Its getting cold . . . . must be Curry Time!

In foodie terms, winter is my favourite time of year. You get to bake pies, make stews, roast roasts, and make curries. I know you can do it at any other time of year too . . . . it just feels better in winter!

One curry I have always had an aversion to is the seafood variety. The idea of curry & seafood was on the same page as pizza & seafood to me. But then one night recently, at an Indian restaurant with friends, someone ordered the Southern Indian Prawn curry. It was so good! So, so good! I am so glad I tried it!

So, after a little google-ing, I found this recipe by Jamie Oliver, and it is exactly what you would expect from him: simple, and delicious! Tip - ensure you have everything cut up in advance, as you need to add things quickly.

And no, this isn't outrageously hot: it has a nice warmth too it, and would only taste 'too hot' to someone who had refused to try chili ever before in their lives . . . . in which case, why are you friends with them?

Jamie Oliver's Keralan Fish Curry

• peanut oil

• 1 tsp mustard seeds

• 20 curry leaves
• Chopped coriander
• 6 shallots, finely sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 1 x 2.5cm piece of ginger, finely sliced
• 1 green chilli, finely sliced
• 1 tsp chilli powder (or more to taste)
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 750g firm white fish cut into chunks
• 1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

Firstly,  heat a lug of groundnut oil in a large pan and fry the mustard seeds with the curry leaves till the seeds start to pop. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli, and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes, till softened. 

Mix together the chilli powder and turmeric with a splash of water, no more than a quarter of a cup's worth, and then stir into the pan. Fry for a minute, then add the fish, coconut milk and tomatoes. Season w/ S&P.

Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, or until the fish is cooked and sauce reduced. Serve sprinkled with chopped coriander, with rice (I used brown b/c I prefer it - basmati is also perfect).

Easy, Quick Chicken Curry!

Hello! 

I haven't been cooking as much of late - but that will change after this weekend :)

This curry came from a great article in The Guardian. I call it a great article b/c the recipes in it are very good, though whoever thinks a student would have half of the ingredients in their pantry, or the money / inclination to buy them is a little deluded me thinks. I doubt many grown ups have 'garam masala' in their pantry.

(Yes, I do, but a spice shop is to me what a crack house is to drug addicts).

This is a very easy one-pot curry. Well 2 pots: one to mix everything in, and then a pan to cook it all in. But still, it is fantastic, and for a made-from-scratch curry, it is very quick - around half an hour. And it is delicious!

I served it with some naan bread I picked up from my local indian take-away.

Chicken, potato and spinach balti by Anjum Anand

3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter
750g chicken thighs, skinned
7 baby potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 handfuls of baby spinach
Handful of finely chopped coriander leaves and stems

For the curry base:
6 fat garlic cloves, peeled
¾ inch ginger, peeled
3 medium tomatoes, chopped into large chunks
3 good tbsp of full-fat Greek yoghurt
(don't do what I did and by Harris Farm's 'Plain Yighurt' - it is still a sweet yoghurt w/ sugar in there!)
1½ tbsp coriander powder
1¼ tsp garam masala
¼-½ tsp red chilli powder, or more if you like it hot
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
Salt to taste

For the base, make a paste of the ginger, garlic and tomatoes. I used my Bamix thing, but you could use a potato masher for the tomatoes and finely grate the ginger and garlic – the sauce will not be as smooth though. But the taste will be the same.

Stir in the spices, salt and yoghurt. Add the chicken and potatoes.



Heat the oil and butter/ghee in a medium non-stick saucepan. Add the onion and cook over a moderate flame, stirring often, until the onion is well browned on the edges, around 7-8 minutes.

Add the chicken, potatoes and curry base and cook over a moderate-high heat, tossing the chicken in the paste quite often until small oil droplets start to form on the base or edges of the pan; this takes around 10-12  minutes. If it still isn't cooked, you can add a splash of water and cook for another 5 minutes or until the water has reduced.

Add enough water to come halfway up the chicken and bring to the boil. Cover and cook on a low flame until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through, around 12-15 minutes more (depending on the size of the joints and potatoes).

Add the spinach and, once wilted, taste and adjust the seasoning. There should be enough of the sauce for a creamy gravy; if not, add a little more water. If you have added too much (like me! Don't let this picture be your guide! You want less water!), turn the heat up and allow to reduce.

Stir through the coriander and serve, with a dollop of extra yoghurt if desired, and some naan bread, or roti if you fancy. I don't think this needs rice - the potatoes are filling enough, even without naan.