How to cook… Curried Mussels

On September 6, 2020March 11, 2026 By In RecipesLeave a comment

Serves 2 as a main dish

The classic mussels dish is the Belgian speciality of mussels cooked in a white wine sauce with shallots. This dish of Curried Mussels adds the mussels to spices and coconut milk to produce a mild curried dish.

What you need…
• 1kg mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 0.5 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 0.5 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1 Tablespoon curry powder
• 0.5 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 0.5 teaspoon garam masala
• 250ml coconut milk
• 10 curry leaves
• salt to taste
• cracked black pepper (to garnish)
• 2 spring onions, chopped (to garnish)

How to make it…
1. Fry the oil in a pan to a medium-hot heat and fry the mustard seeds and cumin seeds for 15 seconds.
2 Add the onions and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
3. Add the ginger and garlic paste and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the curry powder, turmeric, garam masala, stir well and cook for 3 minutes.
5. Transfer the ingredients of the pan to a large saucepan (big enough to hold all the mussels) and turn the heat to medium.
6. Add the coconut milk, stir in well and heat through for 1 minute.
7. Add the curry leaves and salt, mix well and bring to a boil.
8. Add the mussels, being sure to remove any that are already open and simmer until they open (about 5-7 minutes). Discard any that do not open.
9. Garnish with cracked pepper and the spring onion, and serve in the pan as a sharing pot.

**CHEF’S TIP**
Just add some chilli powder to spice up this dish.

**Curried Mussels** is a spiced up version of the famous Belgian dish.

How to cook… Medium Vegetable Curry

On September 5, 2020March 11, 2026 By In RecipesLeave a comment

Serves 4 as a main dish

There are 1.3 billion people in India and 55 million in the Indian diaspora across the world. Hundreds of millions of these are vegetarians so there is naturally a huge number of vegetable curries. This is the staple British Indian restaurant Vegetable Curry. Take a good serving of your Base Curry Sauce, add a bit of garlic, a sprinkle of spice and the vegetables for a great medium-strength curry. Garnish with fresh coriander.

What you need…
• 800g mixed vegetables, cut into bite-sized pieces
• salt to taste
• 2 Tablespoons ghee
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 600ml Base Curry Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons tomato ketchup
• small handful fresh coriander (chop up the stems to add to the curry and set aside the leaves for garnish)
• 1 teaspoon garam masala

Spice Mix
• 1 Tablespoon mild curry powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon vinegar

How to make it…
1. Boil the vegetables in water with a little salt until they are just soft, but not over-cooked, remembering that different vegetables have different cooking times. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat the ghee to a high heat. While it is heating up mix the Spice Mix with the vinegar and enough water to form a sloppy paste.
3. Add the cumin seeds and fry for 15 seconds. They should sizzle immediately. You can test the ghee is hot enough by adding one seed.
4. Add the garlic paste and cook for 1 minute on a lower heat. You may have to remove the pan from the heat initially to stop the paste burning. (If it burns then throw it away and start again.)
5. Add the Spice Mix paste and cook for 2 minutes. It should now be thick and gloopy.
6. Add the Base Curry Sauce and the tomato and cook for 2 minutes.
7. Add the vegetables, garam masala, salt and coriander stems and continue cooking until the chicken is fully cooked.
8. Serve, garnished with the coriander leaves.

**CHEF’S TIP**
Select a range of vegetables that give the dish a mix of colours and textures. But unless you’re under seven you don’t have to eat vegetables you don’t like…

Select your favourite vegetables, add Base Curry Sauce and a bit of spice for a classic **Vegetable Curry**.

How to cook… Sri Lankan Salmon Curry

On September 1, 2020September 15, 2020 By In RecipesLeave a comment

Serves 4 as a main dish

As with many South Indian dishes, Sri Lankan cuisine combines the spices of India with the creaminess of the coconut and tanginess of tamarind to create that delicious taste of the coast. Fish is an abundant resource and while it is usually cooked in chunks, with a little extra patience and care cooking the salmon darne whole absorbs the flavours well and looks great. You’ll need a large, flat-bottomed pan to cook the salmon darnes whole or split the sauce into two pans.

