Vegetarian

How to cook… Paneer Jalfrezi

Recipes

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… Spinach and Lentils Masala

Recipes

Serves 4 as a main dish

There are an estimated 375 million vegetarians in India, mainly for religious reasons. Menus usually list dishes as Veg and Non-Veg rather than the mian or side dishes that is more usual in the Western world. Lentils are one of the Veg staples, and as well as being tasty with spices they also provide many essential nutrients. Combine them with spinach for a filling and healthy meal. Lentils are usually served with rice or roti.

What you need…
• 250g brown lentils
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1.5 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 200g spinach, chopped
• A few coriander leaves to garnish

Spice Mix
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 0.5 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• I Tablespoon curry powder
• 5 curry leaves


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How you make it…
1. Soak the lentils for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight. Drain the water and add to a pressure cooker, add a pinch of salt and cover with fresh water. Cook until the lentils are soft (about 30 minutes). Set aside.
2. Heat the oil to a medium heat and cook the onion until it softens (about 5–7 minutes).
3. Add the garlic, ginger, the Spice Mix, tomato paste and tomato with a little water, mix well and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add the spinach until it wilts (about 3 minutes).
5. Add all the ingredients into the pressure cooker with the lentils and cook for 5 minutes. Add salt to taste.
6. Serve, garnished with coriander leaves

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CHEF’S TIP
To save chopping the spinach freeze it in the bag then remove it and bash the bag with the back of your hand. The spinach will snap into small pieces.

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

Why were these cakes shivering? … Because they were chilli.
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How to cook… Egg and Potato Curry

Recipes

Serves 4 as a main dish

Egg and Potato Curry is a hugely popular dish in India yet it’s difficult to find outside the sub-continent. This Punjabi-style recipe is easy to make. Boiled eggs are sealed in oil then added to a tomato sauce that has been infused with aromatic whole spices.

What you need…
• 8 eggs
• 3 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• salt to taste
• 3 Tablespoon oil
• 1.5 onions, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoon garlic, roughly chopped
• 2–3cm piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• small handful coriander (chop up the stems to add to the curry and set aside the leaves for garnish if you want garnish).

Spice Mix 1
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 2 cardamom pods (cracked open but not crushed)
• 6 peppercorns
• 3 whole dried red chillies (or a teaspoon of crushed dried chillies)
• 1 bay leaf

Spice Mix 2
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 0.5 teaspoon chilli powder (more if you like your curries hot)

How you make it…
1. Hard boil the eggs and remove the shells. Set aside.
2. Pat dry the potatoes with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.
3. Heat the oil to medium-hot in a pan and fry the potatoes until they are cooked through and just start to brown. Set aside.
4. Fry the eggs in the same oil for about 5 minutes, rolling them frequently to avoid them crisping. Remove eggs and set aside.
5. Turn up the heat to ensure the oil is piping hot. Add the whole spices and cook for 15 seconds. They should sizzle immediately. You can test the ghee is hot enough by adding a cardamom pod. You want to infuse the oil with the flavours of the whole spices but if they burn you will have to do stage 5 again.
6. Add the onion, garlic and ginger, mix well, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Add the tomatoes, Spice Mix 2, coriander stems, mix well and cook for 10 minutes. Add water, as needed, to keep the sauce pourable.
8. Add the potatoes and eggs. Make sure the eggs are coated with the sauce but be careful not to break them up. Heat through for about 5 minutes.
9. Serve, garnished with the (optional) coriander leaves.

CHEF’S TIP
We’ve worked on two eggs per person. If people with larger appetites are coming for dinner then simply boil extra eggs.

If you like this you should try our…
Sindhi Biryani • Medium Chicken Curry • Chicken Madras • Chicken Vindaloo • Chicken Bhoona

Why did the chicken cross the road? … To chat to the egg and see who crossed first.