recipes

Green Beans with Fresh Coconut and Sesame Seeds

Green Beans with Fresh Coconut and Sesame Seeds

This is a very refreshing dish of green beans, quick and easy to make.
Portions:4
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Ingredients

  • 50 g 2oz freshly grated coconut (about 8 tablespoons)
  • 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh green coriander or parsley
  • generous pinch of crushed asafoetida optional
  • 1 fresh hot green chilli finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon salt
  • 450 g 1lb fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2.5cm (1in) lengths
  • 6 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon whole black mustard seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional

Instructions

  • Step One Combine the coconut, coriander, asafoetida, green chilli and ¼ teaspoon salt in a bowl. Rub the mixture well with your hands. Set aside.
  • Step Two Add 1 tablespoon salt to 2 litres (3½ pints) water and bring to the boil in a large pot. Add the cut beans. Boil rapidly for 3 to 4 minutes or until beans are tender, but still bright green and crisp. Drain in a colander and refresh by moving the colander under cold running water. Set aside.
  • Step Three Heat the ghee or oil in a 25–30cm (10–12in) wide sauté pan or heavy pot over a medium heat. When hot, put in the sesame and mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the cayenne pepper. Stir once and add the beans. Sauté the beans over medium–low heat for 1–2 minutes or until they are heated through and well coated with the seeds. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and stir. Now add the coconut–coriander mixture, stir once and remove from the heat. Serve immediately.
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Course Side Dish / Vegetables
Cuisine India
Diets Vegetarian

Aubergine Cooked with Crushed Mustard Seeds and Yoghurt

Aubergine Cooked with Crushed Mustard Seeds and Yoghurt

This quick-cooking dish from eastern India uses three ingredients that are very typical of Bengali cooking – mustard oil, panchphoran and crushed black mustard seeds.
Portions:4
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Ingredients

  • 450 –675g 1–1½lb aubergine
  • 1½ tablespoon whole black mustard seeds
  • teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 7 tablespoons mustard oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon panchphoran
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 250 ml 8fl oz natural yoghurt
  • teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground cardamom seeds

Instructions

  • Step One Discard the stem end of the aubergine and dice the aubergine into 2.5cm (1in) cubes.
  • Step Two Grind the mustard seeds lightly in a coffee grinder and then empty into a bowl. Add the cayenne and 250ml (8fl oz) water. Mix and set aside.
  • Step Three Heat the oil in a 30cm (12in) frying or sauté pan over a medium–high heat. When hot, put in the panchphoran. Stir the spices once. Immediately add the mustard seed mixture, the cubed aubergine and 1 teaspoon salt. Keep stirring and cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add another 250ml (8fl oz) of water, cover, and turn the heat to low. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes or until the aubergine pieces are quite tender. Remove the cover and turn up the heat to boil off about half the liquid.
  • Step Four Just before serving, beat the yoghurt and ½ teaspoon salt with a fork until it becomes a smooth paste and pour over the aubergine. Heat through, but do not bring to the boil. Sprinkle black pepper and ground cardamom over the aubergine, stir and serve at once.

Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:

Panchphoran is a Bengali spice mixture consisting of fennel seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and kalongi (nigella seeds) mixed in equal proportion.
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Course Main Dish / Vegetables
Cuisine India
Diets Vegetarian

Pork in a Mustard Spice Mix

The flavour in this curry sauce comes from both the ground mustard in the spice mix and the whole mustard seeds that have been popped in hot oil. I love to serve this with dark, leafy greens and rice.

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Ingredients

for the mustard spice mix

  • 2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon whole fenugreek seeds
  • 1 teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 2 whole dried, hot red chillies
  • 5 whole cloves

for the pork

  • 550 g 1¼lb boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2½cm (1in) cubes
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger peeled and finely grated
  • 6 garlic cloves peeled and crushed to a pulp
  • 1¼ teaspoons salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 3 tablespoons corn oil or peanut oil
  • ½ teaspoon whole mustard seeds
  • 15 –20 fresh curry leaves if available
  • 255 g 8oz tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped

