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Chicken Phall

Chicken Phall

Chicken Phall is the hottest dish of the Indian restaurant cuisine. It is by no way authentic and was almost certainly invented in the UK, probably as some kind of revenge on drunken Brits who arrived at the Indian takeaways after the pubs closed. Still, I felt like I had to give this a try.

I took some clues from vague descriptions of a Phall that I found online and improvised this dish. It may need some adjustments, but the first try turned out tasty and very hot. Serves 2, or one very hungry person.

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 350g boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • a 2.5" (6-7cm) piece of ginger
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • ½ tsp cumin powder
  • 2 tsp ground fennel seeds
  • 2 fresh habanero chilies
  • ½ bhut jolokia chili
  • 8 very hot dried red chilies
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 can tomatoes and their juice
  • salt
  • ½ tsp extra hot chili powder
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • 1 tbsp chopped green coriander leaves

Squeeze the garlic cloves through a garlic press and grate the ginger finely, then put both into a blender. Put on protective gloves. Chop the chilies and put into the blender. Add the turmeric, coriander, cumin, fennel and lemon juice. Add a little bit of water. Whizz. The resulting paste should be thick and just barely liquid. Add some more water if necessary. Whizz until very smooth.

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the chicken cubes. Stir fry until the meat is white on the outside. Open the windows and/or put the fume hood on full blast. Add the spice paste from the blender, keep stirring on high heat until the liquid has evaporated. Try not to inhale the chili fumes.

Put the can of tomatoes and their juice intio the blender and whizz until smooth. Add the tomatoes into the pan. The meat should be about covered. If not, add some water.

Salt to taste, then reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. You can now take off the gloves and turn down the fume hood.

Turn off the heat, add the chili powder, garam masala and coriander leaves. Stir, then cover with a lid and let stand for 3-5 minutes. Serve with lots of rice.

This is very hot, but I managed to eat a portion. If you find this insufficiently challenging, use a whole bhut jolokia chili. If you find it too hot, check out one of the milder curry recipes.

Aloo gobi

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Aloo gobi

Pretty much a standard veggie curry. Aloo is potato and gobi is cauliflower, so you get an idea what it's like. Serves 3.

  • 1 large cauliflower
  • 3 potatoes
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 small piece fresh ginger, chopped
  • 1 can peeled tomatoes
  • 3-4 fresh green chilies, chopped
  • 3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
  • 1 large bunch green coriander, stalks and leaves chopped separately
  • 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala
  • salt

Quarter the cauliflower, remove the trunk, then cut or pluck into smaller pieces. Peel the potatoes and cut into small pieces.

Put the tomatoes and their juice into a blender, whizz briefly until semi-smooth.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok, then add the cumin and chopped onions and fry until yellowish-golden, but not brown. Add the ginger, chilies and coriander stalks, stir well and fry for another minute. Add the turmeric powder and stir well. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3-5 minutes.

Reduce heat, then add the cauliflower and potatoes. Add salt and stir well.

Cover and let simmer over low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring ocasionally, until the potatoes are done and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Turn off the heat, add the chopped coriander leaves and garam masala; stir carefully, then cover and let stand for at least 5 minutes. Serve with rice and/or chapatis.

Green Chicken Jalfrezi

Green Chicken Jalfrezi

At my favourite Indian restaurants in the UK, the Chicken Jalfrezi comes in a rather green sauce. One of them also advertises it as "low fat". However, pretty much everywhere else (including restaurants here in Vienna), it always comes in a red, rather fatty sauce. This recipe is my attempt at re-creating the green Chicken Jalfrezi as served by Khan's in London, where it's advertised as "cooked mainly with green chilies, herbs and spices". It comes extremely close to what I intended it to be.

Here's the recipe. If you want to cook it, BEWARE: this is by definition a very hot dish: most of the taste and aroma comes from the green chilies; so if you use fewer chilies in an attempt to make a milder dish, most of the taste goes missing - you need all those chilies for the taste. This recipe serves 2-3. Here we go:

  • 750 grams of chicken breast, cut into 2 inch cubes
  • 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 piece of ginger (slightly less than 1 inch), chopped
  • 1 green capsicum (bell pepper), deseeded and cut into biggish pieces
  • 15 (sic!) green chilies, coarsely chopped
  • 2-3 tablespoons green coriander, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon dried methi (fenugreek) leaves
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • a few (max. ½ teaspoon) cardamom seeds
  • salt

Chop one of the garlic cloves. In a large pan or wok, fry the onions in 2 tablespoons of oil until they become yellowish. Add the chopped ginger and the chopped garlic clove and fry 1 minute more.

