• 1 kg skinless and boneless chicken breasts diced to 1 inch pieces
• 3 large bunches fresh English spinach
• 3 tbsps vegetable or Canola cooking oil
• 5 peppercorns
• 4 cloves
• 4 pods cardamom
• 3 Bay leaves
• 300 ml puree of sauteed onions
• 2 tbsps fresh garlic paste
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger paste
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp nutmeg powder
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• Salt to taste
• A dollop of butter
• sprigs of fresh corriander for garnish

Preparation

1. Trim and Wash the spinach well, then wilt it in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
2. Blend the spinach (coarsly) in a food processor. Keep aside.
3. Heat the oil in a pan on a medium flame and fry the chicken pieces till well browned.
   Remove and keep aside.
4. Again heat the same oil, then add the whole spices.
5. As the spices turn slightly darker, add the onion puree & fry till pale golden.
6. hen add ginger and garlic pastes and fry for 2 mins.
7. Add these powdered spices next: - coriander, cumin and garam masala & turmeric - fry for 2 mins.
8. Add the tomatoe puree and fry till the oil begins to separate from the masala.
9. Add the chicken to this masala, mix well and add half a cup of hot chicken stock.
10. Cook till the chicken is almost done.
11. Add the spinach now and mix well. Cook another few minutes.
12. Now sprinkle with nutmeg powder and mix it in to finish off.
13. Remove from the fire and garnish with a dollop of fresh butter and a sprig of corriander.
14. Serve hot with steamed basmati rice or flat Indian bread like naan or chapatti.

Prawn Madras: (serves 5/6)

• 1kg fresh green prawn cutlets (26/30 size)
• 1 Cup/300ml Prawn or fish Stock
• 1 Small white onion finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger paste
• 1 tbsp fresh garlic paste
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tsp cumin Powder
• 1 tsp coriander Powder
• 2 Tsp Chilli Powder (medium hot)
• 2 Tsp Garam Masala Powder
• 1 Tsp whole Sizzling Seeds(mustard, cumin, fennel)
• 1 sprig fresh curry leaves
• few (4/6) dry whole red chillies
• 1 Tin crushed Tomatoes (450 grammes)
• 1 cup thick coconut milk (made from coconut milk Powder)
• 300ml Puree of sauteed Onion
• 1/4th cup tamrind pulp
• salt to taste
• 4 tbsp oil
• Roughly chopped fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a thick base pan and add the crackling seeds, and let then crackle and pop.
2. Add dry whole red chillies and curry leaves and let them sizzle as well.
3. Now add the ginger and garlic pastes and fry for a couple of minutes.
4. Add the sauteed onion puree and cook for 3 mins and then add all the powdered spices, salt and fry 1 minute.
5. Now add the crushed tomatoes from the can and fry until the oil separates from the masala.
6. Now add the prawn cutlets and cook with this masala for 1 min.
7. Add hot prawn or fish stock and allow to simmer for 3 to 4 mins stirring occasionally.
8. When prawns are almost cooked, add the tamrind pulp and coconut cream.
9. Stir and cook for a minute and take pan off the heat.
10. Serve garnished with a sprig of corriander and a lemon wedge with steamed Basmati Rice and papadum.

• 3 onions (large)
• 2 cup chick pea flour( besan)
• 1 tsp cumin pwdr
• 1 tsp hot chilli pwdr
• 1 tsp turmeric pwdr
• 1 tbsp corriander seeds roughly pounded
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped ginger
• 2 green chillies deseeded and sliced finely
• 3 tablespoon freshly chopped coriander
• salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying

Preparation

1. Peel and Slice onions finely.
2. Add all spices, ginger, garlic, chillies, coriander and salt to the sliced onions (except besan) and mix well.
3. Keep aside for half an hour.
4. Heat Oil in deep fryer to 350 F or 180 C.
5. Now add Besan to the onion mix and mix evenly.
6. Add one tbsp hot oil to the mix and stir in well.
7. Pick up with your finger tips a small amount of the mix and drop gently into the hot oil.
8. Drop about 6 to 8 pakoras per batch for easy frying.
9. Fry for about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.
10. Serve hot,lightly dusted with Chaat Masala.