Instructions

  • Step One First make the mustard spice mix. Put all the spices in a medium, cast-iron frying pan and set over medium heat. Stir and fry until the spices are just a shade darker and emit a roasted aroma. Empty the spices into a bowl or on to kitchen paper and allow to cool. Then put them into a clean coffee grinder or other spice grinder and grind as finely as possible. These quantities make more than you need for this recipe but you can store the spice mix in a tightly lidded jar, away from sunlight and moisture, for use in other recipes.
  • Step Two Rub the pork cubes well with the ginger, garlic, salt and turmeric. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours if desired, refrigerating if necessary.
  • Step Three Pour the oil into a large, preferably non-stick, lidded pan and set over a medium–high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the whole mustard seeds. As soon as they pop, which will be in a matter of seconds, add the curry leaves and, a second later, the pork, together with its marinade. Stir for a minute. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and let the meat cook for the next 5 minutes, stirring now and then and replacing the cover each time. The meat should brown lightly. Add 5 teaspoons of the mustard spice mix and stir for a minute. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes turn pulpy, about 2 minutes. Now add 250ml (8fl oz) water, stir, and bring to the boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and cook very gently, lifting the lid occasionally to stir the contents, for 50–60 minutes or until the meat is tender. Check for salt before serving.
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Course Meat / Pork
Cuisine India

Pork Chops à la Jaffrey

Pork Chops à la Jaffrey

I apologise for this name. The dish is really my very own concoction and unlikely to be served in any Indian home other than mine. Indians almost never use celery in their cooking. Nor do they often use soy sauce, though I must say that in the major cities the influence of an overcooked version of Chinese cuisine is certainly making itself felt. This recipe acknowledges its debt to that cuisine, but tastes, in the last analysis, rather Indian.
Portions:2
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Ingredients

  • 4 pork chops loin or rib
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 hot dried red pepper optional
  • 8 whole cloves
  • 1 large stick celery diced
  • 1 medium-sized onion coarsely chopped
  • 1 piece fresh ginger 2.5cm (1in) long and 1cm (½in) wide, sliced into 3 rounds
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled
  • teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • teaspoon ground mace
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1½ teaspoons sugar
  • ½ lemon

Instructions

  • Step One Try to get pork chops that are evenly cut, so that they may brown evenly. Pat the chops dry and trim all but 0.5cm (¼in) of the fat. Place them in a large frying pan and turn heat on high. The chops should brown in their own fat. When they are a golden colour on both sides (press down areas that refuse to touch the frying pan), remove them from the frying pan and place in a bowl or on a plate. Turn off the heat and pour off only the accumulated fat in the frying pan.
  • Step Two Heat the vegetable oil along with the coagulated juices in the same frying pan over a medium heat, and put in the bay leaves, red pepper and cloves. Stir. When the bay leaves change colour (this should take a few seconds) add the celery, onion, ginger and garlic. Stirring, fry over medium flame for 4–5 minutes or until everything is slightly browned. Add the browned pork chops, cinnamon, mace, soy sauce, sugar and 50ml (2fl oz) water. Cut the lemon into 4 round slices (skin and all – remove any pips, though) and place over the chops. Bring to the boil. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer gently 50 minutes to 1 hour or until tender. Turn and mix gently every 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Step Three To serve, place the contents of the frying pan on a platter and serve with Plain Basmati Rice and a green salad. A natural yoghurt type of relish would be a good side dish. If you like, you can remove the pieces of ginger and garlic before you serve.
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Course Meat / Pork
Cuisine India

Pork or Lamb ‘Vindaloo’

Pork or Lamb ‘Vindaloo’

The main ingredients for this Portuguese-inspired Indian dish are wine vinegar and garlic. Additions of mustard seeds, cumin, turmeric and chillies make it specifically colonial Goan. Most recipes for vindaloo involve grinding mustard seeds in vinegar. To save this step, I have used grainy French Pommery mustard (Moutarde de Meaux) which already contains vinegar. It works beautifully. This dish may be made in the pressure cooker or in a frying pan. Vindaloos are hot. Goans would use 4 teaspoons of chilli powder here. Under my husband’s ‘spare-me’ gaze, I have used half a teaspoon to make a mild dish. It is up to you.
Portions:4
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Ingredients

  • 1½ tablespoons grainy French mustard see above
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ½ –1 teaspoon chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • 100 g 4oz onions, peeled
  • 6 large garlic cloves peeled
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 550 g 1¼lb boned hand of pork or shoulder of lamb, cut into 2.5cm (1in) cubes
  • 150 ml 5fl oz tinned coconut milk, well stirred

