This Indo-Chinese Rice combines the best of Indian and Chinese flavours and is excellent with Indo-Chinese dishes or to add a little extra to dishes such as Aloo Ghobi and Bombay Aloo.
What you needā¦ ā¢ 300g Basmati Rice ā¢ 0.5 teaspoon oil ā¢ 2 garlic cloves, chopped into slivers ā¢ 200g peas ā¢ 1 green chilli, chopped ā¢ 2 Tablespoons soya sauce ā¢ 1 teaspoon vinegar ā¢ 2 spring onions, chopped to garnish (optional)
How you make itā¦ 1. Cook the Basmati Rice and allow to cool. 2. Heat the oil, add the garlic and fry for 1 minute. 3. Add the peas and green chilli and fry for a few seconds. If you are using frozen peas you will need to cook them for a bit longer. 4. Add the soya sauce and vinegar, mix well and fry for 1 minute. 5. Add the rice and stir fry until everything is warmed through. 6. Serve, garnished with the (optional) spring onions.
CHEF’S TIP Avoid adding salt as the soya sauce already contains a lot of salt.
Rajma (red kidney bean) Curry is a hearty North Indian dish and makes a delicious, filling main meal or excellent side dish. The kidney beans require a bit of preparation but you can skip this by using canned beans if you don’t have time. Take a good serving of your Base Curry Sauce, add the kidney beans, add a bit of garlic and a sprinkle of spice for a great medium-strength curry. Garnish with cream and fresh coriander.
What you needā¦ ā¢ 750g red kidney beans ā¢ 2 Tablespoons ghee ā¢ 1 teaspoon cumin seeds ā¢ 1 teaspoon garlic paste ā¢ 600g Base Curry Sauce ā¢ 2 Tablespoons tomato ketchup ā¢ Small handful fresh coriander (chop up the stems to add to the curry and set aside the leaves for garnish) ā¢ 1 teaspoon garam masala ā¢ Salt to taste ā¢ 2 Tablespoons cream
How to make itā¦ 1. Soak the kidney beans in water overnight. Drain the water and rinse the beans. Cover with fresh water and boil for until the bean are well cooked and completely soft (about 45ā60 minutes). Drain and set aside. Alternatively you can use canned beans. Drain them and rinse them well.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. Add the kidney beans, mix well and cook for 5 minutes. 7. Add the garam masala, salt and coriander stems and continue cooking until the beans are fully cooked. 8. Serve, garnished with the cream and the coriander leaves.
CHEF’S TIP Spice up the curry with a couple of chopped red chillies. Add them just before stage 5.
Chicken Chettinad tis the trademark dish from the South Indian city of Chettinad, whole spices and coconut are dry-fried and ground, then added to a sauce of tomatoes, onions, garlic and ginger to create a classic Tamil Nadu dish, with chillies providing the kick.
What you needā¦ ā¢ 2 Tablespoons sesame oil (you can use vegetable oil but will lose some of the flavour) ā¢ 10 curry leaves ā¢ 1 teaspoon garlic paste ā¢ 400g Base Curry sauce ā¢ 0.5 teaspoon turmeric ā¢ 0.5 teaspoon coriander powder ā¢ 0.5 teaspoon chilli powder ā¢ 0.5 teaspoon salt ā¢ 800g chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces ā¢ A few coriander leaves for garnish
How to make itā¦ 1. Dry fry the spices from the Spice Mix on a medium heat in a pan for 15 seconds then add the coconut until it browns (about 2 minutes). Keep stirring and be careful not to burn the Spice Mix. Grind the mixture and set aside. 2. Heat the oil in the same pan to a medium heat and fry the curry leaves for 15 seconds. 3. Add the garlic paste and fry for 1 minute. 4. Add the Base Curry Sauce and cook for 3 minutes. 5. Add the Spice Mix, turmeric, coriander, chilli powder and salt and cook for 3 minutes. Add a little water if needed. 6. Add the chicken pieces and fry until all the pieces are cooked (about 10 minutes) 7. Serves, garnished with the coriander leaves.
