Tag: curry making kit

How to cook… Piment Frire

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Makes 4

You’ll find street food sellers offering these Piment Frire (Chilli Poppers) all over Mauritius. These deliciously hot snacks are perfect to eat on the go or you can eat them with a chutney or pickle of your choice. For tuna-stuffed chilli poppers see Piment Farci au Thon.

What you need…
• 4 large chilli peppers (you can cut a small slit and empty out the seeds if you don’t like them too hot)
• Cold water
• Salt
• 100g self-raising flour
• 50g gram flour (this is chickpea flour, also called besan flour)
• 8 Tablespoons oil

How to make it…
1. Soak the peppers in the water with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes. Dry them and set aside.
2. Mix the self-raising flour and besan flour with a pinch of salt and enough water to create a thick paste.
3. Dip the peppers in the flour batter so they are all well coated.
4. Heat the oil in a shallow pan to a high heat and, using a slotted spoon, drop the chilli peppers into the oil until they turn a deep yellow and the batter is fully fried (about 2–3 minutes). Turn the peppers while they are frying to ensure they are evenly cooked. Depending on the size of your pan you may need to cook these in a couple of batches.
5. The chillies are obviously very hot when they come out of the oil so allow them to cool slightly before eating!

CHEF’S TIP
Try these with our Tomato & Chilli Chutney.

If you like this you should try our…
Sag Paneer • Chilli Paneer • Butter Chicken • Butter Paneer • Prawn Korma • Medium Chicken Curry • Chicken Madras • Chicken Vindaloo • Chicken Bhoona • Chicken Dopiaza

The large chilli asks his friend “why are you shaking?” “Because I’m a litle chilli,” comes the reply

How to cook… Piment Farci au Thon

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Makes 4

Piment Farci au Thon (Chillies Stuffed with Tuna) is popular street food or a snack that is often served at parties. These chilli poppers are sometimes stuffed with pieces of chicken or just cooked in batter without stuffing (see Piment Frire).

What you need…
• 4 large chilli peppers
• Cold water
• Two pinches of salt
• 100g self-raising flour
• 50g gram flour (this is chickpea flour, also called besan flour)
• 150g tuna, shredded
• 1 Tablespoon coriander, finely chopped
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped
• 8 Tablespoons oil

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How to make it…
1. Slice the peppers open to form a pocket. Remove the seeds if you don’t want them too hot. Soak them in the water with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes. Dry them and set aside.
2. Mix the self-raising flour and besan flour with a pinch of salt and enough water to create a thick paste.
3. Mix the tuna, coriander and spring onion and stuff the peppers with the mixture.
4. Dip the peppers in the flour batter so they are all well coated.
5. Heat the oil in a shallow pan to a high heat and, using a slotted spoon, drop the chilli peppers into the oil until they turn a deep yellow and the batter is fully fried (about 2–3 minutes). Turn the peppers while they are frying to ensure they are evenly cooked. Depending on the size of your pan you may need to cook these in a couple of batches.
6. The chillies are naturally very hot so allow them to cool slightly before eating!

CHEF’S TIP
These can be eaten hot or cold so are ideal for making in advance.
Piment Farci au Thon are Mauritian-style chilli peppers stuffed with tuna.

If you like this you should try our…
Ambot Tik • Chilli Chicken • Chilli Paneer • Butter Chicken • Medium Chicken Curry • Chicken Madras • Chicken Vindaloo Restaurant-style) • Chicken Bhoona • Chicken Recheade

Check out 5 Best Goa Curries

You love these so much you’ll eat a tun of them.

Chutneys, Pickles & Salads

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Carrot & Cucumber Salad
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 0.5 cucumber, peeled and shredded
• 1 chilli, chopped
• 3 teaspoons Balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together.
Onion & Tomato Salad
• 2 onions, sliced
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1.5 green chillies, chopped
• 8 stalks coriander, chopped
• 5 Tablespoons olive oil
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper

Mix all the ingredients together.
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Coriander & Chilli Chutney
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 small bunch coriander, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 3 chillies, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend to a rough, thick paste. Don’t blend it too much or the chutney will be too runny.

