Tarka Dhal

Tarka Dhal is a kind of thick, spicy soup usually served with warm chapatis or naan bread which you use to scoop it up. A Tarka is a dish using ingredients cooked in a spiced butter/oil which is added (in this case) to cooked lentils.

Ingredients - 300g (90z) red lentils, washed and drained, 850ml (30fl oz) water (or vegetable Stock), 4 garlic cloves roughly chopped, 1 medium onion roughly chopped, 2 tomatoes finely chopped, 1 tsp salt, 30g (1oz) butter,1/4 tsp, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 1/4 tsp asafoetida, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tbsp fresh coriander for garnish.

Method - Rinse the lentils in a sieve under running water until the water runs clear to remove any dust or powdered lentil. Bring the water or stock to the boil and add the washed lentils/dal. Add the turmeric and ground coriander, stir and simmer for 20 minutes or until lentils are soft (tip: cook the lentils for as long as you can to ensure softness - you cant over do them). Cook until the water is absorbed, if they go dry and are not soft, simply add more water.
Add the butter to a large frying pan and cook gently with the cumin seeds and asafoetida for a few seconds, add the chopped onions and garlic and fry until the onions just start to brown. When done, add the chopped tomatoes, leaves and chilli powder and continue cooking for another few minutes. (This is your Tarka).
Add the dal to the tarka and stir well.
Add salt to taste and stir in well.
The finished Tarka Dhal should be soft and runny, if required add more water.
Serve with a few knobs of butter on top of the dal and sprinkle the fresh coriander leaves on top to garnish. Serve with naan or chapatti.
This dish freezes very well.
If you already have a basic curry sauce ready, cook the lentils and mix with the sauce to make a dal just as effectively

Basic Curry Sauce

Basic curry sauce.
Okay, here’s where every curry starts. Cooking any main ingredient, whether it be lamb, chicken or whatever, in this sauce will give you an excellent curry, suitable for filling your belly and impressing your friends.

Ingredients- 1 large onion, pinch salt, pinch black pepper, tbsp vegetable oil, tsp chilli pwdr, tsp ginger pwdr, tsp garlic pwdr, tsp turmeric, 2 tsps coriander powder, 2 tsps cumin pwdr, tsp sugar, dash lemon juice, can of chopped tomatoes.

Method- Chop the onion very finely and fry slowly in the veg oil until it begins to mush. Addthe spices, salt and sugar and stir until no powdery residue remains. If there isn’t enough liquid to absorb all the spices youcan add a little more veg oil or some water. You now have a basic curry paste. Add the lemon juice and the tomatoes and stir thoroughly. You now have a basic curry sauce. If you want it smoother, whizz it through the blender.

After cooking your main ingredient in this sauce you can add a freshly chopped chilli pepper, a chopped clove of garlic and a tsp of grated ginger. Ths will bring those flavours to the fore.

This amount of sauce should be enough for a curry for 2.

STARTERS

Strictly speaking there are no starters in Indian cuisine. The dishes which have been adapted to fill that role are snack dishes, served to the menfolk as they slug down their whisky after a hard day in the fields.

Pakora

Pakora is fairly specifically from the Punjab. Punjabis who emigrated to the UK tended to end up in Glasgow and the west of Scotland where the dish became very popular. The rest of the UK had to make do with onion bhajis. This is not the traditional method as I mash my potatoes before making a paste. I find that this avoids the problems of undercooked vegetables which can be quite off-putting. Never had any complaints.

Ingredients – 4 medium sized potatoes, 1 large onion chopped, 2 medium carrots chopped. (You can add other veg. to your taste once you’ve mastered this. Try shredded cabbage, cauliflower, mushrooms or whatever) 300g gram flour, salt to taste, 5g red chilli powder, 5g ground cumin, 200 ml water, vegetable oil for frying.

Method – Peel the potatoes and cook the and mash them. Put the potatoes, other veg and chopped onions into a large bowl. Add the gram flour, salt, chilli powder and ground cumin and mix well until the flour is distributed evenly and a rough paste is formed.
Now add water and mix until the mixture just holds its consistency when dripping off the back of a spoon.
Heat the vegetable oil. To judge whether the oil is hot enough, drop some of the mix into it and, if it rises to the surface immediately, the oil is ready. Cook the pakoras in batches by dropping one tablespoon at a time into the hot oil. Old hands do this with their hands, thus saving on washing up a spoon. When the pakoras bob up to the surface, push them down gently with a slotted spoon.
Cook the pakoras until they turn a dark brown. Remove the pakoras from the oil, gently shaking off any excess before serving.
For chicken or fish pakora make up a thick batter with the gram flour, the spices and the water. Dip small pieces of chicken or fish and deep fry.
Serve with -

Pakora Sauce

Ingredients – 250 ml natural yoghurt, salt to taste, 5g red chilli powder, 15 g ready-made mint sauce, 100 g tomato ketchup, tablespoon lemon juice.