CHEF’S TIP If using an electric grinder it’s best to let your dry-fry mix cool down before grinding.
Chicken Chettinad is a popular dish from the heart of Tamil Nadu.
A delicious dish that is often overlooked by many diners in Indian restaurants, a classic Fish Curry is a simple dish to make. Fry up some firm, white fish, take a good serving of your Base Curry Sauce, add a bit of garlic and a sprinkle of spice for a great medium-strength curry. Garnish with fresh coriander.
What you needā¦ ā¢ 800g of any firm, white fish, cut into bite-sized pieces ā¢ 2 Tablespoons ghee ā¢ 1 teaspoon garlic paste ā¢ 600ml Base Curry Sauce ā¢ 2 Tablespoons tomato ketchup ā¢ Small handful fresh coriander (chop up the stems to add to the curry and set aside the leaves for garnish) ā¢ 1 teaspoon garam masala ā¢ Salt to taste
Marinade ā¢ 1 teaspoon turmeric powder ā¢ 0.5 teaspoon salt ā¢ pinch black pepper
How to make itā¦ 1. Dry all the pieces of fish. Mix all the Marinade ingredients and coat all the pieces of fish. Set aside. 2. Heat 1 Tablespoon of ghee to a medium heat. While it is heating up mix the Spice Mix with the vinegar and enough water to form a sloppy paste. 3. Add the fish and fry until all the pieces are sealed (about 4 minutes). Set aside. 4. Add the rest of the ghee and when hot add the garlic paste and cook for 1 minute. 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 garam masala, salt and coriander stems and cook for 5 minutes. Add a little water if needed. 8. Add the fish pieces until all the pieces are cooked. 9. Serve, garnished with the coriander leaves.
CHEF’S TIP Restaurants traditionally use tilapia fish in Fish Curry but monkfish or hake is more readily available and makes an excellent alternative.
Pork Vindaloo is the classic Goan dish for heat lovers.
Murgh Malaiwala, also called Malai Murgh, is a creamy chicken dish similar to Butter Chicken, but it is hotter, richer and uses no tomato. A Mughal-era dish, it uses whole spices for depth of flavours and plenty of chilli and pepper for heat.
What you needā¦ ā¢ 800g chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces ā¢ 2 Tablespoons butter ā¢ 3 cloves ā¢ 2 cardamons, cracked but not crushed ā¢ 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds ā¢ 8 peppercorns ā¢ 1.5 onions, finely chopped ā¢ 2 chillies, sliced lengthways ā¢ 1 teaspoon chilli powder ā¢ 1 teaspoon garam masala ā¢ 0.5 teaspoon black pepper ā¢ 250ml cream
How to make itā¦ 1. Rub the chicken pieces with the lemon. This will degrease the chicken and help to absorb the Marinade. 2. Mix all the Marinade ingredients together and add the chicken to it, ensuring all the pieces re well covered. Set aside for 4 hours. 3. Heat the butter to medium heat and cook the cloves, cardamons, fenugreek seeds and peppercorns for 20 seconds, being careful not to burn them. 4. Turn down the heat, add the onion and fry until soft (about 5-7 minutes). 5. Add the chillies and fry for 20 minutes. 6. Add the chicken with the Marinade and fry until all the pieces are sealed (about 3 minutes). 7. Add the chilli powder, garam masala and pepper, mix well and fry for 3 minutes. Add a small amount of water if needed. 8. Add the cream and salt, and continue cooking until all the chicken pieces are cooked.
CHEF’S TIP This dish is nice if garnished with some pre-fried onions.
Gateaux Piment (Chilli Cakes) is a popular street-food snack in Mauritius, and is sold in small shops or from homes of people looking to earn a bit of extra income. It is particularly popular at breakfast time and locals often eat it with bread and butter. You may also see these advertised as Gato Pima, which is the Creole spelling of the snack. In this curry the Gateaux Piment are added to a red, very lightly spiced rougaille, with a touch of French influence.