Cucumber Yoghurt
• 0.5 cucumber, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 0.5 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 Tablespoon yoghurt
• 0.5 teaspoon chilli flakes
• Pinch of salt
• Few coriander leaves for garnish

Mix all the ingredients together.
Chilli Pickle
• 10 red chillies, chopped
• 10 green chillies, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 3 Tablespoons oil
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of black pepper

Mix all the ingredients together.
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Tomato Chutney
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 0.25 onion, sliced
• 4 stalks of coriander, chopped
• 1 green chilli, chopped
• 0.5 teaspoon salt

1. Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the tomatoes. After a short time you’ll see the skin starting to crack. Leave the tomatoes for another 15 seconds then remove them, peel off the skin and cut into chunks.
2. Heat the oil to medium heat and add the peeled tomatoes and onions, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and mash everything using the back of a spoon or a potato masher.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Allow the chutney to cool before serving.
Mint Yoghurt
• 150ml yoghurt
• 50ml water
• 2 teaspoons mint sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together.
Mint & Mango Chutney
• 1 large mango, chopped
• Small handful of mint, chopped
• 2 chillies, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
• Pinch of salt

Add all the ingredients to a blender and mix to a smooth paste.
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Mango Chutney
• 1 mango, peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 Tablespoon garlic, chopped
• 10 red dried chillies
• 2 teaspoon Vindaye/Achar powder*
• Oil as required
• 1 green chilli to garnish

*If you don’t have Vindaye/Achar powder then dry fry 0.5 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 0.5 teaspoon mustard seeds and grind. Then add 0.5 teaspoon chilli powder, 0.5 teaspoon turmeric, 0.5 teaspoon ginger powder, 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder)

1. Add the salt to the mango (this will stop it turning brown). Put the mango in a tea towel, fold it over and squeeze out the juice. Spread the apple out on a plate and leave it to dry for an hour, preferably in the sun.
2. Dry fry the fenugreek seeds in a heated pan and grind with the garlic and red chillies.
3. Mix everything together.
4. Heat the oil for a couple of minutes and remove from the heat. Add the apple mix to the oil and warm through for 2 minutes.
5. Put everything into a jar and cover with oil.
6. It is ready to eat immediately but is best left for a day or two. When ready to serve garnish with a green chilli.
Apple Pickle
• 2 apples, cored and chopped but not peeled
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 Tablespoon garlic, chopped
• 10 red dried chillies
• 2 teaspoon Vindaye/Achar powder*
• Oil as required
• 1 teaspoon tamarind paste

* If you don’t have Vindaye/Achar powder then dry fry 0.5 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 0.5 teaspoon mustard seeds and grind. Then add 0.5 teaspoon chilli powder, 0.5 teaspoon turmeric, 0.5 teaspoon ginger powder, 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder)

1. Add the salt to the apple (this will stop it turning brown). Put the apple in a tea towel, fold it over and squeeze out the juice. Spread the apple out on a plate or try and leave it to dry, preferably in the sun.
2. Dry fry the fenugreek seeds in a heated pan and grind with the garlic and red chillies.
3. Mix everything together.
4. Heat the oil for a couple of minutes and remove from the heat. Add the apple mix to the oil and warm through for 2 minutes.
5. Put everything into a jar and cover with oil.
6. It is ready to eat immediately but is best left for a day or two.
Piment Carri Frire
• 8 large chillies (piments) with stalks removed and cut in half
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• Salt to taste

1. Heat the oil in a pan to a medium heat and fry the chillies for 5 minutes.
2. Add the chillies and continue frying until the chillies brown (about 5–10 minutes).
3. Add salt to taste.
Tomato & Chilli Chutney
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2 chillies, chopped
• Small handful fresh coriander, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 0.5 teaspoon fine salt

Add all the ingredients to a blender and mix to a rough paste.
Aubergine Chutney
• 1 large aubergine
• 1 garlic clove, cut into 4 slices
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 0.5 onion, finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons coriander, chopped
• Slice of lemon, chopped

1. Make four slashes into the aubergine and insert the garlic slivers. Coat the aubergine with oil and heat under a medium-hot grill for 20 minutes, turning frequently. The skin of the aubergine should start to pucker.
2. Once the aubergine is cooked remove it from the grill and remove the skin.
3. Chop up the aubergine and garlic, add in the other ingredients and mix well.

