Chickpea curry and saag paneer

Olive oil
red onion
white onion
garlic
curry spices (turmeric, cumin, fennel, chili, mustard seeds, channa dhal mix)
basmati rice
chickpeas
red pepper
mushrooms
tomato puree
tin of tomatoes
coconut cream
creme fraiche
natural yoghurt
paneer
spinach

1.  Cook the basmati rice - 1 cup of rice, 2 cups of water - bring to the boil, lid on and turn RIGHT down for 15 minutes.  Keep warm if ready too soon.
2.  Chop onions and sweat down in 2 pans, add crushed garlic to both.
3.  To pan 1 add channa dhal spice mix, stir, then add red pepper, mushrooms and drained chickpeas.  After 5 minutes add tomato puree, a tin of chopped tomatoes and a tin of water - simmer.
4.  To pan 2 add cumin, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, turmeric and a tinyt pinch of chili, then fry cubes of paneer - turning to get each side golden.
5.  When veg in pan 2 are softish turn to a medium heat and stir in coconut cream, creme fraiche and yoghurt (or whatever combination you are using).  Taste for seasoning - could add garam masala.
6.  Add spinach on top of paneer, with a little water, let it wilt down.

Fantastic.  Possibly the best curry dinner I have made this year.

Dry curry with potatoes, kale and paneer - with tarka dhal

 It looks, very much like my last entry - which perhaps says something about how tasty this curry is.  Today it was made with kale, with the addition of fried paneer.  Also, I did a tarka dahl ... cos I can - you know.  I wish I had some chapattis either in the cupboard - or had made some ... because they would have finished it off lovely, innit  - but it was delish as it was.   Oh yeas, can I just say - our potatoes and onions :)



So:-

Dry Curry

2 onions, chopped
Rape seed oil
cumin seeds
Mustard seeds
Chili flakes
Crushed garlic
Turmeric
Potatoes
Water
Kale - shredded
Garam massala

Paneer

Dhal

red lentils
rape seed oil
curry leaves
sliced garlic
chopped chili
fennel seeds
crispy fried onions

1.  Sautee onions in rape seed oil, add spices.
2.  Add potatoes, in bite sized pieces, add water and simmer, keep testing for doneness - add more water when necessary.
3.  Fry pieces of paneer in a dry pan - turn when browned, remove form the heat when ready.
4.  When potatoes are nearly done, add shredded kale.
5.  Simmer some more ... sprinkle on garam massala - cook through.

Dhal

1. Boil lentils.
2.  When boiled, fry spice in oil quickly.
3.  Toss cooked spices onto dhal.

Scoff ... delish.

Potato with peppers, egg and paneer

Potatoes
Turmeric
Olive oil
cumin
2 onions
Red peppers
garlic
stock
peas

Spring onions
eggs
paneer

1.  Boil peeled and chopped potato with turmeric.
2.  Sautee onion in olive oil, add cumin seeds, turmeric and garlic.  Add peppers.
3.  Drain potatoes and add to softenned onions.  Add stock and simmer for a while.
4.  Tip into gratin dish and stir in chopped paneer and peas.  Crack eggs on top.
5.  Bake, covered with foil for about 15 minutes, until egg whites are set.

Delicious.  Adapted from something I saw in the Observer.

Halloween curry fest

Homemade... with all the trimmings

Aloo gobi, channa dhal and sag paneer with rice and raita

Aloo gobi

Mustard seeds
cumin seeds
tarka dhal
chopped onion
garlic
potatoes, big dice
carrots, peeled and diced
mushrooms, quartered
yellow pepper, chopped
romanesco (cauliflower), in florets
turmeric
tin tomatoes
water
chili
garam masala

channa dhal

chopped onion
channa dhal spice mix
olive oil
tin of chickpeas
tin tomatoes

saag paneer

olive oil
gralic
tinned spinach
paneer in bite sized pieces
chili

raita

natural yogurt
garlic
salt
lemon juice
chili flakes

rice
water

Rice - cook to packet instructions - or in my case put in pan, add water to about an inch above the surface of the rice, bring to the boil, cover tightly and transfer to oven .. let it cook itself for 20 minutes plus.

Aloo gobi - heat spices in a little oil until they start to pop.  Add onion and garlic, soften a bit, then add other chopped veg and water, simmer, add tomatoes, simmer.  Keep tasting and adjusting seasoning, probably for about 30 minutes - add water if it's going dry.  Add chili after about 10 minutes and garam masala 5 minutes before end of cooking.

Channa dhal - soften finely chopped onion in olive oil, add tinned shickpeas, channa dhal (or other) seasonning mix (be cautious, add a teaspoon and taste... you can add, but it's hard to take away... if it gets too hot add a little sugar),  Stir in a tin of chopped tomatoes (or tomato puree and water), simmer  Don't add salt until the end of cooking to avoid making the chickpea skins go hard.

Saag paneer (NEVER EVER tell anyone how easy this is).  Tip tin of spinach into pan, add chopped paneer, Heat gently, add garam masala when warmed through.

Raita - mix ingredients, taste, adjust....

This was a fantastic Halloween feast.  Obviously, as I am never knowingly under catered there was enough left for another meal.  Well, truth be told another 8 servings.  We mixed the rice and saag paneer together and the channa dhal and aloo gobi together for a 2 dish supper.

Would be vegan if you omitted raita, or used a soya yogurt.