Easy recipes from Apple Tree

Tag: Indian (Page 1 of 2)

Rainbow Pakora

This is remarkably simple and with relatively few spices, but it is incredibly tasty. You can use up almost any combination of vegetable but it is best to stick to those that cook at similar times: carrot, beans, onion, cabbage, spinach, courgette, capsicum pepper, beetroot etc. You can be quite vague with quantities too, the recipe is very forgiving. As long as there is enough batter to just coat the vegetables and bind them, you will be fine. Too much batter makes them stodgy, too little and they’ll fall apart. Just do what looks right!

In a bowl, assemble:

  • 1 carrot, grated
  • Handful of spinach leaves, sliced
  • 5 or 6 cabbage leaves, sliced and timmed to 5cm lengths
  • Half of a red pepper, thinly sliced
  • Half a mild chilli pepper, chopped
  • 2cm squeeze of minced garlic
  • 1tbs grated ginger
  • 2 tbs choped fresh coriander (or 1 tbs chopped mint leaves)

Mix tegether and allow to rest for ten minutes

  • 125ml gram flour
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 0.5tsp salt
  • 2 tbs cornflour

Mix together, then mix into your vegetables. Add splashes of water until it gets sticky. You may not need much liquid if your vegetables were already juicy. Now heat a pan of oil for deep-frying, to a temperature of 160C.

Take spoonfuls of the mix and drop into the oil. The easiest way is to scoop with a dessert spoon and scrape off with another spoon. Don’t over crowd the pan, you can do this in batches. After a minute or so flip the pakoras over, and when they are light brown and cripsy all over scoop them out and drain on kitchen paper. Keep warm while you make the next batches.

These are lovely served with a yoghurt dip (mint or coriander flavoured is nice) or chutney. Use as a side or a starter, or nibbles with drinks.

Ooni Oven Tandoori/Chicken Tikka

Placeholder recipe:

Create a marinade by mixing the following

  • 250ml yogurt
  • 1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger
  • 1 tbs fresh garlic
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp red food colouring
  • 1 lemon or lime, juiced
  • 1/2 Tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 Tsp extra hot chilli powder
  • 1/2 Tbs tandoori masala powder
  • 1/2 Tbs cumin powder
  • 1/2 Tbs coriander powder
  • 1/2 Tsp ground pepper
  • 1/2 Tsp citrus powder

Cut 600g chicken breast into skewerable chunks. Add to the marinade and stir about until coated. Marinate at least 6 hours. Cook in a pan in the Ooni at high temperature. Make naans too.

Simple Foolproof Biryani

From Nadiya Hussein (BBC Good Food), who knows. To serve 4.

First make the chicken part:

  • 450g diced chicken (thigh or breast)
  • 100ml olive oil
  • 3 onions, chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
  • 2 tbs tomato puree
  • 3 tbs garam masala (I used a low-cinnamon version)
  • 1 tbs paprika

Toss the whole lot together in an oven-proof, lidded casserole dish. Add and mix in

  • 2 tbs cornflour

Cook in the oven 170C (fan) for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile make the rice.

  • 250g basmati rice
  • 750ml water
  • healthy pinch saffron
  • Cinnamon stick (optional)
  • 0.5tsp salt

Boil for five minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. When the chicken is cooked, take the casserole out of the oven. Put the rice over the chicken and cover again. Turn the oven off and put the casserole dish back in the oven. Leave for 20 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges and sprinkle with chopped spring onion.

Karahi Chicken Curry

Next time I’ll take a photo before the family tucks in. Authentic and simple. This serves 4 if you include rice, naans and a vegetable side. You can use any cut of chicken, bone in our out, but I prefer boneless thighs for flavour and convenience.

  • 1 onion, sliced and chopped
  • glug of oil

Gently fry the onion until transluscent. Add

  • 1 crushed garlic clove
  • 1 tbs grated fresh ginger

Cook for another minute. Add

  • 4-6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, chopped into bite sized chunks

Cook away until coloured. Add

  • 2-3 tomatoes, chopped.

