Spice up your life with these mouth-watering curry recipes from some of our favourite cookbook authors, Ottolenghi, Cariema Isaacs, Amerae Vercueil, Prim Reddy and Niranj Pather.
INDEX
Stuffed Aubergine in curry and coconut dal
Curried Lentils with rosa tomatoes and spinach
Decadent Vegetable Butter Curry
in curry and coconut dal
Serves: 4 as a main
3 large aubergines, stalks removed, each aubergine cut lengthways into 6 x ½cm-thick slices (750g)
3 tbsp olive oil
220g paneer (or extra-firm tofu), roughly grated
2 limes: finely grate the zest to get 1 tsp, then juice to get 2 tbsp
45g hot mango pickle, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve
5g coriander, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve
100g large (not baby) spinach leaves, stems removed (60g)
salt and black pepper
COCONUT DAL
3 tbsp olive oil
5 banana shallots, peeled and finely chopped (250g)
45g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 red chillies, finely chopped
30 fresh curry leaves (if you can’t get any, you can also do without)
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp medium curry powder
2 tsp tomato paste
100g dried red lentils
1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk (at least 70% coconut extract)
Heat the oven to 220°C fan.
In a large bowl, toss the aubergines together with the oil, ¾ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Spread out on two parchment-lined baking trays and bake for 25 minutes, flipping halfway, until softened and lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
For the coconut dal, put 2 tablespoons of the oil into a large sauté pan on a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the shallots and fry for 8 minutes, until golden. Add the ginger, half the chilli and half the curry leaves (if using), cook for 2 minutes, then add the spices, tomato paste and lentils. Stir for a minute, then add the coconut milk, 600ml of water and ¾ teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium and leave to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring once in a while, until the lentils are soft and the sauce is thick. Pour into a medium baking dish, around 28cm x 18cm, if making the aubergine rolls, and set aside.
In a small bowl, toss together the paneer, lime zest, mango pickle, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, the coriander and ⅛ teaspoon of salt.
Place one spinach leaf on top of each slice of aubergine. Put a heaped teaspoon of the paneer mixture in the middle, then roll up the aubergine, from the thinner end at the top down to the thicker bottom end, so the filling is encased. Put the aubergine roll seam side down in the lentil sauce, and repeat with the remaining aubergine slices, spinach and paneer. You should end up with about 18 rolls, all sitting snugly in the sauce. Press the rolls gently into the sauce, but not so far that they are submerged, and bake for 15–20 minutes, until the aubergine is golden-brown on top and the sauce is bubbling. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a small pan on a medium-high heat. Add the remaining chilli and curry leaves and fry for a minute, until the curry leaves are crisp and fragrant. Spoon over the aubergine rolls, drizzle over the lime juice and serve with the coriander sprinkled on top.
Recipe extracted from Flavour by Yotam Ottolenghi.
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with rosa tomatoes and spinach
Serves: 4
Total Time: 30 minutes
Olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 Tbsp red curry paste
1½ cups dried brown lentils
2 cups (500 ml) vegetable stock
1 can (400 ml) coconut cream
1 cup rosa tomatoes
3 cups baby spinach leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
Plain yoghurt for serving, optional
Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a pot and fry the onion for 5 minutes, until just golden. Add the garlic, ginger, curry paste and lentils. Stir to combine and fry for another minute.
Add the vegetable stock, partly cover with a lid and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the lentils are soft.
Add the coconut cream and tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the baby spinach leaves and simmer for a further 5 minutes, until wilted. Season to taste with salt and ground black pepper. Before serving, stir in a spoonful of plain yoghurt, if preferred.
TIPS
* Serve with warm flatbread or brown rice.
* Substitute the red curry paste for green curry paste, or use an Indian spice mix.
* For a quick curry, use canned lentils. Fry the onion until soft. Add the tomatoes to the pan and fry for 2 minutes. Add the curry paste, drained lentils and coconut milk and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for a further 2 minutes.
* Store the curry in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Recipe extracted from Food that Loves you Back by Amerae Vercueil.
“Butter beans in tomato sauce cooked in a delicious mild curry with the softest potatoes … yum! This may be a simple dish, but I can assure you that everyone will enjoy tucking in. Serve it in a bunny chow, over saffron rice or on its own. I like to eat it with a traditional carrot salad.”
Serves: 6
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 sprig fresh curry leaves
1/2 onion, sliced
1 heaped Tbsp mild curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup water
2 x 410 g tins butter beans in tomato sauce
fresh coriander for garnishing
CARROT SALAD
2 large carrots, grated
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp lemon juice
Heat the olive oil, cinnamon sticks, cumin seeds and curry leaves in a frying pan and fry the onion.
Once the onion has softened, add the curry powder, salt, potatoes and water.
Cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are semi-cooked, then add the butter beans and mix through.
Continue to cook for a further 10 minutes until the potatoes are soft and melting away.
To make the carrot salad, place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Recipe extracted from Temptations by Niranj Pather and Prim Reddy.
Decadent Vegetable Butter Curry
“If you love butter chicken or the lentil version known as dal makhani, you’ll love this Goan version. I have so many friends who hail from Goa and whose personalities can be likened to this curry – bright, vivacious, expressive and oh, so sassy! The name ‘makhanawala’ means ‘with lots of butter and cream’. Who cares about a diet when you can eat well? And if you do have a Goan gracing your table, you’ll find your plate constantly topped up and conversation flowing!”
Serves: 4–6
6 baby potatoes, peeled
2 large carrots, cut into 4 cm chunks
50 g ghee or 2 Tbsp (30 ml) peanut, canola or sunflower oil
1 medium-size onion, finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 thumb-size piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 can (410 g) Italian whole tomatoes, skinned
1 tsp (5 ml) Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp (5 ml) each ground coriander and ground cumin
¼ tsp (1.25 ml) ground cinnamon
½ tsp (2.5 ml) each turmeric and garam masala
1 Tbsp (15 ml) butter chicken curry paste or an all-purpose curry paste
1 tsp (5 ml) desiccated coconut
Salt to taste
½ C (125 ml) water
25 g raw cashew nuts
10 string beans, topped and tailed
8 cauliflower florets
½ C (125 ml) frozen or fresh peas
1 Tbsp (15 ml) white sugar
¼ C (60 ml) each plain yoghurt and double cream
1 handful chopped fresh coriander
Cook the potatoes and carrots separately in boiling salted water for 10 minutes or until just tender. Drain, then set aside.
Heat the ghee or oil in a medium-size saucepan on medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 10 minutes or until golden.
Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for a minute or two.
Add the canned tomatoes and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add all the spices, curry paste, coconut, salt and water, and simmer for 10 minutes.
In a mini food processor, or using a pestle and mortar, blend the cashew nuts to a paste with 2 Tbsp (30 ml) water. Stir this into the sauce, followed by all the vegetables, apart from the potatoes but including the carrots. Add another 100 ml water and simmer for 10 minutes until the vegetables are cooked through.
Stir in the potatoes, sugar, yoghurt and cream and cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Garnish with coriander and serve.
TIP
- The Kashmiri chilli powder can be substituted with any regular chilli powder. Don’t be tempted to use a blended masala or curry powder – this will compromise the taste and colour of the curry.
Recipe extracted from Curried by Cariema Isaacs.
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