Put the fried onions, ginger and garlic plus the green chilies, green coriander, methi leaves and ½ cup (125ml) of water in a blender and whizz until very smooth.

Put the chicken pieces and capsicum pieces into the frying pan (you may want to add a little bit of oil) and fry until the meat has turned white on the outside. Add the mixture from the blender, the cardamom seeds, the turmeric powder and some salt, then add some water until the meat is covered. Bring to boil.

After a while, squeeze in the remaining garlic clove with a garlic press and add the coriander powder. Cook until the meat is well done and at least half the water has evaporated from the sauce. Serve with lots of rice.

If you want a milder taste, the correct way is not to use fewer chilies - as I said, this will affect the taste - but you can try to let it cook a bit longer, as the chilies become "milder" the longer they cook. You may have to add some more water in that case. However, there's no way of turning this into a "mild" or "medium" dish. At its mildest, it'll still be "fairly hot".

Fish with okra

Fish with okra

A tasty Indian recipe with a creamy, slightly spicy coconut sauce.

Serves two.

For the fish:

  • 2 pike-perch fillets (or other mild white fish), about 250g each
  • 4 teaspoons lemon juice
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 2 teaspoons wheat flour
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the okra sauce:

  • 200g fresh green okra (ladyfingers)*
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 large onions, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1 small(!) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped (should be less than half the amount of garlic)
  • ½ teaspoon hot red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 tablespoon coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder
  • 200ml coconut milk
  • 220ml water
  • salt

*) The 200g are actually a guess. I have no idea how many okras I actually used. Pick what seems to be a generous amount for one person or a good side portion for two persons.

Season the fish fillets with lemon juice, salt and pepper and apply a thin(!) layer of the flour.

Rinse the okra well and remove the hard stems, but not the caps.

In a large wok or pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. As soon as they begin to pop, add the onion slices. Fry until the onions are soft and transparent. Then add the garlic slices and ginger pieces. Fry for 2-3 minutes. The onions should become yellowy, but not brown.

Add the turmeric, coriander powder, chili powder and cumin powder and fry briefly, stirring well. Then add coconut milk, water, salt and the okra. Put the lid on and bring to boil; then let simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes until the okra are soft, stirring occasionally.

While the okra are simmering, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pan and fry the fish fillets over low to medium heat on both sides until golden brown.

To serve, put each fish fillet on a plate and cover with the okra and the sauce. Serve with rice.

Simple Madras Curry

Simple Madras Curry

I keep trying to simplify my Chicken Madras recipes. This is the latest variation:

  • 350g boneless chicken breast, cut in cubes
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 4 fresh green chilies, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon hot red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon tandoori masala
  • 1 can tomatoes, with juice
  • 200ml water
  • salt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh green coriander, finely chopped

Heat 2 tablespooons oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken cubes until brown.

In another pan, heat another 2 tablespoons oil and frythe onions until transparent, then add the ginger, chilies and garlic and fry briefly.

Add the turmeric, coriander, cumin, chili powder and tandoori masala. Stir well and fry very briefly.

Put the mixture in a blender, along with the tomatoes and whizz until very smooth.

Put the chicken cubes, the mixture from the blender, the water and the salt back into the pan and let cook with the lid on for about 15 minutes. Add the coriander, stir well and let cook for a little while longer. Then serve with rice or chapatis.

Double Dal (Yellow lentil soup)

Double Dal (Yellow lentil soup)

This dal recipe uses two kinds of lentils for that little extra edge. Can also be made with just one kind of dal, but that'll be without the extra edge then. Serves 4.

  • 100g Toor dal (split yellow lentils)
  • 100g Mung dal (split yelow mung lentils)
  • 1 large pinch asafoetida
  • ½ teaspoon hot chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic, squeezed through a garlic press
  • 1 shallot, sliced
  • 3 fresh green chilies, finely chopped
  • 1-2 teaspoons salt
  • 3 tablespoons oil or ghee
  • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • 2 dried red chilies
  • 10 curry leaves
  • 1 bunch green coriander leaves, finely chopped

Wash and drain the dals, then put in a pot with 1 litre water and bring to boil. Remove any froth with a slotted spoon.