What you need…
• 4 salmon darnes of about 180g each (with skin left on one side)
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 3 chillies, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon tomato ketchup
• 2 teaspoons tamarind paste
• 400ml coconut milk
• 15 curry leaves
• Cracked pepper to garnish

Marinade
• Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 cracked black pepper

How you make it…
1. Dry the salmon darnes with a paper towel.
2. Mix all the marinade ingredients and rub it on the salmon, making sure they are all well covered. Leave for 30 minutes.
3. Heat the oil to a medium heat, add the onion and cook until they soften (about 5 minutes).
4. Add the garlic paste and ginger paste and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the chillies and cook for 1 minute.
6. Add the tomatoes, tomato ketchup and tamarind, and cook for 3 minutes.
7. Add the coconut milk, stir well and cook until the sauce reduces (about 4–5 minutes).
8. Add in the salmon pieces, gently cover them in sauce, add the curry leaves, and let the sauce bubble away until the salmon is cooked (about 8–10 minutes).
9. Serve with some cracked peppers on the top.

**CHEF’S TIP**
Remove the skin if you decide to cook the fish in chunks rather than whole.

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How to cook… Gato Du Pain Frire (Bread Pakora)

On August 31, 2020March 11, 2026 By In RecipesLeave a comment

Serves 2 as a snack

This simple street snack is popular in Mauritius. This is simply slices of bread dipped in batter and fried and are delicious with a fresh Coriander Chutney.

What you need…
• 10 pieces of French bread, sliced into pieces 2cm deep
• 8 Tablespoons oil (or more if needed to cover the bottom of your pan)

Batter
• 4 Tablespoons gram flour
• 2 Tablespoons self-raising flour
• 0.5 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 spring onion, chopped
• 2 drops yellow food colouring
• pinch of salt
• water as required

How to make it…
1. Mix all the ingredients for the batter and add the water bit by bit until a thick paste has formed.
2. Heat the oil to a medium-hot heat.
3. Dip the bread pieces in the batter mix, ensuring they are well covered.
4. Add the battered bread pieces to the oil, ensuring you do not crowd them, and fry until they are golden brown (about five minutes).
5. Serve with Coriander Chutney.

**CHEF’S TIP**
You can spice these up by adding some chilli powder to the batter.

With fresh Coriander Chutney this **Gato Du Pain Frire** is a delciious but simple street snack.

How to cook… Manchurian Paneer

On August 30, 2020March 11, 2026 By In RecipesLeave a comment

Serves 4 as a main dish

Manchurian Paneer is an Indo-Chinese dish that combines the flavours and cooking techniques of both India and China. The chunks of cheese are fried in a chilli batter then stir fried with garlic, ginger, pepper and spy sauce and top with spring onions. The cuisine emerged from a group of Chinese people, now numbering 2,000, in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) and there are a number of restaurants serving the hybrid cuisine in Chinatown in the city.

What you need…
• 500g paneer, cut into chunks
• 10 Tablespoons oil
• 0.5 yellow or green pepper, cut into chunks
• 0.5 red pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 0.5 teaspoon ginger paste
• 0.5 onion, cut into chunks
• 3 chillies, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons tomato ketchup
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• 0.5 teaspoon cracked black pepper

For the batter
• 5 Tablespoons plain flour
• 1.5 Tablespoons corn flour
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• pinch of salt
• water, as needed

How to make it…
1. Mix the first four ingredients of the batter then add the water bit by bit to form a thin paste.
2. Add the paneer chunks and ensure all are well coated by the paste.
3. Heat the oil to a medium-hot heat then add the paneer chunks until they brown on all sides (about 3 minutes). Turn them frequently to avoid them burning. Remove the paneer from the oil and set aside on a paper towel.
4. Turn down the heat, add the peppers and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 1 minute.
6. Add the onion and chillies and fry for 2 minutes.
7. Add the soy sauce, tomato ketchup and 4 tablespoons of the leftover batter paste and stir fry for 1 minute.
8. Add the paneer and fry until all the ingredients are cooked through. The peppers and onions should be softened but not mushy.
9. Sprinkle the spring onions and crack the black pepper on top and serve fresh.

**CHEF’S TIP**
This also makes an excellent and unusual starter. Just half the quantities.

**Manchurian Paneer** is one of the great Indo-Chinese dishes combining flavours from Indian and Chinese cuisine.

How to cook… Chicken Jalfrezi Stir-Fry

On August 30, 2020March 11, 2026 By In RecipesLeave a comment

Serves 4 as a main dish

Jalfrezi means spicy stir-fry and originates from West Bengal (now in Bangladesh) dating back to the days of the Raj. The chefs of the day brought together meat and vegetables leftovers from the huge Raj banquets in a stir-fry added just a little spice and allowed the dish to cook in it’s own juices. Today the bright colours and varied tastes of the peppers, onions, tomatoes and coriander leaves has made this one of the most poplar dishes in Britain but inevitably it has morphed into something different and includes a healthy dose of Base Curry Sauce. This is the stir-fry version, quick, tasty and fresh. The British-Indian Restaurant version of Chicken Jalfrezi has sauce added.