If you like this you should try our…
Sag Paneer • Chilli Paneer • Butter Chicken • Butter Paneer • Prawn Korma • Medium Chicken Curry • Chicken Madras • Chicken Vindaloo • Chicken Bhoona • Chicken Dopiaza • Ambot Tik

Win… a Balti Bowl & Balti Spice Kit

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THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. The winner was @valseal46 with her joke: I was eating at a restaurant and the waiter asked me, “Curry ok?” I replied, “No thanks, I can’t sing”.

Here’s your chance to win an fabulous Balti Bowl plus a Balti Beginnings Spice Kit courtesy of the Birmingham Balti Company – the Balti specialists – who are offering this prize worth £40.

The authentic Balti Bowl is made in Birmingham from pressed-steel – just like the original 1970s bowls – and made for professional kitchens. The Spice Kit includes three fantastic spice blends – garam masala, chicken or veg Balti blend and Balti Lamb blend – perfect to cook up a top-notch, restaurant quality, fresh tasting Balti curry at home.

For a chance to win…
1. Tell us your favourite curry joke or pun.
2. Follow the Royal Curry Club blog (go to top of the page) and subscribe to the Birmingham Balti Co. newsletter.

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Terms & Conditions
1. There will be one winner, who will be selected from entries on this website, Instagram and Twitter.
2. The competition closes at 8pm on Sunday 14 February 2021 and the winner will selected after that time.
3. By entering this competition you agree that your e-mail will automatically be added to the Royal Curry Club follower list and the Birmingham Balti Co. mailing list, which occasionally sends out special offers and news. You can unsubscribe from both at any time.
4. The competition is only open to residents of the UK with a UK address. If you enter the competition and don’t have a UK address the prizes cannot be sent to you and the winner will be reselected.
5. The decision of the organisers is final and we will not enter into correspondence on it.
6. WordPress, Twitter or Instagram are not associated with, and have no responsibility for this competition.

How to cook… Marchwangan Korma

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Serves 4 as a main dish

Korma is either loved (it is one of the favourite restaurant curries) or derided by those who prefer hotter curries. But korma is not just a mild, creamy dish but a style of cooking that means “to braise”, with origins in central Asia. Traditionally this oily, hot Kashmiri korma (yes, they can be hot!) is traditionally cooked with on-the-bone lamb or mutton but chicken works well and requires a lot less cooking time. Pandit Kashmiris (Brahmins) don’t eat onion so Marchwangan Korma is sometimes cooked without it.

What you need…
• 4 Tablespoons ghee
• 800g of chicken, cut into large chunks
• 4 green cardamons, cracked but not crushed
• 6 cloves
• 6cm piece of cinnamon stick
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 2 teaspoons chilli powder
• Salt to taste

Red Marinade
• 1 cooked beetroot, chopped, and 4 Tablespoons of the juice
• 8 red chillies, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons tomato purée
• 1 teaspoon paprika

How to make it…
1. Mix the ingredients for the marinade and blend to a fine paste with a little water. Add the chicken and leave to marinade for at least 2 hours but preferably 24 hours.
2. Heat half the ghee in a pan to a high heat and quickly seal the chicken (about 3 minutes). Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the rest of the ghee to a high heat and fry the cardamons, cloves and cinnamon stick for 15 seconds. They should sizzle immediately.
4. Turn down the heat, add the garlic cloves and fry for 1 minute.
5. Add the onion and fry until it starts to brown (about 6–7 minutes).
6. Add the cumin, coriander and chilli powder and fry for 2 minutes.
7. Add the Red Marinade and cook for 2 minutes.
8. Turn down the heat to very lower, add the chicken and salt, cover and cook until the chicken is all cooked through (about 15–20 minutes).

CHEF’S TIP
To cook without onion replace with 100ml red wine when you add the Marinade.

If you like this you should try our…
Sag Paneer • Chilli Paneer • Butter Chicken • Butter Paneer • Prawn Korma • Medium Chicken Curry • Chicken Madras • Chicken Vindaloo • Chicken Bhoona • Chicken Dopiaza • Ambot Tik

This curry is red, that much is true, it is so hot, it’ll make you go whooa!