Add asafoetida, chili powder, turmeric, ginger, garlic, shallots, green chilies and salt. Let simmer with the lid on for about 1 hour.

Heat the oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds and red chilies. When the seeds begin to pop, add the crushed curry leaves. Stir once, then pour immediately into the pot with the dals.

Add the coriander leaves, stir once, then serve immediately.

Extra spicy kidney bean curry

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Extra spicy kidney bean curry

You are just ten minutes away from one of the most delicious ways of eating kidney beans. Serves 3-4, or a side dish for up to 8.

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 5 whole dried red chilies
  • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 large pinch asafoetida
  • 15 curry leaves
  • ½ can tomatoes with juice, finely grated
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 3 fresh green chilies, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, squeezed through a garlic press
  • 1" piece fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cans of kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Heat the oil in a wok, then add the whole dried red chilies, the mustard seeds, the cumin seeds and the asafoetida.

As soon as the seeds begin to pop, add the curry leaves and tomatoes. Stir well, then add turmeric, corainder, cumin, green chilies, garlic, ginger, sugar and salt. Bring to boil and let simmer for five minutes.

Add the beans, stir well and let simmer for a few more minutes. Serve with rice or bread.

White cabbage with split peas

White cabbage with split peas

You need:

  • 125g dried split yellow peas
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee
  • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 8 curry leaves
  • 4 dried red chilies, crushed
  • 1 pinch asafoetida
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ white cabbage, trunk removed, cut in stripes
  • salt
  • 1 bunch fresh green coriander leaves, chopped

Put the split peas into half a litre boiling water and cook for about 30 minutes until soft, then drain.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add mustard and cumin seeds and fry until they begin to pop, then addcurry leaves, chilies and peas and fry for about 5 minutes, stirring continuously.

Add asafoetida, turmeric and thecabbage. Stir well, then reduce heat to very low and let simmer with the lid on until the cabbage is soft (30-45 minutes). Stir occasionally, make sure nothing sticks to the pan. There should be no liquid left in the pan in the end.

Salt to taste and add coriander leaves before serving.

Pumpkin goulash

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Pumpkin goulash

To serve 3-4, you need:

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 4 medium-sized onions, chopped
  • 4-6 potatoes, washed and cut in thick slices
  • 1 teaspoon brown black mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
  • 1 Hokkaido pumpkin, cut in bite-sized cubes (not peeled)
  • ½ litre water
  • 2 tablespoons concentrated tomato purée
  • salt
  • pepper

Heat the oil in a large wok or pot, then fry the onions until transparent. Add mustard seeds and caraway seeds and fry until the onion is golden.

Reduce heat to very low. Add paprika and pumpkin cubes, stir well. Immediately add water, tomato purée, salt and pepper, stirring continuously. Turn up heat and bring to boil.

Reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes. Server with white bread.

Chicken Vindaloo (version #3)

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Chicken Vindaloo (version #3)

A very hot and sour Indian chicken dish. Also works well with pork or lamb. Serves 2-3. This is a refined version of the two recipes published previously on this site, and I think I prefer it to the other two.

Step 1:

  • 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons hot red chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom seeds
  • 4 cloves
  • 6 ground black peppercorns
  • 1 piece cassia bark
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon groud cumin seeds
  • juice of 1 large lemon

Put all these ingredients in a blender and whizz until you have a thick paste.

Step 2:

  • 350-400g boneless chicken breast, cut in cubes
  • 4 potatoes, skinned and cut in thick slices
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee
  • 2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
  • 2 peeled tomatoes
  • 450ml water
  • salt to taste

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add the meat and fry until lightly browned on all sides. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and put aside.

Put the mustard seeds in the oil. When they begin to pop, add the spice paste from the blender. Reduce the heat and fry briefly for a couple of minutes. Then add the water.

Whizz the tomatoes in the blender until very smooth and put them in the pan. Bring everything to boil. Add the potatoes and the chicken meat and cook with the lid on for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with rice.

