This recipe that was posted by Amy Spiro from http://www.thejewishweek.com will teach you how to fry a curry. Well, not really but that's basically it. Enjoy!
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I love the classic potato latke. It might be one of my favorite foods of all time. And as the old saying goes – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. So I prefer to think of this as a completely different dish, a way to try out new flavors and combinations – after you’ve already had your fil of the traditional potato pancake.
This recipe starts with the sweet potato – the softer, more orange, sweeter variety of the classic spud. Things get even more interesting with the spices – curry, a traditional Indian spice, is a great pair to the sweet vegetable.
It goes without saying, but frying things isn’t really the healthiest way to eat. If you want to skimp on the oil in this recipe, they won’t be as crispy and delicious. But your heart will thank you.
Happy Chanukah!
Curried Sweet Potato Latkes - Makes about 15 medium latkes
1 pound sweet potatoes (about 1 large or 2 medium potatoes)
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
sprinkle black pepper
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk or soy milk
Canola oil
Peel the potatoes. On the coarse side of a box grater or in the food processor grate the potatoes. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, sugars, baking powder, curry, salt and pepper. Add in the eggs, and beat to combine. Stir in the milk until well mixed.
Add in the grated sweet potatoes, and mix until the batter is moistened.
Heat 1/8 to ¼-inch of oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
When the oil is hot, place heaping tablespoons of the batter in the pan, press down slightly to form the patty shape. Fry until crispy, 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and fry the other side. Remove from the pan and place on a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
If you’re looking for a sweeter Chanukah treat, check out Baking and Mistaking for some doughnut adventures.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Lunch cart Thai red curry noodle
A perfect curry recipe for Thai foodlovers. It's a mixture of different Asian cuisine. I will try this. You should try it! If it weren't for Randy Shore from communities.canada.com, I would have been still thinking about trying a new recipe.
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There are times when I don't mind spending hours on dinner, in fact most days. I quite like it if I have time. But most days I don't have time.
Curry is what I do when prep time is at a premium. In this case one onion and three Roma or San Marzano tomatoes diced up in about three minutes forms the base of a curry sauce for beef. A few minutes to saute and brown and you can walk away lett a slow simmer do the work for you.
If you aren't going to get too fussy about making super authentic Indian food, then the basics are pretty simple. I save my authentic Indian cooking for the weekend when I really do have hours to fuss over it.
Today I made a simple beef curry from the trim I saved from cutting a whole beef tenderloin into roasts and steaks. If you add beef pieces to this basic recipe, you are home free.
I also had a few chicken thighs, which I made into a sort of lunch cart red curry noodle that I saw a fair bit in Thailand. I use shahe fen (also known as ho fen or medium flat rice stick depending on what country they are coming from), a thick type of noodle that really slurps well.
Lunch cart red curry noodle
200 grams flat rice stick noodle
6 cups boiling water
oil for frying
4 chicken thighs
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 334 ml can of coconut milk
1 red chili
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion and bell pepper
salt
cilantro leaves for garnish
lime wedge
Method: Place the rice stick in a large bowl and pour boiling water in to cover. Drain after five minutes (less if you use a finer noodle). Brown the chicken thighs in a flat-bottom saucepan on medium heat. Remove the chicken and stir the curry paste in until fragrant, add the ginger, the coconut milk and the chili. Bring to a simmer and add the chicken back in, Cook until the bones remove easily. Salt sauce to taste. Add a few slices of onion and bell pepper and slide the noodles in. Serve when the noodles are hot and fully cooked. Top with cilantro and a squirt of lime juice.
I have pledged to eat something that I grew myself every day for a year. This is day 61. Read how I've been doing : Green Man 365 - A year of eating locally. Today's recipes employed potatoes, cilantro, kale and a red chili.
If you are still eating from the garden, use the comments box. Let me know what's for dinner.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
_________________________________________________________________________
There are times when I don't mind spending hours on dinner, in fact most days. I quite like it if I have time. But most days I don't have time.
Curry is what I do when prep time is at a premium. In this case one onion and three Roma or San Marzano tomatoes diced up in about three minutes forms the base of a curry sauce for beef. A few minutes to saute and brown and you can walk away lett a slow simmer do the work for you.
If you aren't going to get too fussy about making super authentic Indian food, then the basics are pretty simple. I save my authentic Indian cooking for the weekend when I really do have hours to fuss over it.
Today I made a simple beef curry from the trim I saved from cutting a whole beef tenderloin into roasts and steaks. If you add beef pieces to this basic recipe, you are home free.
I also had a few chicken thighs, which I made into a sort of lunch cart red curry noodle that I saw a fair bit in Thailand. I use shahe fen (also known as ho fen or medium flat rice stick depending on what country they are coming from), a thick type of noodle that really slurps well.
Lunch cart red curry noodle
200 grams flat rice stick noodle
6 cups boiling water
oil for frying
4 chicken thighs
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 334 ml can of coconut milk
1 red chili
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion and bell pepper
salt
cilantro leaves for garnish
lime wedge
Method: Place the rice stick in a large bowl and pour boiling water in to cover. Drain after five minutes (less if you use a finer noodle). Brown the chicken thighs in a flat-bottom saucepan on medium heat. Remove the chicken and stir the curry paste in until fragrant, add the ginger, the coconut milk and the chili. Bring to a simmer and add the chicken back in, Cook until the bones remove easily. Salt sauce to taste. Add a few slices of onion and bell pepper and slide the noodles in. Serve when the noodles are hot and fully cooked. Top with cilantro and a squirt of lime juice.
I have pledged to eat something that I grew myself every day for a year. This is day 61. Read how I've been doing : Green Man 365 - A year of eating locally. Today's recipes employed potatoes, cilantro, kale and a red chili.
If you are still eating from the garden, use the comments box. Let me know what's for dinner.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Swedish chef wins UK curry prize
And the winner is... (Wanna find out who? then read this!) Thanks Peter Vinthagen Simpson from thelocal.se for letting us curry fans now through this beautiful article.
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Mohammed Razaul Karim, the head chef and owner of the prize-winning Indian Garden in Stockholm, has gained international recognition for the quality of his curries.
Scania accused of Iraq oil-for-food bribes (1 Nov 10)
Swedish town makes art of the potato (26 Oct 10)
Cinnamon Bun Day: Just another manic bun day (4 Oct 10)
Karim heads to London on Tuesday to receive his Curry Life Award of Excellence Prize, the Dagens Nyheter (DN) daily reported.
Bangladesh-born Karim moved to Sweden from London in the mid-1990s after having learned his trade at his cousin's restaurant and he makes regular visits to the UK to keep abreast of what's new on the curry front, the newspaper reported.
It seems that the feeling is mutual, at least when it concerns Indian Garden's spicy fare, with one customer who was in London at the time, putting in a dinner order at his favourite Stockholm eatery.
”It was a British customer who lives in Stockholm, but was in the UK at the time. He had a friend who he asked to come by and pick up some food for him, when he was on his way to London," Hassan Mian at Indian Garden told The Local on Tuesday.
Indian Garden is located in the Södermalm area of central Stockholm and it is not the first time that its cuisine has been recognised. DN awarded the restaurant a Golden Dragon for the best restaurant in Stockholm, in 2004.
"It was like winning the Nobel Prize. The day after, there was a long queue outside on the street. Since then, it has been fully booked every day," Karim told DN.
The award gave Karim both an appetite and the possibility for expansion and a sister restaurant has been open closer to Medborgarplatsen. Furthermore, there are plans to open a New Indian Garden - a fine dining concept with around 200 places.
But the restaurant where he made his name is not for sale, Karim told the newspaper.
"I will never move. I am 'born' in these premises," he told DN.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
____________________________
Mohammed Razaul Karim, the head chef and owner of the prize-winning Indian Garden in Stockholm, has gained international recognition for the quality of his curries.
Scania accused of Iraq oil-for-food bribes (1 Nov 10)
Swedish town makes art of the potato (26 Oct 10)
Cinnamon Bun Day: Just another manic bun day (4 Oct 10)
Karim heads to London on Tuesday to receive his Curry Life Award of Excellence Prize, the Dagens Nyheter (DN) daily reported.
Bangladesh-born Karim moved to Sweden from London in the mid-1990s after having learned his trade at his cousin's restaurant and he makes regular visits to the UK to keep abreast of what's new on the curry front, the newspaper reported.
It seems that the feeling is mutual, at least when it concerns Indian Garden's spicy fare, with one customer who was in London at the time, putting in a dinner order at his favourite Stockholm eatery.
”It was a British customer who lives in Stockholm, but was in the UK at the time. He had a friend who he asked to come by and pick up some food for him, when he was on his way to London," Hassan Mian at Indian Garden told The Local on Tuesday.
Indian Garden is located in the Södermalm area of central Stockholm and it is not the first time that its cuisine has been recognised. DN awarded the restaurant a Golden Dragon for the best restaurant in Stockholm, in 2004.
"It was like winning the Nobel Prize. The day after, there was a long queue outside on the street. Since then, it has been fully booked every day," Karim told DN.
The award gave Karim both an appetite and the possibility for expansion and a sister restaurant has been open closer to Medborgarplatsen. Furthermore, there are plans to open a New Indian Garden - a fine dining concept with around 200 places.
But the restaurant where he made his name is not for sale, Karim told the newspaper.
"I will never move. I am 'born' in these premises," he told DN.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Science will ensure food is safe to eat
Since Curries have been hitting international restaurant charts, a lot of people most especially scientists want to make sure that all the things Curries underwent are all safe to the consumers. Read the reasons below as what the writer Flora Drury from worcesternews.co.uk.
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SCIENTISTS in Worcestershire may be a little fed up of their favourite Indian takeaway in a few months’ time.
Worcestershire County Council’s scientific services unit is spending three months with curry samples to make sure curries across the country are the best they can be.
The unit, one of only nine across the country, is investigating the artificial colourings put in popular dishes such as massalas and kormas, which are believed to be linked to hyperactivity in children.
The scientists are also looking at things such as how much salt is in the curry and whether there are products such as nuts in dishes which claim to be nut-free.
They are also confirming whether meat is sold as advertised.
The investigation started last week, which was also National Curry Week.
Scientific services laboratory manager Paul Hancock said: “Foods have to meet certain standards before they are deemed safe for human consumption and rules to make sure all foods meet certain criteria are in place for a reason.
“It’s really important that when people go out to eat – be it for an Indian, Chinese or simply a bag of fish and chips – they can be confident what they are buying is sold as advertised and, amongst other things, does not have excessive colourings or salt.”
While unintentional mistakes can be quickly rectified by advising businesses to simply tweak their recipes, extreme cases of businesses failing to ad-here to acceptable food safety standards can lead to prosecution through the courts.
Since the laboratory moved to its new premises in Wainwright Road, Warndon, Worcester, last year, its work has led to six successful prosecutions being brought under the Food Safety Act.
Worcestershire County Council scientific services carries out work for a diverse range of clients throughout the Midlands and beyond, from Sussex to Nottinghamshire.
The service is divided into three main areas of work including food safety, consumer safety and occupational hygiene.
Thousands of samples ranging from foodstuffs, toys and electrical goods are tested at the laboratory each year.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
________________
SCIENTISTS in Worcestershire may be a little fed up of their favourite Indian takeaway in a few months’ time.
Worcestershire County Council’s scientific services unit is spending three months with curry samples to make sure curries across the country are the best they can be.
The unit, one of only nine across the country, is investigating the artificial colourings put in popular dishes such as massalas and kormas, which are believed to be linked to hyperactivity in children.
The scientists are also looking at things such as how much salt is in the curry and whether there are products such as nuts in dishes which claim to be nut-free.
They are also confirming whether meat is sold as advertised.
The investigation started last week, which was also National Curry Week.
Scientific services laboratory manager Paul Hancock said: “Foods have to meet certain standards before they are deemed safe for human consumption and rules to make sure all foods meet certain criteria are in place for a reason.
“It’s really important that when people go out to eat – be it for an Indian, Chinese or simply a bag of fish and chips – they can be confident what they are buying is sold as advertised and, amongst other things, does not have excessive colourings or salt.”
While unintentional mistakes can be quickly rectified by advising businesses to simply tweak their recipes, extreme cases of businesses failing to ad-here to acceptable food safety standards can lead to prosecution through the courts.
Since the laboratory moved to its new premises in Wainwright Road, Warndon, Worcester, last year, its work has led to six successful prosecutions being brought under the Food Safety Act.
Worcestershire County Council scientific services carries out work for a diverse range of clients throughout the Midlands and beyond, from Sussex to Nottinghamshire.
The service is divided into three main areas of work including food safety, consumer safety and occupational hygiene.
Thousands of samples ranging from foodstuffs, toys and electrical goods are tested at the laboratory each year.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Monday, November 29, 2010
Indian food doesn't just mean curry: Global Kitchen recipe
Unfortunately there are a lot of people who keeps on stereotyping the Indian cuisine but thanks to Simone Roberts from liverpool-leader.whereilive.com.au for posting this thought provoking story. Again, not all Indian foods are curry!
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THINK of Indian food and the word that comes to most minds is curry.
Meera Jagadeesh is on a mission to debunk this popular belief.
“People think Indian food is all curries and very heavy but there’s so much more to it,” Mrs Jagadeesh said.
She knows that many home cooks find Indian cooking intimidating but says it isn’t at all complicated or difficult to make. Most dishes are “quick and easy” and full of easy-to-get ingredients.
“All that matters is that you put love and passion into your cooking. If you do that then you can play around with the recipe - come up with your own variation.”
Mrs Jagadeesh grew up in Bangalore, India and learnt to cook by watching her mother in the kitchen.
“I would shop for the ingredients for my mother and then watch her work. I was fascinated with her love and dedication for cooking and she encouraged the same in me.”
These days Mrs Jagadeesh cooks for her own family of three, husband Jagadeesh and sons Sumukha and Skanda.
Every morning she rises before 5am to prepare three meals for the day one soup, one dry curry, and one liquid curry.
She shared her favourite recipe with locals at a workshop during the Casula Mela festival.
Semolina upma with veggies is a simple and satisfying meal that makes a perfect lunchbox filler, she said.
She hoped the workshop would help the wider community embrace true Indian cuisine.
Semolina Upma with veggies
1 cup semolina (coarse)
1/2 cup oil (small cup)
2 cups water (boiled separately)
2 onions (diced in small long pieces)
2 carrots medium size (diced in small long pieces)
1 medium size potato (diced in small long pieces)
1 medium size capsicum (diced in small pieces)
1 cup green beans (cut into 1’’ pieces)
1 cup green peas (frozen)
1 piece ginger - grated
Black mustard seeds tsp (for seasoning)
Urad dal - tsp (for seasoning)
Bengal gram dal - tsp (for seasoning)
Curry leaves - 15/20 leaves
Green chillies - 4 to 5 (cut vertically into pieces)
Small cup of finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
Method
1. Roast the semolina in a pan until it turns a light brown (about 7-8 mins). Transfer semolina to plate when done and set aside to cool.
2. Heat oil in the same pan and add the mustard seeds. When spluttering add bengal gram dal, urad dal and curry leaves. When the dal turns golden brown add the onions, green chillies and ginger. Fry for 4-5 mins until the onions turns golden brown.
3. Now add the vegetables including peas. Mix well. Sprinkle cup of water and cook with lid on until the vegetables turn soft. Stir occasionally, to check vegetables have sufficient moisture to cook. 4. Add the boiled water to the vegetables, add salt and mix well. Simmer and add the roasted rava (semolina) a little at a time, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Continue to cook and stir for another 5 minutes. Cook with lid on for another 5 minutes.
When semolina is cooked, garnish with coriander. Remove and serve hot with ghee and chutney.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
_________________________
THINK of Indian food and the word that comes to most minds is curry.
Meera Jagadeesh is on a mission to debunk this popular belief.
“People think Indian food is all curries and very heavy but there’s so much more to it,” Mrs Jagadeesh said.
She knows that many home cooks find Indian cooking intimidating but says it isn’t at all complicated or difficult to make. Most dishes are “quick and easy” and full of easy-to-get ingredients.
“All that matters is that you put love and passion into your cooking. If you do that then you can play around with the recipe - come up with your own variation.”
Mrs Jagadeesh grew up in Bangalore, India and learnt to cook by watching her mother in the kitchen.
“I would shop for the ingredients for my mother and then watch her work. I was fascinated with her love and dedication for cooking and she encouraged the same in me.”
These days Mrs Jagadeesh cooks for her own family of three, husband Jagadeesh and sons Sumukha and Skanda.
Every morning she rises before 5am to prepare three meals for the day one soup, one dry curry, and one liquid curry.
She shared her favourite recipe with locals at a workshop during the Casula Mela festival.
Semolina upma with veggies is a simple and satisfying meal that makes a perfect lunchbox filler, she said.
She hoped the workshop would help the wider community embrace true Indian cuisine.