Method – Pour the yoghurt into a large bowl, add the salt and mix. Add the chilli powder, mint sauce, lemon juice and ketchup and mix everything together thoroughly.
Refrigerate and serve chilled as a dip for the pakora.

A quick and easy alternative is to mix some tomato ketchup with mayonnaise and chilli powder. This isn’t authentic but it tastes okay.

Samosas

This is for mince samosas. They can also be made with vegetables or fish. Leftovers of curries, if dry enough, are ideal for this recycling process.
Ingredients-8oz plain flour, pinch of salt, 1/4 teaspoonful baking powder,5 tablespoons corn oil, 1 onion, finely chopped, 4oz minced lamb, 11/2 oz long grain rice, 4 tablespoons stock, 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder, 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 tablespoon flour mixed with water, Oil for deep frying

Method-Sift flour, salt and baking powder, stir in 4 tablespoons oil and 4 tablespoons water to make a dough, cover and set aside.
Heat remaining oil and fry onion, add meat cook till it browns, stir in rice, stock and seasonings. Bring to the boil, lower heat and simmer for 15 mins or until rice is cooked.
Knead the dough well and divide in to 16 balls. Using a little flour roll in to 8 inch rounds.
Cut each in half and brush the straight edge with the flour mixture and make in to a cone. Fill a little rice mixture, and seal well. They should resemble a Cornish pasty or a Scottish bridie. Heat oil for frying and fry the samosas until golden brown.
Drain and serve with chutney.

Shami Kebabs

Ingredients – 1 lb of minced lamb, 1 medium onion, pinch salt, ½ tsp chilli powder, ½ teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon garlic, ½ cup gram (chick pea) flour.

Method – Mix together all the ingredients. With dampened hands take pinches of the mix and form into small bite-sized patties. Cook for 3 minutes each side under a pre-heated grill. Serve with pakora sauce (see recipe) or raita (see recipe).
If you form the patties into full hamburger sized patties you can serve shami kebabs as a main course. Serve with boiled rice, salad and some curry sauce on the side.

CURRY STYLES

Curries can be made with vegetables, pulses, seafood, meat and poultry. The differences lie in the various styles or additions that are used.

Balti- Balti is a bucket though the name has come to be used for the name of the cooking pot and serving dish. The balti is akin to the Chinese wok. More a style of serving than cooking.
Dhansak-A curry cooked with lentils
Do-Piaza Do-Piaza means "double onions" and that's what you get. Firstly puréed in the sauce then in largish chunks in the curry.
Korma The korma is a mild creamy curry
Pasanda –Rich and creamy with added nuts.
Saag-A curry with added spinach. Lamb saag is spectacular, but it also goes with chicken and prawns. Popeye wasn’t wrong!
Bhuna-A well spiced curry with a thicker sauce.
Biryani-Curry cooked along with rice.
Jalfrezi-A stir fried curry containing plenty of whole green chillies. It is, therefore, very fresh tasting and hot.
Patia-The Indian version of sweet and sour.
Rogan Josh-A favourite, made with fried tomatoes and fresh coriander.
Vindaloo-The vindaloo originates in Goa, which was colonised by the Portugese. The literal translation is ‘wine and potatoes’. Vin=wine and aloo=potatoes. Has been bastardisd to mean a very strong curry.
Achar-Achar means chutney. The curry is cooked with the chutney, giving a hot sweet and sour flavour.

The Craft of Curry Making

This blog is intended for anybody interested in making their own curries, rather than just buying one from a take-away. Indian cooking isn't difficult, but does require some specialised knowledge. So, firstly, I'm giving you a list of spices. Don't worry, you won't need all of these, a basic curry sauce can be made with half a dozen. This is just to give you a basic reference point. Later we'll get to the styles of curries and actual recipes.