Cook for a few minutes. Add

  • 1 green pepper, halved and seeds removed
  • 0.5 tsp chilli flakes
  • 0.25 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1.5tsp garam masala or chaat masala
  • 1.5 tsp cumin powder

Stir in and cook for a few more minutes. Add

  • 1 cup /250ml boiling water

Stir, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Add

  • 2-3 tbs chopped coriander
  • salt to taste

Cook for another ten minutes. At this point it is ready. If you like thicker sauce, you can add a bit of cornflour to thicken to your preferred consistency.

Instant Pot Lamb Madras

This is a delicious curry made quickly in the Instant Pot. This serves 6.

  • 3/4 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1.5tsp black peppercorns
  • 3/4 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seds
  • 3 cloves
  • 2 – 3 dried peppers

Dry-fry until they release their fragrance (i.e. start to smell). Then pound to dust in a pestle and mortar or wizz in a flash in a spice mill. I use a cheap coffee mill just for spices.

  • 1.5 onions chopped
  • dash of oil

Saute in your Instant Pot until translucent

  • 1.5 tbs grated ginger
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped

Add to the pot and cook for another minute

  • 800g dice lean lamb

Add to the pot and turn around until coloured. Add the dry spice mix and cook for another minute. Add:

  • 2 tbs tomato puree
  • 100 ml passata
  • 200ml yoghurt
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Stir and cook on Meat setting for 40 minutes. Allow to depressurise for 15 minutes. If it is to runny, put 2tsp cornflour in a tablespoon or two of water, and stir in briskly. We ate this with saffron rice and Josh’s Dhal

Chicken Pakora

Great for an appetizer for an Indian meal, on their own or even as a side. Serves 3-4 as a starter

  • 250g chicken breast, cubed into bite sized chunks
  • 1 egg white
  • 1tsp garlic paste
  • 1 tbs grated fresh or frozen ginger root
  • 0.25tsp tumeric
  • 1tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 0.5-1 green chilli, seeded and chopped
  • 1tbs chopped fresh coriander leaves
  • 0.5tsp salt
  • Juice of 1 lemon

Mix that lot up and leave for a few minutes while you heat up a pan of oil for deep frying. Warm your oven and have a plate with kitchen towel on handy.

Go back to your chicken and add

  • 2tbs gram flour
  • 1 tbs rice flour or plain flour

Mix into your marinating chicken. Add a bit more gram flour if necessary to make a sticky coating. When your oil is about 160C, drop pakora individually into the hot oil and fry for 3-4 minutes until brown and crispy like the photo abouve. Do this in batches so the pakora don’t clump up and the oil remains hot. Removewith a mesh or slotted spoon and drain on your kitchen towel. Keep warm on the plate in your oven while you fry the remainder.

Great served with a dipping chutney or riata.

Cheat’s quick veg biryani

OK, true Indian cookery affionados will probably cringe at this, but if you want a tasty meal ready in under 20 minutes and fewer than 100 ingredients you are in the right place. I’m giving the quantities here for one person, you can scale up x2, x3 and x4 but as this is a microwave dish I’m not guaranteeing it will work for larger quantities because I haven’t tested it for more servings. You can adapt it for the Instant Pot then you can go larger.

Here goes, per person. You can chop and change the choice of vegetables. It can be one or two types, or a gathering of anything you have to hand.

  • 70gm basmati rice
  • 140ml vegetable stock (or 160ml if your veg are on the dry side)
  • 0.5tbs curry paste (any will do)
  • 120gm vegetables – sliced mushroom, chopped beans, peas, chopped pepper, chopped carrot, cauliflower florets, diced potato, diced sweet potato or any combo that takes your fancy. You can use chopped onion but best to saute these first.
  • 25g dried fruit such as sultanta, raisin, chopped dried apricot

Put the whole lot in a microwaveable container such as a pyrex bowl, and cover. Microwave on full power for 6 minutes. Stir around, the rice at the bottom may be dry. Microwave for another 6 minutes. If you are scaling up, you may need to cook for slightly longer but only a minute or two. Leave to stand for 5 minutes. Fluff up and add:

  • 25g shopped cashews or flaked almonds
  • 0.5tbs chopped fresh corianer if you have it

Serve with a blob of yoghurt on top and chutney on the side. If you have a few long-life naan breads in the cupboard, heat one in the toaster. If you have grabbed a pack of uncooked popadums you could microwave a couple of those instead. Grab a bottle of lager and away you go.