Semolina Upma with veggies
1 cup semolina (coarse)
1/2 cup oil (small cup)
2 cups water (boiled separately)
2 onions (diced in small long pieces)
2 carrots medium size (diced in small long pieces)
1 medium size potato (diced in small long pieces)
1 medium size capsicum (diced in small pieces)
1 cup green beans (cut into 1’’ pieces)
1 cup green peas (frozen)
1 piece ginger - grated
Black mustard seeds tsp (for seasoning)
Urad dal - tsp (for seasoning)
Bengal gram dal - tsp (for seasoning)
Curry leaves - 15/20 leaves
Green chillies - 4 to 5 (cut vertically into pieces)
Small cup of finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
Method
1. Roast the semolina in a pan until it turns a light brown (about 7-8 mins). Transfer semolina to plate when done and set aside to cool.
2. Heat oil in the same pan and add the mustard seeds. When spluttering add bengal gram dal, urad dal and curry leaves. When the dal turns golden brown add the onions, green chillies and ginger. Fry for 4-5 mins until the onions turns golden brown.
3. Now add the vegetables including peas. Mix well. Sprinkle cup of water and cook with lid on until the vegetables turn soft. Stir occasionally, to check vegetables have sufficient moisture to cook. 4. Add the boiled water to the vegetables, add salt and mix well. Simmer and add the roasted rava (semolina) a little at a time, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Continue to cook and stir for another 5 minutes. Cook with lid on for another 5 minutes.
When semolina is cooked, garnish with coriander. Remove and serve hot with ghee and chutney.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Sunday, November 28, 2010
You are hereNews Honours for Almas in curry ‘Oscars’
I didn't know there is such thing as a Curry awards until I read this article. Thanks sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk for this!
Published on Thu Nov 25 10:24:52 GMT 2010
dore’s Almas Brasserie carried the hopes of Sheffield on Sunday when it took its place among finalists at the prestigious British Curry Awards.
The honours, widely recognised as the industry ‘Oscars’, annually attract thousands of nominations from Indian food connoisseurs nationwide.
Almas was awarded five stars for the second consecutive year and finished runner-up in the Midlands category – the only South Yorkshire restaurant to win an award.
Naz Islam, whose family runs the brasserie alongside the Saffron Club in Glossop Road, said: “We are proud that we continue to keep Indian cuisine and Sheffield on the culinary map, in an industry which is dominated by establishments from major cities such as London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle.
“It’s a great feeling for the family, our management and staff when we get recognition for all the hard work that goes into the restaurant.
“We’d also like to thank our guests for their continued support in nominating us as one of the nation’s favourites.”
More than 3,000 restaurants across the UK were nominated for honours. Winners were presented with their awards during a star-studded dinner at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel.
Among the 1,100-strong audience were TV and radio presenters Chris Tarrant, Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Rageh Omaar, chef Gary Rhodes, TV dragon Peter Jones and Liberty’s Shami Chakrabarti.
A special award was presented to celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal for the inspirational role he has played in promoting Britain’s cosmopolitan range of cuisines.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Published on Thu Nov 25 10:24:52 GMT 2010
dore’s Almas Brasserie carried the hopes of Sheffield on Sunday when it took its place among finalists at the prestigious British Curry Awards.
The honours, widely recognised as the industry ‘Oscars’, annually attract thousands of nominations from Indian food connoisseurs nationwide.
Almas was awarded five stars for the second consecutive year and finished runner-up in the Midlands category – the only South Yorkshire restaurant to win an award.
Naz Islam, whose family runs the brasserie alongside the Saffron Club in Glossop Road, said: “We are proud that we continue to keep Indian cuisine and Sheffield on the culinary map, in an industry which is dominated by establishments from major cities such as London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle.
“It’s a great feeling for the family, our management and staff when we get recognition for all the hard work that goes into the restaurant.
“We’d also like to thank our guests for their continued support in nominating us as one of the nation’s favourites.”
More than 3,000 restaurants across the UK were nominated for honours. Winners were presented with their awards during a star-studded dinner at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel.
Among the 1,100-strong audience were TV and radio presenters Chris Tarrant, Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Rageh Omaar, chef Gary Rhodes, TV dragon Peter Jones and Liberty’s Shami Chakrabarti.
A special award was presented to celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal for the inspirational role he has played in promoting Britain’s cosmopolitan range of cuisines.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Indian Superfood Your Skinny Jeans Will Love
So the previous post I had was an article about Indian food as a beauty treatment and I am talking about Curry!! And this article is really similar to that one but it's more of a weight balancing side which I believe I had posted about it once. But anyways, thanks for southasiamail.com they featured a FULL COOKBOOK for having less weight but eating healthy foods.
What do you call an Indian meal that won’t leave you in a food coma (besides a myth)?
We call it Indian Superfood. So named by its creator, UK based chef Gurpareet Bains – a man on a mission to create the world’s healthiest meals combining traditional Indian cuisine with superfoods.
He’s spent the last 3 years perfecting his recipes and lucky for us has compiled them in his book of the same name, Indian Superfood.
What’s a Superfood, you ask? Foods containing antioxidants and vitamins which promote good health and ward off disease. Did we mention Bains lost 35 pounds while creating and sampling his own recipes?
Food alchemist that he is, Bains has combined ayurveda with modern science to produce culinary delights you can feel good devouring. His signature dish is two years in the making: a chicken and blueberry curry with pilau rice and goji berries. A single plate contains as many health-boosting antioxidants as 49 bowls of spinach, 23 bunches of grapes or nine helpings of broccoli!
Indian Superfood is a hit in his native UK. Now Bains has his eye on the US, sharing facts about antioxidants and the power of spices. In his rich British accent Bains tells us that one quarter of the most anti-oxidant rich foods are spices. Who knew? And when did spices get so sexy? Must be the accent.
This is one cookbook you can actually cook from. Visually appealing, easy to read, peppered with a touch of Bains’ personality, Indian Superfood speaks to the non-chef as well as the seasoned (pun intended) chefs among you.
Our favorites include luxurious meat recipes balanced with remarkable digestive enzymes found in fruits; naans made with seaweed and roasted pumpkin seeds; and heavenly tasting salmon and sweet potato fishcakes.
Each recipe includes nutritional facts so you feel good – nay great – about eating that sweet potato samosa roll with tamarind reduction.
So go ahead, rock those skinny jeans and eat like your mama told you. Just make sure the dish comes out of Indian Superfood. (Republic of Brown)
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
What do you call an Indian meal that won’t leave you in a food coma (besides a myth)?
We call it Indian Superfood. So named by its creator, UK based chef Gurpareet Bains – a man on a mission to create the world’s healthiest meals combining traditional Indian cuisine with superfoods.
He’s spent the last 3 years perfecting his recipes and lucky for us has compiled them in his book of the same name, Indian Superfood.
What’s a Superfood, you ask? Foods containing antioxidants and vitamins which promote good health and ward off disease. Did we mention Bains lost 35 pounds while creating and sampling his own recipes?
Food alchemist that he is, Bains has combined ayurveda with modern science to produce culinary delights you can feel good devouring. His signature dish is two years in the making: a chicken and blueberry curry with pilau rice and goji berries. A single plate contains as many health-boosting antioxidants as 49 bowls of spinach, 23 bunches of grapes or nine helpings of broccoli!
Indian Superfood is a hit in his native UK. Now Bains has his eye on the US, sharing facts about antioxidants and the power of spices. In his rich British accent Bains tells us that one quarter of the most anti-oxidant rich foods are spices. Who knew? And when did spices get so sexy? Must be the accent.
This is one cookbook you can actually cook from. Visually appealing, easy to read, peppered with a touch of Bains’ personality, Indian Superfood speaks to the non-chef as well as the seasoned (pun intended) chefs among you.
Our favorites include luxurious meat recipes balanced with remarkable digestive enzymes found in fruits; naans made with seaweed and roasted pumpkin seeds; and heavenly tasting salmon and sweet potato fishcakes.
Each recipe includes nutritional facts so you feel good – nay great – about eating that sweet potato samosa roll with tamarind reduction.
So go ahead, rock those skinny jeans and eat like your mama told you. Just make sure the dish comes out of Indian Superfood. (Republic of Brown)
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Friday, November 26, 2010
Beauty treatments to spice up your life!
Do you think curry is only for the tummy and good health? Then you are wrong my friend. Curry is actually a good beauty treatment now. Here's why, an article that explains all from easier.com .
The World Poppadom Tower record and the Samosa Speed Challenge - both can only mean one thing: its National Curry week 2010!
Celebrating 200 years of curry restaurants and Asian culture in the UK, this week sees restaurants, pubs and caterers nationwide cooking up special dinners, attempting world record breaking, and generally celebrating all things curry.
Not only is Indian curry one of Britain’s favourite foods, overtaking the likes of fish and chips, but the nation is crazy for Indian spa therapies too. To celebrate its 13th year Wahanda.com - the UK’s largest online community for beauty and wellness - has rounded up some of the best Indian treatment offers from some of the country's most prestigious spas and salons, bringing the nation an array of sumptuous Indian spa treats from as little as £32!
Ayurveda: Wisdom never wrinkles. When it comes to wellbeing, it's reassuring to know that a therapy has stood the test of time - and with over five thousand years of experience behind it, Ayurveda is no spring chicken. Ayurveda originated on the Indian subcontinent and roughly translated it means the 'science of life'. We're not talking test tubes and chemicals here, though; Ayurveda combines diet, herbs, exercise, meditation, yoga, massage and a form of physiotherapy to prevent and treat disease. It's wholly natural and all about finding the best, healthiest you.
As a good place to start, TA-oR – The Art of Relaxation – in Derby has an Ayurvedic body massage with Baobab nuts (60 mins) for a very low £32, OR Etrily Beauty in South West London has 20% off a Sarvangbhyanga Full Body Ayurvedic massage - £64 for 60 mins.
For those in need of stress relief, Shirodhara is the ultimate treatment to relax and soothe away strife, whereby warm oil is poured continuously over the forehead (the third eye) in order to clear the mind and cleanse the soul. Santhigram Kerala Ayurvedic Centre in Milton Keynes offers an hour’s Shirodhara for £60.
Indian Head Massage: It only takes a light touch to make your scalp tingle. An Indian head massage is a gentle healing treatment based on Ayurvedic philosophy. It’s been a part of traditional family life in India for over a thousand years, helping to relieve stress, ward off illness and strengthen relationships through physical affection. Available at around 3,000 spas and salons nationwide, why not try the sumptuous spa at the Park House Hotel, West Sussex - £55 for 45 mins.
And for the ultimate Indian retreat check out Ayush Wellness Spa in Jersey – an Ayurvedic destination spa with an integrated team of Ayurvedic experts from both India and the West, making the stay a refreshing fusion of cultural harmony with genuine concern for your mind and body throughout.
Wahanda has exclusive offers available for these spas, salons and health clubs that you won’t find anywhere else in addition to spa days, spa breaks and Spa Gift Vouchers, which are redeemable at over 600 destinations nationwide. What’s more, for every spa, salon, or gym review written, Wahanda will donate £1 to charity: water to continue supporting their great cause of bringing fresh water to communities.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
The World Poppadom Tower record and the Samosa Speed Challenge - both can only mean one thing: its National Curry week 2010!
Celebrating 200 years of curry restaurants and Asian culture in the UK, this week sees restaurants, pubs and caterers nationwide cooking up special dinners, attempting world record breaking, and generally celebrating all things curry.
Not only is Indian curry one of Britain’s favourite foods, overtaking the likes of fish and chips, but the nation is crazy for Indian spa therapies too. To celebrate its 13th year Wahanda.com - the UK’s largest online community for beauty and wellness - has rounded up some of the best Indian treatment offers from some of the country's most prestigious spas and salons, bringing the nation an array of sumptuous Indian spa treats from as little as £32!
Ayurveda: Wisdom never wrinkles. When it comes to wellbeing, it's reassuring to know that a therapy has stood the test of time - and with over five thousand years of experience behind it, Ayurveda is no spring chicken. Ayurveda originated on the Indian subcontinent and roughly translated it means the 'science of life'. We're not talking test tubes and chemicals here, though; Ayurveda combines diet, herbs, exercise, meditation, yoga, massage and a form of physiotherapy to prevent and treat disease. It's wholly natural and all about finding the best, healthiest you.
As a good place to start, TA-oR – The Art of Relaxation – in Derby has an Ayurvedic body massage with Baobab nuts (60 mins) for a very low £32, OR Etrily Beauty in South West London has 20% off a Sarvangbhyanga Full Body Ayurvedic massage - £64 for 60 mins.
For those in need of stress relief, Shirodhara is the ultimate treatment to relax and soothe away strife, whereby warm oil is poured continuously over the forehead (the third eye) in order to clear the mind and cleanse the soul. Santhigram Kerala Ayurvedic Centre in Milton Keynes offers an hour’s Shirodhara for £60.
Indian Head Massage: It only takes a light touch to make your scalp tingle. An Indian head massage is a gentle healing treatment based on Ayurvedic philosophy. It’s been a part of traditional family life in India for over a thousand years, helping to relieve stress, ward off illness and strengthen relationships through physical affection. Available at around 3,000 spas and salons nationwide, why not try the sumptuous spa at the Park House Hotel, West Sussex - £55 for 45 mins.
And for the ultimate Indian retreat check out Ayush Wellness Spa in Jersey – an Ayurvedic destination spa with an integrated team of Ayurvedic experts from both India and the West, making the stay a refreshing fusion of cultural harmony with genuine concern for your mind and body throughout.
Wahanda has exclusive offers available for these spas, salons and health clubs that you won’t find anywhere else in addition to spa days, spa breaks and Spa Gift Vouchers, which are redeemable at over 600 destinations nationwide. What’s more, for every spa, salon, or gym review written, Wahanda will donate £1 to charity: water to continue supporting their great cause of bringing fresh water to communities.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Reinvent turkey leftovers with Thai and Indian spiciness
You may cook too much and didn't thought of having leftovers after the feast. But what are you gonna do with it? Then make some spicy Indian curry out of it. This article by Ellice Pierce from star-telegram.com will tell you how.
PARIS -- When I was growing up in North Texas, Thanksgiving leftovers usually meant eating what was served for Thanksgiving -- save for a turkey noodle soup here and there -- day after day, until it was gone. Which is completely understandable -- who wants to go back into the kitchen after spending most of the week making pies, cakes, turkey and everything that goes with it?
One year, the day after turkey day, my uncle and I were in the kitchen, assigned with the simple task of warming up the gravy. As I stirred the gravy with a wooden spoon, he reached into the cabinet where Mom kept the spices and pulled out her bottle of Spice Islands curry powder. He sprinkled some into the pot. He tasted. I tasted. And with that one little addition, we went from a reheated traditional American dinner to Indian curry. Just like that.
Turkey plays well with lots of cuisines, and can be easily swapped out in recipes wherever you find chicken. Of course, you can make turkey tacos, turkey enchiladas and turkey noodle soup, too -- but this year, why not take turkey a bit further around the world?
Here are a couple of recipes to get you started -- both take almost no time to put together. They work nicely with leftover pumpkin pie, by the way.
Ellise Pierce is the Cowgirl Chef. Read her blog and watch her cooking videos on www.cowgirlchef.com. You can also follow her on Twitter: twitter.com/cowgirlchef.
Turkey curry with raita
Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients -- this curry takes minutes to put together. I serve it with rice, naan bread or both, along with raita to help put out the fire. If you don't like it spicy, cut back on the cayenne or leave it out.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh chopped ginger
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
16 ounces can diced tomatoes, in juice
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, optional (for those who like it spicy)
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed (you may use the back of your knife)
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 to 1 cup water
16 ounces cooked turkey, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Sliced lemons, for serving
Raita, for serving (recipe follows)
1. Put the vegetable oil in a large skillet, along with the onion, garlic, ginger, cumin and cinnamon. Cook over medium-high heat until the onions are golden brown, about 7-8 minutes.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the tomatoes, turmeric, cayenne (if using), fennel seeds, black pepper and salt. Stir and cook for 2 minutes, then add the yogurt and water, stirring constantly. Now add the turkey. Let mixture cook for 10 minutes and serve immediately with chopped cilantro, lemon and raita.
Nutritional analysis per serving, without raita: 313 calories, 15 grams fat, 16 grams carbohydrates, 27 grams protein, 70 milligrams cholesterol, 824 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber, 44 percent of calories from fat.
Raita
16 ounces Greek yogurt
1 cup cucumber, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons mint, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pinch cumin
2 pinches cayenne
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
In a medium bowl, gently mix all of the ingredients. Refrigerate for an hour, at least, before using.
Nutritional analysis per 2-tablespoon serving: 25 calories, 1 gram fat, 2 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams protein, 2 milligrams cholesterol, 50 milligrams sodium, trace dietary fiber, 37 percent of calories from fat.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
PARIS -- When I was growing up in North Texas, Thanksgiving leftovers usually meant eating what was served for Thanksgiving -- save for a turkey noodle soup here and there -- day after day, until it was gone. Which is completely understandable -- who wants to go back into the kitchen after spending most of the week making pies, cakes, turkey and everything that goes with it?
One year, the day after turkey day, my uncle and I were in the kitchen, assigned with the simple task of warming up the gravy. As I stirred the gravy with a wooden spoon, he reached into the cabinet where Mom kept the spices and pulled out her bottle of Spice Islands curry powder. He sprinkled some into the pot. He tasted. I tasted. And with that one little addition, we went from a reheated traditional American dinner to Indian curry. Just like that.