What you need…
• 4 Tablespoon ghee
• 800g chicken breast or thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 0.5 green pepper, seeded and cut into thin slices
• 0.5 red pepper, seeded and cut into thin slices
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 4 chillies, chopped
• small handful fresh coriander (chop up the stems to add to the curry and set aside the leaves for garnish)
• Salt to taste
• 0.5 teaspoon garam masala
• 2 tomatoes, cut into segments
• Cracked black pepper to garnish

Spice Mix
• 1 Tablespoon curry powder
• 0.5 teaspoon coriander powder
• 0.5 chilli powder
• 0.5 teaspoon turmeric powder

How you make it…
1. Heat 3 Tablespoons of ghee to a medium-hot heat and add the cumin seeds for 30 seconds.
2. Add the chicken pieces and fry until they are all sealed (about 3–4 minutes). Take out the chicken pieces and set aside.
3. Add the rest of the ghee and once hot add the red and green peppers and fry until they start to soften (about 3 minutes).
4. Add the Spice Mix, mix well and cook for 3 minutes.
5. Add the onion, chillies, coriander stems and salt, and cook for 2 minutes. Avoid the temptation to add water.
6. Add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes.
7. Add the garam masala and tomatoes, and cook gently until all the chicken pieces are cooked through (about 6–8 minutes). The tomato should be soft but not mushed.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves and a bit of cracked pepper serve immediately.

**CHEF’S TIP**
Serve this as soon as it is cooked to keep the delicious freshness of the ingredients.

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How to cook… Chicken Pasanda

On August 29, 2020March 11, 2026 By In RecipesLeave a comment

Serves 4 as a main dish

Pasanda is another dish from the famed Mughal-era, when dishes were rich and luxurious. Traditionally the dish is cooked with goat or lamb meat that is flattened, marinated then cooked in aromatic spices. This recipe uses chicken. Using a whole chicken breast makes a nice change from the bite-sized chunks found in most curry dishes and no-one can dispute that the yoghurt, nuts and pepper combination create a dish worthy of the famous royal courts from the 17th century.

What you need…
• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 Tablespoons ghee
• 2 cardamons, cracked
• 2 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick 5cm long
• 1 onion, pureed
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1 teaspoon cream
• 3 Tablespoons roasted sliced almonds (crush up 2 Tablespoons to be added to the curry and keep 1 Tablespoon for garnish)
• Salt to taste
• Few coriander leaves for garnish

Marinade
• 150g yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1.5 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 0.5 teaspoon salt

How to make it…
1. Use a meat tenderiser or roller to flatten the chicken breasts so they are as even in thickness as possible (but don’t beat it to a pulp!).
2. Rub the lemon juice on the chicken breasts and leave for 15 minutes. This will remove the grease so the chicken absorbs the marinade fully.
3. Mix all the marinade ingredients well and cover the chicken breasts. Leave for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
4. Remove the chicken breasts and shake off the excess marinade.
5. Heat the ghee to a medium heat and fry the chicken breasts for 5 minutes on each side. Set aside. Add the cardamons, cloves and cinnamon stick to the pan and fry for 30 seconds.
6. Add the rest of the ghee to the pan, then add the onion and cook for 5 minutes.
7. Add the garlic paste and ginger paste and cook for 2 minutes.
8. Add the rest of the marinade, the crushed almonds and salt, and when everything has mixed fully add the chicken, cover the pan and cook gently until the chicken breasts are cooked through fully.
9. Garnish with almonds and coriander, then add the cream on top in a swirl just before serving.

**CHEF’S TIP**
The best way to roast the almonds is under the grill but keep and eye on them as they roast very quickly.

**Chicken Pasanda**, rich with plenty of nuts.

How to cook… Achari Chicken

On August 28, 2020 By In RecipesLeave a comment

Serves 4 as a main dish

Achari Chicken is for lovers of pickling spices. Take a good serving of the Base Curry Sauce, add some chicken, a bit of garlic and a sprinkle of spice for a great medium-strength curry. Just with salty, tangy pickles.

