Tag: Indian Restaurant Curries

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’.

5 Best Indian Street Foods

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Take a stroll away from the smart restaurants and you can often find some of the best food you’ll ever eat. Street food is the only food some people ever eat in India. They street vendors are effectively their restaurants to them. Some have one or two rickety chairs and tables; for others you have to grab and go. Ask and of the vendors why their food is so good and they’ll tell you: “we don’t need rules and regulations. If our food is not healthy and tasty we will lose our customers. They are the only rules we need. Next time you are in India skip the tablecloths and fancy waiters and yourself down the streets for some proper treats. Until then why not try these five favourites at home…

Here are Five Best Indian Street Foods

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1. Kathi Roll (Calcutta)

The famous Kathi Rolls are from the streets of Calcutta in West Bengal but they are now famous all over the world. The rolls are ideal for commuters eating on the go and would traditionally have included meat, fried onion and spices in a paratha. Today Kathi Roll has become a catch-up phrase for any spicy wrap, so you are likely to find it will all sorts of fillings.

2. Roasted corn (Goa)

Roasted Corn is a simple street snack you’ll find all over the sub-continent and it’s delicious rubbed with grainy salt and spice. For that delicious roasted taste the vendors briefly finish cooking the corn in the coals, leaving the leaves on the corn to protect it. You can cook on the barbecue at home or try to replicate the taste under the grill. On the street it’s eaten with your hands, of course.

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3. Tali Machli (Maharashtra)

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.

4. Bunny Chow (Durban)

Ok, you won’t find this in India but you street food lovers must try this! It’s simple, it’s rustic and it’s tasty… 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.

5. Chicken Tikka (North India)

You may know it as the archetypal restaurant starter but there are not many more popular dishes on the street than Chicken Tikka. The stalls are filled with long skewers hanging ready for customers. But few hang there for long as they are soon snapped up and eaten on the go with hot chapatis by the hungry customers. Cooked in makeshift tandoors, often no more than a old drum that’s been coated on the inside with thick concrete to hold the heat, the chefs are kept busy from one morning till the early hours of the next.

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5 Favourite Restaurant Curries

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The first Indian restaurant in Britain (the Hindoostane Coffee House) was established in 1810 and restaurants serving spicy food remained popular throughout the 19th Century. However, it was post-World War II, when a large number of Asians from Commonwealth come to Britain, that the number of restaurants really boomed. The chefs soon learnt to adapt their dishes to local tastes and many authentic dishes have been adapted and mixed over the years to create a particular style of dishes known as British Indian Restaurant (BIR)-Style. Today there are an estimated 12,000 such restaurants in the country in Britain, mostly run by Indians, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and Nepalis. In a Royal Curry Club survey we asked: “What’s your favourite curry?” Jalfrezi stormed the poll, with 41% saying that dish was their favourite, with Biryani coming in second. Tikka Masala, once dubbed “a national dish of Britain” flopped, with only 19% of curry lovers choosing the old creamy favourite. Madras and the super-mild Korma came in at fourth and fifth curry house favourites.

Here are Five Favourite Restaurant Curries.

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1. Jalfrezi (Medium-Hot)

Jalfrezi was originally a stir-fry created by Bengali chefs working during the Raj-era. In true British restaurant-style it has evolved into something quite different from the original Chicken Jalfrezi, where the ingredients were cooked in their own juices. Restaurants add some Base Curry Sauce and mix it with different coloured peppers, onions, tomatoes and chillies to create a lovely range of tastes and colours. The dish can be cooked with a variety of main ingredients but Chicken Jalfrezi remains the most popular.

2. Biryani (Medium)

There are many different types of Biryani. The British-restaurant version is little more than pilau rice with some pre-cooked ingredients added to it. The authentic cooking method is very time consuming and few restaurants (or their customers) have the time for it. The South Indian Hyderbadi Pakki Biryani uses chunks of lamb (or mutton if you prefer) that is pre-cooked (Pakki) then added to the rice and steamed. It also includes cooked and fried chunks of potato and is finished off with saffron and fried onions.