Turkey plays well with lots of cuisines, and can be easily swapped out in recipes wherever you find chicken. Of course, you can make turkey tacos, turkey enchiladas and turkey noodle soup, too -- but this year, why not take turkey a bit further around the world?
Here are a couple of recipes to get you started -- both take almost no time to put together. They work nicely with leftover pumpkin pie, by the way.
Ellise Pierce is the Cowgirl Chef. Read her blog and watch her cooking videos on www.cowgirlchef.com. You can also follow her on Twitter: twitter.com/cowgirlchef.
Turkey curry with raita
Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients -- this curry takes minutes to put together. I serve it with rice, naan bread or both, along with raita to help put out the fire. If you don't like it spicy, cut back on the cayenne or leave it out.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh chopped ginger
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
16 ounces can diced tomatoes, in juice
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, optional (for those who like it spicy)
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed (you may use the back of your knife)
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 to 1 cup water
16 ounces cooked turkey, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Sliced lemons, for serving
Raita, for serving (recipe follows)
1. Put the vegetable oil in a large skillet, along with the onion, garlic, ginger, cumin and cinnamon. Cook over medium-high heat until the onions are golden brown, about 7-8 minutes.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the tomatoes, turmeric, cayenne (if using), fennel seeds, black pepper and salt. Stir and cook for 2 minutes, then add the yogurt and water, stirring constantly. Now add the turkey. Let mixture cook for 10 minutes and serve immediately with chopped cilantro, lemon and raita.
Nutritional analysis per serving, without raita: 313 calories, 15 grams fat, 16 grams carbohydrates, 27 grams protein, 70 milligrams cholesterol, 824 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber, 44 percent of calories from fat.
Raita
16 ounces Greek yogurt
1 cup cucumber, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons mint, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pinch cumin
2 pinches cayenne
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
In a medium bowl, gently mix all of the ingredients. Refrigerate for an hour, at least, before using.
Nutritional analysis per 2-tablespoon serving: 25 calories, 1 gram fat, 2 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams protein, 2 milligrams cholesterol, 50 milligrams sodium, trace dietary fiber, 37 percent of calories from fat.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Why a good curry can be a life saver
CURRY = HEALTHY. An equation we must never forget. We should not ignore the fact that curry is not only delicious but it is also a healthy food. An article by Rose Joseph from thejc.com will tell you everything.
________________________
The hot news is that the spices used in Indian food can keep you healthy.
In Britain, curries have traditionally been considered indigestible junk food, to be eaten late at night after a number of lagers. However, aficionados and those who follow traditional Indian ayurvedic medicine have long believed that a good curry can not only maintain good health but even improve it.
A basic curry will contain a myriad of fragrant spices. It will almost certainly contain turmeric - part of the ginger family - which gives the curry its glorious golden colour.
Indians have known for centuries that when used with care - too much will be bitter - turmeric not only enhances the colour and taste of the food but also has therapeutic properties. The reason for this is the compound curcumin, a wonderful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory which works in the same way as over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs - but without the ghastly side effects - and is thus able to reduce pain.
Even more amazingly, research caried out at the MD Anderson Centre in Texas has shown that curcumin can "turn off" the genes that trigger the onset and spread of breast cancer. In other studies, the spice has been found to help stabilise pancreatic cancer. It is also known to slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease by boosting memory. When patients treated with curcumin were examined, the growth of plaques in the brain had halved and the brain tissue was less inflamed. It also has cholesterol-lowering properties.
Ginger itself - or rather its active ingredient, gingerol - is already used medicinally to ward off sickness and the side effects of chemotherapy and is believed to encourage blood flow and so relieve pain.
Chillies and cayenne contain capsaicin which can alleviate pain associated with diabetic neuropathy. They also contain bacteria which are believed to fight stomach ulcers and can reduce cholesterol while also helping to speed up metabolism which, in turn, assists weight loss.
Garlic famously eases blood flow, thus assisting with heart health, and has antioxidants which reduce cholesterol and help to fight cancer. And it was used as an antiseptic in the First World War to treat wounds.
Mustard seeds and pepper are both warming and wonderful for circulation while cloves have been used for centuries as a natural antiseptic.
Cinnamon has potent powers and is now in the forefront in the fight against the symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Researchers have proved that ingesting an amount of cinnamon every day, whether with cereal or mixed in coffee or tea, can have a valuable effect on blood sugar levels.
Numerous Eastern recipes contain pulses such as lentils or chickpeas or wholegrains that are known to lower cholesterol and improve blood sugar.
And finally, most curries contain numerous fresh herbs such as mint, which is cooling and known to aid digestion, and coriander, which is full of vitamins and minerals and delicious when combined with spices.
So at last we have a wonderful excuse to indulge our passion for spicy food. And why not think about making your own curry - it is not that daunting.
The simplest way is to find a basic recipe and to remember that in most curries the spices are dry-roasted in a frying pan first to release all the natural oils. This gives them their flavours. Sometimes a recipe will ask you to sweat onions and spices in oil - I always reduce the amount to one tablespoon and find that it has no detrimental effect on the flavour.
Begin maybe with a simple dhal which is usually made with lentils - delicious served over plain brown rice for a healthy meatless meal which goes wonderfully with fresh vegetables such as spinach or cauliflower.
Easy lentil Dhal
This dhal dish does not contain the traditional tarka spices which are usually added at the end. Nevertheless, it is a flavoursome introduction to curries.
Serves 4 with rice.
INGREDIENTS
● 1 dessertspoon olive oil
● 125g, 4oz approx finely chopped onions
● 1 clove garlic finely chopped
● 225g, 8oz red lentils
● 900ml, 1.58 pints vegetable stock
● 1 tablespoon garam masala
● 1 stick cinnamon bark
● 4 fresh tomatoes chopped
● 1 teasp salt
● 1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander (optional)
METHOD
● Cook the lentils in the microwave for ½ hour in the stock. Sweat onions and garlic with garam masala and cinnamon bark.
● When golden sweet, add cooked red lentils. Stir well.
● Add salt to taste, then, just before serving, the coriander and the tomatoes.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
________________________
The hot news is that the spices used in Indian food can keep you healthy.
In Britain, curries have traditionally been considered indigestible junk food, to be eaten late at night after a number of lagers. However, aficionados and those who follow traditional Indian ayurvedic medicine have long believed that a good curry can not only maintain good health but even improve it.
A basic curry will contain a myriad of fragrant spices. It will almost certainly contain turmeric - part of the ginger family - which gives the curry its glorious golden colour.
Indians have known for centuries that when used with care - too much will be bitter - turmeric not only enhances the colour and taste of the food but also has therapeutic properties. The reason for this is the compound curcumin, a wonderful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory which works in the same way as over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs - but without the ghastly side effects - and is thus able to reduce pain.
Even more amazingly, research caried out at the MD Anderson Centre in Texas has shown that curcumin can "turn off" the genes that trigger the onset and spread of breast cancer. In other studies, the spice has been found to help stabilise pancreatic cancer. It is also known to slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease by boosting memory. When patients treated with curcumin were examined, the growth of plaques in the brain had halved and the brain tissue was less inflamed. It also has cholesterol-lowering properties.
Ginger itself - or rather its active ingredient, gingerol - is already used medicinally to ward off sickness and the side effects of chemotherapy and is believed to encourage blood flow and so relieve pain.
Chillies and cayenne contain capsaicin which can alleviate pain associated with diabetic neuropathy. They also contain bacteria which are believed to fight stomach ulcers and can reduce cholesterol while also helping to speed up metabolism which, in turn, assists weight loss.
Garlic famously eases blood flow, thus assisting with heart health, and has antioxidants which reduce cholesterol and help to fight cancer. And it was used as an antiseptic in the First World War to treat wounds.
Mustard seeds and pepper are both warming and wonderful for circulation while cloves have been used for centuries as a natural antiseptic.
Cinnamon has potent powers and is now in the forefront in the fight against the symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Researchers have proved that ingesting an amount of cinnamon every day, whether with cereal or mixed in coffee or tea, can have a valuable effect on blood sugar levels.
Numerous Eastern recipes contain pulses such as lentils or chickpeas or wholegrains that are known to lower cholesterol and improve blood sugar.
And finally, most curries contain numerous fresh herbs such as mint, which is cooling and known to aid digestion, and coriander, which is full of vitamins and minerals and delicious when combined with spices.
So at last we have a wonderful excuse to indulge our passion for spicy food. And why not think about making your own curry - it is not that daunting.
The simplest way is to find a basic recipe and to remember that in most curries the spices are dry-roasted in a frying pan first to release all the natural oils. This gives them their flavours. Sometimes a recipe will ask you to sweat onions and spices in oil - I always reduce the amount to one tablespoon and find that it has no detrimental effect on the flavour.
Begin maybe with a simple dhal which is usually made with lentils - delicious served over plain brown rice for a healthy meatless meal which goes wonderfully with fresh vegetables such as spinach or cauliflower.
Easy lentil Dhal
This dhal dish does not contain the traditional tarka spices which are usually added at the end. Nevertheless, it is a flavoursome introduction to curries.
Serves 4 with rice.
INGREDIENTS
● 1 dessertspoon olive oil
● 125g, 4oz approx finely chopped onions
● 1 clove garlic finely chopped
● 225g, 8oz red lentils
● 900ml, 1.58 pints vegetable stock
● 1 tablespoon garam masala
● 1 stick cinnamon bark
● 4 fresh tomatoes chopped
● 1 teasp salt
● 1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander (optional)
METHOD
● Cook the lentils in the microwave for ½ hour in the stock. Sweat onions and garlic with garam masala and cinnamon bark.
● When golden sweet, add cooked red lentils. Stir well.
● Add salt to taste, then, just before serving, the coriander and the tomatoes.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Pamela to treat her kids with Indian dishes
The most famous Playboy Playmate PAMELA ANDERSON was tasked to cook Indian dishes? YES SHE WAS... Of course she can't do it alone so she was given a helping hand by an Indian actress. Thanks to Kalyani Prasad Keshri from http://entertainment.oneindia.in for this very entertaining article.
Indian culture influences the entire world, and so did it do to the three days international guest at 'Bigg Boss 4' house. The Baywatch girl Pamela Anderson tried all the Indian stuffs from wearing saris, ghagra cholis, bindis, jhumkas, bangales, to learning Bollywood dance on a popular Madhuri Dixit number. However, one thing that excited the star the most was learning to cook Indian dishes like rotis ('Indian bread' to put it in Pamela's words) and mix vegetable curry.
Pamela in a task given by 'Bigg Boss 4' had to learn to cook Indian foods, thus, Pakistani actress Veena Malik helped her cut vegetables for the curry, knead the dough, etc. Pamela however, says that she still has to master the art of making round rotis. She said that it was amazing to see that all the women in the house making a perfect round shaped rotis.
She said that she was excited to fly back home and cook the Indian meal to treat her two children, Bradon and Bylan. She informed that she has learnt to cook mixed vegetables in Indian Style with all its spices and masalas. She has carried a list of all the ingredients to make the Indian dishes.
Pamela is taking back two saris, a chudidaar kurta and three sarongs with herself. She expressed that Indian outfits are very beautiful and feminine. Pamela expressed her desire to be a part of the Indian Film Industry. She said that she will soon be back on a trip to Indian with her children. She said that India has aroused an interest in her to explore the country more.
Well! We can just say that India will welcome you with open arms Pam. Keep following this space for more updates.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Indian culture influences the entire world, and so did it do to the three days international guest at 'Bigg Boss 4' house. The Baywatch girl Pamela Anderson tried all the Indian stuffs from wearing saris, ghagra cholis, bindis, jhumkas, bangales, to learning Bollywood dance on a popular Madhuri Dixit number. However, one thing that excited the star the most was learning to cook Indian dishes like rotis ('Indian bread' to put it in Pamela's words) and mix vegetable curry.
Pamela in a task given by 'Bigg Boss 4' had to learn to cook Indian foods, thus, Pakistani actress Veena Malik helped her cut vegetables for the curry, knead the dough, etc. Pamela however, says that she still has to master the art of making round rotis. She said that it was amazing to see that all the women in the house making a perfect round shaped rotis.
She said that she was excited to fly back home and cook the Indian meal to treat her two children, Bradon and Bylan. She informed that she has learnt to cook mixed vegetables in Indian Style with all its spices and masalas. She has carried a list of all the ingredients to make the Indian dishes.
Pamela is taking back two saris, a chudidaar kurta and three sarongs with herself. She expressed that Indian outfits are very beautiful and feminine. Pamela expressed her desire to be a part of the Indian Film Industry. She said that she will soon be back on a trip to Indian with her children. She said that India has aroused an interest in her to explore the country more.
Well! We can just say that India will welcome you with open arms Pam. Keep following this space for more updates.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Monday, November 22, 2010
Curried Apple Rice
Are you a big Apple juice and at the same time curry fan? Do you want those two favorite of yours meet together in harmony? Then WORRY NO MORE! CURRIED APPLE RICE is perfect for you. This very unique recipe from grouprecipes.com will grant all your wishes!
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups long grain brown rice
1 cup apple juice
2 3/4 cups water
1/2 cup raisins
2 tbsps. vegetable oil
1/2 cup onion, cooked, chopped
2 tsps. curry powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
1 yellow delicious apple, peeled, cored and chopped
How to make it
Combine brown rice, apple juice and water with a dash of salt in a heavy saucepan.
Bring to a boil over high heat.
Boil 5 minutes.
Lower heat as low as possible.
Cover pan tightly and let rice simmer 45 minutes without lifting lid. Remove from heat and set aside 10 minutes before removing cover. While rice is cooking, soak raisins in hot water 5 minutes. Drain. Heat oil in a heavy nonstick pan over medium heat.
Add next 3 ingredients and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until onion is soft.
Stir in apple and saute 3 minutes.
Stir in cooked rice, raisins and salt to taste. Cook until hot.
Remove from heat, cover and set aside about 2 minutes before serving.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups long grain brown rice
1 cup apple juice
2 3/4 cups water
1/2 cup raisins
2 tbsps. vegetable oil
1/2 cup onion, cooked, chopped
2 tsps. curry powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
1 yellow delicious apple, peeled, cored and chopped
How to make it
Combine brown rice, apple juice and water with a dash of salt in a heavy saucepan.
Bring to a boil over high heat.
Boil 5 minutes.
Lower heat as low as possible.
Cover pan tightly and let rice simmer 45 minutes without lifting lid. Remove from heat and set aside 10 minutes before removing cover. While rice is cooking, soak raisins in hot water 5 minutes. Drain. Heat oil in a heavy nonstick pan over medium heat.
Add next 3 ingredients and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until onion is soft.
Stir in apple and saute 3 minutes.
Stir in cooked rice, raisins and salt to taste. Cook until hot.
Remove from heat, cover and set aside about 2 minutes before serving.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The memory of spices
A story of transmission, transfusion, and past of South African Indian Cusisine. This gives you full understand of what is what. By Shelley Seid from timeslive.co.za
--------------------------------
Shelley Seid celebrates 150 years of South African Indian cuisine by talking to a hot trio of food experts
Mango achar, Gorima's potato samoosas in the freezer, guiltily sneaking great wads of sickly sweet burfi at Diwali - these are my own reasons to celebrate 150 years of South African Indian cuisine. It began with the arrival of the first indentured Indians who came to work on the sugar plantations of Natal in 1860 and while it celebrates the traditions of India, it is at the same time singularly unique.
Asha Maharaj, food columnist for the Sunday Times Extra, has coaxed generations of anxious amateurs through the culinary minefield of Indian cookery. With 18 and a half years as the cuisine queen of Radio Lotus, 10 years with the newspaper and three cookbooks to her name, Maharaj is an expert on South African Indian food.
In July 1882, her paternal great-grandfather, Sewsawran Ramnewaj Bharadwaj, arrived from Allahabad in western Uttar Pradesh to work as a contract labourer for the Umhlanga Valley Natal Sugar Company. The Indians who worked the sugar plantations were from different regions - many from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, but also from Calcutta in West Bengal and from the southeast. They came from different social backgrounds and included Hindus, Christians and Muslims. It was a veritable melting pot that brought a fusion of cooking styles. Asha Maharaj's family were of Brahmin descent, priests and teachers and mostly vegetarian. Meagre and restricted rations and a need to supplement the pot led to small-scale farming from the outset. Maharaj tells of a herb the women grew between the sugar cane, which they would collect in the folds of their saris and boil with chillies for the evening meal. Chorahi, which means "on the wayside", is an expensive herb today.
"The fusion of cooking styles has evolved into what can be broadly defined as South African Indian cuisine," says Maharaj, "but can still be traced back to specific regions - Tamil Indian fish curry from the South for example, or mild North Indian curries."
Her early food memories go back to her childhood when her family lived in Nonoti on the Kwazulu Natal North Coast. "I would watch the elders picking mushrooms. There were no stoves, just blocks on a cement floor with bars across them on which the huge pots sat. My mother got up daily at 3.30am to make roti to ensure the men went off with a good meal."
