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A wonderfully spiced and authentic tasting lentil curry with carrot and potatoes. Served with Basmati rice and a delicious cucumber and mint riata.
Sorry I haven’t written many recipes lately as I have been extremely busy, however I think I have made up for the delay with this one. Tastes like it is straight from a very good Indian restaurant, and it is so easy to make!
I also served this with shop bough roti breads, these are entirely optional.
Serves two
Cooking time 45-50 minutes
Broken down into three sections – curry, rice and riata. It is best to soak the rice before you start, add make the riata and finish the rice as the lentils simmer.
100g red lentils – rinsed thoroughly
50g potato – peel, cut into 3-4cm cubes, pre cook in boiling water for 6-7 minutes
3 red onions – diced
1 carrot – thinly slice on diagonal
15g ginger – peel and grate
6 gloves garlic – crushed
5 green cardamom pods
5 cloves
6 fresh curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground fenugreek
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1 bay leaf
2 round tomatoes – cut into 1/8ths
2 sliced green chillies
1/2 tsp salt
water – approx. 500ml of water, enough to submerge lentils.
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
3tbs roughly chopped coriander leaf
Method: Start by heating the vegetable oil over a medium heat, once hot add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and the curry leaves. The leaves should sizzle and keep heating until the mustard seeds start to pop, a bit like popcorn.
Add the onion, chilli, garlic, ginger, bay leaf, cloves and cardamom pods then fry, stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes until onions soften and start to colour.
Add the lentils, turmeric, fenugreek and asafoetida then stir well until combined. Fry for 1-2 minutes stirring frequently.
Now add approx. 500ml of water (around the same volume as mixture in the pan, enough to submerge the lentils) and bring to the boil, stirring frequently so lentils don’t catch on the pan. Once boiled and add the pre cooked potatoes, carrot and salt then cover pan and simmer for around 35-40 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent lentils catching and burning.
You may want to adjust the seasoning or thickness of the sauce to your preference, either by adding more water or cooking uncovered for a few minutes to cook the liquid off. Before serving add the sliced tomatoes and coriander – cooking just long enough to warm the tomatoes through but not long enough to cook them (not long enough that skins start to peel).
Ladle into bowls or Balti dishes and enjoy!
120g basmati rice – rinse well and soak in water for 30 minutes before cooking
Method: soak the rinsed rice in water for around 30 minutes, this plumps up the rice and makes a real difference.
Once soaked cook the rice in the same volume of water as the rice in a covered pan for 10-12 minutes or until rice absorbs all the water.
Fluff up the rice before serving.
150g greek yogurt
1/4 lime – juice only
40g cucumber – peel, deseed, finely dice
5-6 mint leaves – bruise then chop
salt – just a pinch
Method: start by peeling, deseeding then finely dicing the cucumber. Many recipes will call for this to be grated, however I prefer the texture of the diced cucumber. Lay the diced cucumber on a clean kitchen towel or absorbent paper and the place more on top. Press gently and leave for 10-15 minutes to remove excess liquid.
In a bowl mix the yogurt, lime juice, cucumber, mint and a pinch of salt. Cover and set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
This is best eaten the same day but will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days – any leftovers make a great dip for chips.
Prawns marinated then roasted in a very hot oven, served with a delicious Makhani style curry sauce. Delicious!
King Prawns are butterflied then marinated in yogurt, garlic, cumin seeds, chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala, salt and lemon juice. They are put on skewers then roasted in a very hot oven to try to replicate the traditional clay ovens used in Indian cuisine – which I’m guessing you don’t have either. The result is juicy prawns with a really delicious coating.
The sauce is made from tomatoes, onion, chilli, ginger, garlic, mustard seeds, almonds, desiccated coconut, bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, tomato pure, sugar, salt, and a little butter at the end to give it that classic gleam.
It may seem like a lot of ingredients, but really its quite easy. You can serve the dish with choice of rice or Indian bread, I opted for a good shop bought roti.
Serves two
Preparation and cooking 35-40 minutes (plus 1hr marinating time)
225-250g raw king prawns – devein and butterfly
150-175g Greek yogurt
4 cloves garlic – thinly slice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp hot chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
Juice of half a lemon
4 long wooden skewers – soak in water before use
Method: Mix all the marinade ingredients (minus prawns) in a large mixing bowl until the spices and yogurt combine. Devein and butterfly the prawns and add them to the marinade. Mix gently until all the prawns are fully coated, then cover and place in a fridge for at least 1hr, or preferably overnight.
After this remove from the fridge and leave for 20 minutes to get to room temperature. Skewer the prawns, skewering at both ends so the prawns are skewered twice (head and tail). Have the prawns close together but not squashed – see picture below.
See the method for the sauce for cooking instructions, as these cook quickly and should be done when the sauce is ready.
