How to cook… Kashmiri Fruit Curry

Recipes

Serves 4 as a main dish

Fruit is without doubt a love it or hate it choice when it comes to curry. From the region in the north-west of India this recipe includes apple, nuts and is topped with caramelised bananas but you can also add mangoes, lychees or raisins. It creates a mild, tangy and naturally fruity curry. Love it or hate it?

What you need
• 4 Tablespoons oil
• 1.5 onion puréed (or very finely chopped)
• 2 teaspoon garlic paste
• 2 teaspoon ginger paste
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon tomato ketchup
• 1.5 Tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 800g chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 0.5 green apple, peeled and cut into smallish chunks (optional)
• 150ml cream
• 4 Tablespoons yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• Salt to taste
• 2 bananas, sliced (you need about 6-8 pieces per person)
• Brown sugar as required
• 2 teaspoons crushed almonds

How you make it
1. Heat the oil to a medium heat and fry the onions until they soften (about 5 minutes).
2. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the tomato, tomato ketchup, curry powder, turmeric powder and chilli powder and cook for 3 minutes. Add a little water if needed.
4. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes.
5. Add in the (optional) apple, yoghurt, cream, garam masala and salt, mix well and continue cooking until all the chicken pieces are cooked through.
6. While the curry is cooking coat the banana slices in sugar and in another pan dry fry them until they caramelise (about 3-4 minutes).
7. Serve the curry topped with the banana pieces and with a sprinkle of the almonds.

CHEF’S TIP
You can also add other fruit such as mangoes, lychees and raisins to this dish (at stage 5) if you like.

If you like this you should try our
Medium Chicken CurryChicken MadrasChicken VindalooChicken BhoonaChicken Feet Curry (Africa)

What do bananas sing to their girlfriends? … Yellow, is it me you’re looking for?

How to cook… Devil’s Curry

Recipes

Serves 4 as a main dish

The history of the Devil’s Curry bears stark similarity to that of the Indian Vindaloo. Portuguese explorers, much like in Goa, landed in the coastal state of Malacca in Malaysia during the late 15th century. A transgression by early explorers towards the rulers of Malacca resulted in their incarceration, which in turn led to a full-scale invasion by the Portuguese during the early 16th century. During the 30 years of occupation that followed, Portuguese sailors were encouraged by their king to take up wives and start families. The history books have established this period as the origin of the creole ethnic people of Portuguese and Malaccan descent known as the Kristang people. It is the European-Asian fusion cuisine of the Kristang people that, like in Goa, brought together local spicing and Portuguese chillies. The Devil’s Curry truly is Malaysia’s answer to the Vindaloo and is courtesy @thecurriedlondoner.

What you need
• 800g chicken, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 1 Tablespoon Ghee
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 Tablespoon mustard seeds
• 200ml (approx) chicken stock or water
• 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• Few coriander leaves or crushed dried chillies (to garnish)

Spice Mix
• 25 long dry chillies, deseeded and soaked in warm water for 20-30 minutes
• 3 onions, chopped
• 1 Tablespoons garlic paste
• 2 Tablespoons ginger paste
• 3 stalks of lemongrass (only the soft white sections)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1 Tablespoon tamarind concentrate/paste
• 1 Tablespoon chilli power (optional)

How you make it
1. Blend Spice Mix together into a very smooth paste (add a dash of water to loosen it if necessary)
2. Heat the ghee and vegetable oil to a medium heat in a heavy, lidded pan
3. Add the mustard seeds. Once they start to pop, add the spice paste and cook for until the mixture gives off an aroma (around 10 minutes).
4. Add the chicken, stir to coat in the paste and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add enough stock or water to just cover the chicken and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add the vinegar, salt and sugar, mix well and continue cooking until all the chicken pieces are cooked.
7. Garnish with your choice of coriander leaves or crushed dried red chillies and serve.

CHEF’S TIP
Hot heads should not remove the chilli seeds from the Spice Mix for that real extra burst of heat.

If you like this you should try our
Medium Chicken CurryChicken MadrasChicken VindalooChicken BhoonaChicken Feet Curry (Africa)

This is great for making your home look nice… it’ll spice up any house.