Vegetable biryani

Layered spicy vegetables, basmati rice and cashew nuts are just the ticket in this traditional vegetarian Indian dish.


Ingredients
1 small carrot, peeled, cut into small cubes

1 medium potato, peeled, cut into small cube

¼ green pepper, diced

¼ red pepper, diced

25g/1oz French beans, finely chopped

50g/2oz frozen peas

1 tsp tomato puree

½ tsp finely chopped green chillies

1 tsp garam masala

¼ tsp ground turmeric

225g/8oz cooked basmati rice

1 small onion, finely chopped

4 roasted cashew nuts, chopped

½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted

½ tsp red chilli powder

yoghurt, to serve

Preparation method
1.Preheat the oven to 170C/235F/Gas 3.

2.Cook the carrot, potato, peppers, French beans and peas in a pan of boiling water for 3-4 minutes, or until tender. Drain and return to the pan.

3.Add the tomato puree, green chillies, garam masala and turmeric to the vegetables and mix until well combined.

4.Place half of the rice at the bottom of an ovenproof dish, spread the vegetable mixture on top, and then place the rest of the rice on top, spreading it evenly.

5.Sprinkle the top layer of rice with the chopped onions, cashew nuts, cumin seeds and red chilli powder. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.

6.Serve with yoghurt.

Spinach, aubergine and chickpea curry

This delicious vegetarian curry is packed full of flavour and is ready in less than 30 minutes.


Ingredients
1kg/2¼lb fresh spinach

2 tbsp olive oil

2 medium red onions, chopped

200g/7oz tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 fresh hot green chillies, halved and thinly sliced, seeds included

1 tbsp coriander seeds, ground

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 large aubergine, approx. 400g/14oz,cut into 2cm (3/4in) dice

400g/14oz tinned chopped tomatoes

salt


Preparation method
1.Cook the spinach in boiling water for two minutes, then cool it under cold running water and squeeze gently to remove most of the liquid. Place in a food processor and chop the spinach to a coarse puree.

2.Heat half the olive oil in a large pan and cook the onion, chickpeas, garlic, chilli and spices for five minutes over a medium heat.

3.Add the remaining olive oil and the aubergine. Cook for ten minutes, stirring often, until the aubergine is coloured.

4.Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt, then cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the aubergine is soft. Stir in the spinach puree and serve.

Slow cooker split pea dal

Tasty and filling, dal makes a cheap, healthy and satisfying meal from store cupboard ingredients.


Ingredients
300g/10½oz yellow split peas

1 onion, chopped

200g/7oz chopped tomatoes (from a tin or fresh)

thumb of fresh root ginger, finely grated

2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp crushed finely in a mortar

2 tsp ground turmeric

2 garlic cloves, one crushed, one thinly sliced

10 freeze-dried curry leaves

700ml/1¼  hot vegetable stock

1 hot green finger chilli, thinly sliced

2 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil

lemon wedges, to serve

Preparation method
1.Place the split peas, onion, tomatoes, ginger, ground cumin, turmeric, crushed garlic, curry leaves and stock into a slow cooker. Add most of the chilli and stir to combine. Cook on high for four hours, until the split peas are tender.

2.Season the dal generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Just before serving, heat the oil in a saucepan. When the oil is very hot, add the whole cumin seeds and the sliced garlic. Fry until the garlic is golden-brown and the cumin smells toasty and almost smoky. Spoon the hot spiced oil over the dal, scatter with the remaining green chilli, then serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.

Green coconut fish curry

The whole spices and whole green chillies add flavour but are not overly hot so this is mild enough for the children.


Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil

½ tsp brown mustard seeds

4 cloves

6 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed

1 large piece cinnamon stick

1 small onion, finely chopped

5cm/2in piece fresh ginger, peeled and quartered

2 large garlic cloves

1 tsp ground coriander

300ml/10½fl oz coconut milk

2-4 green chillies, left whole

salt, to taste

100ml/3½fl oz water

10 curry leaves (available from some supermarkets and Asian grocers)

½-1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

¾ tsp garam masala

500g/1lb 2oz salmon or firm white fish fillets, cut into large pieces

To serve
2-3 tsp lemon juice

50g/2oz fresh coriander leaves and stalks, chopped

Preparation method
1.Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the mustard seeds, cloves, cardamom pods and cinnamon stick and stir fry for 20 seconds (be careful, the seeds might pop). Add half of the chopped onion and fry for 4-5 minutes until soft.

2.Meanwhile, place the remaining onion, the ginger, garlic, ground coriander and 100ml/3½fl oz of the coconut milk into a blender or food processor and blend to a smooth puree.

3.Add this mixture to pan along with the whole green chillies and salt, to taste. Cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for 12-15 minutes, giving the pot an occasional stir.

4.Add the remaining coconut milk, the water, the curry leaves, black pepper and garam masala and the fish and leave to cook undisturbed for about 3-5 minutes, until the fish is opaque and cooked through.