What you needā¦ ā¢ 1 recipe Gateaux Piment ā¢ 1 onion, chopped ā¢ 1 teaspoon garlic paste ā¢ 1 teaspoon ginger paste ā¢ 2 green chillies, sliced ā¢ 2 sprigs of thyme, chopped ā¢ 4 curry leaves ā¢ 6 tomatoes, chopped ā¢ 1 Tablespoon tomato paste ā¢ 0.5 teaspoon salt ā¢ 0.5 teaspoon black pepper ā¢ 2 spring onions, chopped ā¢ Few coriander leaves, for garnish
How you make itā¦ 1. Heat oil, fry onions, garlic and ginger until the onions soften (about 5 minutes). 2. Add the chillies, thyme, curry leaves and fry for 2 minutes. 3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper, cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water if needed. The tomatoes should have broken down and formed a sauce. If they haven’t then continue cooking. 4. Add the Gateaux Piment, spring onions and coriander leaves, and serve.
It’s simple, it’s rustic and it’s tastyā¦ it’s a Bunny Chow! You’ll find someone selling them on every street corner in Durban, South Africa. Ideal for that steamy tropical climate, yet also great comfort food for cold winters. Cut off the bottom of a loaf, scoop out the white stuff leaving a crust shell. Fill with hot chicken curry (don’t forget the sauce now), settle down and use the bread you scooped out to mop up and eat your curry. No cutlery permitted. Durbanite and Bunny Chow lover Richard says bunnies are best eaten sitting cross-legged while staring at the Indian Ocean with a bottle of ice-cold Coke by your side.
What you needā¦ ā¢ 1 loaf of bread (it is best to use a loaf that has been left a day since buying it so the edges harden up and the curry won’t leak out) ā¢ 0.5 recipe Durban Chicken Curry (or any other curry of your choice)
How to make itā¦ 1. Cut the loaf in half and scoop out the bread to create a small “bread potsā. 2. Fill each hollowed out half with the curry, put the bread you scooped out on top (use this to mop up the curry as you eat) and serve with chilli and carrot sambals. Squeeze some lemon or orange on the carrots and eat towards the end of the meal to degrease your fingers, clear your palate and freshen up your breath.
* Note: this is a Half Bunny (so-called because it is served in half a loaf of bread. For the really hungry simply cut the top off the loaf and you have a Full Bunny. If you want a Quarter Bunny cut the loaf lower (although in reality this should more like a third as a quarter of a loaf is too small and will leak).
* When ordering a Bunny Chow locals would never mention it by name. They would just say: āQuarter beans,ā or āHalf chickenā. Simples.
To make a Bunny Chow cut a loaf in half and remove the bread as shown above. Then fill with the curry of your choice.
Durban is often called the largest Indian city outside of India, with the South African city home to around 900,000 people of Indian descent. The first Indians arrived in the area that is now called Kwa-Zula Natal in the mid-1900s and it soon became the centre of curry in the country. People living in other cities frequently say they are visiting Durban to enjoy a āproperā curry. This chicken curry is lightly spiced and is ideal to be used in the city’s famous Bunny Chow, where a curry is put into a hollowed out loaf of bread and eaten with the hands.Durban is often called the largest Indian city outside of India, with the South African city home to around 900,000 people of Indian descent. The first Indians arrived in the area that is now called Kwa-Zula Natal in the mid-1900s and it soon became the centre of curry in the country. People living in other cities frequently say they are visiting Durban to enjoy a āproperā curry. This chicken curry is lightly spiced and is ideal to be used in the city’s famous Bunny Chow, where a curry is put into a hollowed out loaf of bread and eaten with the hands.