Red lentils with onions

Red lentils with onions

A very quick, simple lentil dish. It's spicy, but the sugar and the whole shallots give it an unique sweetish taste.

  • 250g red lentils (masoor dal)
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
  • 1 large pinch asafoetida
  • 10 curry leaves
  • 2 cloves
  • 4 dried red chilies, deseeded and crushed
  • 500g shallots, peeled, but left whole
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • salt

Rinse the lentils thoroughly and check for stones. Then put them in a pot with twice the amount of water and bring to boil. Remove any froth that forms with a slotted spoon. Boil until the lentils are very soft, but have not disintegrated (approx. 10 minutes). Drain excess water, if any is left.

In a second pot, heat the oil. Add the mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, add the asafoetida, curry leaves, cloves and red chilies. Fry briefly for about one minute, then add the whole shallots. Fry them for several minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the sugar, tamarind, turmeric, salt and 1 cup of water. Let simmer until the shallots have become transparent, stirring occasionally. Most of the water should evaporate in the process (add some more water if necessary).

Add the cooked lentils. Stir well, adjust seasoning if necessary, then serve immediately with chapatis or rice.

Seekh kefta

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Seekh kefta

I have only ever cooked these yummy Indian meat balls with ready-made spice mixes, so I'm really not sure precisely what spices they contain. Look for a standard kabab masala *); if you can get it and don't mind spending more money, Shan's seekh kabab mix produces excellent results.

*) You can try to mix the following ground spices for a somewhat decent kabab masala, but the readymade mixes taste better: 1 teaspoon each of paprika, salt, coriander, ginger; half teaspoon each of red chili powder, allspice, black pepper, cumin, black cumin, mace, clove; 1 ground bay leaf.

For the sauce:

  • 200g skinned tomatoes
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala

For the meatballs:

  • 400g fresh minced beef or lamb
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (requires a 2-inch piece)
  • 1 tablespoon garlic paste from a garlic press (requires 4-6 cloves)
  • 4 fresh green chilies, finely chopped
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 3-4 teaspoons kabab masala
  • 1 tablespoon ghee

Whizz the tomatoes in a blender, put in a pot. Add the chili powder and garam masala. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Mix the meat, ginger, garlic, chilies, onion and kabab masala. If you have the time, let stand for 2-3 hours.

Add the ghee, mix well. Form little balls and fry them in a pan over moderate heat.

Arrange on a plate with the tomato sauce. Serve with rice.

Murgh dopiaza

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Murgh dopiaza

A spicy Indian chicken curry with extra onions ("do" meaning "two" and "piaz" is "onion"). This is a variation that should more aptly be called "teen piazza" (three onions), because in addition to the onions in the sauce and the onion rings, it also contains whole shallots.

For the sauce:

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 inch piece fresh ginger, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 4 fresh green chilies, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 125ml cold water
  • 150g skinned tomatoes

For the main dish:

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee
  • 1 medium onion, in rings
  • 600g boneless chicken breast, cut in cubes
  • 5-10 shallots (depending on the size), left whole, but peeled
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 cloves
  • 1 piece cassia bark (or cinnamon bark)
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
  • salt
  • 1 tablespoon methi (fenugreek) leaves
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 tablespoons fresh green coriander, chopped

For the sauce, heat the oil or ghee, then add the onion and fry until golden-brownish. Add the ginger, garlic and chilies, stir for a minute or so, then add the spices. Reduce heat to very low and let simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Put the water in a blender, add the contents from the pan and the tomatoes, whizz until very smooth. Put the sauce back in a pot, cover, and let simmer for another 15-20 minutes.

Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan, add the onion rings and fry until brownish, then remove them with a slotted spoon and put them aside.

Fry the meat until it is white on all sides and the pores have closed, then add the sauce, shallots, bay leaves, cloves, cassia bark, chili powder, cumin, coriander and salt. Stir well, bring to boil, cover and cook over low to medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally

Add the fried onion rings, methi leaves and garam masala. Stir well, then let simmer for another 10 minutes. If necessary, add some water.

Turn off the heat, add the chopped green coriander, stir, cover and let stand for 3-5 minutes. Serve with chapatis or boiled rice.

Chicken Madras Variation

Chicken Madras Variation

This rather hot chicken curry was designed to taste like the one I ate in an Indian restaurant in Brussels. It tastes almost identical. Serves 4.

