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Chok Ki Tikki

Lightly spiced, traditional potato spiced traditional potato cakes, flavoured with ground pomegranate and chat masala

Chok Ki Tikki

Ingredients

4 large baking potatoes
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp chilli flakes
2" ginger, grated
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp anardana (ground pomegranate seeds)
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp chat masala
handful coriander, finely chopped
cold pressed rapeseed oil for brushing

Method

Boil the potatoes (skin on) for 20 minutes then place on
a roasting tray. Bake for a further 20 minutes at 180c/gas
mark 4.

Peel the potatoes and mash smooth.

Mix the mash with all the other ingredients and shape
into small patties.

Brush a non-stick roasting tray with rapeseed oil and
place in a pre-heated oven at 200c/gas mark 6.

Brush the patties with the oil and place on the hot
roasting tray.

Roast the patties for 15 minutes or until golden.

Lightly spiced, traditional potato spiced traditional potato cakes, flavoured with ground pomegranate and chat masala

Murgh Dopiaza

Traditional Bengali Curry -Chicken on the bone cooked with sweet baby onions in a spicy reduced gravy

Murgh Dopiaza

Ingredients

1 small chicken, cut into 10 pieces
4 medium onions,
puréed. Extract juice
from the onions by
squeezing through a
cheese cloth. Reserve
juice, set aside 1 tbsp and
discard remaining pulp
12 baby onions, cut in half
3 tbsp cold pressed
rapeseed oil
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp ginger purée
3 tomatoes, chopped
150ml yoghurt, whisked
3 bay leaves
6 cloves
2 sticks of cinnamon
6 green cardamoms
3 whole red, dry roasted
chillies
10 peppercorns
1 heaped tsp coriander
seeds, toasted and
crushed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
3 tsp deghi mirch
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
juice of 1/2 a lime
handful of fresh
coriander, finely chopped

Method

Heat oil in a non-stick oven proof casserole dish. Sauté
the baby onions until golden brown. Remove, pat dry and
set aside.

Fry bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms, peppercorns,
cloves and dry red chillies for 2 minutes, followed by the
onion pulp.

Make a paste with the chilli and turmeric, add the whole
spices to the pan and sauté for 30 seconds; add the garlic
and ginger. Stir continuously.

Place the chicken and the browned onions in the pot,
with the tomato, yoghurt, salt and sugar. Stir and reduce
heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the onion juice, tomatoes and toasted coriander
seeds. Stir well.

Simmer on a moderate heat for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle over garam masala, coriander and lime juice just
before you serve.

Kashmiri Dum Aloo

Spiced roasted new potatoes simmered in an onion and yoghurt gravy

Kashmiri Dum Aloo

Ingredients

250g new potatoes
100 ml hung yoghurt
1/2 tbsp poppy seeds
1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tblsp cumin seeds
2-3 cloves
2-3 cardamoms
salt to taste
1/2 tbsp red chilli powder
1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
1 small sliced onion
1/2 tbsp garlic-ginger paste
1 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil
fresh coriander to garnish

Method

Prick the potatoes all over with a fork.

Mix yoghurt, salt, chilli powder, turmeric and garlic-ginger paste and
marinate potatoes for about an hour.

Remove the potatoes from the marinade and arrange them neatly on a
baking sheet. Roast at 180c/gas mark 4 for about 20 minutes.

In a non-stick pan, heat some oil. Add sliced onions and sauté till brown.
Place the onions in a liquidiser. Add 50ml water and blend to a paste.

Roast coriander seeds, poppy seeds, cloves and cardamoms and grind.
Combine the onion paste and ground spice and blend well.

Return the paste to the pan and bring to a fast simmer.
Add roasted potatoes to the mixture and stir well for about 3-4 minutes.

Add the remaining yoghurt along with 3-4 tablespoons of water.
Simmer for about 20-25 minutes.
Garnish with fresh coriander.

Nawabi Pilau

Aromatic Basmati Rice cooked with cashew nuts and saffron

Nawabi Pilau

Ingredients

250g basmati rice,
washed thoroughly
120g cashew nuts
1 tbsp cold pressed
rapeseed oil
4 cloves
2 cardamom pods
1 stick of cinnamon
1 tsp cumin seeds
6 shallots, sliced
120g raisins
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp saffron
500 ml boiling water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

Method

Wash and drain the rice 2-3 times and soak in water for
10-15 minutes.