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3. Chicken Tikka Masala (Mild-Medium)

Often called Britain’s “national dish”, some people refuse to order anything else but Chicken Tikka Masala on a visit to an Indian restaurant. Chunks of Chicken Tikka are cooked with green peppers and tomatoes and simmered in a mix of Base Curry Sauce, Tikka Marinade, yoghurt and cream. The dish is widely accepted to have been created in Scotland, when an enterising chef realised the Chicken Tikka was too dry for his diners so he added some creamy masala sauce.

4. Madras (Hot)

Lamb Madras is one of the most-ordered dishes in Indian restaurants. Meaty chunks of lamb are cooked gently in the Base Curry Sauce that’s given an extra kick with the black peppercorns and chilli powder. Madras is another British Indian Restaurant creation and you certainly wouldn’t find it in Chennai (formerly called Madras). In the early days the restauranteurs simply used the name to mean a hot curry. They used Vindaloo to mean a very hot curry. Chicken Madras and Prawn Madras are also popular.

5. Korma (Very Mild)

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. Chicken Korma and Paneer Korma are the favourites for diners.

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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 cook… Mushroom Chilli Dry Fry

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Serves 4 as a starter

This is a popular vegetarian Indo-Chinese stir-fry dish, combining flavours from India and China. Mushroom Chilli Dry Fry is a favourite Indian restaurant starter and should be always be served fresh. It’s a very hot, dry dish using chilli and soy sauce.

What you need…
• 4 Tablespoons cornflour
• 5 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 600g mushrooms, sliced
• 3 Tablespoons oil
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 1 green pepper
• 1–5 green chillies (to your taste), chopped
• 1.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
• 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 4 spring onions chopped, to garnish
• A few coriander leaves, chopped, for garnish


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How to make it…
1. Mix the cornflour with 3 Tablespoons of soy sauce and coat the mushrooms in the mixture. Marinate for 15 minutes.
2. Heat oil to a medium-hot heat. Fry the mushrooms until all the pieces are sealed (about 2–3 minutes), then set aside.
3. Add the green peppers to the pan and stir-fry until they start to soften (about 3–4 minutes).
4. Add the onions, chillies, pepper and chilli flakes and stir fry for another 2–3 minutes. Add a tiny bit of water if needed but not too much as this is a dry dish.
5. Add the rest of soy sauce and mix in well.
6. Add in the tomatoes and mushrooms and stir-fry until they are all cooked.
7. Garnish with spring onion and coriander and serve fresh.

CHEF’S TIP
Check other popular Indian restaurant dishes such as Chicken Chilli Dry Fry. Also known as Hakka Chinese, this distinct Indo-Chinese cuisine was developed by a small group of people who settled in Kolkota from China.

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

Don’t give this to someone who is struggling. You should never Kikkoman when he’s down.

How to cook… Spicy Fish Pie

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Serves 4 as a main dish

This is a spicy twist on the classic Fish Pie, combining white fish and prawns with spices and herbs and topped with Bengali mashed potato. Aloo Bhorta.

What you need…
• 1 recipe Aloo Bhorta
• 12 large prawns, deveined but not peeled
• 400ml milk
• 1 onion, sliced
• 400g white fish
• Small handful parsley, chopped
• 50g cream
• Salt to taste

Spice Mix
• 3 cloves
• 5 curry leaves
• 2 cardamons, cracked open but not crushed
• 5 peppercorns
• 1 dried red chilli
• Pinch of turmeric

