Lentil and sweet potato curry

Ingredients

• 100ml olive oil
• 2 spanish onions, finely sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground white pepper
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 6 cardamom pods
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 small eggplant, peeled, cut into small cubes and salted for 30 minutes
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 1 litre water
• 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
• 2 handfuls baby spinach
• 1 handful coriander leaves

Method

Heat olive oil in a saucepan and cook seasoned onions, garlic and ginger until soft - about 15 minutes.

Add spices and cook 2 minutes. Wash and drain eggplant, add to onions and cook 5 minutes. Add lentils, sweet potato and water and simmer gently until cooked - about 20 minutes. Add broccoli and simmer 5 minutes. Stir through baby spinach.

Serve with coriander, natural yoghurt and your favourite chutney.

Lentil and pumpkin curry

1 cup puy lentil, washed
6 cups water
2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 cm piece ginger, shredded
1 oinon, finely chopped
2 tbsp medium curry paste
2 cups vegetable stock
500g Qld blue pumpkin, peeled, seeded, cut into 5cm pieces
2 green apples
1/2 bunch mint leaves
1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1. Put lentils in a large heavy based pan. Add water and turmeric, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large heavy based pan over a low heat. Add garlic, ginger, oinon and tomato. Stir to combine and cook for 4-5 mins. Add curry paste, stir to combine and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add vegetable stock, stir to combine, bring slowly to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add lentils and pumpkin, and cook for 35 mins or until pumpkin and lentils are tender.
4. Cut apples into paper thin slices and put in a bowl. Add mint and vinegar, and toss to combine. Serve curry with apple and mint salad.

Dry potato curry

Ingredients

1 lb potato; red skins
1 salt to taste
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 onion; finely sliced
2 garlic cloves
1 (1 inch) piece gingerroot; fresh grated
1 green chile; seeded, chopped
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon red (cayenne) pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup green pepper; strips to garnish if des



Directions: How to Cook Dry Potato Curry

Cut Potatoes into 3/4 inch chunks. Cook potatoes in boiling salted water 6 to 8 minutes, until just tender. Drain and set aside. Heat oil in a large saucepan, add mustard seeds and onions. Cook 5 minutes until onions are soft, but not brown. Stir in garlic and gingerroot; cook 1 minute more. Add cooked potatoes, chile, turmeric, cayenne and cumin. Stir well. Cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are very tender and coated with spices. Serve hot, garnished with bell pepper strips.

Mussaman curry

INGREDIENTS

1.5kg diced lamb
2x400ml cans coconut milk
1 ½ (375ml) cups chicken stock
2cm cassia bark or cinnamon
2 star anise
8 dried long red chillies, deseeded
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground white peppercorns
½ teaspoon ground cloves
4 eschalots, chopped
5 small garlic cloves, chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, chopped
2cm galangal, chopped
1 teaspoon tamarind pulp
2 tablespoons warm water
¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil
palm sugar, to taste (approx 2 tablespoons)
fish sauce (approx 1 tablespoon)
2 large potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
2 green onions, sliced thinly

METHOD

Place lamb, coconut milk, stock, cassia bark and star anise in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, about 1½ hours or until lamb is tender.

Meanwhile, place chillies in small heatproof jug, cover with boiling water; stand 15 minutes, drain, chop finely.

Toast the shrimp paste by wrapping in a small amount of foil and dry-frying foil parcel in a hot wok, tossing occasionally for about 2 minutes (or waving over a naked flame for 30 seconds using tongs to hold the parcel); cool.

Dry roast ground spices in a dry wok until fragrant; remove to a plate and set aside. Add eschalots, garlic, lemongrass and galangal to the same wok and toast over high heat; tossing often until lightly browned and fragrant.

Transfer fragrant vegetables and toasted spices, chillies and shrimp paste to a mortar and pestle or small blender. Pound or process until a smooth paste forms; set aside until ready to finish curry.

Combine tamarind pulp and water in a small bowl stirring well. Strain through a small sieve - the brown liquid is tamarind water.

Heat vegetable oil in wok. Add curry paste and cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add lamb and its poaching liquid, 2 teaspoons of the tamarind water, sugar, fish sauce and potatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes or until potatoes are just tender.

Sprinkle with peanuts and green onions, serve with rice.