Boil the water and add the saffron.

In a separate pot heat the oil to a high temperature. Add
the nuts, cloves, cardamoms, cumin seeds and cinnamon
and fry for a couple of minutes.

Add the shallots and fry for 2 minutes, till they are
translucent. Add the raisins, salt, sugar and turmeric
and stir for a few seconds.

Add rice and stir well until all the grains have been coated
with the spices.

Add the boiling water.

Partially cover the pan and reduce heat to a slow simmer,
allowing the rice to cook gently in its spices. This should
take about 12-15 minutes.

When the water has been absorbed, test the rice by
tasting it to see if it is done. If necessary, leave for
another minute or two, with the lid on.

Palak Paneer

Classic North Indian dish, mildly flavoured with spinach and Indian cottage cheese

Palak Paneer

Ingredients

500g spinach
100g paneer
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 bay leaves
1 tsp toasted cumin seeds,
coarsely crushed
1 tsp toasted coriander
seeds, coarsely crushed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garam masala
salt to taste
3 cloves of garlic
1" piece of ginger, crushed
2 green chillies, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
handful of chopped
coriander leaves

Method

In a pressure cooker, add a cup of water followed by the
garlic, ginger, green chillies, coriander and spinach.

Cook for 10 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool and blitz
to a smooth paste.

Cut the paneer into small cubes. heat the oil in a pan.
Fry the paneer pieces on medium heat till they turn
slightly brown, and set aside.

In the same pan, add the bay leaves, cumin and coriander
seeds. Sauté for a couple of minutes, then add the onion.
Toss until softened.

Add salt, black pepper and garam masala. Stir well.
Add the spinach paste and the paneer to the onions.

Allow the mixture to simmer on a low heat for 20 mins,
stirring occasionally.
Season to taste, and garnish with chopped coriander.

Desserts- Rasmalai

Traditional Bengali milk curd dumplings simmered

Rasmalai

Ingredients

800g milk curd or alternatively ricotta cheese
4 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp green cardamom mace
Syrup
400 ml condensed milk
400 ml milk
1/2 tbsp rose water

Method

Mix the milk curd, sugar and cardamom.
Spread the mixture out on a baking tray, place in a
preheated oven set at 150c/gas mark 2 and bake for 20
minutes. (Do not allow to brown).

Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Form into dumplings, about 2” long and 1” wide.
Place the dumplings in a raised sided roasting tin.

To make the milk syrup
Pour the condensed milk, normal milk and rose water
in to a heavy based pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Do
not boil.

Pour the syrup over the dumplings.
Place the roasting pan in an oven preheated to 170c/gas
mark 3.

Bake for 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow to cool.
Once at room temperature, chill the dumplings and syrup
for a few hours. Serve chilled.

Orange Chocolate Shirkhand

Simple chilled dessert yoghurt, flavoured with orange, chocolate and cinnamon

Orange Chocolate Shirkhand

Ingredients
1 ltr hung yoghurt (see p6
– hung for at least 24 hrs)
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp ground cardamom
mace
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
100 gms dark orange
chocolate, grated
Instead of chocolate, you can use a fruit coulis or a light dessert sauce.

Method

In a large bowl whisk the yoghurt, using a balloon
whisk, until it becomes quite fluffy.

Add the sugar followed by the ground spices and
whisk thoroughly.

Sprinkle the grated chocolate over the mixture and
fold in.
Chill the mixture for an hour before serving.

Guidelines for healthy cooking

We hope you have enjoyed trying these recipes – and that they’ve proved to
you that good Indian food can be both healthy and delicious!
But don’t stop here! You can adapt these recipes using different kinds of meat or fish. You can also adapt your own favourite recipes by following these simple guidelines:

Use oil instead of ghee. Olive oil (choose virgin or extra-virgin) is good with fish and vegetables; rapeseed oil (cold pressed for choice) is great with chicken and red meats.

Use non-stick cookware (but don’t heat to a temperature of more than
450 degrees).

Grill, oven roast or simmer instead of deep fat frying.

Cut down on salt. Use sea salt – it is a lot stronger in flavour so less
is required. Use herbs and spices to add flavour and never add salt at
the table.

Use less sugar.

To help break down onions in curries where oil is required, use a food
processor to chop the onions.

And the result? Great curry, without the guilt!