This is a wonderful eat anytime curry adapted from a recipe by Pat Chapman of The Curry Club. The curry is so easy to make and will be loved by all. I added chickpeas to my version as I love them but you could add peas which is more traditional.

Ingredients

2 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
2 medium red onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5 cm piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander, ground
1 tsp chilli powder (use less if you don’t like your curries too hot)
4 cloves
1 cardamom
500g mince. This can be lamb, beef or pork which ever you like
400g tin of tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
225g tin tomato soup
400g tin chickpeas
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp fenugreek
To Serve
boiled rice (this can be cooked at the same time in the top pot)
salt
2 hard boiled eggs sliced

Instructions

Add the ghee or oil to the inner pot over a medium heat.
Fry the onions, garlic and ginger until the onions start to soften.
Turn down the heat slightly and add the turmeric, coriander, chilli powder, cloves, cardamom and a little water if too dry. Cook for 5 minutes stirring from time to time.
Mix in the meat, tomatoes, ketchup and soup. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil while stirring from time to time.
Add the garam masala and fenugreek. Simmer for 5 minutes with the lid on before putting the inner pot into the insulated outer container.
Shut the lid and leave to thermally cook for a minimum of 2 hours without power.
Check the seasoning before serving. Serve with rice and sliced boiled eggs on top

.Its good to add potato,s and larger onion pieces

1 Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add green chillis, curry leaves and chopped onions and saute till the onions turn transparent, approx 4 tms.
2 Add the ginger garlic paste and saute further for another 3 mts. Add the minced meat and turmeric pwd and cook on high without lid for 4-5 mts. Stir inbetween.
3 Add the ground masala pwd and salt and combine well. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 3 mts on medium flame. Add a cup of water and place lid and cook on pressure upto 4 whistles or until the meat is almost cooked. Turn off heat. After 3-4 mts, remove lid, add garam masala pwd and coriander leaves. Again cook on low flame for 8-10 mts or till you get the desired gravy consistency.
4 Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis or white steamed rice.

True kormas are spicy, not hot, and a Moghul creation. Their special feature is a creamy sauce with nuts and saffron. They can be made with chicken, duck, lamb, beef or mutton, and should be served with plain or pullao rice.

Ingredients

1/2lb (675 g)poultry or meat
1/2 cup cashew nuts or almonds (or mixture)
1/2 inch (i. cm) fresh ginger, chopped
1i clove garlic, chopped
2 green chillies (optional)
1/2 teaspoon saffron
2 tablespoons milk, warmed
1 tablespoon ghee
2 tablespoons sunflower or corn oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 fl oz  (75 ml) yoghurt
3 fl oz (75  ml) double cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh
coriander or parsley
salt
lemon juice (optional)

Spices
2 whole green cardamoms
3 whole cloves
1 inch (2.5 cm) cassia bark
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon white cummin seeds

1 Cut the meat into i inch (2.5 cm) cubes (the poultry on or off the bone, to taste).
2 Blend the nuts, ginger, garlic and chillies into a coarse paste with 1/4 pint (150 ml) water.
3 Soak the saffron in warm milk for 10 minutes.
4 Heat the ghee and oil together, then fry the spices then the onion until golden. Add the nut paste and yoghurt, and cook for io minutes or so.
5 Add the meat, mixing it in well. Simmer for about hour or until the meat is tender. Add water bit by bit if needed.
6 About ro minutes before serving, squeeze the saffron strands in their bowl to get the most colour out of them then add in, with the milk. Add the double cream, fresh coriander or parsley and salt to taste. Serve with lemon juice if liked.
Serves: 4

Lamb in Red Gravy
This is one of the traditional dishes from the times of the Moghul emperoys. In ancient days they used alkenet root to redden the meat, but in this recipe I have used tomato, paprika and red food colouring. The flavour is fantastic and I have used an authentic Kashmiri recipe rather than a simplified restaurateur’s version.

Ingredients

1/2 lb (675 g)lean lamb, cubed
4fl oz (115 ml) yogurt
salt
1/2 lb (225 g) onion, roughly chopped
2 inch ( cm) fresh ginger, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
14 oz (400 g) tin tomatoes (or fresh)
about 8 dessertspoons ghee i tablespoon chopped fresh coriander

Spices 1
3 green cardamoms
3 cloves
3 small pieces cassia bark
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon coriander, ground
1 teaspoon cummin, ground
Spices 2
1 dessertspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons paprika

1/8 teaspoon red food colouring powder

Method

1 Mix the lamb and yoghurt, spices i and salt. Let stand for 6 hours minimum or overnight.
2 Put onion, ginger, garlic and tomato into blender, and purée.
3 Melt ghee in a pan, and add the onion purée. Put the lamb mixture into a separate pan (without ghee). Cook both for about 20—30 minutes. Salt to taste, and stir the meat occasionally to prevent sticking.
4 Combine the two mixtures and cook for a further half hour or so, until the meat is quite tender.
5 Add spices 2, and fresh coriander. Mix well and cook for a further minutes, then serve.
If at any time the curry gets too dry, add a little water. Alternatively, after both meat and purée have been fried, they can be put in a casserole dish in the oven preheated to 375°F (190°C) Gas 5 and baked for 4 minutes. Add spices 2 and cook for a further 8—1 5 minutes.