3 medium size white onions – dice
2 large green chillies – remove stalk, slice
2 tsp mustard seeds
1-2 tbsp. vegetable oil
6 large round tomatoes – quarter
3 tbsp. desiccated coconut
2 tbsp. sliced almonds
1 bay leaf
6 cloves
6 cardamom pods
6 cloves garlic – crush or roughly chop
Thumb sized piece of root ginger – roughly chop
1 tsp salt
3-4 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp tomato pure
2 mugs of water
1/4 tsp ground fenugreek
25-35g butter – cut into cubes
1/2 tsp garam masala
2-3 tbsp. chopped coriander as garnish
You need a blender and deep non stick pan with a lid
Method: Start by heating the oil in the pan, once hot add the onions and stir fry for 6-8 minutes until the onions colour. Next add the chillies, bay, cloves and cardamom and continue to fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add the garlic, ginger, tomatoes, tomato pure, almonds and desiccated coconut and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 2 mugs of water and stir well, bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer, cover and leave to bubble away for 20-25 minutes.
After this carefully remove the lid, then fish out the bay, cardamom and cloves. Add 1 tsp salt and 3-4 tsp of brown sugar, stir well until combined with the sauce.
Leave sauce to cool (to prevent burns) and use the stick blender to form a smooth sauce. As the sauce cools pre heat your oven to its maximum setting.
Place the sauce back on a medium heat, stir and gently heat the sauce through. Add the garam masala and fenugreek – use your fingers and sprinkle them in otherwise they will form clumps that will be difficult to dissolve. Add the butter and stir it into the sauce as it melts.
Once your oven is preheated to its hottest setting, lay the skewered prawns on a baking tray – use a swiss roll style one as water will come out the marinade as it cooks. Add the prawns to the preheated oven and as they go in reduce heat to 220°C and cook them for 5 minutes. Remove tray from oven, drain off the liquid and return to oven for a further minute. Remove from oven and get ready to serve.
Before serving heat the sauce through until it bubbles. Ladle into serving bowls and sprinkle some coriander on top. Place on a serving plate and add the skewers alongside, as pictured below.
King prawns, potatoes and carrots in a delicious spiced lentil and tomato curry sauce.
A easy to make curry dish guaranteed to impress your friends and family – they won’t believe you didn’t pick it up from your local Indian restaurant.
Serve with choice of rice or Indian bread.
Serves two
Preparation and cooking time around 1 hour
200-250g raw king prawns – devein, butterfly
100g peeled new potatoes – cut into small pieces to cook quickly
5-6 round vine tomatoes – cut into quarters
75g red spilt lentils – rinse thoroughly until water runs clear
1 medium/large carrot – peel and thinly slice into discs
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 medium size white onions – peel and dice
2 medium size red onions – peel and dice
1 small bulb of garlic – peel, crush
15-20g ginger – peel, thinly slice
1 heaped dessert spoon sliced Almond
2 bay leaves
5 cardamom pods
5 cloves
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground fenugreek
80g red split lentils – rinse thoroughly
1 tsp salt – plus extra to taste
water – see method
20-25g butter – cut into cubes
2-3 tbsp. chopped coriander leaf
Note: You require a stick blender (or glass blender) for this recipe
Method: Start by boiling the potatoes for 7-8 minutes , then drain them and set aside ready to add to the curry.
In a deep pan heat 2 tbsp. vegetable oil over a medium high heat and add a teaspoon of mustard seeds. Let the oil heat until the mustard seeds start popping like popcorn. Add the onions and fry for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions start to colour. Add the garlic, ginger, bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, tomatoes and sliced almonds and stir through the fried onions. Next add half a teaspoon of cumin seeds, ground turmeric, ground coriander and a quarter of ground fenugreek. Stir well and fry the mixture for 4-5 minutes.
Next add the washed lentils and stir well, then add enough water to completely submerge the mixture (I added 2 and a half mugs of water) and a teaspoon of salt. Stir well, bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. After this remove the bay leaves, cardamom pods and cloves from the sauce and blend into a smooth sauce.
Add the cooked potatoes and the thinly sliced carrot (these are both cut into small pieces so they cook quickly) and gently simmer in the sauce for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently as lentils can stick to pans and burn. Taste test the sauce – you may want to add more salt or add more water, depending upon how thick you like your sauce. If your sauce is too runny simply continue to simmer until it reduces to your preference.
When the sauce add the cubes of butter and stir them into the sauce, this will add flavour and the classic gleam to the curry sauce. Complete the dish by adding 1 tbsp. of chopped coriander and the raw king prawns – let them gently poach in the sauce and serve as soon as they turn from grey to pink.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with the rest of the chopped coriander, enjoy!
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Oven roasted Chicken on the bone marinated in yogurt, spices and garlic. Served with a delicious medium spicy tomato based curry sauce and garnished with toasted almonds.
