This is the time of the year when most of us turn our attention to whipping up a curry with the turkey leftovers. Because it’s been roasted (as it would in a tandoor) a masala sauce works well but a creamy korma is also good. But whatever you choose remember the meat has been cooked already so don’t cook it again any more than is necessary. It’s a dry enough meat as it is.
Category: Curry News
Curry tip of the week 7
Fancy a change from beer with your curry? The spices in whisky make it an ideal drink to accompany your favourite dish. Try the smoky Johnnie Walker Black with Chicken Tikka Masala.
Tastier of Raj
Taste of Raj in Blackheath has always been a favourite, in part because of its lovely location and friendliness but also because it’s open all day. A sneaky mid-afternoon curry beats all, especially on a school day.
Now, I am pleased to report some tasty new dishes on its extended menu. But don’t take my word for it, just click on the image below and take a peek. Tested out on a recent visit and both recommended was the unusual Spicy Calamari (£5.95) with no shortage of green stuff for lovers of healthy extras, and Palak Pakura (£3.75) a sort of onion bhaji with loads of spinach and cream cheese filling. Both came with some conversation-starter extras: a rice cake, a twirly thing made of white flour and yoghurt, and a heart created with two different sauces. Ahhhh…
Curry tip of the week 6
Are you a Butter Chicken lover? When cooking with butter always add a little oil to the pan first to avoid it burning.
Courtesy of Sweet ‘n’ Spicy phone app.
Curry column
It’s hot, it’s spicy, it’s the new edition of the Greenwich Visitor. Check out the new curry column…
Curry tip of the week 5
When cooking kofta curry place the koftas into the sauce and cover, then wait until they are browned before stirring. This will ensure the koftas do not break up.
Create your own Balti
We’ve all heard about creating your own pizza (bit of this, bit of that) but how about creating your own Balti? Well, that’s an option at Sartaj in London’s West End. It’s a popular pre-theatre place and offers lunch and a theatre-goer special (before 7.30pm) at just £7.50, including unlimited nan bread. Can’t be bad.
So this is how it goes. Choose your base (various choices such as chicken or lamb for £5.50, fish for £6.50 or mixed vegetable for £4.95). You add your sauce for a pound (masala, dupiaza, korma, take your pick). Then vegetables (anything from mushrooms to potato to pumpkin) for a pound a pop. Then you tell the chef your preferred cooking strength (mild, medium, madras or vindaloo hot).
Now that’s got to beat a ‘extra pepperoni with a thin crust’ any day of the week.
Sartaj, 26 Earlham Street, London, WC2 H9LN. Tel: 020 7831 1413. Open: Mon–Wed noon-2pm and 5.30pm-midnight, Thur–Sun noon-midnight.
Curry column
Check out the Greenwich Visitor for the most recent curry column.
British Curry Award Winners
Restaurants
Tamarind, Mayfair (Best in Central London)
Shampan 3, Welling (Best in London Suburbs)
Cinnamon Kitchen & Anise, London EC2 (Best Newcomer)
Taj Tandoori, Prestwick (Best in Scotland)
Vujon, Newcastle (Best in North East)
Dower House, Doncaster (Best in North West)
Rilys, Redditch (Best in Midlands)
Bokhara Brasserie, Bridgend (Best in Wales)
Haweli, Twyford (Best in South East)
Spice Lodge, Cheltenham (Best in South West)
Other awards
Shelim Hussain MBE, Eurofoods (Personality of the Year)
Keka Ferdosi (Special Recognition)
Khalid Sami Khan, Lasan restaurant, Birmingham (Culinary Chef of the Year)
Curry one-liners
Curry lover 1: I am going to try Chicken Tarka Masala tonight. It’s meant to be like Tikka but this is a little ‘otter
Curry lover 2: Some man in our local Indian Restaurant collapsed with a heart-attack the other night in the middle of eating. Rumour is he had a dodgy Tikka.
Curry lover 1: Did he fall into a Korma?
Curry lover 2: No, but he was on the Vinda loo a lot.
Curry lover 1: This is getting Phaal-sical.
Curry lover 1: Sorry, I was only Rogan Joshing.
Curry lover 2: At least his Nan was close by.
Curry lover 1: And she gave him a Pilau to rest his head on.
Curry lover 2: They had to revive him with a Chapati on the back.
Curry lover 1: Which was an Aloo-dicrous thing to do.
Curry lover 2: But it worked so nobody could Sag-ue with that approach.
Curry lover 1: And I’m pleased to report he was Raita as rain afterwards.
The Royal Curry Club 