Add fresh coriander and serve.

Serves: 4

Sliced Beef Curry
This dish is well known in the Indian restaurant. It is based on a traditional Moslem dish which originated in the courts of the emperors centuries ago. Beef was the meat used then, although lamb has become better known. The difference with this dish is that the meat is in slices. I have used beef marinated in red wine (a restaurant technique), and the resultant curry is exceptionally nice.

Ingredients

4 x 8 oz (22 g) pieces steak / Chicken (fillet, sirloin, rump etc, according to your pocket)

1/2 pint (300 ml) red wine , Coconut Milk is a good subsitute

1 large onion, roughly chopped

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 inch ( cm) fresh ginger, roughly chopped

1/2 cup oil

2 tablespoons ground almonds

20 whole almonds

1 tablespoon tomato purée

salt

Spices

Spices 1

1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin, ground
1 teaspoon coriander, ground
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
Spices 2
1  tablespoon dry fenugreek leaves
1 dessert spoon garam masala

Method

1 Beat the steak out to thin pieces less than 1/4 inch (6mm) thick with a wooden meat hammer.

You can also cut the meat into bite size cubes.

This is called the ‘pasanda’. Place meat in a flat bowl, cover with the wine / coconut milk, and leave overnight.

2 Fry the onion, garlic and ginger in some oil until golden. Cool, then purée.

3 Fry the purée in remaining oil and, when simmering, add spices i. Fry at quite a high temperature for about 5 minutes, and keep stirring. Mix in the ground and whole almonds, the tomato purée and a little water if it is too dry.

4 Combine the meat, wine marinade and purée mixture in a shallow casserole dish, ensuring the meat is well covered, salt to taste and cook for 3 5—40 minutes in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) Gas .

5 Meanwhile soak spices 2 in water. After 3 5—40 minutes, add to the casserole and stir in well. Cook on for a further 20 minutes, then serve. If at any stage it looks too dry, add a little water.

Serves: 4

These are probably the most common starter to be found in Indian restaurants. You’ll find them really quick and easy to make. It’s lust a matter of getting the batter consistency right. You must use gram flour (bsan) which is made from channa dhal.
The two-stage cooking method in the recipe makes life easier if you want to serve bhajias at a dinner party.

Ingredients

2 large tablespoons gram flour

Spices

1 large onion, chopped into thin strips about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long

1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
1/2 teaspoon garam masala

salt
corn oil for deep-frying

Method

1 Mix the spices thoroughly with the flour in a large bowl, then add a little water until the mixture is gluey. Mix the onion into the paste. Add a little salt.
2 Heat deep-frying oil to medium heat and gently drop a ping-pong ball sized blob of mixture off a tablespoon into the hot fat. When it firms up (about half a minute), put in the next blob. Continue until the fryer is full. Cook about 10—15 minutes until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper. You could serve them at this stage.
3 Or they can be allowed to cool. Reheat them in hot deep fat for about 2 minutes, but don’t let them go too brown.

Serve hot.

Makes: about 10

These are great at barbecues, and as a snack, starter or main course, and are familiar friends at the Indian restaurant. You should get about eight kebabs from this mix.

Ingredients

For side dish

1oz (25 g) channa dhal, split Spices – Only if naking side dish
8 oz (22 g) fatless stewing ground (minced) steak or any meat

1 egg yolk

For  kebabs

1brown cardamom,
1 bay leaf
1/2 large onion, chopped

1/4 teaspoon black pepper,
1 inch (2.5 cm) fresh ginger chopped or ground
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large clove garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon garam masala
salt to taste
ghee or oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh
coriander or parsley
fine breadcrumbs

Method

ONLY IF MAKING SIDE DISH —

Soak the dhal overnight, then boil in twice its volume of water. Strain off any excess water.

fry in a little ghee for 20 minutes. Add a little water if it dries up too much. Leave aside for about 3 hours or overnight to thicken and dry.
The next day, or when ready, add the egg yolk, and, if it doesn’t hold together, add gram flour to thicken or water to thin. Add fresh coriander or parsley.

END OF SIDE DISH

For Seekh Kebabs

Put the meat, onion, ginger, garlic and spices through a mincer. Mix well and add salt to taste.

Add breadcrumbs , corriander, parsley to mixure
 roll mixture in to sausage shapes.

For Seekh Kebaba – Skewer them and cook over charcoal (best) or under the grill or fry in a frying pan.

6 For Shami Kebabs, roll into balls, coat in breadcrumbs and cook over charcoal (best) or under the grill or fry in a frying pan. deep-fry.

Makes: about 8