How to cook curry

How to cook… Murgh Nawabi

Recipes

Serves 4 as a main dish

This is a dish from the predominantly Muslim city of Lucknow in North India and dates back hundreds of years to the era of the Nawab-Wazirs (who governed what was known as the state of Awadh at the time). The Nawabs were the royal leaders that followed the great Mughlai era and they were renowned for their great excess. This rich dish of yoghurt, cream, nuts and sultanas is that certainly one that fits the bill.

What you need…
• 800g chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 Tablespoons oil
• 1.5 onions, pureed
• 1 Tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 150ml cream
• 1 Tablespoon sultanas
• 1 Tablespoon sliced almonds
• small handful fresh coriander (chop up the stems to add to the curry and set aside the leaves for garnish)
• 1 Tablespoon sugar (optional, if you like it sweeter)
• salt to taste (remember there is salt in the marinade)

Marinade
• 100g yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

How you make it…
1. Rub the chicken with the lemon juice and leave for 10 minutes.
2. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade, add the chicken, mix well and leave for 1 hour.
3. Heat the oil in a pan to a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add the curry powder and garam masala and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the chicken and marinade and cook for 3 minutes.
6. Add the cream, sultanas and almonds, mix well and cook for 2 minutes.
7. Add the coriander stems, (optional) sugar and salt if needed, mix well and continue cooking until all the chicken pieces are fully cooked.
8. Sprinkle the coriander leaves on top and serve.

CHEF’S TIP
This dish is also delicious with paneer instead of chicken.

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

Why does the cream have so many friends? … Because it’s so cool.

Murgh Nawabi, rich in cream, nuts and sultanas.

How to cook… Sauce Rouge Curry

Recipes

Serves 4 as a main dish

A popular Mauritian dish, Sauce Rouge Curry (simply meaning Red Sauce Curry) combines ingredients used in Indian and European cooking to reflect the history of this Indian Ocean island, which has been ruled by the French and the British and has a predominantly Indian population.

What you need…
• 4 tablespoons veg oil
• 800g chicken, into bite-sized pieces
• pinch salt
• pinch black pepper
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 teapsoon ginger
• 1 t garlic
• 5 curry leaves
• 2 green chillies chopped
• 400g chopped tomato
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• small handful parsley, chopped
• leaves from two sprigs of thyme

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How you make it…
1. Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in a pan to a medium pan and fry the chicken for 5 minutes, adding in salt and pinch pepper. Set aside.
2. Heat the rest of the oil, add onion, ginger paste, garlic paste, curry leaves and cook until the mixture starts to brown (about 5 minutes).
3. Add the chillies for 1 minute.
4. Add the tomatoes and more salt if needed, mix well and simmer until the sauce thickens (about 5-7 minutes).
5. Add the tomato paste and chicken, cover the pan and cook gently until the chicken is all cooked through (about 5 minutes).
6. stir in the parsely and thyme and serve.

CHEF’S TIP
You can serve this curry with fried potatoes, rice or even pasta.

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

This curry is red, that much is true, start licking your lips and serve it with chips.
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How to cook… Sweet and Sour Prawns

Recipes

Serves 4 as a main dish

The Parsees brought their signature sweet and sour dishes to India when they moved from Persia (Iraq) to escape persecution in the 7th century. Their best known dish is Dhansak and most people plump for chicken but this dish shows just how perfect prawns are when combined with the sweet (jaggery) and sour (tamarind) tastes. Cook the prawns with the shells on to absorb all the beautiful flavours.

What you need…
• 200ml water (or more as required)
• 800g prawns, deveined by with shells left on
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 1.5 medium onions, finely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1 chilli, chopped
• 1 Tablepoon yoghurt
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon tomato ketchup
• 1 Tablespoon jaggery (or brown sugar)
• 1 Tablespoon tamarind paste
• 0.5 teaspoon salt

Spice Mix 1
• 0.5 mustard seeds
• 0.5 fenugreek seeds
• 0.5 cumin seeds

Spice Mix 2
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon corianader
• 0.5 teaspoon turmeric powder

How you make it…
1. Add the prawns to a pan, cover with water (about 250ml but use more if needed) and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3 minutes then put to one side.
2. Heat the oil to a high heat. Add the Spice Mix 1 and fry for 15 seconds. The seeds should sizzle immediately. You can test this by adding a cumin seed.
3. Reduce the heat, add the onions and cook until they are soft (about 5 minutes).
4. Add the ginger paste, garlic paste, chilli and yoghurt and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the tomato, the tomato ketchup, jaggery, tamarind, Spice Mix 2 and half the stock from the prawns, mix well and cook until it forms a thick sauce (about 7–10 minutes).
6. Add the prawns and salt and heat through until the prawns are cooked through.
7. Sprinkle a few coriander leaves on top of the dish as garnish and serve.

