Indian Classics - Kerala Mutton Stew with Lemon Rice

Recipe:

Mutton Stew

½ kilo boneless aged mutton
Lime juice to taste
1 tsp turmeric
1 pack coconut cream
1 400 ml tin coconut milk
2 big onions, sliced
3 green chillies (ground)
1½ inch ginger (ground)
5 flakes garlic (ground)
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp aniseed powder
1 tsp ground cloves
4 pods cardamom
2 pieces cassia bark (or cinnamon)
1 sprig curry leaves
2 large potatoes
5 tbsp ghee
1 small stick of unsalted butter

Lemon Rice

225 ml rice
300 ml boiling water
Salt to taste

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2-3 mild dried red chillies
1 inch piece of ginger (minced)
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tsp chana dal (bengal gram)
1 tsp split black gram (urad dal)
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 sprig curry leaves
Unsalted cashew nuts
Salt to taste
Lemon juice to taste

Method

1.Cube the mutton and quickly fry to seal. Put it into a heavy bottomed pan, add turmeric, lime juice and salt and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. An alternative is to put the mutton and the above ingredients into a pressure cooker and cook for three whistles (pressure cooker fans will know what I mean, but for non-cooker using people, that’s for about 8 – 10 minutes) This makes the meat meltingly tender .

2.Fry the onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies in the ghee lightly, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin, aniseed, cloves, cardamom and cassia bark. Splutter the curry leaves in a little oil and add to the mixture. Season to taste.

3.Add the mutton and potatoes to the masala and stir till well coated.

4.Stir in about 200 ml of coconut milk and 100 ml of hot water. Simmer till the mutton is cooked.

5.Take it off the heat and stir in a few tbsps of coconut cream and some chopped fresh coriander. Melt some butter on top and serve with the lemon rice.

6.Make the rice. Put the rice into a heavy bottomed pan and pour over the boiling water. Cover with aluminium foil and a tight fitting lid and simmer for 20 minutes.

7.Meanwhile, heat the oil and splutter the chillies, ginger, mustard seeds, chana dal, black gram and curry leaves. Add the ground turmeric, lemon juice and salt. Stir in the cooked rice very gently.

8.Season to taste, adding more lemon juice if needed.

9.Stir in the cashews.

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Chicken Curry with Cashew Nuts and Mangoes

As mine was the last heat in Masterchef before the great chicken test, all the quarter finalists were asked to send in their chicken recipes so that the team could source the ingredients. This was mine. Sadly, I didn't get to cook it, but its a great dish nevertheless. The cashewnut paste makes this dish a lovely rich one, and the mango adds a really different dimension to it. Its served with a butter naan. I'll make the whole dish one day at home, and then I'll have pics. But until then, do try it out and enjoy.

The mango is not vital to this dish, and it tastes just as good without it. But, if you don't like your curries overly spicy, do use it, it really cuts through the spice. I also use chicken thighs in the recipe, as they are the most succulent, but do feel free to use any part of the chicken that you prefer.

Recipe:

2 + 1 medium onions
Splash of unscented oil
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon mild chilli powder
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 cup Greek style yogurt
1/4 cup cashew nuts (unsalted)
1 tablespoon ghee
1 ripe (not too squishy) mango
4 - 6 chicken thighs (boneless, cut into bite sized pieces)
Hot water or chicken stock, as required
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh cilantro, to garnish

Method:

 Chop 2 onions roughly, and place in a heavy based pan. Add a splash of oil, and fry for a few minutes, until the raw smell disappears.

Place the fried onions, tomato puree, cashew nuts, garlic, chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric and yogurt in a blender, and blend to a fine paste.

Dice the remaining onion, finely. In a karahi or large pan, add the 1 tablespoon ghee and fry the onion until soft and lightly browned, around 5 - 7 minutes.

Add the curry paste from the blender and fry  gently for about 8 - 10 minutes until the fat stars to separate. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Add the chicken to the dish, and simmer for about 15 - 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.

Dice the mango into chunks. When the chicken is cooked, gently stir through the mango, check and adjust seasoning. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.

Serve with naan or rice.

 

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Indian Sweets - Carrot Halwa with Cardamom and Saffron Infused Cream

This is a super rich, super sweet dessert. The cardamom cream (which was my idea) cuts through the sweetness a little bit, so there's no need to add sugar to it. Its a really festive dish and loved all over India. In the MC kitchen I presented it with chopped pistachio nuts and I also added raisins to the halwa. The raisins are optional, so anyone who doesn't like them can leave them out.

The grating of the carrots does take a long time (a food processor with a grater arrangement helps immensely, or get the kids to do it) and this dish generally takes a long time to make. However, it does freeze well, and will keep in the fridge as well. The other option is to roll out little balls of the halwa and roll them in edible silver/ gold leaf. They make a nice gift to someone with a sweet tooth.