SPICE DIRECTORY
Ajwan Seeds - Similar to thyme but much stronger and used in Indian breads, gram flour snacks and also goes well with fish.
Amchoor Powder - Made from peeled, dried, green mangoes. Used as a souring agent, in marinades and as a tenderiser.
Asafoetida - Probably the strongest spice in the world and should be used very sparingly. Gives a garlic like aroma.
Cardamom (Black) - These have a menthol aroma and are used in small quantities. An essential ingredient in "garam masala" mixtures, pilau's and biryani's.
Chillies (Bird Eye) - Whole very hot, small whole chillies that can be used instead of fresh chillies. Great for hot sauces & chilli oil. Chillies are the hot cousins in the Capsicum family. Bird Eye chillies may be small but they are very hot so use with care!
Dried Chillies - A unique taste and many uses. Heat whole dried Bird Eye chillies in some oil until they increase in size. The frying enhances their flavour.
Chilli Crushed - A hot fiery spice that can be used in place of whole chillies and releases its flavour quickly into dishes.

Chilli Powder - Made from the skins of dried chillies. It is extremely hot and an essential base for all vindaloo recipes, providing considerable zest and flavour. Please note that chilli powder is also known as cayenne pepper. This is to distinguish it from the Mexican variety which contains cumin, garlic and oregano.
Cinnamon Sticks - A sweet, mild spicy flavour. Delicious in puddings, cakes, stewed fruits and hot drinks. Ground Cinnamon can be used as an alternative to the sticks.
Cloves - Whole One of the world's oldest and most useful spices. Use to make authentic garam masala and in various dals and pilau rice. Has a huge range of uses in all types of cooking.
Coriander Seeds - Possibly the most important of all curry ingredients along with cumin. Coriander seeds have a warm fragrant odour and pleasant, mild taste. A popular spice used in most Indian dishes.
Coriander Ground (Dhania) - A convenient alternative to seeds.
Cumin Seeds (Brown) - An essential ingredient in curry and masala mixtures. Strongly aromatic, spicy and slightly bitter in taste.
Cumin Seeds (Black) - Black - rarer form of cumin. These seeds are sweeter, smaller and have a more delicate taste.
Cumin Ground (Jeera) - Stronger than whole seeds and its flavour is strengthened by toasting. It can be used in meat, rice and vegetable dishes.
Curry Powder – Throw it away.
Fennel Seeds - These have a warm aroma and a sweetish taste like aniseed. Tastes great with seafood, pork, stuffings, sauces, pickles and some curries. In India it is chewed as a natural breath freshener and as an aid to digestion.
Fenugreek (Methi) Seeds - These are normally sauteed in hot oil before adding vegetables to your dish. A dry flavour and the making of the classic keema methi.
Fenugreek (Methi) Leaves - Grown from Fenugreek seeds and have a stronger, distinctive flavour. Sprinkle Fenugreek leaves over meat, fish and potato dishes.
Garam Masala -A traditional blend of aromatic spices from a secret recipe used since the days of the Raj. Garam Masala literally means mixed or blended hot spices. Again, like curry powder, not necessary, but if you must use a mix, make up your own.

Garlic Powder - A useful alternative to using fresh garlic in preparing Indian pastes.
Ginger Powder - An essential ingredient for preparing pastes and marinades, though grated fresh ginger is better.
Mace Ground - A rich aroma and a strong, warm taste. Mace is the lacy outer covering of nutmeg. Best used sparingly in sauces, soups, desserts, meats, fish, and Moghul dishes
Mustard Seeds Black These are normally sauteed in hot oil, and impart a delicious mild nutty flavour to most Indian vegetable dishes.
Paprika - Ground from capsicums, adds flavour and a reddish colour to foods. A sweet piquant spice.
Pepper (Black) - The worlds most popular spice.
Poppy Seeds - Lightly roast before use. A nutty aroma and crunchy texture. In India the seeds are usually ground, to thicken and flavour sauces
Saffron - The three stigmas of the saffron crocus. Saffron is strongly perfumed with the scent of honey. Also adds a lovely golden colour.
Sesame Seeds - Nice on sweets, biscuits, breads and cakes. Used a lot in Indian cooking as a finishing coating with potatoes or vegetables.
Tamarind - Often used in both Indian and Thai cuisine giving it a sweetish tangy flavour. A souring agent used for chutneys, dips, sweet and sour dishes.
Turmeric - Part of the ginger family and is a strongly flavoured spice used in most Indian dishes.. Also used for colouring, this is the poor man’s saffron. This is the stuff that leaves the yellow stain on your crockery.

Try not to buy too much dried or ground spices as they tend to lose their flavour over time. In any case, keep them in air-tight containers.