CHEF’S TIP
This creates a curry with a thick sauce. If you like more sauce add more of the stock when you add the prawns.

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

What’s the obvious bread to order? … Sour. Doh!

How to cook… North Indian Handi

Recipes

Serves 2 as a main dish

Handi refers to the broad-based pots in which the dish is traditionally cooked. Handi pots are used all over the sub-continent resulting in thousands of versions of this chicken dish. This is the archetypal North Indian Handi, courtesy of @thecurriedlondoner, producing a glossy, onion and tomato-based gravy, wrapped around boneless chicken thighs, finshed with a splash of cream.

What you need…
• 3 Tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 onion
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste
• 1 fresh long chilli
• 500g boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 2 Tablespoons Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 0.5 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 3 Tablespoons yoghurt
• 1 Tablespoon cream
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek leaves
• 0.5 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 50ml water
• fresh coriander and cream to garnish

How you make it…
1. Set a large, lidded pan over a medium-high heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the cumin seeds and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add finely chopped onions and tomatoes and cook until soft (about 5 minutes). Add the ginger-garlic paste, crispy fried onions and fresh chilli and cook for 3 minutes more. Add a splash of water if needed.
3. Add the chicken, stir thoroughly and cook until selaed on all sides (about 8–10 minutes).
4. Add the chilli powder, coriander, turmeric and yoghurt, stir and cover the pan with a lid and cook over a medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Add a splash of water if needed
5. Add the cream, fenugreek leaves, garam masala and salt, stir and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add the water and cook, uncovered until the chicken is cooked and the gravy has thickened (about 10 mnutes).
7. Garnish with a generous spinkling of corinader and a drizzle of cream and serve.
• Recipe courtesy @thecurriedlondoner

CHEF’S TIP
If you are cooking the crispy onions yourself use a small amount of oil and keep turning them to ensure they are cooked evenly all over.

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

You don’t have need a chef to cook this dish… you can just call a handy man.
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How to cook… Smoker Tandoori Chicken

Recipes

Serves 4 as a starter

Classic Tandoori Chicken is great when cooked in a smoker. It’s a fairly long process and the final taste is way smokier than you’d get in a grill or a tandoor but it’s well worth it for tandoori lovers. Marinate the delicious spices in the Tandoori Marinade and then smoke away…

What you need…
• 4–6 deboned chicken thighs, skinned and trimmed of excess fat
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 recipe of Tandoori/Tikka Marinade

How you make it…
1. Make 2–3 small cuts about 3mm deep into the flesh of each thigh. This helps the chicken absorb the the marinade and gives the cooked thighs a nice look too.
2. Squeeze the lemon over the thighs, rub it in well and leave for 15 minutes. This will degrease the chicken and also helps the chicken absorb the marinade.
3. Shake off the excess lemon and coat the thighs in the Tandoori Marinade. Leave for at least 15 minutes but preferably 24–48 hours.
4. Heat your smoker to 150 C. If using a manual smoker make sure the flames from your fire have died down and the wood/coals are just producing smoke.
5. Place the thighs in the smoker, keeping them at the farthest end from the heat source, and cook for 90 minutes, turning once.

CHEF’S TIP
When making your Tandoori Marinade you can omit the water to keep the marinade thicker. This helps the thighs retain their moisture.

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

Why should you never smoke pickles? … Because they’ll make you dill.
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How to cook… Chingri Malai Curry

Recipes

Serves 4 as a main dish

Chingri Malai Curry (Bengali Malai Prawns) is a dish, not surprisingly, from Bengal, the region that straddles east India and Bangladesh. Prawns are marinated in chilli flakes, turmeric and salt and combined with coconut milk to create a beautiful coastal favourite.