  • 800g boneless chicken breast
  • 3 teaspoons hot Madras curry powder
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 tablespoons ghee or oil
  • 4 teaspoons mango chutney
  • 1 teaspoon hot chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 tablespoon coconut flakes
  • 1 small bunch green coriander, chopped

For the sauce:

  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 1 can tomatoes (with juice)
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom seeds
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 piece fresh ginger, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon ginger powder
  • salt to taste
  • 5 dried red chilies
  • 1 cup water

Put some ghee in a wok, chop one of the onions and fry until brown. Then put the fried onion and all the other sauce ingredients in a blender and whizz until very smooth.

Cut the meat into cubes, mix with the curry powder until the meat is well covered with it.

Heat the ghee in a wok, then fry the meat with the bay leaf for a few minutes until slightly browned and all the pores have closed. Add the sauce from the blender and bring to boil.

Let simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Add the mango chutney and chili powder. Let simmer for another 10 minutes.

Remove from heat, add the green coriander, garam masala and coconut flakes. Stir well. Cover and let stand for five minutes, then serve with rice.

Lobhia dal

Lobhia dal

A simple, very tasty bean dish. Best used as a side dish with some other curry, but pretty tasty on its own as well. Leftovers make a great sandwich filler.

  • 1 ½ cups dried lobhia (black-eyed beans)
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons concentrated tomato purée
  • 3 tablespoons ghee or oil
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • salt
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon hot red chili powder (1/4 if you are timid)
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ginger powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1-2 bunches fresh green coriander, chopped

Rinse and drain the beans, then put them in a pot, add about 1 ½ litres water so that they are well covered and let soak for about 4 hours.

Put on the stove, add 2 teaspoons salt and bring to boil. With a slotted spoon, remove any froth that forms on the top. Let simmer for about 30-40 minutes until the beans are soft. Don't overcook.

Put a sieve over a second pot. Pour the beans into the sieve so that the water is caught in the pot below. Put the beans and the pot with their water aside.

Squeeze the garlic cloves through a garlic press. Mix with 1-2 teaspoons salt so that you get a thick paste.

Heat the ghee in the now empty first pot; add the onion and garlic paste and fry until golden. Reduce heat. Add the spices and fry for a few minutes more. Add the water from the beans and the tomato purée. Stir well. Bring to boil.

Add the beans and green coriander. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Put in a bowl and serve immediately.

Spicy fish with chili and coriander

Spicy fish with chili and coriander

This is a delicious and very hot recipe. To serve 3, you need

  • 3 fish fillets, cod or haddock (about 200-250g each)
  • 4 onions, chopped
  • 3 bunches fresh green coriander, leaves and thin stalks, chopped
  • 6 green chilies, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.

Put all ingredients except the fish in a blender and whizz until smooth.

Put each piece of fish on a piece of thin foil and cover completely with the paste from the blender. Then wrap the fish in the foil.

Put the fish in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes.

To serve, carefully remove the fish from the foil. The green paste should stick to the fish. Serve with rice.

Spicy eggplant

Spicy eggplant

A spicy Indian-inspired eggplant dish. Can be used as a side-dish or on its own.

  • 2 eggplants, cut in stripes
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons ground coriander
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon hot chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon dark mustard seeds
  • 1 onion, chopped

Bring 1 litre water to boil, add garlic and eggplants and let simmer for about ten minutes.

In the meantime, mix coriander, salt, pepper, chili powder, ginger and lemon juice so that you get a spicy paste.

In a large pan, heat the ghee. Add the onion and mustard seeds. Fry until the oinion has become transparent. Add the drained eggplant. Stir-fry for five minutes.

Reduce heat, keep stir-frying the eggplant for another 10 minutes, adding a teaspoon of the spicy paste every minute or so. The eggplants are ready when all the liquid has evaporated.

Very hot chicken curry with green bell peppers

Very hot chicken curry with green bell peppers

This is a quick very hot restaurant-style chicken curry, a further attempt to cook something like the Chicken Madras at my favourite restaurant. It tastes similar, but not quite like it, and it's not as hot as the original, but it is yummy.