What you need…
• 2 Tablespoons ghee
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 600ml Base Curry Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons tomato ketchup
• small handful fresh coriander (chop up the stems to add to the curry and set aside the leaves for garnish)
• 2.5 Tablespoons mixed or lime pickle, chopped
• 800g chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• salt to taste

Spice Mix
• 1 Tablespoon mild curry powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon vinegar

How you make it…
1. Heat the ghee to a high heat. While it is heating up mix the Spice Mix with the vinegar and enough water to form a sloppy paste.
2. Add the cumin seeds and fry for 15 seconds. They should sizzle immediately. You can test the ghee is hot enough by adding one seed.
3. Add the garlic paste and cook for 1 minute on a lower heat. You may have to remove the pan from the heat initially to stop the paste burning. (If it burns then throw it away and start again.)
4. Add the Spice Mix paste and cook for 2 minutes. It should now be thick and gloopy.
5. Add the Base Curry Sauce and the tomato and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add 2 Tablespoons chopped pickle and mix well
7. Add the chicken, mix well and cook for five minutes.
8. Add the garam masala, salt (check carefully as the pickle is usually salty enough) and coriander stems and continue cooking until the chicken is fully cooked.
9. Serve, garnished with the coriander leaves and the other half Tablespoon of pickle.

**CHEF’S TIP**
You can also try this with Shaktora a citrus that is native of Sylhet in Bangladesh.

**Achari Chicken**, strictly for fans of pickling spices.

How to cook… Prawn Balchão

On August 27, 2020March 11, 2026 By In RecipesLeave a comment

Serves 4 as a main dish

For such a small state Goa has a rich and varied cuisine. Drawing on influences from Portuguese (who ruled Goa for 450 years until 1961) and Indian cooking and naturally using the the abundant fish and shellfish, Goa has produced some superb dishes. Prawn Balchão is one of them. The fiery prawn dish, considered a pickle by many, includes dried chillies, peppercorns and tamarind to create a hot but tart flavour.

What you need…
• 600g prawns, shelled and deveined
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• knob of butter
• 1 Tablespoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 2 Tablespoons vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons tamarind paste
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 1.5 onions, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon tomato ketchup
• Salt to taste
• 15 curry leaves

Spice Mix
• 2 peppercorns
• 12 dried, red chillies
• 2 cloves
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

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How you make it…
1. Mix the turmeric and salt with prawns and set aside for 30 minutes.
2. Dry roast the Spice Mix in a pan until they release their aromas (about 3 minutes).
3. Add together the roasted Spice Mix, garlic paste, ginger paste, vinegar and tamarind and blend to a paste.
4. Heat the oil in a pan to a medium heat and fry the prawns until they turn pink (about 3 minutes). Set aside.
5. Heat the oil to a medium heat and fry the onions until soft (about 5 minutes)
6. Add the tomatoes and fry for 5 minutes, mashing the mixture as it cooks. Add a little water as necessary to start creating a thickish sauce.
7. Add the tomato ketchup, Spice Mix paste and curry leaves, mix well and cook for 3 minutes.
8. Add the prawns and stir fry until they are all cooked through (about 3–5 minutes).

**CHEF’S TIP**
You can use any vinegar in this dish but for an authentic taste use coconut vinegar which gives added sharpness.

How to cook… Tali Machli (Spicy Fried Fish)

On August 25, 2020March 11, 2026 By In RecipesLeave a comment

Serves 4 as a snack

Tali Machli (Spicy Fried Fish) is a popular street food snack eaten all over India but is especially popular in coastal Maharashtra. It’s lightly spiced so you don’t need a sauce, which makes it ideal for eating on the move, but it’s also delicious with your favourite chutney or pickle.

What you need…
• 500g white fish, skinned and cut into four, even-sized fillets
• 60g gram flour
• 40g rice flour
• 10 Tablespoons oil
• 0.5 teaspoon mustard seeds

Marinade
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (or white wine vinegar)
• 0.5 teaspoon turmeric
• 0.5 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 0.5 teaspoon salt

How to make it…
1. Pat the fish fillets dry with a paper towel.
2. Mix the marinade ingredients together to form a thick paste and rub it over the fillets. Leave for 1 hour.
3. Cover the fillets in the gram flour then in the rice flour, ensuring all parts are well covered.
4. Heat the oil to a medium-high heat in a wide, pan, add the mustard seeds and fry for 30 seconds.
5. Add the fillets and shallow fry until the fish is cooked through and the batter crisp (about 3 minutes on each side).

**CHEF’S TIP**
If you want to spice up the batter you can add a teaspoon of chilli powder to the marinade.

**Fried fish marinated in a spices then fried is a popular street snack in India.**

The Royal Curry Club

Tag: curry accompanying dishes

How to cook… Curried Mussels

How to cook… Medium Vegetable Curry

How to cook… Sri Lankan Salmon Curry

How to cook… Gato Du Pain Frire (Bread Pakora)

How to cook… Manchurian Paneer

How to cook… Chicken Jalfrezi Stir-Fry

How to cook… Chicken Pasanda

How to cook… Achari Chicken

How to cook… Prawn Balchão

How to cook… Tali Machli (Spicy Fried Fish)

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