The halwa does not need to be made super sweet, taste the milk and carrot mixture after adding some sugar, and keep adding more till it gets to the sweetness you like.

Recipe:

500g grated carrots
1 litre milk
12 green cardamom pods
Unsalted pistachio nuts (shelled)
About 25g raisins (optional)
500g sugar (or to taste)
3 tablespoons ghee
Edible silver leaf (optional)
About 75 ml whipping cream
2 generous pinches of saffron

Method:

Break open 8 cardamom pods and slide out the seeds. In a dry hot pan, toast the seeds for 1 minute until you get a lovely aroma. Crush lightly with a pestle and mortar.

In a shallow open saucepan, heat the ghee gently, add the crushed cardamom seeds and stir.

Add the grated carrots and fry uncovered for 5 min. Reduce the heat, pour in the milk, add the raisins, bring it to the boil, reduce heat again and cook the mixture for an hour or so, stirring once in a while to stop the mixture from sticking.

Add sugar, a little at a time and cook the mixture till it thickens and becomes sticky.

Chop the pistachio nuts coarsely.

Heat the cream with the remaining cardamom pods (split them but don't take out the seeds) and the saffron. Once it boils, take it off the heat and leave aside for as long as you wish to infuse.

Before serving, strain to remove the cardamom, whip very lightly (should be thick, but still pourable) and add a hint of saffron to decorate.

To serve, put some halwa into a small greased ramekin, pressing it down till the halwa is packed in. Overturn the ramekin on the serving plate, scatter over the pistachio nuts, paint with the silver leaf and serve with the cold cream on the side. The halwa can be served warm or cold. I served it warm with cold cream.

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Spicy Fish Cakes (Fofos)

By popular demand :-)

Again, the key to spicing these fish cakes, is to add a little spice at a time and taste. The fish is poached in fish stock, however, I have, on occasion, just poached it in water (infused with 1 bay leaf, 3 peppercorns, salt and a generous handful of lemon thyme). Use small sweet cooked prawns as they really add to the taste.

Recipe:

1 fillet skinless haddock or any white fish. You can also use salmon for a stronger flavour. I use the tails and the cheap pieces of fish, rather than expensive fillets.
50g small pink prawns, cooked. If using bigger prawns, chop them up.
1 egg
1 large potato
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 inch piece of ginger
1 green chilly
4 tbsp cornflour
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground corinader
1 (or to taste) tsp chilly powder [optional, for a spicier taste]
Small bunch fresh coriander
Fish stock
Dried bread crumbs or very coarse semolina
Salt and Pepper to taste
Oil (enough to shallow fry)

Method:

1. Gently poach the fish in the fish stock until it flakes. Do not overcook the fish.

2. Chop the potato into small chunks and boil till done.

3. Chop finely the onion and the green chilly.

4. In a mortar and pestle (or a microplane grater) grind down the garlic and ginger.

5. Chop the fresh coriander finely.

6. In a big bowl, flake in the fish, add the prawns and add to it the boiled potato, onion, chilly, ginger and garlic. Using your fingers mash them all together into a very coarse mix. To this, add the garam masala, ground coriander, ground cumin and chilly powder, if using. Mix. Add the salt and pepper and taste. Add a bit more of the spices, depending on taste. Sprinkle over the cornflour and shape into patties. Add more or less of the cornflour, depending on how wet the mixture is. If the mixture is too dry, moisten with a little fish stock or poaching water. If its too wet, add more cornflour.

7. Beat the egg lightly. Brush a tiny bit of the egg over the patties, and roll them in the breadcrumbs or semolina.

8. Once all the cakes have been made, pop them into the fridge, if you have time. This sets the cakes, and they are less likely to break apart in the pan.

9. In a shallow non-stick pan, heat a little oil. Shallow fry the fish cakes until they are a lovely golden brown. Serve warm with chilli sauce, tomato ketchup or mint chutney.

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Mint Chutney

A simple chutney that goes well with all Indian snacks.

Recipe:

About 2 handfuls of mint leaves (leave them on the stems if you can't be bothered to pick the leaves)
200 ml greek set yoghurt
1 small flake garlic
1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled
1/2 green chilly (optional)
Salt to taste
Lime juice to taste

Method:

Blitz all the ingredients in a powerful blender until smooth. Taste, and add more seasoning according to taste. I like to leave the salt and lime juice till this stage. Add more yoghurt if its too spicy, as it mellows out the taste. You want it slightly spicy, and very slightly tangy, with a lovely fresh mint aroma.

This chutney keeps quite well for a couple of days in the fridge.

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