  • 500g boneless chicken bresats, cut in cubes
  • 1 green bell pepper, cut in rings
  • 1 medium-sized onion, cut in rings
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 6 fresh green chilies, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon ground fresh ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic, squeezed through a garlic press
  • 1 can peeled tomatoes, whizzed in a blender
  • 200ml water
  • 3 teaspoons coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 3 teaspoons extra hot chili powder
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1-2 pieces cassia bark
  • 3 cloves
  • 4 black peppercorns
  • salt
  • 2 tablespoons ghee or 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Heat one tablespoon ghee in a large wok and fry the chicken cubes until light brown, then remove from the wok.

Add another tablespoon ghee; fry the onions and cumin seeds until light brownish, then add the bell pepper rings and fry until the onions are brown. Remove the bell peppers, then add the ginger, 4 fresh chilies, the bay leaf, 2 teaspoons coriander, turmeric, cumin and cardamom; fry for a couple of minutes.

Add the pureed tomatoes, water, garlic, paprika, 2 teaspoons chili powder, cloves, cassia bark, peppercorns, salt and chicken pieces. Cover and let simmer for at least 15 minutes.

Remove the lid, add the bell peppers, stir, and let simmer for another 5 minutes.

Add 2 more fresh chopped chilies, 1 additional teaspoon coriander and, if necessary, one additional teaspoon hot chili powder. Stir well, then remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes. Serve with rice and/or chapatis.

Potato and pumpkin curry

Potato and pumpkin curry

This is one way to get rid of all the pumpkins they are selling you everywhere at this time of the year. A pretty tasty way, I might add.

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 small piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 3-5 fresh green chilies, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 4-5 potatoes, peeled and cut into smallish pieces
  • 400g peeled tomatoes
  • ½ Hokkaido pumpkin, washed, deseeded and cut into bite-sized cubes
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom seeds
  • 1 tablespoon methi (fenugreek) leaves
  • salt
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2-3 bunches green coriander, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala

In a wok or large pan, heat some vegetable oil and fry the cumin seeds and onion until transparent; then add the garlic, ginger and green chilies and fry until golden. Add 1 teaspoon coriander powder, cumin powder and turmeric. Fry for 3-5 minutes.

Add the potatoes and stir well. Whizz the tomatoes in a blender and add to the potatoes. Stir, then let simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the pumpkin cubes, paprika, cardamom, methi leaves and some water (if necessary). Salt to taste. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.

When both the potatoes and the pumpkin are soft to the bite, add 1 teaspoon coriander powder, the lemon juice, the green coriander and the garam masala. Stir well, turn off the heat, cover and let stand for a few minutes, then serve with rice and/or chapatis.

Note: Instead of 4-5 potatoes and half a Hokkaido pumpkin, you can also use no potatoes and one whole Hokkaido pumpkin.

Pumpkin caveat: The Hokkaido pumpkin is perfect because it's not too large, very tasty and does not need to be peeled before cooking. If you use a different kind of pumpkin, you may have to peel it and adjust cooking times.

Moong Dhal (Mung Dal)

Moong Dhal (Mung Dal)

A fairly straightforward lentil dish.

  • 250g moong dhal (yellow lentils) or, alternatively, red lentils
  • 1 small piece ginger, cut in longish stripes
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 2-3 bunches green coriander, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon ghee or vegetable oil
  • salt
  • optional: ½ teaspoon fennel seeds

Wash the lentils and put them in a pot with approx. ½ litre water; as soon as it starts to boil, add turmeric powder and ginger stripes. Let simmer for 30-40 minutes, adding water if necessary, until the lentils are competely soft and there is no extra water in the pot.

In a small frying pan, heat the ghee or oil; add onion and garlic and fry until light brown. Then add cumin seeds, coriander powder and chili powder (you can also add the fennel seeds at this point to reduce the danger of flatulence). Fry for 2-3 more minutes.

Pour the contents of the frying pan into the pot with the boiled lentils. Add the chopped green coriander, salt to taste, stir well, then serve.

Best used as a side dish to accompany another curry or Indian-style dish.

Another Chicken Vindaloo variation

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Another Chicken Vindaloo variation

This is the latest installment in my attempts to create a Chicken Vindaloo (a very hot chicken curry). This turned out pretty decent. Serves two to three.