These days, in suburbs that include Chatsworth and Phoenix, elderly aunties still sit in the back yards in front of open fires heating two rods, which they use to singe the hair off trotters and sheep heads. "Tripe and trotters were another adaptation," says Maharaj, "they were a good source of protein and very economical. Those who could not afford lamb or sheep would eat offal - trotters with sugar beans or tripe with dhal. Today these items come cleaned, bleached, packed in polystyrene and covered in clingwrap."
Life wasn't easy for indentured labourers. Complex recipes were simplified and substitutions were made but by all accounts, the food was tasty and innovative. Cane sugar was substituted for palm sugar, mielie rice became an alternative staple, butternut and local beans were adopted into the diet. Rajend Mesthrie, professor of linguistics at the University of Cape Town, whose A Dictionary of South African Indian English goes on sale next month, calls South African Indian cuisine a hybrid of different regional styles of Indian cooking, with local western and African influences.
"Durban is a great blend of north and south but, at the same time, it is to a large extent rural Indian cooking. When I visited India, the smells from the pots in some areas were the same as those in my grandmother's pots." Regional blending of culture is the story of our food, he says. "In the plantations where they lived cheek by jowl, each learnt the best from the other and they were playfully rivalrous."
The indentured Indians were closely followed in the 1870s by "free" or "passenger" Indians, those who paid their way to the province. They had come out to seek their fortunes or to join family members in setting up small businesses and often became traders, hawkers and merchants. One of these was Solly Manjra's grandfather, a Muslim from Gujurat state and a tailor by trade. When his eldest son was 11, he was apprenticed to Mullah's Café in Victoria Street to work for chef Mullah Chacha, a man with a reputation, Solly Manjra says, as "the best, the number one, famous" for his sweetmeats and his baked goods. The 11-year-old began as a water boy, serving water to the patrons and, over 34 years, learnt at the feet of the master and then opened his own business.
He began teaching his skills to his 12-year-old son, Solly.
"I loved cooking," says Manjra. "My father encouraged me. He would wake me at 4am and I'd help prepare the dough for roti."
Manjra's caterers is now a Durban institution run by Solly, his two sons and his son-in-law. Weddings, mendhi parties, corporate functions - and if you want a classic mutton biryani there is nothing to beat theirs. Manjra's has cooked for Sonia Gandhi, for Nelson Mandela ("the best biryani he has ever eaten, he told me,") and for Mohammed Ali. At Solly Manjra's premises in Sea Cow Lake, rows of enormous pots sit above gas fires about a foot off the ground. "Big pot cooking" is his passion, he tell me. For the past 10 years he has been part of a project that feeds the underprivileged at Eid each year, where he is solely responsible for cooking for over 50000 people in one day. He shows me a pot that he bought in India that makes enough dhal for 2 000 people. It's the size of a small jacuzzi.
"I'm 62 now. My sons told me I must now sit in the office and take it easy. I said, 'I am so sorry.' I think it will be while I am standing at my pots that God will take me."
Solly Manjra has carefully written down the recipes his father was taught by Mullah Chacha and passed them on to his sons because, as he says, "Without good food our people would get lost."
Oral history is plagued by the vagaries of time - it changes, it shifts, it dies, but once written down, it is fixed and ever accessible.
Possibly the most important initiative in recording South African Indian cuisine was the recipe book Indian Delights, first published in 1961, an initiative of the Women's Cultural Group of Durban. The driving force behind the book that has sold tens of thousands of copies was Zuleikha Mayat. Her grandfather, Hassim Bismillah, arrived in 1879 in Durban and by 1881 had settled in Potchefstroom as a shopkeeper. The shop was inherited by Mayat's father but eventually run by her mother, a woman who came out from India as a bride, spoke no English or Afrikaans but ran the shop so well that the townsfolk referred to it as "Amina se winkel".
With no time to teach her daughters to cook, Mayat was expected to learn the culinary arts from her sister, "But I was too busy studying. She did my work for me and I only learnt the basics." Once married, she moved to Durban where she was central to the founding of the Women's Cultural Group. The idea of producing a recipe book arose when the group was searching for ways to raise money for their charity work. One member suggested sending a recipe for chevra to Post Toasties to print on their cereal boxes and charging them for it. Mayat went one further and suggested they compile a recipe book and that she edit it.
"Some people asked who would need such a book. 'I do,' I told them."
There were many reasons for such a book. Changing times meant working women had less time to learn from their elders, less time to cook and a need for simple recipes. It was also a way of preserving the recipes that their great-grandmothers had passed onto their grandmothers. A recipe book would gather up the best of the regional cuisines of India and recognise a distinct South African Indian food culture. The group started with a print run of 2000. Within 60 days, they were sold out. Indian Delights, filled with stories, tips and information as well as recipes, has become a classic and essential for every Indian bride.
"Our priests are annoyed that while there may not be a Qur'an in every home there is a copy of Indian Delights," jokes Mayat. "From the word go, we were getting to know each other's food while at the same time keeping to the traditions of our forbearers."
Asha Maharaj says South African Indian cuisine is in a class of its own. "Visiting Indians may think we are not authentic enough. Yes, we enjoy going to restaurants with imported Indian chefs and we marvel at the exotic pastes and meals. But some days you want just want to enjoy rice and dhal and maybe a mango pickle."
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
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Shelley Seid celebrates 150 years of South African Indian cuisine by talking to a hot trio of food experts
Mango achar, Gorima's potato samoosas in the freezer, guiltily sneaking great wads of sickly sweet burfi at Diwali - these are my own reasons to celebrate 150 years of South African Indian cuisine. It began with the arrival of the first indentured Indians who came to work on the sugar plantations of Natal in 1860 and while it celebrates the traditions of India, it is at the same time singularly unique.
Asha Maharaj, food columnist for the Sunday Times Extra, has coaxed generations of anxious amateurs through the culinary minefield of Indian cookery. With 18 and a half years as the cuisine queen of Radio Lotus, 10 years with the newspaper and three cookbooks to her name, Maharaj is an expert on South African Indian food.
In July 1882, her paternal great-grandfather, Sewsawran Ramnewaj Bharadwaj, arrived from Allahabad in western Uttar Pradesh to work as a contract labourer for the Umhlanga Valley Natal Sugar Company. The Indians who worked the sugar plantations were from different regions - many from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, but also from Calcutta in West Bengal and from the southeast. They came from different social backgrounds and included Hindus, Christians and Muslims. It was a veritable melting pot that brought a fusion of cooking styles. Asha Maharaj's family were of Brahmin descent, priests and teachers and mostly vegetarian. Meagre and restricted rations and a need to supplement the pot led to small-scale farming from the outset. Maharaj tells of a herb the women grew between the sugar cane, which they would collect in the folds of their saris and boil with chillies for the evening meal. Chorahi, which means "on the wayside", is an expensive herb today.
"The fusion of cooking styles has evolved into what can be broadly defined as South African Indian cuisine," says Maharaj, "but can still be traced back to specific regions - Tamil Indian fish curry from the South for example, or mild North Indian curries."
Her early food memories go back to her childhood when her family lived in Nonoti on the Kwazulu Natal North Coast. "I would watch the elders picking mushrooms. There were no stoves, just blocks on a cement floor with bars across them on which the huge pots sat. My mother got up daily at 3.30am to make roti to ensure the men went off with a good meal."
These days, in suburbs that include Chatsworth and Phoenix, elderly aunties still sit in the back yards in front of open fires heating two rods, which they use to singe the hair off trotters and sheep heads. "Tripe and trotters were another adaptation," says Maharaj, "they were a good source of protein and very economical. Those who could not afford lamb or sheep would eat offal - trotters with sugar beans or tripe with dhal. Today these items come cleaned, bleached, packed in polystyrene and covered in clingwrap."
Life wasn't easy for indentured labourers. Complex recipes were simplified and substitutions were made but by all accounts, the food was tasty and innovative. Cane sugar was substituted for palm sugar, mielie rice became an alternative staple, butternut and local beans were adopted into the diet. Rajend Mesthrie, professor of linguistics at the University of Cape Town, whose A Dictionary of South African Indian English goes on sale next month, calls South African Indian cuisine a hybrid of different regional styles of Indian cooking, with local western and African influences.
"Durban is a great blend of north and south but, at the same time, it is to a large extent rural Indian cooking. When I visited India, the smells from the pots in some areas were the same as those in my grandmother's pots." Regional blending of culture is the story of our food, he says. "In the plantations where they lived cheek by jowl, each learnt the best from the other and they were playfully rivalrous."
The indentured Indians were closely followed in the 1870s by "free" or "passenger" Indians, those who paid their way to the province. They had come out to seek their fortunes or to join family members in setting up small businesses and often became traders, hawkers and merchants. One of these was Solly Manjra's grandfather, a Muslim from Gujurat state and a tailor by trade. When his eldest son was 11, he was apprenticed to Mullah's Café in Victoria Street to work for chef Mullah Chacha, a man with a reputation, Solly Manjra says, as "the best, the number one, famous" for his sweetmeats and his baked goods. The 11-year-old began as a water boy, serving water to the patrons and, over 34 years, learnt at the feet of the master and then opened his own business.
He began teaching his skills to his 12-year-old son, Solly.
"I loved cooking," says Manjra. "My father encouraged me. He would wake me at 4am and I'd help prepare the dough for roti."
Manjra's caterers is now a Durban institution run by Solly, his two sons and his son-in-law. Weddings, mendhi parties, corporate functions - and if you want a classic mutton biryani there is nothing to beat theirs. Manjra's has cooked for Sonia Gandhi, for Nelson Mandela ("the best biryani he has ever eaten, he told me,") and for Mohammed Ali. At Solly Manjra's premises in Sea Cow Lake, rows of enormous pots sit above gas fires about a foot off the ground. "Big pot cooking" is his passion, he tell me. For the past 10 years he has been part of a project that feeds the underprivileged at Eid each year, where he is solely responsible for cooking for over 50000 people in one day. He shows me a pot that he bought in India that makes enough dhal for 2 000 people. It's the size of a small jacuzzi.
"I'm 62 now. My sons told me I must now sit in the office and take it easy. I said, 'I am so sorry.' I think it will be while I am standing at my pots that God will take me."
Solly Manjra has carefully written down the recipes his father was taught by Mullah Chacha and passed them on to his sons because, as he says, "Without good food our people would get lost."
Oral history is plagued by the vagaries of time - it changes, it shifts, it dies, but once written down, it is fixed and ever accessible.
Possibly the most important initiative in recording South African Indian cuisine was the recipe book Indian Delights, first published in 1961, an initiative of the Women's Cultural Group of Durban. The driving force behind the book that has sold tens of thousands of copies was Zuleikha Mayat. Her grandfather, Hassim Bismillah, arrived in 1879 in Durban and by 1881 had settled in Potchefstroom as a shopkeeper. The shop was inherited by Mayat's father but eventually run by her mother, a woman who came out from India as a bride, spoke no English or Afrikaans but ran the shop so well that the townsfolk referred to it as "Amina se winkel".
With no time to teach her daughters to cook, Mayat was expected to learn the culinary arts from her sister, "But I was too busy studying. She did my work for me and I only learnt the basics." Once married, she moved to Durban where she was central to the founding of the Women's Cultural Group. The idea of producing a recipe book arose when the group was searching for ways to raise money for their charity work. One member suggested sending a recipe for chevra to Post Toasties to print on their cereal boxes and charging them for it. Mayat went one further and suggested they compile a recipe book and that she edit it.
"Some people asked who would need such a book. 'I do,' I told them."
There were many reasons for such a book. Changing times meant working women had less time to learn from their elders, less time to cook and a need for simple recipes. It was also a way of preserving the recipes that their great-grandmothers had passed onto their grandmothers. A recipe book would gather up the best of the regional cuisines of India and recognise a distinct South African Indian food culture. The group started with a print run of 2000. Within 60 days, they were sold out. Indian Delights, filled with stories, tips and information as well as recipes, has become a classic and essential for every Indian bride.
"Our priests are annoyed that while there may not be a Qur'an in every home there is a copy of Indian Delights," jokes Mayat. "From the word go, we were getting to know each other's food while at the same time keeping to the traditions of our forbearers."
Asha Maharaj says South African Indian cuisine is in a class of its own. "Visiting Indians may think we are not authentic enough. Yes, we enjoy going to restaurants with imported Indian chefs and we marvel at the exotic pastes and meals. But some days you want just want to enjoy rice and dhal and maybe a mango pickle."
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Saturday, November 20, 2010
How to Make Curry Powder
I love how this article convince you to go more natural. I will definitely try cooking curry next time using my own curry powder. Thanks to Liz Casler from Mahalo.com for letting me know this very helpful recipe.
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You can create some delicious dishes with commercial curry powder, but making your own curry spice mix is much more fun and the sign of a true connoisseur. Our guide to mixing and grinding your own mixture will introduce you to the spices you'll need and the process you'll follow in order to make your own Indian delights.
Introduction
Making your own curry powder, rather than buying a glass jar of commercial curry powder at the grocery store, allows you to tailor the flavor of your curry to your own peculiar palate. Explore the spices that go into making curry powder to discover just what it is that draws you to that magical yellow dust.
Step 1: What You'll Need
Spices. (Creative Commons photo by Laura)
No one recipe exists for curry powder. In fact, in India, the composition of a curry powder depends on the region in which it is made and what ingredients are readily available. You can follow an exact recipe, such as those listed below in the Resources section, or experiment to find your perfect combination.
Ingredients
Coriander seeds—lightly sweet with hints of citrus and mint.
Turmeric—brightly yellow with an earthy bitterness
Fenugreek seeds (almost always included, though Alton Brown has his own way of doing things)—a sweet, yellow seed to be used with caution
Cumin—strong, earthy aroma important to the overall flavor of the curry powder
Ground or flake pepper (black, white, red or a combination included in most recipes)—white pepper is made from the same plant as black pepper but has a milder flavor; red pepper is made from dried chili peppers
Mustard seeds or dry mustard (optional but usually included)—sharp, distinct flavor
Cardamom (optional)—expensive member of the ginger family with a sweet, flowery aroma
Fennel seeds (optional)—weaker licorice flavor than anise, slightly sweet
Caraway seeds (optional)—strong anise flavor
Ginger (optional)—sweet and spicy, best to use fresh
Cinnamon (optional)—sweet and flavorful; cassia is sometimes sold as cinnamon, but not as flavorful as the real thing
Cloves (optional)—strong, distinct flavor; to be used in small amounts
Mace (optional)—made from same plant as nutmeg with lighter flavor
Curry leaves (optional)—aromatic leaves typical in southern Indian curries.
Equipment
Coffee or spice grinder, blender, or mortar and pestle to grind spices
Cake or sauté pan to toast spices (optional)
Step 2: Toast Your Spices
Cardamom Seeds. (Creative Commons photo by Zoya)
Some recipes suggest toasting certain spices before including them in the mixture. Cardamom pods must at least be husked to obtain the seeds before use, if not toasted. You may also want to bake the other seeds you intend to use or toast them in a saucepan. You can also dry roast your chili peppers.
To bake:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Put seeds and cardamom pods in an oven-safe container.
Bake seeds for up to 7 minutes.
To dry roast:
Put seeds and cardamom pods in a pan.
Heat on medium burner, stirring to prevent scorching, until well toasted.
Step 3: Create a Base
Once you've toasted any spices you choose, you can begin composing your curry powder. Start by including the most common ingredients.
Start with a tablespoon each of coriander, cumin, and turmeric, as well as 1/2 tablespoon of fenugreek.
Add a couple teaspoons each of dry mustard or mustard seeds and ground pepper. Many recipes call for red chili pepper flakes, while others use ground white or black pepper.
If you know what optional spices you want to include in your powder, add them now. Some typical additions include:
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
Variations on curry powder less commonly call for:
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon mace
Tip: Once you've completed your base, you have a curry mixture. You can stop here if you're satisfied with the results. Simply grind the mixture into a powder before using it.
Step 4: Grind Your Spices
If you aren't using pre-ground spices, you'll need to grind your spices to create a powder. Use one of the following items to do so. Make sure that whatever instrument you use effectively grinds the hard seed shells.
Coffee Grinder or
Spice Grinder or
Blender or
Mortar and Pestle
Step 5: Adjust Your Mixture
Store-bought Curry Powder. (Creative Commons photo by David Van Horn)
Compare your mixture to a curry powder that you've tried and liked. Hopefully, you'll like your own mixture at least equally well. If not, try to determine what the commercial mixture has that you like and your mixture lacks.
Consult a reference such as McCormick's Enspicelopedia for the properties of different spices.
Smell and taste different spices singly to decide if you want to add more of them to your mixture.
If your mixture isn't spicy enough, try adding some more pepper or ginger.
If you want a sweeter mixture, try adding ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, or fennel.
To make your powder more yellow, try adding turmeric, cumin, or mustard.
You can always add more of the base ingredients as well.
Step 6: Use Your Curry Powder
Once you've created the perfect curry mixture, it's time to put it to use in a delicious recipe.