For the sauce
• 50g butter
• 50g plain flour

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How to make it…
1. Cook the prawns in a little water in a pan until they turn pink (about 5 minutes). Allow to cool and peel. Set aside.
2. Heat the milk gently in a pan until it bubbles gently, add the Spice Mix and onion and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the fish and poach for until it is cooked through (about 7–8 minutes).
4. Add the fish to a baking dish of about 22cm x 22cm and flake it (any skin should peel off easily and you can discard this). Spread the prawns and the parsley evenly on top of the fish.
5. In another pan heat the butter to a medium heat, add the flour and mix for 1 minute.
6. Turn down the heat to low, add the milk (not the solids) bit by bit to the butter and flour. Add the cream and cook gently for 5 minutes, constantly mixing to avoid it sticking.
7. Add the solids (you can remove the whole spices if you don’t want them in the pie), warm through, then pour over the fish and prawns evenly. Add salt.
8. Spread the Aloo Bhorta evenly on top of the sauce.
9. Heat the oven to 200 C and cook for 30 minutes. The potato should be slightly browned on the top.

CHEF’S TIP
When spreading potato on the top start from the edges and work inwards making sure there are no gaps that allow the mixture to bubble through when cooking.

The Spicy Fish Pie, just before the Aloo Bhorta is spread across the top.

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

This is a clever dish. It knows Pi to 50 decimal points.

How to cook… Aloo Bhorta

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Serves 4 as a side dish

Mashed potato is a favourite around the world and the sub-continent is no different. This Bengali favourite, which uses garlic, chopped onion and spices in a mustard-flavoured oil, is also popular in Rajasthan and Bihar. You may also see it called Aloo Bhatte or Chokha.

What you need…
• 500g potatoes (about 3 medium-sized potatoes), peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 0.5 onion, finely chopped
• 2 chillies, chopped
• 0.5 garam masala,
• 0.5 crushed black pepper
• Small handful coriander leaves, chopped
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon ghee


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How to make it…
1. Boil the potatoes in water with a pinch of salt until they are very soft. Mash and set aside.
• While the potatoes are boiling warm the oil in a pan to high heat and fry the mustard seeds and cumin seeds for 15 seconds. Be careful not to burn them.
• Turn down the heat to medium, add the garlic and fry for 1 minute.
• Add the onion (keep a few pieces back for the garnish) and chilli and fry for 2 minutes.
• Add the garam masala, pepper and coriander leaves, and cook for 3 minutes. Add a little water if necessary.
• Add the mixture to the mash, add salt, and mix together well.
• Garnish with the remaining onion, add the ghee to the top, and serve.

CHEF’S TIP
To achieve the mustardy taste you can use mustard oil instead of the vegetable oil (just omit the mustard seeds from the recipe).
Delicious Aloo Bhorta is the perfect comfort food and is the ideal stuffing for a roti.

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

What’s better, mashed potato or chips? It’s advisable not to choose sides.

How to cook… Chicken Patia

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Serves 4 as a main dish

Although traditionally cooked with fish, restaurants now serve this Parsee dish with your choice of meat, and chicken has soon become a curry house favourite. Parsee dishes are famed for their sweet and sour flavours and Patia is no different, using tamarind and jaggery to get the balance just right.

What you need…
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced (or 1 teaspoon garlic paste)
• 600ml Base Curry Sauce
• Half a red pepper, cut into 2cm chunks
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• Small handful of coriander (chop up the stems to add to the curry and keep a few leaves aside for the garnish)
• Salt to taste
• 800g chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 Tablespoon jaggery (or brown sugar)
• 1 Tablespoon tamarind sauce/chutney (or lime juice)

Spice Mix
• 1 Tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika

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How to make it…
1. Heat the oil in a pan to a medium heat, add the garlic and fry for 1 minutes. While it is cooking mix the Spice Mix with a little water to form a sloppy paste.
2. Add the Spice Mix to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. It should now be thick and gloopy.
3. Add the Base Curry Sauce and pepper and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add the jaggery, tamarind and garam masala, and continue cooking until all the chicken pieces are cooked through (about 7–10 minutes).
6. Garnish with the coriander leaves and serve.

CHEF’S TIP
Restaurants sometimes use lime juice and brown sugar instead of tamarind and jaggery.

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

If someone wants to taste this curry then just Parsee it to them.