This is basically a dal. A very Anglo dal, but still mostly a dal: a soup of legumes cooked with aromatics and curry powder with a bit of roasted squash tossed in for good measure. If it were an Indian-style dal, the legumes would be cooked in water rather than broth. And the spices would probably not involve an Anglo-style Madras curry powder. And the peas would probably be cooked in a pressure cooker to get the desired soft texture rather than puréed with a blender. But the overall concept is still there. It's just had a few of the details changed around.

Curried Split Pea Soup with Kabocha Squash

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 1 small kabocha squash (~500g)
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 Tbsp. Madras curry powder
• 3/4 c. yellow split peas¹ (chana dal)
• 2 1/2 c. vegetable stock
• 1/2 c. pumpkin or sunflower seeds, toasted
• 1/2 c. sour cream (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
2. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the guts, peel the halves, and chop into 2cm cubes.
3. Toss the squash with 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Roast at 200°C (400°F) until tender (30-40 minutes).
5. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. of oil over medium heat.
6. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened (~5 minutes).
7. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two.
8. Add the curry powder and split peas and toast for ~2 minutes.
9. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
10. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low.
11. Simmer until peas are tender (~35 minutes).
12. Once peas are tender, partially purée with an immersion blender.
13. Add roasted squash and cook until heated through (~5 minutes).
14. Serve topped with toasted seeds and a dollop of sour cream (if using).

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¹ I think this would also be great with skinned split pigeon peas (toor dal). Although you'd likely need to adjust the cooking time somewhat as I think they generally cook a bit faster than split peas. ^Back

Chicken Tikka Masala (Dish of the Day)

I've made at least two previous versions of chicken tikka masala. And while this version couldn't hold a candle to Iyer's rendition of it, it was still quite good. TF and the Kidlet especially seemed to enjoy it. And I appreciate that it came together relatively easily as well.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. plain Greek yogurt
• juice of 1 1/2 limes
• 4 tsp. ginger paste, divided
• 2 tsp. cumin seeds, ground and divided
• 1 tsp. bin bhuna hua garam masala
• 2 tsp. sweet paprika
• 500g skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, divided
• 1 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1-2 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 green cardamom pods
• 1 tsp. coriander, ground
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. ground Kashmiri chilies
• 400mL diced tomatoes
• 1 fresh green Thai, serrano, or finger chile, minced
• 1/2 c. heavy (35%) cream¹
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/4 tsp. Punjabi garam masala²
• juice of 1/2 a lemon

Directions

1. Combine the yogurt, lime juice, 1 Tbsp. of the ginger paste, 1 tsp. of the cumin, untoasted garam masala, and paprika and mix well.
2. Add the chicken and toss to combine.
3. Cover and chill for 1-8 hours.
4. When ready to cook, preheat the broiler (on high if it has multiple settings) and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
5. Shake off any excess marinade and place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Season with 1/2 tsp. of the salt and drizzle with the oil.
7. Broil until it develops some good colour and a bit of char (~5 minutes).
8. Turn and continue broiling until other side is also darkened (~5 minutes more).
9. Meanwhile, heat the ghee over medium-high heat.
10. Add the onion, garlic, and remaining 1 tsp. of ginger paste and cook until softened (3-5 minutes).
11. Add the cardamom, coriander, turmeric, ground chilies, and remaining 1 tsp. of cumin and cook for another minute.
12. Add the tomatoes and any residual marinade from the chicken and cook until sauce thickens (5-10 minutes).
13. Add the fresh chile, cream, and water, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until sauce thickens again (another 10 minutes or so).
14. Add the cooked chicken to the sauce along with the Punjabi garam masala and remaining 1/4 tsp. of salt and cook until heated through.
15. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice, and serve.

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¹ I actually swapped out the heavy (double) cream for half-and-half (10% MF). Mostly because I had it and it needs to be used. That said, if you want maximum richness, go for the full fat cream. If you want minimum calories, you can get away with half-and-half, but table (single/18%) cream would probably be better if you have it. ^Back
2 The original recipe calls for 1 1/4 tsp. "garam masala" (which generally means bin bhuna hua garam masala) which then gets divided between the marinade and the sauce. That said, since the last 1/4 tsp. of garam masala doesn't get added until right near the end of cooking, I think that a toasted blend like Punjabi garam masala would work better there while the untoasted blend goes into the marinade. And that's how I'd meant to prepare mine. Unfortunately, I got a bit muddled and put the full 1 1/4 tsp. of garam masala into the marinade and forgot to put any in the sauce. Whoops! But that's why I write up these notes. Now I'll have better instructions for next time. ^Back

Jalfrezi(e)s are anglo-Indian curries. They were developed in Indian restaurants predominantly serving English customers. Although there's a lot of variability in what, exactly, constitutes a jalfrezie, they generally involve onions and bell peppers (usually large chunks of both) in a spicy sauce. The protein can be pretty much anything: lamb, beef, goat... even chicken, shrimp, or -- as Iyer has done here -- cheese. For a vegan option, you could even try it with cubes of extra-firm tofu.

