Pakoras

I made some vegetable pakoras to go with our curry this evening. They are a great way to use up leftovers of any type - vegetables, cooked meat - what ever is lurking in the fridge. Tonight I used some chopped chard, onion and sweetcorn.

For the batter
125g gram (chickpea) flour
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
125g water
Ghee or other oil for frying

For the filling
2 cups of chopped vegetables or meat. I recommend cooked chicken and spinach, or half slices of onion

Put the gram flour, spices and baking powder into a bowl and stir well to remove any lumps. Beat in the water to make a smooth batter. Fold in the filling of your choice. Heat the ghee in a frying pan over a medium heat. Put the batter into the oil in spoonfuls, forming rough patties. Try not to fry too many at once as is makes them hard to turn and greasier. Fry for 2-3 minutes, then turn and fry for 2-3 minutes more. Remove from the pan to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Serve with raitha or chutneys.

Lamb Rogan Josh

This can be made with beef too - a very tasty dish. You can vary the heat by changing the proportions of chili and paprika. I made it this way tonight for my kids, but they love a bit of spice!

6 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
500g lamb + a few lamb bones
2 onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp ghee or dripping
6 cloves
6 green cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp paprika + 1 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup yogurt

Put the lamb, bones, garlic, salt and water in a large pan and simmer for 20 minutes. Skim off any scum that rises. Remove the meat to a plate, strain the water and set aside and discard the bones. Mix the paprika and chili with a splash of water to form a paste. Heat the ghee and gently fry the onions until they start to darken and become sweet (about 15 minutes). Add the, cloves, cardamom, fennel seeds and bay leave and fry for a minute. Then add the chili paste, cumin, ginger and turmeric and fry for another minute. Return the meat to the pan and fry for 5 minutes. Stir in the yogurt, coating the meat. Pour 4 cup of the water you set aside earlier. Simmer, covered, until the meat is tender. I like to cook this really slowly for an hour or more, so the meat is melting. Then remove the lid and raise the heat to reduce the sauce to where you like it. Taste and season.

Spicy Stuffed Chicken

We had these for dinner last night. They were delicious but not perfectly shaped - you need to wrap them extremely tightly and use plenty of clingfilm. I served them with salad and raitha.
Makes 5.

6 chicken breasts or boneless thighs- skin on.
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 small onion
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp passata
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp coconut flour or dessicated coconut
salt and pepper
coconut oil or ghee for frying

Remove the skin from one of the pieces of chicken and cook (either fry, microwave, steam - whatever's easiest). Chop the onion and fry until translucent in the oil. Add the spices and fry for a minute. Then add garlic, ginger, passata, lime juice and chicken and cook for another minute. Add the coconut. Set aside to cool a little. Put the mixture into a food processor and pulse into a rough paste.
Put the chicken pieces one at a time between two pieces of clingfilm and hit with a pan or rolling pin until about 4mm thick. Divide the mixture between them, putting it in a line along the middle of the meat side. Using a large piece of cling film, roll each chicken piece into a sausage, skin side out, wrapping tightly in cling film and twisting the ends to form a sealed package. Put the wrapped sausages into the fridge to cool for at least two hours. Heat a pan of water to the boil and add the sausages. Simmer them for 20 minutes. Take out of the water. Carefully unwrap then packages and put the rolls into a pan with a little coconut oil to crisp up the skin. Serve sliced thickly.

Edit - you can also use 5 chicken pieces and left over cooked chicken or turkey. I did this with a small amount of left over turkey after all the curries and soups for some variety!