What you need…
• 600g prawns, deveined but with shells and heads left on
• knob of butter
• 2 Tablespoons of mustard oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tomato, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 chillies, chopped
• 200ml coconut milk
• 3 Tablespoons cream

Marinade
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 0.5 teaspoon salt

Spice Mix
• 1 Tablespoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder

How you make it…
1. Mix all the marinade ingredients together and rub on the prawns, making sure all of them are well coated. Use a tiny bit of water if needed. Leave for 15 minutes.
2. Heat the knob of butter and pan fry the prawns until they turn pink (about 3 minutes). Set aside
3. Heat the mustard oil in the same pan to a medium heat and cook the onion until it softens (about 5 minutes).
4. Add the tomato, garlic, ginger and sugar, and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the Spice Mix and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Using a hand blender, mix everything in the pan to a thick paste.
7. Add the chillies and cook for 1 minute.
8. Add the coconut milk, cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should have reduced and a nice, thick consistency.
9. Add the prawns and heat through until the prawns are fully cooked.
10. Add the cream, stir thoroughly, and serve.

CHEF’S TIP
If you don’t have mustard oil use vegetable oil and add 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard at stage 4.
Coconut milk and chillies combine to create this lively Benglai dish, Chingri Malai Curry.

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

What’s hairy and brown and wears a big hat? … A coconut who doesn’t like the sun.
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How to cook… Goan Fish Curry

Recipes

Serves 4 as a main dish

Goa’s location along the western coast of the country, by the Arabian Sea, means seafood naturally features prominently in its cuisine. Coconut milk, tamarind, juicy white fish and blazing heat from the chillies creates a delicious Goan Fish Curry.

What you need…
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 red chillies, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 150g coconut milk
• 4 Tablespoons fresh coconut, grated (you can use desiccated coconut but add another 50g coconut milk if you do)
• 1 Tablespoon tamarind chutney
• salt to taste
• 800g any firm white fish, cut into bite-sized pieces

Spice Mix
• 2 curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 0.5 turmeric powder
• 0.5 coriander powder
• 0.5 cumin powder

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How you make it…
1. Heat the oil to a medium heat and add the onions until they start to brown (about 5 minutes)
2. Add the chopped chillies and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add Spice Mix and the garlic and ginger pastes with a splash of water and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add the coconut milk, fresh coconut and tamarind and reduce until the sauce thickens (about 10 minutes).
5. Add the salt and the fish and cook until the fish is all cooked through (about 5–6 minutes).
6. Let the fish rest for 5 minutes before serving.

CHEF’S TIP
Monkfish has a dense texture and is perfect for this dish.

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

Check out 5 Best Goa Curries

Do you want this fish dish sir? … Goan then.

How to cook… Kedgeree

Recipes

Serves 2 as a main dish

Kedgeree is an Anglo-Indian breakfast dish from the Raj-era, with fish, rice, a little spice and topped with a poached egg. This recipe is courtesy of breakfast expert Morning Yum.

What you need…
• 2 undyed smoked haddock fillets
• 30g butter
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cardamom pods
• 0.5 white onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1.5cm ginger, minced
• 2 teaspoon curry mix (I used Bart Manipur Masala pre-blended, or make your own using chilli powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, cinnamon, star anise)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 100g basmati rice, thoroughly rinsed
• 2 eggs
• splash of vinegar
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 Tablespoon coriander, chopped
• pinch parsley, chopped

How you make it…
1. Preheat your oven to 200°C and boil the kettle.
2. Prep the fish to cook en papillote by wrapping in baking paper, with 10g butter, a bay leaf, the cardamom pods and half the lemon juice. Put in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
3. While the fish is in the oven heat 10g butter in a pan to a medium heat and fry the onion for 2 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, ginger and half the curry and turmeric. Mix and fry for 1 minute, then add the other bay leaf.
5. Add the rice, then cover in boiling water and simmer for until the rice is nearly cooked and the water dissolved (about 8 minutes).
6. Remove the bay leaf, turn the heat to very low and add remaining curry mix, turmeric and butter.
7. Poach the eggs in separate pot with the splash of vinegar.
8. The fish should be ready now. Remove the cardamom and bay leaf and tip the juices into rice mix, along with remaining lemon juice.
9. Stir through rice mix and flake the fish.
10. Serve, garnished with coriander and parsley and topped with the poached eggs.
• Recipe courtesy @Morningyum on Instagram.

CHEF’S TIP
This is great served with mango chutney.

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

One taste of this dish and you’ll be hooked…
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How to cook… Malai Sag Muttar

Recipes

Serves 2 as a side dish

Malai Sag Muttar is a popular dish all over the sub-continent but especially in North India. It is simple dish, with just a few spices added to wilted spinach, onions and peas, and a dash of cream added just before serving.