Curry Recipes
Epicurious: Curry Cumin Popovers
Food & Wine: Aromatic Yellow Curry Sauce
FoodNetwork.com: Singapore Pork Satay with Lemon-Curry Rice
Martha Stewart: Chicken Curry
PBS: Julia Child's Curry of Spinach and Eggplant
Conclusion
Once you've made your first curry mixture, you can make different curries for different recipes. Perhaps you find certain spices work best when currying lamb, while others are perfect for curried chicken. Keep your curry mixture, either in powder form or un-ground, in an airtight jar. Your unground mixture should stay fresh for 6 months, while your ground powder will only last for two.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
______________________________________
You can create some delicious dishes with commercial curry powder, but making your own curry spice mix is much more fun and the sign of a true connoisseur. Our guide to mixing and grinding your own mixture will introduce you to the spices you'll need and the process you'll follow in order to make your own Indian delights.
Introduction
Making your own curry powder, rather than buying a glass jar of commercial curry powder at the grocery store, allows you to tailor the flavor of your curry to your own peculiar palate. Explore the spices that go into making curry powder to discover just what it is that draws you to that magical yellow dust.
Step 1: What You'll Need
Spices. (Creative Commons photo by Laura)
No one recipe exists for curry powder. In fact, in India, the composition of a curry powder depends on the region in which it is made and what ingredients are readily available. You can follow an exact recipe, such as those listed below in the Resources section, or experiment to find your perfect combination.
Ingredients
Coriander seeds—lightly sweet with hints of citrus and mint.
Turmeric—brightly yellow with an earthy bitterness
Fenugreek seeds (almost always included, though Alton Brown has his own way of doing things)—a sweet, yellow seed to be used with caution
Cumin—strong, earthy aroma important to the overall flavor of the curry powder
Ground or flake pepper (black, white, red or a combination included in most recipes)—white pepper is made from the same plant as black pepper but has a milder flavor; red pepper is made from dried chili peppers
Mustard seeds or dry mustard (optional but usually included)—sharp, distinct flavor
Cardamom (optional)—expensive member of the ginger family with a sweet, flowery aroma
Fennel seeds (optional)—weaker licorice flavor than anise, slightly sweet
Caraway seeds (optional)—strong anise flavor
Ginger (optional)—sweet and spicy, best to use fresh
Cinnamon (optional)—sweet and flavorful; cassia is sometimes sold as cinnamon, but not as flavorful as the real thing
Cloves (optional)—strong, distinct flavor; to be used in small amounts
Mace (optional)—made from same plant as nutmeg with lighter flavor
Curry leaves (optional)—aromatic leaves typical in southern Indian curries.
Equipment
Coffee or spice grinder, blender, or mortar and pestle to grind spices
Cake or sauté pan to toast spices (optional)
Step 2: Toast Your Spices
Cardamom Seeds. (Creative Commons photo by Zoya)
Some recipes suggest toasting certain spices before including them in the mixture. Cardamom pods must at least be husked to obtain the seeds before use, if not toasted. You may also want to bake the other seeds you intend to use or toast them in a saucepan. You can also dry roast your chili peppers.
To bake:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Put seeds and cardamom pods in an oven-safe container.
Bake seeds for up to 7 minutes.
To dry roast:
Put seeds and cardamom pods in a pan.
Heat on medium burner, stirring to prevent scorching, until well toasted.
Step 3: Create a Base
Once you've toasted any spices you choose, you can begin composing your curry powder. Start by including the most common ingredients.
Start with a tablespoon each of coriander, cumin, and turmeric, as well as 1/2 tablespoon of fenugreek.
Add a couple teaspoons each of dry mustard or mustard seeds and ground pepper. Many recipes call for red chili pepper flakes, while others use ground white or black pepper.
If you know what optional spices you want to include in your powder, add them now. Some typical additions include:
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
Variations on curry powder less commonly call for:
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon mace
Tip: Once you've completed your base, you have a curry mixture. You can stop here if you're satisfied with the results. Simply grind the mixture into a powder before using it.
Step 4: Grind Your Spices
If you aren't using pre-ground spices, you'll need to grind your spices to create a powder. Use one of the following items to do so. Make sure that whatever instrument you use effectively grinds the hard seed shells.
Coffee Grinder or
Spice Grinder or
Blender or
Mortar and Pestle
Step 5: Adjust Your Mixture
Store-bought Curry Powder. (Creative Commons photo by David Van Horn)
Compare your mixture to a curry powder that you've tried and liked. Hopefully, you'll like your own mixture at least equally well. If not, try to determine what the commercial mixture has that you like and your mixture lacks.
Consult a reference such as McCormick's Enspicelopedia for the properties of different spices.
Smell and taste different spices singly to decide if you want to add more of them to your mixture.
If your mixture isn't spicy enough, try adding some more pepper or ginger.
If you want a sweeter mixture, try adding ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, or fennel.
To make your powder more yellow, try adding turmeric, cumin, or mustard.
You can always add more of the base ingredients as well.
Step 6: Use Your Curry Powder
Once you've created the perfect curry mixture, it's time to put it to use in a delicious recipe.
Curry Recipes
Epicurious: Curry Cumin Popovers
Food & Wine: Aromatic Yellow Curry Sauce
FoodNetwork.com: Singapore Pork Satay with Lemon-Curry Rice
Martha Stewart: Chicken Curry
PBS: Julia Child's Curry of Spinach and Eggplant
Conclusion
Once you've made your first curry mixture, you can make different curries for different recipes. Perhaps you find certain spices work best when currying lamb, while others are perfect for curried chicken. Keep your curry mixture, either in powder form or un-ground, in an airtight jar. Your unground mixture should stay fresh for 6 months, while your ground powder will only last for two.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Friday, November 19, 2010
Eid recipes: Lamb curry with coconut milk
Another amazing recipe from almasryalyoum.com . The Burrito-Curry put me in a state of shock and also this. Imagine mixing that spicy blend with coconut milk?!?
A twist on the typical lamb dishes of Eid, lamb curry is an easy dish and will make a nice variation for guests you may still be hosting for Eid. Your main utensil: a large stock pot. Primary ingredients are Indian spices.
Ingredients
1 can coconut milk (400ml)
50 gm cashew nuts
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon curry powder (or ½ teaspoon curry paste)
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon tumeric
½ teaspoon ground pepper
¼ cup of butter (or one stick)
1 small onion
1 kg lamb, trimmed and cubed
1 plain yoghurt
4 tomatoes, roughly chopped (or a can of chopped tomatoes)
Directions
Grind or pound cashew nuts, garlic, chili powder, ginger, garam masala, curry powder, coriander, tumeric and pepper.
Heat ½ stick of butter in a large stockpot and cook chopped onion and spices.
Add the rest of the butter and the lamb in the stockpot and stir fry for 5 minutes.
Add in tomatoes and coconut milk and bring to a simmer; with a wooden spoon, scrape off the ingredients stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Cover and turn heat to low. Cook for 1 hour. (Or for as long as you can up to one hour).
Add in yoghurt and salt/pepper to taste.
Serve with basmati rice.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
A twist on the typical lamb dishes of Eid, lamb curry is an easy dish and will make a nice variation for guests you may still be hosting for Eid. Your main utensil: a large stock pot. Primary ingredients are Indian spices.
Ingredients
1 can coconut milk (400ml)
50 gm cashew nuts
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon curry powder (or ½ teaspoon curry paste)
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon tumeric
½ teaspoon ground pepper
¼ cup of butter (or one stick)
1 small onion
1 kg lamb, trimmed and cubed
1 plain yoghurt
4 tomatoes, roughly chopped (or a can of chopped tomatoes)
Directions
Grind or pound cashew nuts, garlic, chili powder, ginger, garam masala, curry powder, coriander, tumeric and pepper.
Heat ½ stick of butter in a large stockpot and cook chopped onion and spices.
Add the rest of the butter and the lamb in the stockpot and stir fry for 5 minutes.
Add in tomatoes and coconut milk and bring to a simmer; with a wooden spoon, scrape off the ingredients stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Cover and turn heat to low. Cook for 1 hour. (Or for as long as you can up to one hour).
Add in yoghurt and salt/pepper to taste.
Serve with basmati rice.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Indian Food That Can Help you Lose Weight
Sweet! I can now start thinking more positively after I read this story. It says here that some Indian Food and CURRY is also "in" can lose weight. Well, I think it's real based on personal experiences. Newsmax.com (source) definitely saved me from worries.
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Indian food is quite popular worldwide for its mixture of spices and condiments, flavor, texture, and aroma. Indian cuisine is believed to be rich, creamy, and high in fat, as many recipes are rich in oil and rich. However, this is not always the case. Eating your favorite foods in right combinations can keep you healthy and thin. When you are on a diet to lose weight, you will still be able to eat well when you eat fat-free and low-fat Indian food.
Tips for using Indian food to lose weight:
A few examples of low-calorie foods that you can eat while on a diet are Bombay potato, chicken curry, chicken korma, chicken tikka, naan bread, onion bhaji, and vegetable samosa.
If you are on a low-fat diet, Indian vegetarian recipes offer fat-free and low-fat options. The best way to lose weight and enjoy tasty vegetarian recipes is to spend time cooking them. For low-fat and fat-free food options, substitute low-fat milk in recipes. Other low-fat modifications include the use of dairy products made from low-fat or fat free milk, and use of PUFA oils like vegetable oil instead of high-fat oils or clarified butter. Sauteing can be done in water without oil, and nonvegetarian food can be cooked in the fat melted as oil initially.
Dal, steamed rice, tandoori (grilled on coal), lassi, and curry vegetable preparations have been identified as healthy vegetarian Indian food options that are good for your cardiovascular system. These foods will help you remain thin. In addition, the spices and condiments used in making these food items contain active ingredients that help in lowering the occurrence of cardiac diseases and cancer.
Some healthy low-fat ingredients of Indian food include the use of wide varieties of nuts, vegetables, rice, and legumes for weight loss, in addition to the use of roasted breads and baked foods rather than deep fried food.
Implementing these tips can help you remain thin while still enjoying varied Indian foods.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
-----------------------------------------
Indian food is quite popular worldwide for its mixture of spices and condiments, flavor, texture, and aroma. Indian cuisine is believed to be rich, creamy, and high in fat, as many recipes are rich in oil and rich. However, this is not always the case. Eating your favorite foods in right combinations can keep you healthy and thin. When you are on a diet to lose weight, you will still be able to eat well when you eat fat-free and low-fat Indian food.
Tips for using Indian food to lose weight:
A few examples of low-calorie foods that you can eat while on a diet are Bombay potato, chicken curry, chicken korma, chicken tikka, naan bread, onion bhaji, and vegetable samosa.
If you are on a low-fat diet, Indian vegetarian recipes offer fat-free and low-fat options. The best way to lose weight and enjoy tasty vegetarian recipes is to spend time cooking them. For low-fat and fat-free food options, substitute low-fat milk in recipes. Other low-fat modifications include the use of dairy products made from low-fat or fat free milk, and use of PUFA oils like vegetable oil instead of high-fat oils or clarified butter. Sauteing can be done in water without oil, and nonvegetarian food can be cooked in the fat melted as oil initially.
Dal, steamed rice, tandoori (grilled on coal), lassi, and curry vegetable preparations have been identified as healthy vegetarian Indian food options that are good for your cardiovascular system. These foods will help you remain thin. In addition, the spices and condiments used in making these food items contain active ingredients that help in lowering the occurrence of cardiac diseases and cancer.
Some healthy low-fat ingredients of Indian food include the use of wide varieties of nuts, vegetables, rice, and legumes for weight loss, in addition to the use of roasted breads and baked foods rather than deep fried food.
Implementing these tips can help you remain thin while still enjoying varied Indian foods.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Nice Way To Mix Things Up: 'Indian Shrimp Curry'
For a quite time now, I have been googling lots of stuff about Curry. It can maybe an obsession if you want to call it that way but there's so much about Curry that can't stop my curiousness. So I bumped into this recipe which hopefully I can try and I think it's great and it's worth a try. It's from epicurious.com by Ian Knauer.
Indian Shrimp Curry
yield: Makes 6 servings
active time: 45 min`45 min
total time: 45 min
You can tell this recipe hails from a tropical environment because of the way the first bite of chiles causes a light sweat to break out on your brow. Then a breeze blows by, and— ahh—you're instantly cooled off and refreshed, able to fully enjoy the sweetness of plump shrimp and an evolving harmony of spices.
6 to 8 fresh serrano chiles (2 ounces total)
20 fresh curry leaves
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled ginger
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound tomatoes, chopped
2 1/2 ounces finely grated fresh or dried unsweetened coconut (1 cup; visit gourmet.com for how to extract meat from fresh coconut)
2 pounds large shrimp in shell, peeled and deveined
Accompaniment: white rice
Quarter chiles lengthwise (seed and devein if you want less heat). Cook chiles, curry leaves, garlic, and ginger in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring, until very fragrant and chiles are just softened, 1 to 2 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium and add spices, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring, until mustard seeds just begin to pop, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes.
Add tomatoes and coconut, then cook, covered, until tomatoes are softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
Add shrimp and cook, uncovered, stirring, until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Indian Shrimp Curry
yield: Makes 6 servings
active time: 45 min`45 min
total time: 45 min
You can tell this recipe hails from a tropical environment because of the way the first bite of chiles causes a light sweat to break out on your brow. Then a breeze blows by, and— ahh—you're instantly cooled off and refreshed, able to fully enjoy the sweetness of plump shrimp and an evolving harmony of spices.
6 to 8 fresh serrano chiles (2 ounces total)
20 fresh curry leaves
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled ginger
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound tomatoes, chopped
2 1/2 ounces finely grated fresh or dried unsweetened coconut (1 cup; visit gourmet.com for how to extract meat from fresh coconut)
2 pounds large shrimp in shell, peeled and deveined
Accompaniment: white rice
Quarter chiles lengthwise (seed and devein if you want less heat). Cook chiles, curry leaves, garlic, and ginger in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring, until very fragrant and chiles are just softened, 1 to 2 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium and add spices, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring, until mustard seeds just begin to pop, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes.
Add tomatoes and coconut, then cook, covered, until tomatoes are softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
Add shrimp and cook, uncovered, stirring, until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Monday, November 15, 2010
Spicy Indian Eggplant Curry
This very clever "pro-veggies" Curry recipe is indeed a breath of fresh air not only to the Curry fans, chefs, the consumers, but also to those Vegan who really wants a curry perfect for them. It feels like a Curry made especially for them, right? Good thing the editor of Vienna Patch made this awesome idea! Here's the recipe from burkpatch.com by Erica R. Hendry.
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During Vegan Month in November, the editor of Vienna Patch will take a hand at vegan cooking.
If you're a vegan (or a vegetarian) ethnic food will quickly become your best friend.
Asian, South American, Indian and African cuisines all offer a wide range of vegetable-based dishes that, in many cases, aren't too hard to make in your own kitchen. And many of them are vegan, or can be modified that way.
American and some European cuisines rely on animal products, like cream, stock, cheese or butter, to create the base of their dishes. But these cuisines naturally defer to plant-based products like roots, leaves and spices; coconut, almond or soy milk; and vegetable-based broths, which are all vegan-friendly.
With this in mind, I ventured into the world of Indian cuisine to try my hand at Baingan Bharta, a spicy Indian eggplant curry.
Most of the recipes I found called for yogurt to be stirred in at some point during the cooking process. I panicked, thinking my vegan cooking days were over. But, since I've made other (Thai) curries with coconut and soy milk, I used the same principal for this recipe, replacing cow milk yogurt with soy yogurt. The yogurt is optional, but it mellows out the spiciness of the dish so you can eat it without crying into your plate. If you don't want to use it at all, go without it.
True to the principles I mentioned last time, this recipe is:
Cheap: I had all the spices, so I only needed to get five things from Magruders:
My 1.75 pound eggplant was $1.69
Two tomatoes were less than a dollar
The onion was a dollar even.
Twelve pitas were $1.69.
Soy yogurt was $3 for 16oz
Adding soy yogurt makes this more pricey. With it, the total cost is about $8.50, just more than $2 a person when you're serving four or eating leftovers. Go without it and the total cost is about $5.50 -- just more than a dollar per person or serving.
Simple: There are five ingredients (six if you count accompanying rice or pita bread) and all you really have to do is roast, chop, then sit back and watch it simmer.
Non-Vegan Friendly/Not Scary: Thumbs up from the non-vegan, meat-eating boyfriend. My hummus-skeptic father lives a few hundred miles away, so he hasn't tried it, but I'm not sure he even knows what curry is, anyway.
Spicy Indian Eggplant Curry
Ingredients
1 large eggplant
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1.5 tomatoes, diced
1 to 2 tbsps olive oil
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 cup soy yogurt* optional
1 tsp salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Cut top off of eggplant, and cut in half lengthwise. Spray baking sheet or dish with cooking spray and bake 20 to 30 minutes, until the eggplant is tender, browned and starting to shrivel away from the edges.
While eggplant is cooking, thinly slice onion and dice tomatoes.
Remove eggplant from oven and cool for five minutes. Slice the eggplant halves where the peel meets the flesh about halfway around. Remove peel with fingers and discard.