Bengali Fish Curry

Ingredients:

2 tblsp lemon juice2 tbsps.
mustard oil for frying
salt to taste
8 fish fillets8
1 tblsp red chilli powder
4 red chillies whole
salt to taste
1 tsp mustard paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
4 green chillies slit
2 tblsp coriander powder
1 tblsp garlic paste
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 bay leaf
2 cup onions chopped
1 tblsp ginger paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp onion seeds (kalonji)

How to make bengali fish curry :

• Clean and cut fish fillet, wash well, remove excess water and then marinate with limejuice, turmeric powder and salt.
• Keep aside for 30 minutes.
• Heat up a pan, mix in 1 tblsp oil, shallow fry marinated fish from both sides until slightly browned.
• Take off and keep aside.
• Heat up remaining oil, mix in mustard seeds, kalonji, whole dry red chillies and bay leaf, stir fry for a few minutes till seeds crackles, mix in ginger, garlic paste and stir fry again for a moment.
• Mix in cut onion and stir fry until slightly brown in colour.
• Mix in mustard paste, red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder, stir fry masala nicely until oil starts separating.
• Adjust water and salt, bring to boil and then mix in shallow fried fish, put green chilli slits on top.
• Stir fry on a slow flame until fish get cooked and oil starts floating on top of gravy.
• Take off and decorate with cut green coriander leaves.

Dhal

Preparation Time

10 minutes

Cooking Time

20 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 cup (300g) red lentils, rinsed well
• 3cm fresh ginger, sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tbs (40g) butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garam marsala
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 1/2-1 tsp salt
• 1 tbs chopped coriander leaves
• Naan bread or pappadums, to serve

Method

1. Place lentils, ginger, bay leaves and cinnamon in a large saucepan with 3 cups of cold water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring to prevent sticking for 10-12 minutes. Discard spices and set aside.

2. Heat the butter in a large frying pan over a medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, turmeric, cumin, garam marsala and chilli flakes and cook for a further minute or until fragrant. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt.

3. Add the lentils to the pan and mix well. Cook for a further 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Stir in coriander and serve hot with naan bread or pappadums.

Vegetable Korma

Ingredients:

• 100 gm Green peas • 50 gm Beans • 1 Small cauliflower • 1 Potato • 1 Big carrot • 1/2 tsp Aniseed • 1 Big onion • Garlic as required, slit into long pieces • Fresh coconut milk as required • 2 Green chillies, slit into long pieces • 1 Inch ginger, slit into long pieces • 1/2 tsp Chilly powder • 1-1/2 tsp Coriander powder • 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder • A pinch garam masala • Salt as required • Coriander leaves for garnishing • 1 tbsp Oil

How to make Vegetable Korma:

• Wash and cut the vegetables. • Cook green peas, carrot, beans and potato along with the salt and water until it is almost done. • Steam the cauliflower separately for about 5 minutes. • Heat oil in a pan and add aniseeds, garlic, ginger and green chillies to it. • When it is done, combine onions with it and sauté until golden brown. • Combine all the powders with it and sauté for a while. • Add a little salt and all the cooked vegetables to it. • Pour coconut milk and when the bubbles start coming, remove it from the heat. • Sprinkle garam masala powder. • Garnish Veg Korma with coriander leaves and serve.

Vegetable and tofu curry

1 large oinon, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 long red chilli, seeded
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 cup peanut oil
2 large vine ripened tomatoes, chopped
1 cup vegetable stock
375ml coconut flavoured evaporated milk
500g sweet potato
200g green beans, trimmed
375g tofu, cubed

1. In a food processor, place oinon, garlic, chilli, cumin, garam masala, coriander, turmeric and 2 tblsp of peanut oil and process until mixture forms a paste. Heat remaining oil in a large heavy based pan over a medium heat. Add paste and cook, stirring for 1 min until fragrant.
2. Add tomatoes and stock and stir until combined. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 mins until reduced slightly. Add coconut milk and sweet potato and cook for a further 10 min until sweet potato is tender. Do not boil or milk will seperate.
3. Stir in beans and tofu and stir gently. Cook for 5 mins until beans are cooked. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Dry Potato Curry

Ingredients

1 lb potato; red skins
1 salt to taste
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 onion; finely sliced
2 garlic cloves
1 (1 inch) piece gingerroot; fresh grated
1 green chile; seeded, chopped
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon red (cayenne) pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup green pepper; strips to garnish if des



Directions: How to Cook Dry Potato Curry

Cut Potatoes into 3/4 inch chunks. Cook potatoes in boiling salted water 6 to 8 minutes, until just tender. Drain and set aside. Heat oil in a large saucepan, add mustard seeds and onions. Cook 5 minutes until onions are soft, but not brown. Stir in garlic and gingerroot; cook 1 minute more. Add cooked potatoes, chile, turmeric, cayenne and cumin. Stir well. Cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are very tender and coated with spices. Serve hot, garnished with bell pepper strips.