What you need…
• 100g spinach
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 0.5 chilli powder
• 0.5 garlic
• 0.5 ginger
• 0.5 fenugreek seeds
• 70g peas (frozen are good)
• salt to taste
• 1 Tablespoon cream

How you make it…
1. Wash the spinach with hot water in a colander. Drain.
2. Heat oil to a medium heat and fry the onion until it softens (about 3–4 minutes).
3. Add the chilli powder, garlic, ginger, fenugreek and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add the spinach and cook for 10 minutes until it well softened and wilted.
5. Add the salt and the peas and cook until they are warmed through (about 3–4 minutes).
6. Transfer to a serving bowl and add the cream just before serving.

CHEF’S TIP
This is beat as a slow-burner but if you are really in a rush you can turn up the heat.

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

What green and sung by the Beatles? … Peas, Peas, Me.

How to cook… Pepper Chicken

Recipes

Serves 4 as a main dish

Pepper was the spice of heat before chilli arrived on the continent with the Portuguese at the and of the 15th Century. It provides a sharp, intense heat and there is plenty of it through whole and crushed black pepper in this fresh-tasting dish from South India.

What you need…
• 700g chicken, cut into 2cm-sized pieces
• 100g coconut oil
• 6 curry leaves
• 0.5 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 0.5 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 0.5 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 0.5 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 tomato cut into 1cm-sized piece
• 1 Tablespoon chopped coriander stalks
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• squeeze of lemon juice

Marinade
• 100g plain yoghurt
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped

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How you make it…
1. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade and mix well with the chicken pieces. Leave for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.
2. Heat the coconut oil in a pan to a high heat. Add the curry leaves, cumin seeds and peppercorns and fry for 10 seconds, moving quickly to avoid burning.
3. Turn down the heat, add the onion and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the coriander, turmeric and cumin powders, mix well and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the chicken with all the marinade and cook until all the chicken pieces are sealed (about 3 minutes)
6. Add the tomato and cook for 5 minutes. Add the black pepper and fry until the chicken is fully cooked.
7. Serve with a squeeze of lemon on top.

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

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

Why was the peppercorn sent to jail? … For assualt

How to cook… Chicken Liver Fry

Recipes

Serves 2 as a main dish

Chicken Liver Fry is a popular dish in India, especially in Goa (where it is known as Kaleji Fry), but this recipe, using only a couple of spices and a good dose of chopped chillies, is from Mauritius in the Indian Ocean

What you need…
• 3 Tablespoons oil
• 500g chicken liver, washed and cut into large chunks (it will shrink when cooking)
• 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon tomato purée
• 3 large chillies, chopped
• 1 onion, roughly chopped (finely chop a small amount to be used for garnish)
• few coriander leaves, for garnish

How you make it…
1. Heat the oil to a medium heat in a pan. Add the liver and cook until all the pieces have turne a grey colour (about 3 minutes).
2. Add the pepper, salt, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and cumin, mix well and cover. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the tomato purée, chillies and onion and cook for 5 minutes, uncovered. Taste a small piece of the liver. If it still has an “iron” taste to it, continue cooking.
4. Once cooked, garnish with the chopped onion and coriander leaves and serve.

CHEF’S TIP
Liver can be dry for some tastes so plan the other dishes accordingly.

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

If you want a takeaway always check that they deliver.

How to cook… Chicken Wings Curry

Recipes

Serves 6-8 as a main dish

This Chicken Wings Curry is great for a large family or gathering of friends. Lots of chicken, lots of butter and lots of chilli; fill up the pot and let everyone tuck into this rustic Punjabi home-style curry.

What you need…
• 125g butter
• 20 green chillies, chopped
• 6 medium-sized onions, roughly chopped
• 8–10cm piece of ginger, roughly chopped
• 2 whole garlic bulbs with cloves, roughly chopped
• 800g chopped tomatoes
• 1.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2kg skinless chicken wings
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1.5 teaspoon garam masala
• large bunch coriander, chopped

How you make it…
1. Heat butter in a pan to a medium heat. Add chillies, onions, ginger and garlic, and cook until onions are golden brown.
2. Turn down the heat and add tomatoes, salt, turmeric, cumin seeds. Cook until the butter starts to rise to the edge of the sauce.
3. Add the chicken wings. Cook on low heat until the water comes out from the meat. Then raise heat for 5–8 mins to dry out the water.
4. Add the water, the garam masala and coriander and cook on high heat for 5 minutes. Turn down the heat to low and simmer for another 15 minutes. The butter will rise to the surface.
• Recipe courtesy Desi Indian, Greenwich Market

CHEF’S TIP This is beat as a slow-burner but if you are really in a rush you can turn up the heat.

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

What food does Icarus avoid?… hot wings.