Chop eggplant into cubes.
Heat oil on a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cumin. Cook for about five minutes, or until the onions become translucent.
Mix ginger, curry powder and tomato into the pan. Cook for about one minute.
Stir in yogurt.
Add eggplant to the pan and cover. Cook on high heat for about 10 minutes.
Remove cover, add a dash of salt.
Reduce heat and cook for another five minutes.
Remove from heat and serve with pita bread, rice, or both.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
----------------------------------------------------
During Vegan Month in November, the editor of Vienna Patch will take a hand at vegan cooking.
If you're a vegan (or a vegetarian) ethnic food will quickly become your best friend.
Asian, South American, Indian and African cuisines all offer a wide range of vegetable-based dishes that, in many cases, aren't too hard to make in your own kitchen. And many of them are vegan, or can be modified that way.
American and some European cuisines rely on animal products, like cream, stock, cheese or butter, to create the base of their dishes. But these cuisines naturally defer to plant-based products like roots, leaves and spices; coconut, almond or soy milk; and vegetable-based broths, which are all vegan-friendly.
With this in mind, I ventured into the world of Indian cuisine to try my hand at Baingan Bharta, a spicy Indian eggplant curry.
Most of the recipes I found called for yogurt to be stirred in at some point during the cooking process. I panicked, thinking my vegan cooking days were over. But, since I've made other (Thai) curries with coconut and soy milk, I used the same principal for this recipe, replacing cow milk yogurt with soy yogurt. The yogurt is optional, but it mellows out the spiciness of the dish so you can eat it without crying into your plate. If you don't want to use it at all, go without it.
True to the principles I mentioned last time, this recipe is:
Cheap: I had all the spices, so I only needed to get five things from Magruders:
My 1.75 pound eggplant was $1.69
Two tomatoes were less than a dollar
The onion was a dollar even.
Twelve pitas were $1.69.
Soy yogurt was $3 for 16oz
Adding soy yogurt makes this more pricey. With it, the total cost is about $8.50, just more than $2 a person when you're serving four or eating leftovers. Go without it and the total cost is about $5.50 -- just more than a dollar per person or serving.
Simple: There are five ingredients (six if you count accompanying rice or pita bread) and all you really have to do is roast, chop, then sit back and watch it simmer.
Non-Vegan Friendly/Not Scary: Thumbs up from the non-vegan, meat-eating boyfriend. My hummus-skeptic father lives a few hundred miles away, so he hasn't tried it, but I'm not sure he even knows what curry is, anyway.
Spicy Indian Eggplant Curry
Ingredients
1 large eggplant
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1.5 tomatoes, diced
1 to 2 tbsps olive oil
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 cup soy yogurt* optional
1 tsp salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Cut top off of eggplant, and cut in half lengthwise. Spray baking sheet or dish with cooking spray and bake 20 to 30 minutes, until the eggplant is tender, browned and starting to shrivel away from the edges.
While eggplant is cooking, thinly slice onion and dice tomatoes.
Remove eggplant from oven and cool for five minutes. Slice the eggplant halves where the peel meets the flesh about halfway around. Remove peel with fingers and discard.
Chop eggplant into cubes.
Heat oil on a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cumin. Cook for about five minutes, or until the onions become translucent.
Mix ginger, curry powder and tomato into the pan. Cook for about one minute.
Stir in yogurt.
Add eggplant to the pan and cover. Cook on high heat for about 10 minutes.
Remove cover, add a dash of salt.
Reduce heat and cook for another five minutes.
Remove from heat and serve with pita bread, rice, or both.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Mumbai pan hustle: East is East Van chicken curry
This article proves how versatile curry can be. It's not boxed-up recipe but it can also be matched and combine with other kinds of dish. In this article by Kari Chellouf from The Vancouver Observer, it features a whole new recipe which is very unique.
A recent visit to Whole Foods had my sweetie and I both drooling over a take-home roasted chicken that had been rubbed with Tandoori spices. The smell was intoxicating, so home we went with it, starving. The skin was flavourful (and eaten first), but we both agreed, that the spices could have been stronger, and the meat itself was pretty flavourless. It also smelled a bit like dessert, possibly because the store also sells pre-roasted vanilla pepper chickens, too. Vanilla with chai: Good idea. With Tandoori, not so much.
Still in want of a fiery, international meal to stave off dodgy weather, the next day I shredded the remaining chicken to make what I would call a speedy, bastardized curry. My family used to eat a lot of the real stuff, so having it makes me feel like a kid again. If I had an Indian grandma, she would frown upon this Mumbai pan-hustle, but then again, if I had an Indian grandma, I wouldn't have to make my own butter chicken, or dance in the kitchen to bhangra by myself. Speaking of funny, people who speak Tamil often ask me if I know that my name translates into curry.
The following recipe makes a curry that is warm and rich with flavour, but not too hot. Note that if you use a higher-fat yogurt like Greek or Balkan style, you might need to add extra spices. If you have a low spice tolerance, use less, or add more yogurt and chicken. Chunks of chicken breast can be pan-seared in a separate pan, and finished cooking in the sauce. Have fun!
East is East Van Chicken Kari
Serves 2
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
Grapeseed or vegetable oil, for frying
1 medium onion, chopped (any colour will do)
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp ginger, finely minced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp paprika
2 1/2 tsp curry powder
2 cups shredded chicken
1 cup plain yogurt, whisked
salt to taste
Warm up a few tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onions with a pinch of salt, stir, and sweat for a few minutes until soft and translucent.
Add garlic, ginger, and spices, then stir. Continue to heat for another minute or two, then add chicken. Stir to coat, add yogurt, and cook until heated through. Season to taste, and add water if you would like a thinner consistency.
Serve with rice, naan bread, or both.
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A recent visit to Whole Foods had my sweetie and I both drooling over a take-home roasted chicken that had been rubbed with Tandoori spices. The smell was intoxicating, so home we went with it, starving. The skin was flavourful (and eaten first), but we both agreed, that the spices could have been stronger, and the meat itself was pretty flavourless. It also smelled a bit like dessert, possibly because the store also sells pre-roasted vanilla pepper chickens, too. Vanilla with chai: Good idea. With Tandoori, not so much.
Still in want of a fiery, international meal to stave off dodgy weather, the next day I shredded the remaining chicken to make what I would call a speedy, bastardized curry. My family used to eat a lot of the real stuff, so having it makes me feel like a kid again. If I had an Indian grandma, she would frown upon this Mumbai pan-hustle, but then again, if I had an Indian grandma, I wouldn't have to make my own butter chicken, or dance in the kitchen to bhangra by myself. Speaking of funny, people who speak Tamil often ask me if I know that my name translates into curry.
The following recipe makes a curry that is warm and rich with flavour, but not too hot. Note that if you use a higher-fat yogurt like Greek or Balkan style, you might need to add extra spices. If you have a low spice tolerance, use less, or add more yogurt and chicken. Chunks of chicken breast can be pan-seared in a separate pan, and finished cooking in the sauce. Have fun!
East is East Van Chicken Kari
Serves 2
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
Grapeseed or vegetable oil, for frying
1 medium onion, chopped (any colour will do)
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp ginger, finely minced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp paprika
2 1/2 tsp curry powder
2 cups shredded chicken
1 cup plain yogurt, whisked
salt to taste
Warm up a few tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onions with a pinch of salt, stir, and sweat for a few minutes until soft and translucent.
Add garlic, ginger, and spices, then stir. Continue to heat for another minute or two, then add chicken. Stir to coat, add yogurt, and cook until heated through. Season to taste, and add water if you would like a thinner consistency.
Serve with rice, naan bread, or both.
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Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Saturday, November 13, 2010
‘I’d like to settle the bill for that Indian meal I had 13 years ago’
This was an interesting story I read.. it appeared in the Western Mail on 21st Mar 2009. Western Mail is Wales newspaper and the story is by Robin Turner.. It proves one thing though that the man has a very good memory. Maybe good memory or recall like that is the direct result of eating curry. Then again, that was 13 years ago.
Paying his bill was an honourable thing to do and I take my proverbial hat off to the man in question. Such actions do demonstrate decency and values that everyone should have.. I wanted to share this story with everyone because there is an important lesson in this story. Please read it, share it with everyone in your circle and learn the lesson to help you in whatever you do in your life..
Clearly, the diner is an economist because he paid £60 for a meal that cost £10 at the time 13 years. Evidently, he factored in the inflationary element so that it is in par with today's values. That said, the twist in the story is that the restaurant ... well you read the story to find out what happened..
A GUILTY diner who left an Indian restaurant 13 years ago without paying has handed in a note of apology at a Welsh police station plus £60 “to settle the bill”.
George Michael was topping the charts with Jesus to a Child when the anonymous man ate his curry in a restaurant in Mumbles, Swansea, and Will Smith was breaking cinema box office records with sci-fi hit Independence Day.
In the note, which police believe was written by a man, the culprit tells officers he cannot remember the restaurant’s name but asks them to track the owner down.
Officers believe it was the Seaview Indian Restaurant which was renamed the Aroma Indian Restaurant, and demolished two years ago to make way for a block of flats.
Click here to find out more!
They are appealing for anyone who can remember the owners to come forward.
In the typewritten letter handed in at Swansea’s Cockett Police Station, the guilty man wrote: “Dear officer, I have enclosed a sum of £60 as a way of compensation for not paying for food at a restaurant in 1996.
“The total sum for the meal and drink was under £10.
“However, I have decided to pay a larger sum as a way of compensation.
“I actually forgot that I didn’t pay the restaurant owner for the meal, drink and waiter service.
“But now that I have remembered I would like to pay the restaurant owner the money that is owed to him/her.
“I would appreciate it greatly if you could contact the owner and pay the money that is owed him.
“The problem is that the restaurant has closed down. It was an Indian restaurant situated on Mumbles Road, across the road from Verdi’s in Mumbles, next to the old Pilot public house.
“Please could you give my apologies to the owner. Thanking you.”
A police spokesman said: “It seems the author has had a pang of conscience and wishes to repay the debt, with some inflation.
“It’s a long time for someone to have a guilty conscience but it’s a case of better late than never.”
The restaurant had been a feature of Mumbles for decades and was known as the Canopic tea rooms as locals claimed it was named after the Titanic’s sister ship The Canopic and was decorated with wood panelling from the vessel.
Acting Chief Inspector Steve Jones said yesterday: “We’ll not be putting too many resources into this investigation but we want to do our best to help get this money where it should be... otherwise it will go into central funds.
“It’s got to be one of the strangest cases of guilty conscience late on that we’ve dealt with.”
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Paying his bill was an honourable thing to do and I take my proverbial hat off to the man in question. Such actions do demonstrate decency and values that everyone should have.. I wanted to share this story with everyone because there is an important lesson in this story. Please read it, share it with everyone in your circle and learn the lesson to help you in whatever you do in your life..
Clearly, the diner is an economist because he paid £60 for a meal that cost £10 at the time 13 years. Evidently, he factored in the inflationary element so that it is in par with today's values. That said, the twist in the story is that the restaurant ... well you read the story to find out what happened..
A GUILTY diner who left an Indian restaurant 13 years ago without paying has handed in a note of apology at a Welsh police station plus £60 “to settle the bill”.
George Michael was topping the charts with Jesus to a Child when the anonymous man ate his curry in a restaurant in Mumbles, Swansea, and Will Smith was breaking cinema box office records with sci-fi hit Independence Day.
In the note, which police believe was written by a man, the culprit tells officers he cannot remember the restaurant’s name but asks them to track the owner down.
Officers believe it was the Seaview Indian Restaurant which was renamed the Aroma Indian Restaurant, and demolished two years ago to make way for a block of flats.
Click here to find out more!
They are appealing for anyone who can remember the owners to come forward.
In the typewritten letter handed in at Swansea’s Cockett Police Station, the guilty man wrote: “Dear officer, I have enclosed a sum of £60 as a way of compensation for not paying for food at a restaurant in 1996.
“The total sum for the meal and drink was under £10.
“However, I have decided to pay a larger sum as a way of compensation.
“I actually forgot that I didn’t pay the restaurant owner for the meal, drink and waiter service.
“But now that I have remembered I would like to pay the restaurant owner the money that is owed to him/her.
“I would appreciate it greatly if you could contact the owner and pay the money that is owed him.
“The problem is that the restaurant has closed down. It was an Indian restaurant situated on Mumbles Road, across the road from Verdi’s in Mumbles, next to the old Pilot public house.
“Please could you give my apologies to the owner. Thanking you.”
A police spokesman said: “It seems the author has had a pang of conscience and wishes to repay the debt, with some inflation.
“It’s a long time for someone to have a guilty conscience but it’s a case of better late than never.”
The restaurant had been a feature of Mumbles for decades and was known as the Canopic tea rooms as locals claimed it was named after the Titanic’s sister ship The Canopic and was decorated with wood panelling from the vessel.
Acting Chief Inspector Steve Jones said yesterday: “We’ll not be putting too many resources into this investigation but we want to do our best to help get this money where it should be... otherwise it will go into central funds.
“It’s got to be one of the strangest cases of guilty conscience late on that we’ve dealt with.”
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Thursday, November 11, 2010
CHEF MAKES A FORTUNE SELLING BRITISH CURRY IN MIDDLE EAST
Woah! How wonderful! This article is a must read. It talks about how can british curry transform into success.
A CHEF has made his fortune selling British curry to Brits in the middle east.
Dobir Uddin, 32, is tapping into a huge demand for curry dishes, with UK and Indian ex-pats queueing down the street outside his eatery in the Arab Gulf tourist paradise in Dubai.
With two successful restaurants in Liverpool, Dobir, decided the time was right to reverse the trend with the opening for his first outlet named "Brick Lane" to give Brits in Dubai a taste of home and an alternative to fiery-hot native Asian curries.
Dobir said: "We launched at the start of the year and already we are selling hundreds of dishes a night, seven days a week.
"There are many thousands of Indians in Dubai and other restaurants offer their more traditional dishes.
"But the feedback we have had is that they also like to try a British-curry style chicken tikka masala or a nice balti, which is virtually unknown in India.
"Add in the fact we have 100,000 Brits here missing a taste of home and we have people queueing-up for our food.
"It is not quite taking coals to Newcastle, but I backed a hunch and I'm glad to say that we have really found a gap in the market."
Liverpool-born Dobir’s curry house "Brick Lane" is located in Al Barsha, which is a hotspot for exotic diners in Dubai.
The curry maestro's success comes as the Dubai government attempts to lure small British businessmen and women to the emigrate by reducing red tape limitations.
And they believe typical UK businesses such as fish and chip shops, garden centres and sports shops can thrive in the city.
He added: "At the moment we have just the one outlet and it is a big family effort to keep up with demand.
"We have relatives over all the time helping out the staff we have employed locally.
"In the future we will expand but for the time-being we will stick with what we are doing in terms of just having British curries on the menu.
"Chicken tikka masala is by far the most popular. I think it is because it is very creamy and aromatic rather than very hot like a lot of the traditional curries.
"But even in Dubai the men of all nationalities often go for the hottest thing on the menu.
"So we do have a smashing vindaloo and a phal but they are not for the faint-hearted."
The only problem Dobir has is getting hold of a few vital ingredients.
He said: "We have a few special ingredients that you cannot find easily and we get them flown-over from England.
"I will not reveal what all of them are but one is Coleman's Mustard. It works well in a few of our curries, so we need to keep a good stock at all times."
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
A CHEF has made his fortune selling British curry to Brits in the middle east.
Dobir Uddin, 32, is tapping into a huge demand for curry dishes, with UK and Indian ex-pats queueing down the street outside his eatery in the Arab Gulf tourist paradise in Dubai.
With two successful restaurants in Liverpool, Dobir, decided the time was right to reverse the trend with the opening for his first outlet named "Brick Lane" to give Brits in Dubai a taste of home and an alternative to fiery-hot native Asian curries.
Dobir said: "We launched at the start of the year and already we are selling hundreds of dishes a night, seven days a week.
"There are many thousands of Indians in Dubai and other restaurants offer their more traditional dishes.
"But the feedback we have had is that they also like to try a British-curry style chicken tikka masala or a nice balti, which is virtually unknown in India.
"Add in the fact we have 100,000 Brits here missing a taste of home and we have people queueing-up for our food.
"It is not quite taking coals to Newcastle, but I backed a hunch and I'm glad to say that we have really found a gap in the market."
Liverpool-born Dobir’s curry house "Brick Lane" is located in Al Barsha, which is a hotspot for exotic diners in Dubai.
The curry maestro's success comes as the Dubai government attempts to lure small British businessmen and women to the emigrate by reducing red tape limitations.
And they believe typical UK businesses such as fish and chip shops, garden centres and sports shops can thrive in the city.
He added: "At the moment we have just the one outlet and it is a big family effort to keep up with demand.
"We have relatives over all the time helping out the staff we have employed locally.
"In the future we will expand but for the time-being we will stick with what we are doing in terms of just having British curries on the menu.
"Chicken tikka masala is by far the most popular. I think it is because it is very creamy and aromatic rather than very hot like a lot of the traditional curries.