Gulgulas: (for about 8 serves)

• 100 gms white sugar
• 100 gm (4 ounces) plain flour
• 50 gms self raising flour
• 4-6 ripe bananas, mashed
• Handful raisins
• 1 cup fresh scraped coconut (dessicated coconut can be substituted)
• 1 tsp cardamom seeds powdered/crushed
• 1 tbsp ghee (melted)
• Powdered sugar to dust (optional)
• whipped cream (optional)
• oil for deep frying

Preparation

1. Peel and mash banana, add raisins, crushed cardamom seeds, freshly scraped coconut and sugar.Mix well.
2. Sift plain and self raising flour into this mix and mix evenly.
3. Add one tablespoon of melted ghee or clarified butter and mix it in well.
4. Heat the oil to 180 C and put a spoonful of the mixture in the oil to fry. Put about 6 to 8 at a time.
5. Fry till golden brown. Drain well and place on paper towels.
6. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream (optional).

Sago and Potato or Kumara Bondas

• 2 medium potatoes boiled and mashed
• 1 cup sago pearls
• ¼ cup roasted and coarsely crushed peanuts
• 2 green chilies finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch Finely chopped coriander
• 1/2 a lemon
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• salt to taste
• Oil for frying

Preparation

1. Wash sago pearls in cold water and drain off all water and set the sago aside
   for a couple of hours.
2. Boil, peel and mash roughly two medium sized potatoes.
3. Wash and chop the green chillies and the fresh corriander leaves finely.
4. Roast and coarsly crush the peanuts.
5. Now take a mixing bowl and mix all the ingredients listed above (except the oil).
6. Moisten your hands with water and form 12 even balls of this mixture
   and flatten them slightly.
7. Now heat oil for deep frying to a temp of 180 C and gently introduce these bondas
   into the hot oil and fry until golden.
8. Drain them well on absorbent paper and serve hot with a fresh corriander and garlic
   yoghurt dip.

Eggplant and Pumpkin Curry with Cashewnuts

• 100 ml rice bran oil
• 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon of asafoetida
• 1 400g cans of chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup natural set yoghurt
• 1 cup dessicated coconut powdered in food processor
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons of chilli powder
• 2 teaspoons of coriander powder
• 2 teaspoons of cumin powder
• 2 tbsp. of garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp of crushed ginger
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 2 cups of vegetable stock
• salt to taste
• 1/2 large butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 large eggplant cut into chunks
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 1 cup toasted cashew nuts
• 1/2 bunch fresh corriander leaves washed and finely chopped.

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat.
2. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafoetida.
   When the mustard seeds start to pop, add the chopped onions and fry for about 3 to 4 mins
   and add the garlic, ginger and fry for a couple of miuntes.
3. Then add the powdered spiceslike turmeric, chilli ,corriander and cumin, salt and sugar
   and fry for another minute.
4. Add the powdered dessicated coconut and fry well for a minute.
5. Next add the whipped yoghurt and fry well. Then add the tomatoes and fry until the oil
   leaves the sides of the pan.
6. Now add the eggplant and pumpkin and stir well for 2-3 mins until all the
   masala has coated the vegetables.
7. Add the vegetable stock, stir and bring
   to a gentle simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
8. When the vegetables are cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the cashew nuts.
9. Garnish with fresh chopped corriander leaves.

Tadka Dahl - Serves 4

• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1 large tomato cut into cubes
• 1 tsp ginger chopped fine
• 1 tsp garlic chopped fine
• Salt to taste
• 4 tbsp ghee or oil
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 4 cloves
• 10 curry leaves
• 2 slit green chillies
• 1/2 tsp asafetida powder

Preparation

1. Thoroughly wash the red lentils in cold water.
2. Place lentils in a heavy bottomed pan and add 2 cups of water to it.
3. Add the chopped tomato, cnion ,1 tbsp of ghee or oil and turmeric powder to it. Stir well.
4. Now set set the pan o a high flame and bring to a boil uncovered. Skim off the scum.
5. Turn down the flame and let the lentils cook on a gentle simmer until tender.
6. stir the boiled lentils well to blend into a smooth soup-like consistency.
7. If it is too thick, add some warm water and stir till the consistency is right.
8. Heat the Daal through again. It should be piping hot before you carry out the next step.
9. Heat the ghee on a medium flame, in a small pan till hot.
10. Now add the crackling mix(mustard, cumin, cloves, and asafetida )and fry till spluttering stops.
11. Add the curry leaves and green chillies and cook till spluttering stops.
12. Turn off the fire and add this tempering (Tadka) to dhal.
13. It will sizzle and might splutter a bit, so be careful when you do this. Stir well.
14. Serve hot with steamed rice and papadums.