How to cook… Chicken Korma

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Serves 4 as a main dish

Having shaken off the reputation of being the “beginner’s curry”, the mild Korma is gaining in popularity again. And it’s no surprise that chicken is the preferred choice for this delicious dish. This recipe avoids the sickly sweetness and coconut dished up by some restaurants and mixes onions, yoghurt and cream to create a creamy smoothness.

What you need…
• 1.5 onions
• 3 Tablespoons ghee
• 4 Tablespoons milk
• pinch turmeric
• 800g chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 Tablespoon garlic paste
• 1 Tablespoon garam masala
• 100g yoghurt
• 150ml double cream
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon almond flakes
• few coriander leaves, for garnish

How to make it…
1. Chop the onions and blanch them in boiling water for 3 minutes. This removes the bitterness. Purée the onions in a blender.
2. Heat 1 Tablespoon ghee in a pan to a low-medium heat. Add the milk and turmeric and once warm add the chicken to colour it. This should take 1-2 minutes.
3. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the rest of the ghee. When hot add the onions and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the garam masala, yoghurt, cream and salt, and cook until the chicken is cooked. You can add a little water to get the consistency you prefer.
6. While it is cooking turn the grill to a high heat and roast the almonds. This takes less than a minute so be careful not to burn them.
7. Serve, garnished with the roasted almonds and coriander leaves.

CHEF’S TIP
Because this dish is so mild it is nice with the sharp, tanginess of some lime pickle or mixed pickle.
Chicken Korma is the favourite for curry fans who don’t like it hot.

If you like this you should try our…
Prawn Madras • Prawn Rogan • Prawn Vindaloo • Prawn Dopiaza • Mughlai Malai Kofta • Medium Chicken Curry • Chicken Madras • Chicken Vindaloo • Chicken Bhoona • Butter Chicken • Chicken Dopiaza

I went for a curry the other night but it went badly wrong when my nan was taken ill and slipped into a Korma.

How to cook… Paneer Jalfrezi

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Serves 4 as a main dish

While Chicken is the favourite version of this popular dish Paneer Jalfrezi is a must try. Cooked with Base Curry Sauce and mixed with different coloured peppers, onions, tomatoes and chillies to create a lovely range of tastes and colours for this favourite restaurant curry

What you need…
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1 Tablespoon ghee
• 5 garlic cloves, sliced
• 4 cm chunk of ginger, cut into 2cm matchsticks
• 0.5 red pepper, cut into thin slices
• 0.5 yellow (or green) pepper, cut into thin slices
• 4 green chillies, chopped
• 600g Base Curry Sauce
• 800g paneer, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Small handful fresh coriander (chop up the stems and some of the leaves to add to the curry but set aside a few of leaves for garnish)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, cut into segments
• Salt to taste

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

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How to make it…
1. Heat the oil in pan to a low-medium heat. Add the paneer cubes and fry until they brown. This should take about 3–4 minute. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Heat the 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 garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Turn up the heat and add the peppers and chillies and cook for 2 minutes. You will soften the peppers and slightly char it (to mimic the tandoor taste).
4. Turn the heat down and add the Base Curry Sauce and Spice Mix and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add the coriander, onion, tomatoes and salt, and cook for 3 minutes. The pepper, onion and tomato should be just soft but not mushy.
7. Add the paneer and cook for 2 minutes.
8. Serve, garnished with the coriander leaves.

CHEF’S TIP
You can use shop bought paneer for the crumbliest paneer make your own.

If you like this you should try our…
Sag Paneer • Chilli Paneer • Butter Chicken • Butter Paneer • Prawn Korma • Medium Chicken Curry • Chicken Madras • Chicken Vindaloo • Chicken Bhoona • Chicken Dopiaza

Which cheeses can fly? Birds of prey.

How to cook… Keema with Coconut

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Serves 4 as a main dish

A simple dish for mushroom lovers who love a bit of spice in their side dishes. Just add the mushrooms to a little Base Curry Sauce, add plenty of garlic and chilli for this dryish dish.