Paneer Jalfrezie

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1-2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 onion, cut into 1-2cm dice
• 1 bell pepper, cut into 1-2cm pieces
• 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger¹
• 1/2 c. tomato sauce²
• 1 Tbsp. balti masala
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 c. water³
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 225g paneer, cut into 1-2cm cubes

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry until onion begins to brown (3-5 minutes).
3. Add the tomato sauce, masala, and salt and reduce heat to medium.
4. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the oil begins to separate slightly (5-8 minutes).
5. Add the water and cilantro.
6. Add the paneer and gently stir to coat the cheese in sauce.
7. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly (10-12 minutes).
8. Serve with rice and/or your favourite flatbread.

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¹ I was running low on fresh ginger, so I just substituted 2 Tbsp. of ginger paste here. The paste doesn't stir-fry as well as the minced fresh ginger though, so use the fresh if you have it. ^Back
2 I didn't have any ready-made tomato sauce on hand, so I quickly tossed something together based on the spiced tomato sauce recipe in 660 Curries. I've posted the recipe separately here. ^Back
3 If making this curry with meat rather than cheese, reduce the water to 1/2 c. as the meat will tend to release some liquid as it cooks. ^Back

Angrezi Bhutta (English Corn)

I wasn't feeling up for doing much cooking tonight, so I just made this very simple corn curry to go with the leftovers from a couple nights ago. There's not much to it, but it made a nice accompaniment to the other curries. Oh, and the name? "English Corn"? That's down to the "Madras curry powder" used to season it. Curry powder was created by the British in an attempt to recreate Indian flavours. So I guess that makes this a sort of Indo-Anglo-Indian dish.

Angrezi Bhutta

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tsp. Madras curry powder
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 2 1/2-3 c. frozen corn
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium heat.
2. Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add curry powder and cook for another 30-60 seconds.
4. Add tomato and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Stir in corn, water, and salt and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Lagan nu Custard (Wedding Custard)

I had a bit of down time while making the curry for dinner tonight, so I decided to try to whip up a dessert as well. This custard looked reasonably straight-forward (if a bit slow), so I figured I'd give it a go.

Lagan nu Custard

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1L whole (3.25%) milk
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. cardamom seeds (from green pods), ground
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 c. slivered almonds
• 1/2-1 tsp. vanilla extract¹
• 3 large eggs
• saffron (optional)
• fresh or dried rose petals (optional)

Directions

1. Bring milk to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
2. Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling, stirring frequently, for 35 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, cardamom, nutmeg, almonds, and vanilla (or other extracts).
4. Set aside to cool for 20-30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F), grease a baking dish (or half a dozen custard cups), and boil some water.
6. If using saffron, sprinkle a few threads into the bottom of the baking dish/custard cups.
7. Once the milk mixture has cooled down, beat in the eggs and mix well.
8. Pour the custard into the prepared baking dish (or custard cups) and place the dish/cups in a pan. Pour boiling water into the pan so that it comes about halfway up the sides of the baking dish/cups.
9. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30-40 minutes (less for custard cups).
10. Remove from oven. Remove dish/cups from bain marie and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
11. Sprinkle a few rose petals on top before serving if desired.

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¹ The original recipe calls for a full teaspoon of vanilla. I scaled it back to only half a teaspoon because I didn't want to overshadow the saffron. Iyer also suggests that the vanilla could be swapped out for mango, pistachio, or guava essence for an even more exotic flavour. ^Back

This was so, so good! The sauce was rich and creamy (thanks to the almonds and cream) with a pleasant sweetness from the bell peppers and raisins. And the chicken is superbly flavourful and tender with a slight char thanks to its time spent under the broiler (or on the grill). I really, really liked this one. Everyone really liked this one!

