National Curry Week Recipes

Recipes

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NATIONAL CURRY WEEK RECIPES

(Watch out for the recommended recipes to celebrate every day of National Curry Week 2011 at home - coming soon)

In 1948 the Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi introduced the restaurant tandoor resulting in the creation of Butter Chicken. Once this dish was introduced to Britain it gradually became Chicken Tikka Masala to cater for British tastes and has become 'the national dish'.

KEBAB BUTTER MASALA (Courtesy Monish Gujral of Moti Mahal)

Ingredients for the Kebabs

Minced lamb- 500 gm
Egg, beaten- 1
Onion , finely chopped- 1
Green chillies, finely chopped- 2
Red chilli powder- 5 tsp
Ginger, chopped- 1tsp
Garam masala- 5 tsp
Salt to taste
Green coriander chopped- 2 tsp
Lemon cut into wedges-1

For the masala-

Refined oil- 2 tbsp
Onion chopped- 1
Ginger-garlic paste 2 tbsp
Cumin powder- 1 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tso
Turmeric powder- 1tsp
Red chilli powder- 2 tsp
Garam masala- 1 tsp
Salt to taste-
Green chilli sliced- 2
Tomato puree - 300 ml
Lemon juice- 15ml
Butter-50gm
Fresh double cream- 100 ml
Green coriander chopped- 1 tbsp

Method to cook the kebabs

Combine all ingredients except last two in a bowl
Divide the mixture equally in 16 balls . Skewer each ball and with wet hands make 2"long kebabs along with the skewer
Put the skewers in the tandoor or preheated conventional oven pre set at 350 deg cfor 7-8 minutes
Take them out brush them with oil turn around and cook again
Take out from skewers and keep aside.
These also can be served as a snack -arranged on a platter garnished with chopped coriander and lemon wedges

Method for the masala-

Heat the oil in the wok Add onions and sauté till golden brown
Stir in ginger garlic paste
Add spices and salt
Now add the seekh kebabs and stir for 3-4 minutes
Add green chillies , tomato puree and lemon juice and stir for few minutes
Now add butter . As the butter melts add cream and remove from fire
Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander

Winner of 60 Year Dish Competition 2008 Andy Varma's Curry Palak aur methi Murgi (Garlic & ginger flavoured Spinach & Fenugreek Chicken)

Ingredients - Serves 2

Cooked chicken breast 400 gm
Cooked Onion Tomato gravy ¼ cup
Spinach puree ½ cup
Salt to taste
Fresh fenugreek & spinach 50 gm ea - roughly chopped
White pepper to taste
Red chili powder - A pinch
Ginger 10 gm
Garlic 5 gm
Oil 3 tbl
Ginger Julian - A pinch
Garam Masala 1 tsp
Coriander leaves 10 gm

Method

1.Cut cooked chicken pieces into dices
2.Cook onions & tomato with oil, turmeric, green chili and Garam Masala and keep aside
3.Blanch the spinach and puree in a blender with some garlic & ginger. In a pan heat some oil and sauté the spinach puree and the fresh spinach& fenugreek & keep aside
4.Heat oil in a pan. Add garlic, & ginger and sauté. Add the chicken and the tomato-onion gravy and sauté for 5 minutes.
5.Add the spinach and blend into the curry
6.Add all spices and sauté for 1 minute
7.garnish with ginger julian & fresh coriander
8.Serve with Butter naan

Runner up Rajpoot, Birmingham offered Murg Sekwai which is among the best known traditional Nepalese dishes. Its gravy can be made as hot or mild as you like so it suits most palates

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to suit your taste)
1 cup fresh yoghurt (must not be sour)
2 tsps garam masala
2 tsps coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
6 cloves
1" stick of cinnamon
Seeds from 3-4 pods of cardamom
2 bay leaves
2 onions chopped
1 chopped tomato
2 tsps garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1/2 litre chicken stock
3 tbsps vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil
3 tbsps butter
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves to garnish

Preparation:

Mix the chicken breast, lime juice, fresh cream, yogurt, salt, roasted and powdered cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves in a bowl and allow to marinate for overnight.
Cook this marinated chicken breast in clay oven specially imported from india for three minutes and the cut into thin slices.
Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions. Fry till golden brown, then add the ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for a minute, then add chopped tomatoes, chopped green chilli, turmeric powder, garam masala and cook till it becomes golden brown.
Now add the charcoal grilled chicken slices, 1 tbsp yogurt, a touch of cream and cook till the gravy is reduced to thick consistency.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with naan bread.

Chicken Tikka Masala - the nation's favourite

Ingredients

1lb large diced boneles chicken breast
1 oz garlic
1 oz ginger
4 tbs fresh natural yoghurt
2 small fresh green chillies
1 tsp salt
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tbs red paprika
4-5 fresh green coriander

Sauce

4 oz chopped onions 3 oz ghee
1 oz ground garlic
1 oz ground ginger
3 oz yoghurt
1/2 tsp cumin powder
2 tbs desicated coconut
4 oz fresh single cream
2 medium tomatoes (liquidised)
1.2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
pinch dried methi

Method

Grind fresh green chilies, fresh coriander, garlic and ginger with 2-3 tbs water until a thick paste is formed. Marinate the chicken in the paste then add the salt and yoghurt. Next add the lemon juice, cumin, coriander powder and red paprika and mix thoroughly. Leave chicken to marinate in the paste overnight

Take marinated chicken and cook on skewers in tandoor or 10-12 minutes under a grill on a moderate high heat.Fry onions in the ghee Add tomatoes and yoghurt and mix on low/moderate heat. Add cumin powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, salt, desicated coconut, dried methi and fresh single cream and mix thoroughly. Water may be added if more liquid is required. Add cooked pieces or chicken to the sauce and mix well. Leave to simmer on low heat. Transfer to serving dish garnish with a little single cream and sprinkle liberally with fresh coriander and garam masala.

Rogon Gosht - the famouse rich lamb dish

Ingredients

750g Lamb cut into 1 cubes
1 tsp fennel seeds
3 bay leaves
2 tsp black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp roasted ground cumin Jarful grated
2 curry leaves
A pinch of saffron (soak for 5 mins)
2 tsp paprika powder Half tsp grama masala
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric
4 large tomatoes finely chopped
3 large onions finely chopped
1.5 green peppers finely chopped
8 chillies finely chopped coriander finely chopped
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp ginger paste 350ml natural yoghurt
6 tbsp oil
1 cup water Salt to taste

Method

1 Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions until they are golden brown. Stir in the garlic, ginger, salt to taste and cook for a further minute.
2 Add green pepper, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves and fennel seeds ; curry leaves, black peppercorn, cardamom pods, red chillies, tomatoes and stir.
3 Add the meat and gradually stir them. Cover and simmer gently for five minutes. Add water
4 Mix together the yoghurt, paprika powder, garam masala, red chilli powder and turmeric to form a smooth paste in a bowl, stir this paste into the onions in the pan and cook for 1 - 2 minutes until the sauce is well blended.
5 Give the meat some more good stirs. Now put in the water, cover so as to leave the lid very slightly ajar and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes.
6 Cover completely and cook on low heat for another 45 minutes or until meat is tender.
7 Stir a few times as the meat cooks making sure there is always liquid in the pot. Remove lid and add garam masala. You should have a thick, reddish brown sauce. If it is too thin, boil away some of the liquid.
8 When lamb is tender add the saffron.
9 Garnish with coriander.

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