"But even in Dubai the men of all nationalities often go for the hottest thing on the menu.
"So we do have a smashing vindaloo and a phal but they are not for the faint-hearted."
The only problem Dobir has is getting hold of a few vital ingredients.
He said: "We have a few special ingredients that you cannot find easily and we get them flown-over from England.
"I will not reveal what all of them are but one is Coleman's Mustard. It works well in a few of our curries, so we need to keep a good stock at all times."
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Indian seasonings by way of a chicken burrito
Can you imagine a combination of Mexican and Indian cuisine? This is perfect for those Mexican and Indian cuisine lovers who wants to make their experience in the next level! This article will tell you in details how they come up with such an amazing recipe! Burrito + Curry= ULTIMATE DELICIOUSNESS.
____________________________________________________________________________________
What’s a few cultures clashed in the name of good food? As in this chicken and rice burrito. It may sound and look Mexican, but the flavor is all Indian.
For simplicity, we let the grocery store do most of the cooking for you. We start with a rotisserie chicken, the meat from which is tossed with coconut milk, curry powder and finely diced paneer (a type of Indian cheese). Then the mixture gets stuffed inside a flour tortilla with rice and briefly heated in the oven. It also could be done in the microwave.
For condiments, you could go with mango chutney or mango salsa. Either way, a dollop of sour cream or plain Greek-style yogurt would be a fine finish. If you have trouble finding paneer, substitute feta or Gouda. Neither is similar to paneer in taste, but either would be delicious in this recipe.
Curried Chicken And Rice Burritos
Start to finish: 30 minutes (15 minutes active)
Servings: 8
2 1/4-pound rotisserie chicken
1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 ounces paneer (a firm Indian-style cheese), diced
1 medium red onion, diced
2 cups cooked basmati rice
8 large (burrito size) flour tortillas
Mango salsa or mango chutney, to serve
Heat the oven to 400 F. Spritz a large baking dish with cooking spray.
Remove the meat from the chicken, discarding the bones and skin. Chop any large pieces of meat into bite-size pieces.
In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, curry powder, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the chicken, paneer and onion, tossing to coat. Mix in the rice.
Microwave the tortillas for about 10 seconds to make them more pliable.
One at a time, place each tortilla flat on the counter. Spoon about 3/4 cup of the chicken mixture down the center of the tortilla. Fold both ends in, then roll up.
Place each burrito, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. When all of the burritos are assembled, spritz the tops with cooking spray.
Bake the burritos for 15 to 20 minutes, or until heated through. Serve with either mango salsa or mango chutney.
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 682 calories; 253 calories from fat (37 percent of total calories); 28 g fat (12 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 140 mg cholesterol; 67 g carbohydrate; 42 g protein; 3 g fiber; 1,053 mg sodium.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
____________________________________________________________________________________
What’s a few cultures clashed in the name of good food? As in this chicken and rice burrito. It may sound and look Mexican, but the flavor is all Indian.
For simplicity, we let the grocery store do most of the cooking for you. We start with a rotisserie chicken, the meat from which is tossed with coconut milk, curry powder and finely diced paneer (a type of Indian cheese). Then the mixture gets stuffed inside a flour tortilla with rice and briefly heated in the oven. It also could be done in the microwave.
For condiments, you could go with mango chutney or mango salsa. Either way, a dollop of sour cream or plain Greek-style yogurt would be a fine finish. If you have trouble finding paneer, substitute feta or Gouda. Neither is similar to paneer in taste, but either would be delicious in this recipe.
Curried Chicken And Rice Burritos
Start to finish: 30 minutes (15 minutes active)
Servings: 8
2 1/4-pound rotisserie chicken
1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 ounces paneer (a firm Indian-style cheese), diced
1 medium red onion, diced
2 cups cooked basmati rice
8 large (burrito size) flour tortillas
Mango salsa or mango chutney, to serve
Heat the oven to 400 F. Spritz a large baking dish with cooking spray.
Remove the meat from the chicken, discarding the bones and skin. Chop any large pieces of meat into bite-size pieces.
In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, curry powder, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the chicken, paneer and onion, tossing to coat. Mix in the rice.
Microwave the tortillas for about 10 seconds to make them more pliable.
One at a time, place each tortilla flat on the counter. Spoon about 3/4 cup of the chicken mixture down the center of the tortilla. Fold both ends in, then roll up.
Place each burrito, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. When all of the burritos are assembled, spritz the tops with cooking spray.
Bake the burritos for 15 to 20 minutes, or until heated through. Serve with either mango salsa or mango chutney.
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 682 calories; 253 calories from fat (37 percent of total calories); 28 g fat (12 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 140 mg cholesterol; 67 g carbohydrate; 42 g protein; 3 g fiber; 1,053 mg sodium.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Meatless Monday: The Season of Diwali
Let's find out how Indians celebrate Diwali. Below is an article about a link of food and Diwali. Curry is of course in the scene. And a recipe to keep our hearts beat for excitement!
Last week, a chef friend told me humans are hardwired to eat seasonally, and sure enough, I woke up the next day wanting the taste of cauliflower and date curry in my mouth. I pretty much always want the rich, warming spices of an Indian curry, but the cauliflower date one I associate especially with this time of the year -- Diwali.
The Hindu festival of light, Diwali celebrates the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness. The holiday which began on Friday, is observed by lighting candles and oil lamps and ends tomorrow in a show of dazzling fireworks. Sweets are also a big part of Diwali, celebrated with ornate little Indian pastries, but dates impart an intense, natural sweetness. They're fab dried, but in northwest India, they're fresh and in season right now.
Closer to home, now is also the season for cauliflower, that ubiquitous (and often tasteless) white hunk of crucifer you're used to getting throughout the year. When it's allowed to ripen in season, you can taste the difference -- it has a vegetal flavor with its own hint of sweetness. A trip to your local farmers market shows there's more to life than white cauliflower, there's a rainbow of varietals from yellow to purple, each with its own delight.
Yeah, delight. We factor in nutrition, cost, preparation time, seasonality, locality, organic versus commercial, but we sometimes forget that part. Tasting food harvested fresh and made with love always offers pleasure, and each month of the year offers its own. Eating seasonally is natural, as my chef friend and my own palate remind me. Before we became used to eating anything we want any time we want it (at considerable cost to the environment), we were conditioned to eat seasonally, craving comforting cauliflower in November, summer-bright eggplant in August, sweet tender berries in early spring. We craved that connection to the seasons. We can get it back, and now's the time.
In addition to bright lights and sweet eats, Diwali is about connection. It's a time when Indians contemplate and honor their relationship to others -- friends, family, but also their relationship with the world and all the creatures in it.
You don't have to be Hindu to celebrate Diwali, and you don't have to be plant-based. But it helps. And it's not a new concept. Going meatless has long been an integral part of Hindu practice. It's encouraged in the Vedic poem the Mahabharata, written sometime around 4 BC. This cornerstone of Hinduism says, "Those who desire to possess good memory, beauty, long life with perfect health, and physical, moral and spiritual strength, should abstain from animal food."
More recently, Universal Society of Hinduism leader Rajan Zed came out in favor of Meatless Monday for all the reasons the Mahabharata advocated a meatless diet a few millennia ago. It all ties in to one of Hinduism's core values -- ahimsa -- Sanscrit for nonviolence, or doing no harm. A meatless diet promotes a compassionate, ahimsa approach to the environment and to animals, but also to ourselves and each other, and if you do it right, leads you to divine, universal love.
I do not automatically bound out of bed each morning feeling all full of ahimsa. Diwali reminds me how important it is, and how easy to achieve. A plant-based diet brings the sacred into everyday life. It doesn't stint on pleasure, either. Eating what's fresh and ripe and local encourages me to savor the moment. It reminds me to appreciate and be grateful for the planet that's the source of both nourishment, light, joy and great eats.
Diwali Caulifower and Date Curry
Curries often call for a handful of raisins or a teaspoon of sugar to balance the flavors. Four dried dates is all it takes in this seasonal dish.
2 tablespoons oil (canola or coconut)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 chili, seeded and minced
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 tablespoon cumin
1 cauliflower, broken into florets
1 tomato, diced (or 1 cup chopped tomatoes)
1/3 cup water or vegetable broth
4 dried dates, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
sea salt to taste
In a large pot or skillet with a lid, heat oil over medium-high heat.
Add minced ginger, garlic and chili, stirring until vegetables soften, about 3 minutes. Add the turmeric and cumin and sir another minute.
Add cauliflower and stir to coat in the spiced oil, cooking for about 3 minutes.
Add diced tomato, water or broth and chopped dates. Stir to combine.
Cover and reduce heat to low. Let the mixture simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes.
Add chopped cilantro and sea salt and serve with basmati rice.
Serves 4.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Last week, a chef friend told me humans are hardwired to eat seasonally, and sure enough, I woke up the next day wanting the taste of cauliflower and date curry in my mouth. I pretty much always want the rich, warming spices of an Indian curry, but the cauliflower date one I associate especially with this time of the year -- Diwali.
The Hindu festival of light, Diwali celebrates the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness. The holiday which began on Friday, is observed by lighting candles and oil lamps and ends tomorrow in a show of dazzling fireworks. Sweets are also a big part of Diwali, celebrated with ornate little Indian pastries, but dates impart an intense, natural sweetness. They're fab dried, but in northwest India, they're fresh and in season right now.
Closer to home, now is also the season for cauliflower, that ubiquitous (and often tasteless) white hunk of crucifer you're used to getting throughout the year. When it's allowed to ripen in season, you can taste the difference -- it has a vegetal flavor with its own hint of sweetness. A trip to your local farmers market shows there's more to life than white cauliflower, there's a rainbow of varietals from yellow to purple, each with its own delight.
Yeah, delight. We factor in nutrition, cost, preparation time, seasonality, locality, organic versus commercial, but we sometimes forget that part. Tasting food harvested fresh and made with love always offers pleasure, and each month of the year offers its own. Eating seasonally is natural, as my chef friend and my own palate remind me. Before we became used to eating anything we want any time we want it (at considerable cost to the environment), we were conditioned to eat seasonally, craving comforting cauliflower in November, summer-bright eggplant in August, sweet tender berries in early spring. We craved that connection to the seasons. We can get it back, and now's the time.
In addition to bright lights and sweet eats, Diwali is about connection. It's a time when Indians contemplate and honor their relationship to others -- friends, family, but also their relationship with the world and all the creatures in it.
You don't have to be Hindu to celebrate Diwali, and you don't have to be plant-based. But it helps. And it's not a new concept. Going meatless has long been an integral part of Hindu practice. It's encouraged in the Vedic poem the Mahabharata, written sometime around 4 BC. This cornerstone of Hinduism says, "Those who desire to possess good memory, beauty, long life with perfect health, and physical, moral and spiritual strength, should abstain from animal food."
More recently, Universal Society of Hinduism leader Rajan Zed came out in favor of Meatless Monday for all the reasons the Mahabharata advocated a meatless diet a few millennia ago. It all ties in to one of Hinduism's core values -- ahimsa -- Sanscrit for nonviolence, or doing no harm. A meatless diet promotes a compassionate, ahimsa approach to the environment and to animals, but also to ourselves and each other, and if you do it right, leads you to divine, universal love.
I do not automatically bound out of bed each morning feeling all full of ahimsa. Diwali reminds me how important it is, and how easy to achieve. A plant-based diet brings the sacred into everyday life. It doesn't stint on pleasure, either. Eating what's fresh and ripe and local encourages me to savor the moment. It reminds me to appreciate and be grateful for the planet that's the source of both nourishment, light, joy and great eats.
Diwali Caulifower and Date Curry
Curries often call for a handful of raisins or a teaspoon of sugar to balance the flavors. Four dried dates is all it takes in this seasonal dish.
2 tablespoons oil (canola or coconut)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 chili, seeded and minced
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 tablespoon cumin
1 cauliflower, broken into florets
1 tomato, diced (or 1 cup chopped tomatoes)
1/3 cup water or vegetable broth
4 dried dates, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
sea salt to taste
In a large pot or skillet with a lid, heat oil over medium-high heat.
Add minced ginger, garlic and chili, stirring until vegetables soften, about 3 minutes. Add the turmeric and cumin and sir another minute.
Add cauliflower and stir to coat in the spiced oil, cooking for about 3 minutes.
Add diced tomato, water or broth and chopped dates. Stir to combine.
Cover and reduce heat to low. Let the mixture simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes.
Add chopped cilantro and sea salt and serve with basmati rice.
Serves 4.
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Monday, November 8, 2010
Cooking with Lounge | Anglo Indian Chicken Curry
Sometimes, the ordinary stays ordinary and has to have some tweaking to make it extraordianry! For example this new curry recipe that executive chef, Brijesh Bhadana, Ca Va, New Delhi has invented.
Roast chicken with Anglo Indian curry
(Serves 2)
For marinade
½ kg boneless chicken (cut into medium pieces)
1 tsp chopped and roasted garlic
2 tbsp hung curd
1 tsp degi mirch (red chilli powder)
1 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
For the curry
1 medium onion, chopped
½ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp pepper powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp butter
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp spice powder
½ tsp teaspoon ginger paste
½ tsp garlic paste
5-10 ginger, juliennes
1tsp finely chopped garlic
200ml water
100ml coconut milk
100ml chicken stock
2 green chillies (slit lengthwise)
Salt to taste
Method:
Marinate the chicken with roasted garlic, hung curd, degi mirch, salt and turmeric powder and keep aside for two hours.
Heat butter in a pan and sauté the onions lightly. Add ginger, garlic, one green chilli, salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, spice powder, pepper powder and mix well. Add 200ml water to the mixture and stir well. Put in the coconut milk and chicken stock. Cover and simmer on low heat till the gravy thickens. Roast the marinated chicken in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for a maximum of twenty minutes. Serve the chicken with hot curry on the side and Indian (caraway) bread.
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Roast chicken with Anglo Indian curry
(Serves 2)
For marinade
½ kg boneless chicken (cut into medium pieces)
1 tsp chopped and roasted garlic
2 tbsp hung curd
1 tsp degi mirch (red chilli powder)
1 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
For the curry
1 medium onion, chopped
½ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp pepper powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp butter
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp spice powder
½ tsp teaspoon ginger paste
½ tsp garlic paste
5-10 ginger, juliennes
1tsp finely chopped garlic
200ml water
100ml coconut milk
100ml chicken stock
2 green chillies (slit lengthwise)
Salt to taste
Method:
Marinate the chicken with roasted garlic, hung curd, degi mirch, salt and turmeric powder and keep aside for two hours.
Heat butter in a pan and sauté the onions lightly. Add ginger, garlic, one green chilli, salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, spice powder, pepper powder and mix well. Add 200ml water to the mixture and stir well. Put in the coconut milk and chicken stock. Cover and simmer on low heat till the gravy thickens. Roast the marinated chicken in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for a maximum of twenty minutes. Serve the chicken with hot curry on the side and Indian (caraway) bread.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Chef spices up healthy eating
This is a very great story about the chef Moynul Hussain, makes me inspired and want to cook curry like right now!
A CHEF is hoping to tantalise the taste buds of South Tyneside's takeaway fans with his version of favourite Indian dishes.
Traditionally, curry is not regarded as the healthiest of foods.
But that could all be about to change if Moynul Hussain has anything to do with it.
The 37-year-old has launched a healthy curry drive with the opening of his new takeaway in Frederick Street, South Shields.
The key to his new venture is that all his dishes will be cooked in a health-friendly way, by using less oil and leaving out ghee – a traditional ingredient often used in Indian cooking which is high in calories. Mr Hussain, who has worked as a chef for 15 years in South Shields said: "People shouldn't have to compromise on taste to eat more healthily."
Mr Hussain moved to South Shields from Bangladesh 27 years ago.
He has trained as a health worker with the Community Voluntary Sector (CVS) and has run a number of healthy eating courses in Hebburn.
Mr Hussain has recently visited Bedewell Primary School, where he taught youngsters how to cook authentic Indian food.
He took over the shop, formerly Naz's, last month.
"With my background in cooking and the knowledge I have gained as a health worker about nutrition, I felt opening up a healthy curry shop was my way of putting something back into the community.
"I just hope people will give my curries a try and, if they like them, keep coming back."
As well as serving up Indian dishes, Mr Hussain says he is also able to give advice to people with special dietary requirements on what curry is best for them, as well as cater for parties.
Sandra Minchell, from Hedworth, who has taken part in Mr Hussain's cooking courses and has followed his tips on creating healthy dishes, said: "My husband and I attended one of his cooking courses and he hardly used any oil in his cooking. All his dishes are really healthy.
"My husband and I lost weight eating his curries alongside us exercising.
"I think it's brilliant that he has opened up his own business – I'm really pleased for him."
Moynul's Healthy Spice is open Monday to Sunday, 5.30pm – 11.30pm and can be contacted on 456 5588.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
A CHEF is hoping to tantalise the taste buds of South Tyneside's takeaway fans with his version of favourite Indian dishes.
Traditionally, curry is not regarded as the healthiest of foods.
But that could all be about to change if Moynul Hussain has anything to do with it.