What you needā¦ ā¢ 350g potatoes (about 2 medium-sized potatoes), peeled and cut into 3cm chunks ā¢ 2 Tablespoons oil ā¢ 2 onions, chopped ā¢ 1 teaspoon garlic paste ā¢ 1 teaspoon ginger pasteā¢ 4 tomatoes, chopped ā¢ 1 teaspoon garam masala ā¢ 1 teaspoon turmeric powder ā¢ 600g chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces ā¢ Salt to taste ā¢ Some coriander leaves to garnish
How to make itā¦ 1. Boil the potatoes in water until they are almost cooked. Ensure they are not soft as they will be added to the main pot to boil a bit longer. Once they are ready remove from the hot water so they do not keep cooking. 2. Heat the oil to a high heat, add the Spice Mix and fry for 20 seconds being careful not to burn the spices. 3. Turn down the heat, add onions, ginger paste, garlic paste and curry leaves, and cook until the onions soften (about 8ā10 minutes). 4. Add the tomatoes, garam masala and turmeric, mix well and cook for 2 minutes. 5. Add the chicken, salt to taste and cook for 7 minutes. Add a little water if needed. 6. Add the potato and continue cooking until all the chicken pieces are cooked and potato pieces soft. 7. Garnish with coriander and serve. ā¢ Recipe from information supplied by Awesome Creesen Naicker.
CHEF’S TIP This is the perfect curry to put in a Bunny Chow but keep the sauce thick so it can be added to the hollowed out loaf without soaking through.
This dish has very little to do with China but everything to do with curries created by Chinese takeaways. In the UK these were initially run by people from Hong Kong serving Cantonese dishes adapted to local tastes. The curry uses the basic Chinese/Chip Shop Curry Sauce and adds chicken and lots of onion. Some takeaways also add other ingredients such as carrot, peas or potato slices.
How to make itā¦ 1. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan to a medium heat, add the garlic paste and ginger paste, and fry for 1 minute. 2. Add the chicken and fry until all the pieces are sealed (about 2 minutes). 3. Add the Chinese/Chip Shop Curry Sauce and fry for 5 minutes. 4. Add the onion and soy sauce, mix well and fry until all the chicken pieces are cooked (about 2ā3 minutes).
CHEF’S TIP This dish is great with Steamed Rice but for the full on takeaway experience you can also serve this with Egg Fried Rice.
While everyone is ordering the usual sweet and sour and chow mein dishes, the curry lovers know the only option from a Chinese takeaway is Chinese Chicken Curry.
This is the lest authentic sauce you could possibly find but it’s still delicious! Made famous in chip shops all over the country and the same sauce used in the Chinese curries you will find alongside Cantonese and Szechuan dishes in your local Chinese takeaway.
What you needā¦ ā¢ 4 teaspoons cornflour ā¢ 2 teaspoons butter ā¢ 1 teaspoon garlic paste ā¢ 2 onions, finely chopped ā¢ 2 green apples, peeled and with core removed, and chopped ā¢ 500ml vegetable stock ā¢ 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
Spice Mix ā¢ 2 Tablespoons curry powder ā¢ 2 teaspoons Chinese five spice ā¢ 0.5 teaspoon chilli powder ā¢ 0.5 teaspoon salt
How to make itā¦ 1. Mix the cornflour with the Spice Mix and set aside. 2. Heat the butter to a medium heat, add the Spice Mix and cornflour and cook for 1 minute. 3. Add the garlic paste, onions and apples, and cook until they are soft (about 10 minutes). Mash them up as you go and add a little water if needed. 4. Add the vegetable stock bit by part, stirring all the time and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from the heat and using a hand blender blend the ingredients to a sauce. 5. Add the soy sauce, return to the heat and cook for 5 minutes. Add water to achieve the consistency you want.
CHEF’S TIP The sauce will keep for up to 4 days in a fridge or 3 months in a freezer. You can use tapioca starch for a vegan option but mix it with water before adding.
The Royal Curry Club 