  • 400g boneless chicken meat, cut in cubes
  • 4 potatoes, skinned and cut in cubes
  • 1 can skinned tomatoes
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons oil or ghee
  • 1 piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 4 fresh green chilies, finely chopped
  • 4 bunches fresh green coriander, leaves and stalks chopped separately
  • 2 teaspoons coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 2 tablespoons methi (fenugreek) leaves
  • ½ teaspoon cardamom seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 1 teaspoon very hot chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 piece cassia bark
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • 120ml lemon juice
  • salt

Heat 2 tablespoons oil or ghee in a large pan or wok. Fry the cumin seeds and the onion until transparent, then add ginger and and green chilies and fry until the onion is brownish. Add 1 teaspoon coriander powder, the green coriander stalks, turmeric and cumin powder. Reduce heat and fry for three more minutes.

Put the mixture in a blender, together with the tomatoes and some water. Whizz until very smooth.

Put 1 tablespoon oil or ghee into the pan, add the chicken cubes and fry until they're white on all sides.

Remove the chicken pieces from the pan, pour in the sauce from the blender and let cook for 5 minutes. Then add the potatoes, chicken pieces, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, methi leaves, cardamom seeds, cardamom powder, chili powder, paprika, cassia bark, cloves, lemon juice and salt. For extra heat, add 2-4 crushed dried red chilies.

Cover and let simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Turn off the heat, add the coriander leaves and garam masala. Stir well, then cover and let stand for 5 minutes with the lid on. Then serve with rice or chapaties.

Aloo saag

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Aloo saag

Came home from the cinema at 10pm and had a craving for food, so I decided to cook this, which is a fairly quick potato and spinach curry.

  • 300g spinach
  • 4-5 potatoes
  • 1 large bunch green coriander, chopped
  • 3-4 fresh green chilies
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 1 medium-sized onion
  • 1 piece fresh ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • salt

Finely chop onions, ginger and garlic cloves. Briefly boil the tomatoes, then skin them and cut them into small cubes. Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes.

Briefly boil the spinach, then put it, the coriander leaves and the chilies into a blender and whizz.

Heat the oil in a large pan or wok. Add chopped onions, ginger and garlic and fry until the onions are yellowish, but not brown. Add the tomato cubes and ground cumin. Fry for a few minutes, then add the spinach/coriander/chili purée, the salt and the potatoes. Stir well. Add a bit of water (no more than ½ cup), cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring from time to time.

It is vital that the curry is neither watery nor sticking to the bottom of the pan because there is not enough water in it. Remove the lid so that excess water can evaporate more easily, or add a bit of water if it looks like there's not enough water in it.

When the potatoes are soft to the bite and the consistency of the curry is just right, remove from the heat; add the garam masala, stir well, cover and let stand for about five minutes, then serve with chapaties or rice.

Aloo matar

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Aloo matar

Aloo is potato and matar are peas, so the main ingredients of this basic vegetarian curry should not be much of a mystery.

  • 750g potatoes
  • 2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
  • 2 tablespoons oil or ghee
  • 2 medium-sized onions, cut into rings
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 cup (125ml) water
  • 100g peas
  • salt
  • pepper

Peel the potatoes and cut them into smallish cubes. Heat a pan and add the mustard seeds. Heat until they begin to pop, then add ghee, onions, garlic and ginger and fry until the onions become transparent.

Add the potatoes, turmeric, chili powder, ground cumin and garam masala. Stir well over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Then add water and let cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Most of the water should evaporate; take good care that nothing burns.

Add the peas; stir well. Season with salt and pepper if necessary. Cover and let simmer for another 5 minutes. Take care that nothing burns at the bottom of the pot; add a tiny bit of water if necessary. When finished, the potatoes should be soft and all the liquid should be absorbed or evaporated.

Serve with rice.

Quick Chicken Madras

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Quick Chicken Madras

This is a quick variation of a Chicken Madras. Nothing particularly special, but you can't get a decent hot curry any faster than this (well, you can, but I wouldn't recommend it). Takes about 30 minutes total and serves up to 4.

