-eyed beans

And the originally recommended method:

Heat the oil in a very large nonstick frying pan, add the onions and ginger, and cook for 5 mins. Add the curry powder and allspice, then pour in the tomatoes plus a can of water, the coconut milk, thyme and bouillon.

Add the sweet potatoes, cabbage and peppers, cover the pan and simmer for 20-25 mins or until all the vegetables are tender but with a little bite, topping up with a little water if looking dry.

Meanwhile, tip the rice into a pan with the onion, garlic, thyme and bouillon. Pour in 600ml water, cover and cook for 25 mins or until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender – check towards the end to make sure it isn’t catching. Stir in the beans and heat through.

Pork and Potato Curry

Pork strips from a leg joint, cooked with onion, spring onion, diced mushroom, and peas. With chilli (deseeded) two garlic cloves, and the spices garam masala, cumin, coriander powder, coriander leaf, sliced root ginger, and some ground black pepper.

Easy to prepare. Place all of the ingredients in a pan containing boiling water and cook for half an hour under glass at a medium heat, then reduce to a low heat for another half an hour. Stir occasionally, and check the consistency of the curry. 

During which preparation time you can peel some potatoes, cut them into wedges, and cook them in a steamer for thirty minutes or so at a low heat (put the potatoes into the steamer when the water has come to the boil).

Decant the potatoes on to the serving plate, and add the pork curry. May be served with garlic nan bread.

Apricot and Chestnut Mushroom Curry

A delicious apricot and mushroom curry, which can also be served as a dressing for chicken pieces.

The ingredients are: three fresh apricots, basmati rice, haricot beans, cashew nuts, red chilli, grated coconut, single cream, cumin, cumin seed,  garam massala, garlic, root ginger, onion, Californian raisins,  turmeric, vegetable stock, and yellow pepper,

A dish such as this would normally be made with dried apricots, but diced fresh apricot works just as well, particulary when paired by raisins, which add sweetness. Destone the apricots, and chop finely. Chop the onion (two small), the chestnut mushrooms (two), and half a yellow pepper. Stir fry in sunflower oil at a high heat until the onion begins to brown.

Add deseeded chilli, root ginger, and three crushed cloves of garlic.Turn the heat down to medium and stir-fry for another three or four minutes. then add boiling water to the pan. Add the haricot beans (half a tin of baked beans will do just fine), a handful of cashew nuts, another handful of the raisins.

Add the spices - a teaspoonful of turmeric, half a teaspoonful each of garam massala and cumin, and a pinch of cumin seed. Simmer for forty-five minutes to an hour at a low heat under glass.

Finally, add a generous cupful of single cream, and a dessert spoonful of ground coconut, and stir together. Simmer for ten minutes, and serve with white basmati rice.

 

Beef Korma

Made with stir-fried beef strips, peas, scotch bonnet chilli, garlic, and a korma sauce made with turmeric, cream and ground coconut.

Cook the beef until it begins to brown, Add the chopped chilli (1 chilli should be enough) and the garlic. After a couple of minutes add some boiling water and the garden peas. Allow most of the water to evaporate.

You can make the korma sauce from scratch with the turmeric, cream, ground coconut, coriander leaf, and a little sugar (chopped dates are an alternative), or you can add a commercially available korma sauce. Add cumin if you like.

Cook for another seven minutes or so, stirring the mixture frequently.

Serve with boiled basmati rice.

Chicken Dopiaza

Made with 3 cardamom pods, chopped chicken breast, or chicken legs, chicken stock, coriander leaf (desert spoonful), cumin (tsp), hot Madras curry powder (desert spoonful), garlic, ginger (tsp), honey, lemon juice, onion, Peanut Butter, Tomato, Turmeric (a dash), Yoghurt. Served with white basmati rice, black pepper, and yoghurt. 

Make the sauce/marinade first. Mix together the contents of the cardamom pods, the coriander, cumin, curry powder, powdered ginger, garlic, and the turmeric. Open a can of chopped tomatoes and decant into a pan. Add the spices to the pot, and the chicken stock. Add a dessert spoonful of peanut butter, a dessert spoonful of honey, and three dessert spoonfuls of yoghurt. Stir thoroughly. Add the juice of half a lemon, or a whole lime. Bring to the boil and simmer. 

The chicken should be precooked. Chop into chunks, and add to the sauce. Simmer the chicken and sauce for at least thirty minutes under glass. 

Caramelise three large chopped onions in goose fat, or sunflower oil if you prefer, stirring continuously in a skillet for fifteen minutes, until golden brown. Add the onions to to the curry sauce, and stir thoroughly. Cook for a further fifteen minutes at a low heat, and serve. Utterly delicious!