Instructions

  • Step One Combine the mustard, cumin, turmeric, chilli powder, salt and vinegar in a cup. Mix well.
  • Step Two Slice the onions into fine half-rings and crush the garlic to a pulp. Put the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan and set over medium–high heat. When hot, add the onions. Stir and fry until they are medium brown. Add the garlic. Stir and fry for 30 seconds. Add the paste from the cup. Stir and fry for a minute, then add the meat. Stir and fry for about 3 minutes.
  • Step Three Now add in the coconut milk and 150ml (5fl oz) water if you are going to cook in a pressure cooker and 250ml (8fl oz) water if you are going to continue to cook in the frying pan. (Transfer to a pressure cooker at this stage if that is your intention.) Cover and either bring up to pressure, or to a boil if you are using the frying pan. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes in a pressure cooker and 60–70 minutes in the frying pan.
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Course Lamb / Meat / Pork
Cuisine India

Hyderabadi Lamb with Tomatoes

Hyderabadi Lamb with Tomatoes

A light, simple dish that may be eaten with Indian breads or rice, but is also wonderful with all kinds of pasta, Asian or Italian.
Portions:4
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Ingredients

  • 560 g 1lb boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2½cm (1in) cubes
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger peeled and finely grated
  • 6 garlic cloves peeled and crushed to a pulp
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1¼ teaspoons salt
  • 3 tablespoons corn or peanut oil
  • 210 g 7½oz onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 450 g 1lb fresh tomatoes, peeled, finely chopped and crushed
  • 3 –6 fresh hot green chillies, chopped
  • 10 –15 fresh curry leaves if available (use fresh basil leaves as an interesting substitute)
  • 2 –3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

Instructions

  • Step One Put the meat in a bowl. Add the ginger, garlic, cumin, turmeric and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Mix well and set aside for 30 minutes. Pour the oil into a wide, non-stick, lidded pan and set over a medium–high heat. When hot, stir in the onions and fry them until the pieces turn brown at the edges.
  • Step Two Add the meat, together with its marinade. Stir and fry for 1 minute. Cover, reduce the heat to medium–low, and cook for 8–10 minutes, removing the lid now and then to stir the contents until the meat is lightly browned. Stir in the tomatoes, the remaining salt, the chillies, curry leaves and coriander, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to very low, and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for about 50 minutes or until the meat is tender.
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Course Lamb / Main Dish / Meat
Cuisine India

Lamb or Beef with Spinach

Lamb or Beef with Spinach

This is the classic dish, prepared in almost every north Indian home and loved by all. To make it quickly, a pressure cooker is essential. If you use a regular saucepan it will take about 1 hour for the lamb to cook and 1½ hours for beef. You will need to increase the amount of water to 600ml (1 pint).
Portions:4
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Ingredients

  • 275 g frozen, chopped spinach
  • 275 g onions, peeled
  • 5 cm 2in piece fresh ginger, peeled
  • 6 garlic cloves peeled
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 10 cardamom pods
  • 8 cloves
  • 2 x 5cm cinnamon sticks
  • 675 g stewing beef or boned shoulder of lamb, cut into 4cm (1½in) pieces
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala

Instructions

  • Drop the spinach into boiling water according to the instructions on the packet and boil just until it is defrosted. Drain and squeeze out most of the water.
  • Coarsely chop the onions and ginger and put into the container of a food processor. Add the garlic and ‘pulse’, starting and stopping with great rapidity, until finely chopped.
  • Put the oil in a pressure cooker and set over high heat. When hot, put in the bay leaves, cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon sticks. Stir once or twice and put in the finely chopped seasonings from the food processor. Stir and cook over high heat for 5 minutes. Add the beef or lamb, the spinach, 450ml (15fl oz) water, salt, coriander, cumin and chilli powder. Stir. Cover, securing the pressure-cooker lid, and bring up to full pressure. The beef will take 20 minutes, the lamb 15 minutes.
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Course Beef / Lamb / Meat
Cuisine India