Sri Lankan Chicken Curry

Thank you Aedy for bringing this one to Arford Books.

Mix

  • 1kg chicken, jointed or pieces preferably bone-in
  • 2.5tsp Sri Lancan roasted curry powder
  • 1tsp cayenne pepper or red chilli powder
  • 0.5tsp turmeric
  • 2tsp salt
  • 1tbs white wine venegar

Marinate for 30 minutes

  • 3tbs oil
  • 1 onion, chopped

Saute until translucent. Add

  • 1tbs minced garlic
  • 1tbs minced ginger

Saute for another two minutes. Add your marinated chicken plus

  • 2 sprigs curry leaves
  • 2 green chillies sliced

Stir and fry for two minutes. Add

  • 1 large roma/beef tomato chopped

Let it cook down. Add

  • 80ml tomato passata/sauce/puree OR 1tbs tomato paste with 2 tbs water
  • 250ml water

Let it come to the boil then cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add

  • 80ml coconut milk

Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Adjust the seasonings and serve with rice, naan or roti.

Indian Pie

This is like a giant samosa. A bit fusion I guess, but very good. To make a pie for four people:

  • 500g new potatoes

Boil until tender, about 15 minutes

  • 1 onion

Chop the onion and soften in a pan with a dash of oil. Add

  • 1 red chilli, chopped
  • 0.5tbs black mustard seeds
  • 0.5tbs cumin seed
  • 1tbs grated ginger root
  • 2 tbs curry paste (Korma, Masala)

Heat a bit longer to cook the spices. Add

  • 2 large handfuls spinach or chard leaves, washed and still wet.

Cover the pan and wilt the leaves. Add the cooked potatoes plus

  • 3 chopped tomatoes
  • salt and pepper
  • a small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped

Mix and mush the potatoes to break them up but not too much. This is your pie mix.

Now find a springform or loose bottom cake or flan tin about 25cm diameter.

  • 6 sheets filo pastry (usually vegan – check)
  • Melted butter (or vegan equivalent)

Brush the sheets with butter and also the inside and base of the tin. Lay 3-4 sheets across the bottom of the tin and up the sides, leaving plenty loose. Fill the pie with your pie mix. Fold the pastry sides over the top. Add the remaining sheets, scrunch them a bit and tuck around the sides so you have a wavy, untidy top.

Bake in a preheated oven at 190C for 35 minutes. Serve with a side of Josh’s Dhal and some spicy chutney.

Prawn, squash and coconut curry

This is a very liquid stew really, so get ready with bowls and spoons! This is for four people, easily halved. There might seem a lot of ingredients but it is a quick and easy dish once everything is prepared.

  • 1 onion, halved then sliced
  • 1 tbs oil

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and gently ccok the onion until soft and golden

  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
  • 2 red chillis, deseeded and sliced
  • 3cm of ginger, grated

Add to the pan and cook two minutes

  • 400ml can coconut milk
  • 750ml chicken or fish stock

Add to the pan and bring to a very gently simmer. Don’t let it boil or it will go curdly.

  • 350g squash or pumpkin, cubed
  • 150g new potatoes, halved or quartered

Add to the liquid and simmer until cooked 915-20 minutes). Watch it doesn’t boil away, you may ned to partially cover with a lid. If you want to thicken the stew you can mack some of the squack/pumpkin.

  • 400g prawns, raw preferably or or cooked
  • 300g baby spinach

Add to the pan and cook until the prawns are pink and the spinach wilted (about three minutes)

  • Juice of 1 lime
  • .5tbs golden caster sugar
  • 1tbs fish sauce

Add to your stew and stir. If it is not salty enough add more fish sauce.

  • Coriander leaves, chopped
  • red chilli, sliced

Serve into bowls and top with the coriander and chilli. You could serve with more lime wedges. This is fairly substantial already but you could serve with jasmine or basmati rice to help soak up the juices.

Alternatives (you will need to adjust cooking times):

Fish balls, salmon pieces, shellfish mix instead of prawn.

Green beans, peas, sugar snap peas, baby corn instead of spinach

 

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