What you need…
• 2 Tablespoons oil or ghee
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 600g lamb mince
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 4 dried red chillies, chopped into large pieces
• 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 5 curry leaves
• 0.5 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 2 Tablespoons coconut cream
• Salt to taste

Green Paste
• 20 mint leaves
• 3 green chillies, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon desiccated coconut

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How to make it…
1. Grind the ingredients from the Green Paste into a fine paste. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a pan to a medium heat and fry the garlic and ginger pastes for 1 minute.
3. Add the mince and fry until it is all browned (about 10 minutes). Remove the mince and set it aside.
4. Add the rest of the oil to a high heat and fry the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and red chillies for 15 seconds. It should sizzle immediately. You can test it is hot enough by dropping in one seed.
5. Turn down the heat to medium, add the onion and fry until it softens (about 5 minutes).
6. Add the curry leaves, turmeric and garam masala with a little water and fry for 3 minutes.
7. Add the Green Paste and cook for 3 minutes.
8. Add the mince and cook for 25 minutes.
9. Add the coconut cream and salt, mix well, remove from the heat and leave to rest for 3–4 minutes before serving.

CHEF’S TIP
You can replace the desiccated coconut with a chunk of fresh coconut for a fresher taste.
Keema with Coconut is popular dish from the South Indian state of Kerala.

If you like this you should try our…
Ambot Tik • Chilli Chicken • Chilli Paneer • Butter Chicken • Medium Chicken Curry • Chicken Madras • Chicken Vindaloo Restaurant-style) • Chicken Bhoona • Chicken Recheade

Check out 5 Best Goa Curries

What will you find in the middle of a coconut? The letter ‘o’.

How to cook… Fish Tikka

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Serves 4 as a starter

Fish Tikka is often overlooked for some of the more popular Tandoori recipes yet fish marinates really well and is quick and easy to cook. Fish makes a top Indian starter but also makes an excellent main dish if combined with Bombay Aloo and Spiced Indian Mixed Salad.

What you need…
• 4 white fish fillets, about 120-150g each
• 0.5 recipe of Tikka Marinade

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How to make it…
1. Pat the fish dry with a paper towel and coat the pieces in the Tikka Marinade. Leave for at least 15 minutes but preferably 24–48 hours.
2. Preheat your oven to 170 C. Place the pieces on a greased baking tray, ensuring all the pieces are kept well apart and cook, turning once, until the fish flakes with a fork and the marinade is crispy (about 20 minutes). Check one of the largest pieces to ensure it’s cooked. If not return to the oven.

CHEF’S TIP
To achieve those blackened edges the Indian restaurants get by cooking in the tandoor you can finish the fish off for a couple of minutes under a very hot grill. Just remove the fish from the oven a couple of minutes earlier.

If you like this you should try our…
Sag Paneer • Chilli Paneer • Butter Chicken • Butter Paneer • Prawn Korma • Medium Chicken Curry • Chicken Madras • Chicken Vindaloo • Chicken Bhoona • Chicken Dopiaza

Try this tandoori dish. It’s sure to go swimmingly.

How to make… Spiced Indian Mixed Salad

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Serves 4 as a side dish

Freshness is central to Indian food and what could be fresher than this popular salad. This Spiced Indian Mixed Salad is a popular vegetarian Indian dish that combines a host of tasty ingredients and then topped off by whole spices cooked in ghee. This colourful salad is an excellent accompaniment to all of your favourite curries.

What you need…
• 12 large, crispy lettuce leaves, ripped into smallish pieces
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, stripped into slivers
• 12 baby red tomatoes, halved
• 0.5 red pepper, chopped
• 0.5 yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon ghee
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 5 curry leaves
• Juice of half a lemon
• Small handful of coriander, torn, for garnish

How you make it…
1. Mix all the first seven ingredients together in a serving bowl.
2. Heat the ghee in a pan to a medium-hot heat and add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves for 15 seconds. The seeds should should sizzle immediately. You can test the ghee is hot enough by adding one seed. Allow to cool for 1 minute and pour over the salad.
3. Squeeze the lemon over the salad and garnish with the coriander.

CHEF’S TIP
Experiment with other whole spices for different flavours.

If you like this you should try our…
Medium Chicken Curry • Chicken Madras • Chicken Vindaloo • Chicken Bhoona • Chicken Feet Curry (Africa)

If you are not a fan of salads lettuce introduce you to this tasty one.
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