The 37-year-old has launched a healthy curry drive with the opening of his new takeaway in Frederick Street, South Shields.
The key to his new venture is that all his dishes will be cooked in a health-friendly way, by using less oil and leaving out ghee – a traditional ingredient often used in Indian cooking which is high in calories. Mr Hussain, who has worked as a chef for 15 years in South Shields said: "People shouldn't have to compromise on taste to eat more healthily."
Mr Hussain moved to South Shields from Bangladesh 27 years ago.
He has trained as a health worker with the Community Voluntary Sector (CVS) and has run a number of healthy eating courses in Hebburn.
Mr Hussain has recently visited Bedewell Primary School, where he taught youngsters how to cook authentic Indian food.
He took over the shop, formerly Naz's, last month.
"With my background in cooking and the knowledge I have gained as a health worker about nutrition, I felt opening up a healthy curry shop was my way of putting something back into the community.
"I just hope people will give my curries a try and, if they like them, keep coming back."
As well as serving up Indian dishes, Mr Hussain says he is also able to give advice to people with special dietary requirements on what curry is best for them, as well as cater for parties.
Sandra Minchell, from Hedworth, who has taken part in Mr Hussain's cooking courses and has followed his tips on creating healthy dishes, said: "My husband and I attended one of his cooking courses and he hardly used any oil in his cooking. All his dishes are really healthy.
"My husband and I lost weight eating his curries alongside us exercising.
"I think it's brilliant that he has opened up his own business – I'm really pleased for him."
Moynul's Healthy Spice is open Monday to Sunday, 5.30pm – 11.30pm and can be contacted on 456 5588.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Looking forward to Curry channa and aloo with buss-up-shot
A very interesting curry recipe to look forward to. This is worth a try! Read the surprise below.
Divali will be celebrated on Friday and already roti shops have been flooded with requests for paratha roti and channa. It is a time when these dishes are very much in demand. Cooking channa and potatoes is quite easy though it takes a little time to prepare. Making roti on the other hand is quite a task. Preparing these dishes at home can save you money and you can end up with enough food for three for four meals during a three-day period.
Channa also called chickpeas or garbanzo beans are extremely low in fat and are a great source of protein. They also provide an excellent source of molybdenum, a trace mineral that is needed for the body's mechanism to detoxify sulfites. Sulfites are a preservative commonly found in wine, luncheon meats, dried fruits and dried potato products.
As a good source of fibre, channa can help lower cholesterol and improve blood sugar levels. This makes them a great food especially for diabetics and insulin-resistant individuals. Like other beans, it is rich in both soluble and insoluble dietary fibre.
When served with high quality grains, channa is an extremely-low-fat, complete protein food. Channa is also a good source of folic acid, manganese, and minerals such as iron, copper, zinc, and magnesium.
Ground channa makes many tasty dishes like hummus, falafels (Middle Eastern) and curried chole (Indian). Here are two recipes for channa dishes and paratha or buss up shot.
Curry Channa and Aloo
1/2 lb dried channa or
1 tin of channa (garbanzo bean)
4 potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 pimento peppers, finely chopped
2 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp geera
1/2 tsp masala
1/2 tsp salt or salt to taste
3-4 leaves chadon beni, chopped finely
If dried channa is used, pressure cook in salted water (1 tsp salt) until tender. Drain and set aside. Don’t throw away the water. Wash and peel and chop the potatoes. Heat oil and add onion and garlic.
Add the curry and cook until almost dry. Add potato and green seasoning. Stir until coated with curry. Add channa and mix.
Then add the pimento and chadon beni. Add the “channa water”, just enough to almost cover the channa and aloo.(about 2 cups).
Cook until potatoes are tender and mixture is thick. Season with salt, geera, masala. Add pepper to taste.
Pindi (Rawalpindi)
Chole (Channa)
2 cup dried channa (white chickpeas)
2 heaping teaspoons of black tea, coarsely powdered
2 badi/moti/kala elaichi (available in TT)
5 cloves, ground
3 small sticks of cinnamon
3 tsp ghee and/or peanut oil
4 green chilles
1/2 inch of fresh ginger
1 tbsp whole cumin
1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, ground
1 tsp amchar
1 1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
salt to taste
1-2 tsp garam masala
Coriander leaves
Sliced onions
Soak the channa for 24 hours; drain, rinse once and drain again; place these, along with the tea, kala elaichi, cloves, cinnamon, and water to cover 1-2 inches in a pressure-cooker; cook for 12 minutes at 15 PSI; remove from heat and allow to cool and pressure to fall (or cook in a large saucepan until tender). Drain, reserving liquid. Remove and discard kala elaichi and cinnamon.
Meanwhile: halve the chilles, de-seed, then quarter lengthwise; cut across into 1/8 inch strips. Peel the ginger, then slice into thin rounds; stack the rounds and cut into fine shreds.
Dry-roast, separately, the cumin and coriander seeds; grind and combine with the other dried spices, reserving the garam masala alone in another bowl.
Heat the oil to smoking, then add green chiles and ginger; stir once and add the ground spices; stir once again and add the reserved liquid from channa; keep at a slow boil, stirring frequently as it reduces and lowering heat as you go, until thick enough to coat the stirring-spoon.
Add the drained channa and salt to taste; stir carefully over gentle heat until fully-hot. Remove from heat and stir in the garam masala.
Serve topped with sliced raw onions and coriander leaves.
Paratha Roti (Buss-up shot)
4 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 oz margarine, butter or ghee
1 3/4 cups water
Knead flour with baking powder and salt in a large bowl for mixing. Leave for about 1/2 hour, covered with a damp cloth. Divide dough into 4 balls.
Spread liberally, margarine/butter/ghee over dough and sprinkle w/ flour. Cut dough from the centre to edge.
Roll dough tightly into a cone shape, then press peak of cone into centre and flatten. Sprinkle flour on kneading area and roll out till very thin.
Place it on a moderately hot tawah (large skillet if you don't have one), coating dough on both sides with oil as it cooks.
Turn on both sides and cook about 1 1/2 minutes on each side Remove from tawah and hit with wooden palette until flaky.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Divali will be celebrated on Friday and already roti shops have been flooded with requests for paratha roti and channa. It is a time when these dishes are very much in demand. Cooking channa and potatoes is quite easy though it takes a little time to prepare. Making roti on the other hand is quite a task. Preparing these dishes at home can save you money and you can end up with enough food for three for four meals during a three-day period.
Channa also called chickpeas or garbanzo beans are extremely low in fat and are a great source of protein. They also provide an excellent source of molybdenum, a trace mineral that is needed for the body's mechanism to detoxify sulfites. Sulfites are a preservative commonly found in wine, luncheon meats, dried fruits and dried potato products.
As a good source of fibre, channa can help lower cholesterol and improve blood sugar levels. This makes them a great food especially for diabetics and insulin-resistant individuals. Like other beans, it is rich in both soluble and insoluble dietary fibre.
When served with high quality grains, channa is an extremely-low-fat, complete protein food. Channa is also a good source of folic acid, manganese, and minerals such as iron, copper, zinc, and magnesium.
Ground channa makes many tasty dishes like hummus, falafels (Middle Eastern) and curried chole (Indian). Here are two recipes for channa dishes and paratha or buss up shot.
Curry Channa and Aloo
1/2 lb dried channa or
1 tin of channa (garbanzo bean)
4 potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 pimento peppers, finely chopped
2 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp geera
1/2 tsp masala
1/2 tsp salt or salt to taste
3-4 leaves chadon beni, chopped finely
If dried channa is used, pressure cook in salted water (1 tsp salt) until tender. Drain and set aside. Don’t throw away the water. Wash and peel and chop the potatoes. Heat oil and add onion and garlic.
Add the curry and cook until almost dry. Add potato and green seasoning. Stir until coated with curry. Add channa and mix.
Then add the pimento and chadon beni. Add the “channa water”, just enough to almost cover the channa and aloo.(about 2 cups).
Cook until potatoes are tender and mixture is thick. Season with salt, geera, masala. Add pepper to taste.
Pindi (Rawalpindi)
Chole (Channa)
2 cup dried channa (white chickpeas)
2 heaping teaspoons of black tea, coarsely powdered
2 badi/moti/kala elaichi (available in TT)
5 cloves, ground
3 small sticks of cinnamon
3 tsp ghee and/or peanut oil
4 green chilles
1/2 inch of fresh ginger
1 tbsp whole cumin
1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, ground
1 tsp amchar
1 1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
salt to taste
1-2 tsp garam masala
Coriander leaves
Sliced onions
Soak the channa for 24 hours; drain, rinse once and drain again; place these, along with the tea, kala elaichi, cloves, cinnamon, and water to cover 1-2 inches in a pressure-cooker; cook for 12 minutes at 15 PSI; remove from heat and allow to cool and pressure to fall (or cook in a large saucepan until tender). Drain, reserving liquid. Remove and discard kala elaichi and cinnamon.
Meanwhile: halve the chilles, de-seed, then quarter lengthwise; cut across into 1/8 inch strips. Peel the ginger, then slice into thin rounds; stack the rounds and cut into fine shreds.
Dry-roast, separately, the cumin and coriander seeds; grind and combine with the other dried spices, reserving the garam masala alone in another bowl.
Heat the oil to smoking, then add green chiles and ginger; stir once and add the ground spices; stir once again and add the reserved liquid from channa; keep at a slow boil, stirring frequently as it reduces and lowering heat as you go, until thick enough to coat the stirring-spoon.
Add the drained channa and salt to taste; stir carefully over gentle heat until fully-hot. Remove from heat and stir in the garam masala.
Serve topped with sliced raw onions and coriander leaves.
Paratha Roti (Buss-up shot)
4 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 oz margarine, butter or ghee
1 3/4 cups water
Knead flour with baking powder and salt in a large bowl for mixing. Leave for about 1/2 hour, covered with a damp cloth. Divide dough into 4 balls.
Spread liberally, margarine/butter/ghee over dough and sprinkle w/ flour. Cut dough from the centre to edge.
Roll dough tightly into a cone shape, then press peak of cone into centre and flatten. Sprinkle flour on kneading area and roll out till very thin.
Place it on a moderately hot tawah (large skillet if you don't have one), coating dough on both sides with oil as it cooks.
Turn on both sides and cook about 1 1/2 minutes on each side Remove from tawah and hit with wooden palette until flaky.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
Friday, November 5, 2010
Indian Americans reflect on life in US
I have a feeling that India is busy preparing for Obama’s arrival... Maybe busy preparing the best curry they could offer and the world became so psyched about what’s going to happen that India is becoming a BIG HIT!
As US President Barack Obama prepares to visit India, BBC Radio 4's Americana programme spoke to first and second generation Indian Americans about their perspective on life in the United States.
Nilimma Devi - Choreographer
Nilimma Devi (centre) came to the US as a 25-year-old bride
I was born in pre-partition India, Peshawar to be precise. I came to this country [in the 1960s], a 25-year-old bride, to the Midwest, Madison in Wisconsin.
When I came to this country there was electricity, there was food. Things that were a rare commodity [in India] at that time, they were in such abundance. My first thing was: "I want a dishwasher and a car."
My neighbours were appalled. "This simple girl from India wants a dishwasher?" I didn't think I would have to walk two miles to get sugar and salt. So I wanted those two things. It was 1968-69, so it was all good.
I've always thought I would go back to India and perhaps settle there, retire there [but] there are things I can bring to India and America both. As an artist, I can take something beautiful of America to India, and bring something very endearing of India to the US - a sense of spirituality, music, religion, divinity and how that becomes relevant today.
Then I can bring new ways of looking at life, at culture, from US back to India - the spirit of innovation, the spirit of looking at the world in wonderment - not that other countries don't have it, but its more abundant here, I think, in the US.
That vibrancy comes from the many cultures who come here and bring many angles, many views of looking at life. To be exposed to those, it begins to stimulate you, your own energies, at another level, where you just become richer for it. It doesn't dilute your own essence, it just makes you richer.
Gabriel D'Coasta - Curry chef
Gabriel D'Costa says his daughters love living in America
I [was born] in India, Calcutta. I am a chef for different restaurants in Maryland. We cook the naan and some tandoori items, curry items, goat curry. We neither make it very mild or very spicey. I always try my best to give typical Indian food.
I have my family here, my wife and three daughters. We are now American citizens. In my family my wife doesn't work. She takes care of my children, the food, the studies, any teachers meetings at the middle school and high school, she is there too.
Here I have noticed that parents are not that interested. Husband and wife, both of them are working. I think in America that is lacking.
My daughters they love this country, they don't want to go back to India. They say we are now American, for America, by America. Even I say it too, because I have everything in this country-a good job, a good house, good everything.
Sreeja Nair - IT Professional
I am pretty sure that when someone first looks at me, I might be "a brown person who just happens to work in IT" and then I open my mouth. I think it's pretty accurate to say that I am direct person. I don't mince words... but I am tactful and diplomatic, and that might break a stereotype.
There are definitely parts of me being Indian that put me at an advantage. My parents were definitive about the fact that I would go to college for example. It didn't strike me until I was in grade 12, that there was an option to not go to college. "What do you mean that is an option? What do you mean I can take a year off and travel?"
Having said that, what they put into me was great work ethic, the need to understand material the need to learn, the need for continual improvement. That has definitely put me at an advantage.
The concept of a predetermined career being chosen for you is an Indian concept. The concept of having the freedom to find yourself and be a stronger person for taking the time to know who you are is more of an American concept.
Luckily, as a person in-between both these worlds I've had both the opportunity to be told what was thought to be an advantage to me, while at the same time taking the time to find out who I am, whether I would be happy in that. That, I think, is a hybrid of that of both having an Indian background but growing up in a North American culture.
I think if people looked my parents they would be more likely to know that they are Indian. I think if people looked at me they would either be thoroughly confused or consider me to be a "third culture kid," someone who can understand a variety of cultures and contribute in that way to the rest of the world.
Curry Hotline; Bristol's best delivery service
As US President Barack Obama prepares to visit India, BBC Radio 4's Americana programme spoke to first and second generation Indian Americans about their perspective on life in the United States.
Nilimma Devi - Choreographer
I was born in pre-partition India, Peshawar to be precise. I came to this country [in the 1960s], a 25-year-old bride, to the Midwest, Madison in Wisconsin.
When I came to this country there was electricity, there was food. Things that were a rare commodity [in India] at that time, they were in such abundance. My first thing was: "I want a dishwasher and a car."
My neighbours were appalled. "This simple girl from India wants a dishwasher?" I didn't think I would have to walk two miles to get sugar and salt. So I wanted those two things. It was 1968-69, so it was all good.
I've always thought I would go back to India and perhaps settle there, retire there [but] there are things I can bring to India and America both. As an artist, I can take something beautiful of America to India, and bring something very endearing of India to the US - a sense of spirituality, music, religion, divinity and how that becomes relevant today.
Then I can bring new ways of looking at life, at culture, from US back to India - the spirit of innovation, the spirit of looking at the world in wonderment - not that other countries don't have it, but its more abundant here, I think, in the US.
That vibrancy comes from the many cultures who come here and bring many angles, many views of looking at life. To be exposed to those, it begins to stimulate you, your own energies, at another level, where you just become richer for it. It doesn't dilute your own essence, it just makes you richer.
Gabriel D'Coasta - Curry chef
I [was born] in India, Calcutta. I am a chef for different restaurants in Maryland. We cook the naan and some tandoori items, curry items, goat curry. We neither make it very mild or very spicey. I always try my best to give typical Indian food.
I have my family here, my wife and three daughters. We are now American citizens. In my family my wife doesn't work. She takes care of my children, the food, the studies, any teachers meetings at the middle school and high school, she is there too.
Here I have noticed that parents are not that interested. Husband and wife, both of them are working. I think in America that is lacking.
My daughters they love this country, they don't want to go back to India. They say we are now American, for America, by America. Even I say it too, because I have everything in this country-a good job, a good house, good everything.
Sreeja Nair - IT Professional
I am pretty sure that when someone first looks at me, I might be "a brown person who just happens to work in IT" and then I open my mouth. I think it's pretty accurate to say that I am direct person. I don't mince words... but I am tactful and diplomatic, and that might break a stereotype.
There are definitely parts of me being Indian that put me at an advantage. My parents were definitive about the fact that I would go to college for example. It didn't strike me until I was in grade 12, that there was an option to not go to college. "What do you mean that is an option? What do you mean I can take a year off and travel?"
Having said that, what they put into me was great work ethic, the need to understand material the need to learn, the need for continual improvement. That has definitely put me at an advantage.
The concept of a predetermined career being chosen for you is an Indian concept. The concept of having the freedom to find yourself and be a stronger person for taking the time to know who you are is more of an American concept.
Luckily, as a person in-between both these worlds I've had both the opportunity to be told what was thought to be an advantage to me, while at the same time taking the time to find out who I am, whether I would be happy in that. That, I think, is a hybrid of that of both having an Indian background but growing up in a North American culture.
I think if people looked my parents they would be more likely to know that they are Indian. I think if people looked at me they would either be thoroughly confused or consider me to be a "third culture kid," someone who can understand a variety of cultures and contribute in that way to the rest of the world.
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