Lamb with Cardamom

Lamb with Cardamom

Many versions of this dish exist among the Sindhi community of India. Here the green cardamom pods are ground whole, skin and all. This recipe comes from Draupadiji, a veritable treasure house of Sindhi specialities. The mild, aromatic dish – it has no red chillies – is very much like a stew; gentle and soothing. It should have quite a bit of sauce. Sindhis often eat it with bread, so serving it with a good, crusty loaf would be downright ‘authentic’. You may serve a salad or a selection of Indian vegetables on the side. You do not, of course, have to use a pressure cooker here. If you use an ordinary saucepan, put in 600ml (1 pint) water and cook for 1 hour or a bit longer.
Portions:6
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons cardamom pods the green kind sold by Indian grocers are best
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 900 g boned shoulder of lamb, cut into 2.5cm (1in) cubes
  • 2 large tomatoes chopped
  • 4 tablespoons finely chopped onions red onions or shallots are ideal, but any will do
  • 1½ teaspoons garam masala
  • 1 tablespoon tomato purée
  • 1½ teaspoons salt or to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Put the cardamom pods into the container of a clean coffee grinder or other spice grinder and grind until you have a fine powder.
  • Put the oil in a pressure cooker and set over a medium–high heat. When hot, put in the cardamom powder. Stir once and put in all the meat. Stir over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and onions, stirring for another 3 minutes. Now put in the garam masala, tomato purée, salt and 450ml (15fl oz) water. Cover tightly and bring up to pressure. Turn the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Reduce the pressure quickly with cool water and uncover.
  • Reheat the meat over high heat. Grind in a very generous amount of black pepper and cook, stirring gently, for a minute. Check the salt.
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Course Lamb / Main Dish / Meat
Cuisine India

Lamb Stewed in Coconut Milk

Lamb Stewed in Coconut Milk

This is a meal in itself: a kind of Indian Lancashire hotpot that requires only rice – or a good crusty bread – on the side. I always serve something green as well. The cooking time in a saucepan would be about 70 minutes and you would need to add 150ml (5fl oz) water before starting to cook.
Portions:4
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Ingredients

  • vegetable oil
  • 12 fresh curry leaves if available, or 3 bay leaves
  • 5 cm 2in cinnamon stick
  • 6 cardamom pods
  • 8 cloves
  • 15 black peppercorns
  • 75 g 3oz onions, peeled and chopped
  • 675 g 1½lb boned shoulder of lamb, cut into 4cm (1½in) chunks
  • 450 g 1lb potatoes, peeled and cut into 4cm (1½in) chunks
  • 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into 3 pieces each
  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon chilli powder
  • 1 –2 fresh hot green chillies
  • 1¼ teaspoons salt
  • 1 x 400g 14oz tin coconut milk

Instructions

  • Put 3 tablespoons oil in a pressure cooker and set over medium–high heat. When hot, put in the curry leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves and peppercorns. Stir once and add the onions. Sauté for 1½ minutes or until the onions are soft. Add the meat, potatoes, carrots, turmeric, coriander, chilli powder, green chillies, salt and 250ml (8fl oz) of the well-stirred coconut milk. Cover securely with the lid and, on high heat, bring up to full pressure. Turn the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Lower the pressure with the help of cool water and remove the lid.
  • Cook, uncovered, over high heat for 5 minutes, stirring gently as you do this. Add the remaining coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat.
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Course Lamb / Main Dish / Meat
Cuisine India

Minced Lamb with Tomatoes and Peas

Minced Lamb with Tomatoes and Peas

Here I have used a quick method to chop the onion, garlic and ginger finely. I put them into a food processor and used the ‘pulse’ method rapidly starting and stopping the machine until I have the result I want.
Portions:4
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Ingredients

  • 115 g onions peeled
  • 5 cm 2in piece fresh ginger, peeled
  • 5 –6 large garlic cloves peeled
  • vegetable oil
  • ½ teaspoon chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 200 g 7oz tomatoes, chopped
  • 4 tablespoons natural yoghurt
  • 550 g 1¼lb minced lamb
  • 1¼ teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 fresh hot green chilli chopped
  • 6 tablespoons coarsely chopped green coriander
  • 150 g 5oz peas, fresh or frozen

Instructions

  • Coarsely chop the onions, ginger and garlic, then put them into the container of a food processor and chop finely.
  • Put 4 tablespoons oil in a wide, non-stick pan and set over a medium–high heat, When hot, put in the finely chopped mixture from the food processor. Stir and fry until it is somewhat brown. Add the chilli powder, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and turmeric. Stir once or twice. Now add the tomatoes and natural yoghurt. Stir on high heat until the tomatoes are soft. Add the meat, salt and garam masala. Stir, breaking up any lumps, for 2 minutes. Add 250ml (8fl oz) water. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes.
  • Add the lemon juice, green chilli, green coriander and peas. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.
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Course Lamb / Main Dish / Meat
Cuisine India