5.To serve, stir in the lemon juice and coriander. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then pour into bowls and serve with rice.

Chicken jalfrezi

Chicken jalfrezi is up there as a curry house favourite and this version by Simon Rimmer shows it’s as easy as anything to make at home.



Ingredients
75g/2½oz vegetable oil

1 onion, peeled, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled, sliced

1 tsp chilli powder

3 tsp ground turmeric

pinch salt

750g/1lb 10oz chicken breast, cut into large chunks

500g/1lb 2oz chopped tomatoes

2 tsp ground ginger

3 tsp ground cumin

3 tsp ground coriander

2 tbsp melted butter

1 lemon, juice only

To serve
basmati rice, cooked according to packet instructions

6-8 ready-made naan breads

2 limes, cut into wedges

2 handfuls chopped fresh coriander leaves

1-2 red chillies, sliced

Preparation method
1.Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion and garlic over a low to medium heat for 4-5 minutes, or until softened.

2.Mix the chilli powder, turmeric and salt together in a bowl until well combined, then add the chicken pieces and mix well to coat. Add the coated chicken to the pan and fry for 10-15 minutes, or until golden-brown and cooked through.

3.Stir the tomatoes, ginger, cumin and coriander into the pan, then reduce the heat until the mixture is just simmering. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a tablespoon of water every so often if the mixture appears too dry.

4.Stir in the butter and add the lemon juice, to taste.

5.To serve, spoon the chicken jalfrezi onto serving plates. Serve with rice, naan and lime wedges on the side, then garnish with the chopped coriander and sliced red chillies.

Chicken biryani

A family favorite, this easy chicken biryani is not too spicy and easy to make for a comforting weeknight supper.


Ingredients
200g/7¼oz basmati rice

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp vegetable oil

8 shallots, chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsp fresh root ginger, grated

6 chicken breast fillets or 2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced into strips (chicken breast fillets are the small, tender fillets on the underside of the chicken breast, available in some supermarkets)

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground turmeric

generous pinch freshly grated nutmeg

¾ cup plain yoghurt

2 tsp caster sugar

4 or 5 handfuls raisins


Preparation method
1.Wash the rice in several changes of water until the water runs clear, then leave to soak in tepid water with the salt for 30 minutes.

2.Drain the rice and place in a pan with enough cold water to come about 2cm/¾inch above the top of the rice.

3.Bring the water to the boil, then reduce the heat to as low as possible, cover and cook for about ten minutes, or until 'holes' begin to appear on the top of the rice and all the water has been absorbed.

4.Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the shallots, onions, garlic and ginger and fry for a couple of minutes, until golden-brown. Remove a tablespoonful and set aside for garnishing.

5.Add the chicken and stir fry for four minutes.

6.Add the spices and stir for one minute, then stir in the yoghurt and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add the sugar, raisins and part-cooked rice. Cover the pan with a clean tea towel and cover with a lid (this will hold in all the steam).

7.Place over a very low heat and cook for ten minutes.

8.Remove from the heat and leave to rest for five minutes.

9.Serve large spoonfuls garnished with the reserved shallot and onion mixture.

Beef rendang

This recipe for slow-cooked beef in a rich lemongrass and coconut sauce is well worth the effort.


Ingredients
For the rendang
1 onion, roughly chopped

1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger

1 tbsp chopped galangal (or another tbsp of the above)

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 lemongrass stalk, tough outer layer removed and roughly chopped

1 tsp turmeric

6 long red dried chillies, soaked in water and roughly chopped

2 tbsp sunflower oil

1 cinnamon stick

6 cardamom pods

650g/1lb 7oz braising steak, cut into 2cm/1inch cubes

4 kaffir lime leaves

zest of a kaffir lime or lime

400ml/14fl oz coconut milk

1 tbsp of tamarind paste or juice of a lime

50g/2oz desiccated coconut flakes

coriander sprigs to garnish

For the herby rice
1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 cinnamon stick

4 cardamom pods

250g/9oz basmati rice

600ml/1pint 1½fl oz water

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

sea salt

To serve
deep-fried shallots

1 deep-fried red chilli

Preparation method
1.For the rendang paste, place the onion, ginger, galangal, garlic, lemongrass, turmeric and chillies into a food processor. Blend to form a smooth puree.

2.Heat a wok and add the oil. Fry the paste over a high heat until the paste turns darker and is highly aromatic.

3.Add the cardamom pods (crush the cardamom pods gently with the back of a spoon before frying) and the cinnamon stick broken in half and cook for another minute then add the meat.

4.Fry the meat in the paste stirring all the time, until it is well browned.