Chicken (without the sauce)

Finished chicken tikka masala

Chicken Tikka Masala

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1/2 c. plain yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. garlic paste
• 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tsp. coriander seeds, ground
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds, ground
• 1-2 tsp. ground Kashmiri chilies
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. Punjabi Garam Masala
• 680g skinless, boneless chicken breasts and/or thighs, cut into 1" strips

Sauce

• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 c. slivered almonds
• 1/4 c. golden raisins or sultanas
• 1 c. diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
• 1/4 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/8-1/4 tsp. ground cayenne
• 1/4 tsp. Punjabi Garam Masala
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, to garnish¹

Directions

Chicken

1. Combine yogurt, garlic paste, ginger paste, cilantro, coriander, cumin, Kashmiri chilies, salt, turmeric, and garam masala and mix well.
2. Toss chicken with yogurt mixture to coat.
3. Cover and chill/marinate for 1-6 hours.
4. Meanwhile, make the sauce.
5. Once sauce is made, spread chicken (along with its marinade) on a baking sheet and broil on hi for 6-8 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through and get a little char on the top. If you have access to a grill/barbecue, thread the chicken pieces onto skewers and grill them for 6-8 minutes until cooked through and lightly charred.
6. Combine chicken with sauce, garnish with cilantro, and serve with rice and your choice of vegetables.

Sauce

1. While chicken marinates, melt ghee over medium-high heat in a smallish pan (~23cm or 9" works well).
2. Add onion, bell pepper, almonds, and raisins and cook for 10-12 minutes.
3. Add tomato and deglaze the pan.
4. Transfer the contents of the pan to a blender jar, add the cream, salt, cayenne, and garam masala, and blend until smooth.
5. Return sauce to pan and simmer over low heat while chicken cooks.

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¹ Just realized that I totally forgot to add the cilantro garnish before serving! Oh well... ^Back

This is a great general-use curry powder. It works well in Anglo-Indian dishes as well as pretty much any soup that involves squash/pumpkin. And, while it may be similar to store-bought curry powders, the flavour really is much more vibrant when you make your own with freshly ground spices!

English-Style Madras Curry Powder

From 660 Curries

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds
• 2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp. whole cloves
• 1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns
• 5-7 dried red Thai or cayenne chiles, stems removed
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric

Directions

1. Place all ingredients except turmeric in a spice grinder and grind until texture resembles black pepper.
2. Stir in turmeric.
3. Store in a sealed container in a cool, dark, dry place.

(Anglo-Indian) Chicken Curry

This is a mild, coconut milk and tomato based, Anglo-Indian curry. Iyer notes that, as a "British East Indian adaptation", store-bought curry powder would be entirely appropriate here. That said, given that we have all the ingredients for a good curry powder ready to hand, I prefer to make my own. (Iyer even provides a recipe for "English-style madras curry powder" in the spice blends section of the book.) Aside from English curries like this one, I also find the English-style curry powder works very well in squash/pumpkin soups and things of that ilk. Very worth having around!

This is a great quick and easy curry. It's simple to make and produces delicious results. This recipe came to the rescue many a time when we were at a loss for what to have for dinner.

Chicken Curry

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 onion, halved and sliced
• 2-3 Tbsp. garlic paste
• 1-2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 680g skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
• 2 tsp. English-style madras curry powder
• 3/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 c. coconut milk (unsweetened)
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Preheat a wok or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat.
2. Drizzle oil down the sides then add the onion, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry until light brown.
3. Add the chicken pieces and curry powder and sear all over.
4. Add the salt and coconut milk, cover, and reduce heat to medium.
5. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is tender and cooked through.
6. Remove chicken and set aside.
7. Raise heat to medium-high and boil the sauce, uncovered, until it thickens.
8. Add tomato and cilantro to the sauce and pour over chicken pieces.
9. Serve with white rice and mango chutney.

Cheater's Chicken Tikka Masala

This isn't authentic chicken tikka masala, but it comes together pretty easily; it takes a while, so it's not a good last-minute dish, but it has a tractable ingredient list and isn't particularly complicated. And it's really tasty.

Ingredients

• 20mL bin bhuna hua garam masala
• 2.5mL coarse salt
• 1.25mL turmeric
• 500g boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips
• flour
• 1 onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 20mL ginger paste
• ~800mL tinned peeled tomatoes in juice
• 80mL heavy cream

Procedure

1. Season the chicken with 5mL of the spice blend.
2. Dredge in flour, then brown in a bit of oil. Remove.
3. Brown onion, garlic, and ginger in more oil.
4. Add remaining spice mix and sizzle for ~30 seconds.
5. Add tomatoes and cook until the sauce thickens slightly.
6. Add cream and chicken. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the desired thickness is reached and the chicken is cooked through.
7. Add 125mL of freshly chopped cilantro and serve over brown rice.