I love it when you design a recipe and it tastes just as you had hoped, this is definingly one of those occasions. The roasted chicken on the bone marinated in yogurt, garlic, turmeric, chilli, fennel seeds and garam masala is wonderfully moist and flavoursome. The medium spicy curry sauce made from tomato, onion, chilli, garlic, ginger, bay leaf, mustard seeds, cardamom, cloves and some butter is the perfect accompaniment to the chicken. A garnish of coriander leaf and some toasted almonds complete this dish.
Serve with choice of rice or Indian breads.
Serves Two
Preparation time 15 minutes (plus 2-3 hours for marinating chicken)
Cooking time 35 minutes
2 large chicken thighs, on the bone – remove skin and membrane
6-8 dessert spoons Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp salt
3 cloves garlic – thinly sliced
Method: Combine the yogurt, garlic, salt and spices in a bowl and mix well. Add the chicken and mix well until covered in the marinade, cover bowl and put in a fridge for at least two hours (overnight is even better).
To cook the chicken, remove the bowl from fridge 30 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature. Heat your oven to 200°c, place the marinated chicken in a roasting tin and cook for 35 minutes. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes before serving.
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 large round tomatoes – quarter
5 cloves garlic – peel, crush
Root ginger (thumb sized) – peel and thinly slice
2 bay leaves
2 large red chillies – remove stalks and seeds
2 small red onions – peel, dice
2 medium white onions
5 cardamom pods
5 cloves
15-20g flaked almonds – for sauce, extra below for garnish
1 tbsp. brown sugar
Water – see method below
20g unsalted butter – cut into cubes
Salt – to taste
Handful of almond flakes – toast in a dry hot frying pan until coloured on both sides
Handful of coriander leaf – roughly chop
Method: Start by heating the vegetable oil over a medium high heat, add the mustard seeds and fry until they start to pop (like pop corn). Add the onions and fry for 4-5 minutes until they soften and colour. Next add the bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, chilli, ginger, garlic, flaked almonds and tomatoes. stir well and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add water to the pan, enough to cover the mixture (around 200ml), bring to boil then reduce to a simmer for 10 – 12 minutes.
Once the mixture has simmered remove the bay, cardamom and cloves. Use a stick or standalone blender to blitz sauce until smooth. You may wish to add a little extra water depending upon how thick you like your curry sauce, take care not to add too much as it will dilute the flavour.
Bring the smooth sauce to a simmer then add 1 tbsp. sugar and season with salt to taste (I used 1 tsp salt), stir until dissolved into the sauce. Add the cubes of butter and stir as they melt into the sauce, they will bring the classic gleam to your sauce as well as adding flavour. Once the butter is melted into the sauce it is ready to serve.
To serve ladle the sauce into the serving plate, place chicken on top then garnish with toasted almonds and chopped coriander.
Medium spicy lentil curry with cold-water prawns.
This may not be the most attractive looking dish but it makes up for it in the flavour department. Warming, medium spicy, filling comfort food – Indian style. Perfect for cold snowy days, like today here in Edinburgh.
The dish is cooked using a paste of red onion, garlic and ginger which is fried in some oil flavoured with mustard seeds. Chilli, tomato paste, lentils and spices are added along with some water. Seasoning and a little sugar is added then the dish is left to simmer for 50 minutes until the lentils soften, adding some extra water as it cooks.
The dish works well on its own but I added some cold-water prawns, in my opinion the best tasting prawns. Serve with choice of Indian bread or rice, I had mine with a Paratha, simply delicious!
Serves 2 people
Preparation time 10 minutes, cooking time 60 minutes
3 red onions – peeled
8 cloves garlic – peeled
thumb of root ginger – peel, finely chop
Method: Use a mini blender to blitz into a smooth paste, it should have a slightly pink colour as shown in photos at bottom of recipe.
225g cold water prawns – pre-cooked, shelled.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 green bird eye chillies – deseed, thinly slice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
150g red lentils – rinse well
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder – use extra if you like very spicy
8 curry leafs
4 cardamom pods
4 cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 desert spoons brown sugar
Method: Start by heating the oil in a deep-frying pan over a medium high heat, then fry the mustard seeds until the begin to pop. Add the paste and stir fry until the paste thickens in the pan, this should take around 4-5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and the sliced chilli and fry for a further minute. Add the lentils along with the coriander, chilli powder and turmeric, stir through the paste. Next add around 4 mugs of water (enough to submerge the lentils) and stir well, bring to the boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Add the cardamom, cloves and curry leafs and stir well. Simmer the curry for around 50 minutes, adding a little extra water every 10 minutes as the sauce reduces, depending upon how thick you like your curry sauce. The curry is ready when the lentils soften and start to break down (I thickened mine slightly from the video clip below). Add the prawns and stir into the sauce until warmed through, do not over cook the prawns as they will become tough and chewy. Serve and enjoy!
Ferret chef 