  • 2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 600g boneless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
  • 1 capsicum (green bell pepper), deseeded and cut into ½" rings
  • 5 fresh green chilies, chopped
  • 1 small piece fresh ginger, chopped
  • 1 can tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons tumeric
  • 3 teaspoons coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon hot chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 large bunch green coriander, stalks and leaves chopped separately
  • 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala
  • salt

Heat 1 tablespoon ghee (or oil) in a large frying pan or wok and fry the chicken pieces until white all around (and slightly yellowish), then remove from the pan and put aside.

Add the second tablespoon ghee, put in the chopped onion and fry until brown. Then add the capsicum, ginger and chilies and fry briefly for about 1 minute.

Whizz the tomatoes in a blender, then pour the purée into the pan; add the tumeric, coriander powder, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt and coriander stalks. Stir well and cook over high heat for a few minutes. Then add the reserved chicken pieces, reduce heat, cover and let simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Turn off the heat. Stir in the coriander leaves and garam masala. Let stand for a few minutes, then serve with rice and/or chapatis.

Fish curry in coconut milk sauce

Fish curry in coconut milk sauce

This is another one of my favourites. Not only is it the simplest curry recipe that I know of, it's also extremely tasty.

  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1-2 cloves garlic
  • ½ teaspoon ginger powder
  • 3 fresh red chilies or 1 teaspoon ground dried chilies
  • 1 teaspoon tumeric
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 tablespoon coriander powder
  • 1 tablespoon wheat flour
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk
  • 500 g sole fillets (also tastes great with shark)
  • salt

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok, add the onion and fry until brown. Add ginger, chilies, tumeric, coriander and mustard seeds and fry for a few minutes more over low heat, making sure the spices do not burn.

In a bowl, mix coconut milk, lemon juice, flour and salt, then pour the mixture into the frying pan. As soon as the sauce thickens, put in the fish fillets. Squeeze the garlic through a garlic press and put it on top of the fish fillets.

Cover the pan with a lid and let everything simmer over low heat until the fish is well done (about 15 minutes, depending on the size of the fish). Do not stir while it's cooking, just shake the pan from time to time so that nothing sticks to it. Serve with rice and/or chapatis.

Pork Vindaloo

Pork Vindaloo

This is my first attempt at a Pork Vindaloo. It turned out quite well and pretty close to what I wanted it to be like, but I may give it a second try later.

And yes, the Vindaloo was apparently originally a pork dish, but if you don't like pork, it should work just as well with chicken meat, even though the sour, vinegary taste goes better with pork than with chicken.

Please beware: as is the case with Vindaloo dishes, this is VERY VERY hot, so try it only if you didn't have any problems with my Green Chicken Jalfrezi from a few days ago - this one is hotter. As usual, this serves two (or three, if you're not very hungry).

  • 500-600 grams tender pork, cut into smallish cubes
  • 6 smallish potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 2 medium-sized onions, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 8-10 fresh red chilies (avoid dried chilies - they're hotter and have less aroma)
  • 1 small (½ inch) piece of fresh ginger, chopped
  • 300ml sieved tomatoes or passata
  • 4 tablespoons vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground tumeric
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons very hot red chili powder
  • 2 smallish pieces from a cinnamon bark
  • 3 cloves
  • a few whole black pepper seeds
  • 4 whole cardamom seeds
  • 1 teaspoon tandoori powder
  • salt
  • ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons oil or ghee

In a wok or big pan, fry the onions in 2 tablespoons oil until transparent, then add 2 chopped cloves garlic and the chopped ginger; fry some more until the onion becomes yellowish. Add the tumeric, cumin and 1 teaspoon coriander and fry some more for about 2 minutes.

Put the fried onions/garlic/ginger in a blender. Add the remaining cloves garlic, the red chilies, vinegar, lemon juice, some of the sieved tomatoes and some water. Whizz until you have a very smooth brownish-golden sauce.

Put the meat into the pan and fry until it has become white and the pores have closed. Add the mixture from the blender, the remaining tomatoes, the potatoes and enough water so that everything is covered. Add the chili powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper seeds, cardamom seeds, salt, ground black pepper; stir, then let cook over low heat with the lid on for about 20 minutes.

Add the tandoori powder; then add some more sieved tomatoes, coriander powder, salt, chili powder or black pepper if necessary. Let cook some more until the potatoes are well done.

Serve immediately with a lot of rice and a dry white wine (or, if you prefer, a hoppy beer).