5.Pour over the coconut milk and tamarind puree and bring to a gentle simmer, add the affirm lime leaves and zest.
 6.Season with salt, stir well then reduce to a simmer.
7.Cook for between one hour and one hour and a half, stirring frequently during this time. The meat should be really tender and the sauce really reduced and rich.
8.Meanwhile toast the coconut flakes in a dry pan. Keep a close eye on this, as it will burn really quickly. It should be a lovely deep brown colour when ready. Blend to a powder in a small blender or pound in a pestle and mortar. When the rendang is ready stir into the mixture making sure it is well mixed in.
9.For the Herby rice, wash the rice really well under cold water, the water will run clear when it is washed enough. Allow to drip dry Heat the oil in heavy-based saucepan that has a tight fitting lid.
10.Add the spices and fry for a minute.
11.Add the rice and fry until the grains begin to turn an opaque white.
12.Add the water and a good pinch of salt.
13.Bring to the boil then allow to bubble away until nearly all the water has been absorbed and air holes are beginning to appear.
14.At this point pop the lid on. Leave the heat on underneath for a minute (this will create lots of steam) then allow to stand for five minutes (do not remove the lid).

15.Keep warm until everything else is ready. You can hold rice like this for up to half an hour.

16.To serve, mix the herbs into the rice and divide between four warmed serving dishes. Next spoon on the rending, finish with a few sprigs of coriander and serve immediately, garnished with the deep-fried shallots and chilli.

Biryani recipes

Tender chunks of gently spiced beef in a fluffy saffron rice. If you like a bit more heat, don’t worry about  deseeding both the chillies.


Ingredients
100ml/3½oz full-fat milk

1 heaped tsp saffron strands

1kg/2lbs 2oz braising steak, cut into bite-sized chunks

4 onions, peeled

4 garlic cloves, peeled

25g/1oz fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

2 fresh red chillies,deseeded and roughly chopped

5 cloves

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds

¼ cinnamon stick

12 cardamom pods

2½ tsp sea salt flakes, plus extra to season

½ whole nutmeg, finely grated

135ml/4¾fl oz sunflower oil

200ml/7fl oz natural yoghurt

2 bay leaves

2 tsp caster sugar

325g/11½oz basmati rice

4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

50g/2oz butter

To serve
50g/2oz sultanas

40g/1½oz flaked almonds

3 large free-range eggs

freshly ground black pepper

fresh coriander

Preparation method
1.Pour the milk into a small saucepan, add the saffron threads and heat gently for two minutes without boiling. Remove from the heat and set aside for 2-3 hours, preferably overnight.

2.Trim the beef of any hard fat and cut into bite-sized pieces. Heat two tablespoons of oil in the frying pan. Season the beef with salt and freshly ground black pepper and fry in 2-3 batches over a medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Transfer to a large, lidded saucepan.

3.While the beef is frying, roughly chop two of the onions and put in a food processor with the garlic, ginger and chillies. Add 50ml/2fl oz cold water and blend to a smooth paste.

4.Put the cloves, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, 1½ teaspoons salt and seeds from the cardamom pods into a pestle and mortar. Grind until a fine powder. Grate the nutmeg into the mixture and tip into the onion paste. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Mix until all the ingredients are combined.

5.Add a further three tablespoons of oil into the same frying pan that was used to cook the beef and fry the spiced onion paste over a medium heat for around 10 minutes until lightly browned, stirring often. Place the mixture into the pan with the beef. Stir in the yoghurt, 450ml/16fl oz water and bay leaves. Place the pan over a low heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for 1½ hours or until the beef is tender, stirring occasionally.

6.Remove the lid from the pan and stir in the sugar. Increase the heat and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, or until reduced and thick. Add a little more salt and pepper to taste.

7.Toast the almonds in a non-stick frying pan and cook over a medium heat for 4-6 minutes. Stir the sultanas into the almonds and immediately tip into a heatproof bowl. Set aside to cool.

8.Cut the remaining two onions in half and slice thinly. Pour two tablespoons of oil into a frying pan and fry the onions for 6-8 minutes over a fairly high heat until softened and golden-brown, stirring frequently. Set aside.

9.Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

10.Half-fill a large pan with water, add one teaspoon of salt and bring to the boil. Put the rice in a sieve and rinse under plenty of cold water. Stir the rice into the hot water and return to the boil. Cook for five minutes and drain well. Add the coriander and stir until well combined.

11.Transfer half the meat and sauce into a large, ovenproof dish. Spoon over half of the part-cooked rice and drizzle with half the soaked saffron threads and milk. Top with half the fried onions. Repeat the layers once more. Dot with the butter. Cover the dish with two layers of tightly fitting foil and bake for 30 minutes.

12.Hard-boil the eggs for nine minutes until firm and drain in a sieve under running water until cool enough to handle. Peel the eggs and cut into quarters.

13.Remove the dish from the oven and discard the foil. Use a fork to lightly fluff the rice. Garnish with the freshly boiled eggs, scatter with toasted almonds and sultanas. Add a few fresh coriander leaves and serve.