Chicken tikka masala and butter chicken are both firm curry house favourites here in the UK. They are very similar in that they both have a mild tomato sauce with Indian spices. The main difference is the amount of butter and cream. The butter chicken, as the name suggests has a lot more more butter and a less intense tomato sauce. It is also cooked in a pan where as the chicken tikka masala is charred and cooked in a tandoor or grill before it enters the sauce and pan.

To be honest, I rarely cook this type of curry and I have never seen any family members in India cook it either. Whilst cooking in the tandoor is very much Indian, the history of this curry is disputed with many saying that was ‘created’ for a Western palate by a British Pakistani chef in Scotland in the 1970’s whose customer requested a mild tomato sauce for their chicken tikka pieces. It was such a hit that it became a firm fixture on the menu with other curry houses following suit. I certainly remember it being a standard curry to order at university curry nights out.

Whether it is truly authentic or not it is much loved across the UK. It is creamy and more buttery than my usual curries, but eaten now and again is a complete joy.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Serves 4-6 (if serving with other dishes)

4 chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces

marinade

3 tbsp full fat natural yoghurt

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

1 tsp ground paprika

1 tsp ground garam masala

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

juice from half a lemon

1 tsp salt

1 heaped tsp garlic paste

1 heaped tsp ginger paste

Creamy tomato sauce

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) or regular butter

2 tbsp oil

2 white onions, finely chopped

1 heaped tsp ginger paste

1 heaped tsp garlic paste

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground garam masala

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

1 tsp ground paprika

1x tin tomatoes or 400g fresh tomatoes, blitzed

200ml water

1 tsp jaggery/brown sugar

1 tsp salt

pinch freshly ground black pepper

150ml double cream

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp dried methi/fenugreek leaves OR coriander leaves

1. First you need to marinate the chicken. Mix all the marinade together and then cover tightly with cling film/foil and place in the fridge for an hour – to overnight.
2. Spread your marinated chicken out on a large baking tray and brush with a little oil. Place under a hot grill (240 degrees C) for 10-15 minutes so that it begins to char. Turn over halfway so that it chars on all sides. It does not need to be cooked all the way through at this stage as it will finish off cooking in the sauce. Do keep an eye on it though when it is under the grill as it can char very quickly and you don’t want it to be completely burned.
3. In a deep wide pan (a wok would work well) heat the ghee/oil and gently fry the onion so that it begins to bronze – this will take around 6 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic paste.
4. Add all the spices followed by the blitzed tomatoes, black pepper, salt and jaggery/sugar and water. Allow to simmer on a gentle heat for 7 minutes, by which time the sauce will have thickened sufficiently.
5. Add the chicken to the pan and coat in the tomato sauce. Gently pour in the double cream and the final tablespoon of butter and simmer on a low heat for  15 minutes. Taste test to see if more salt is required.
6. Finally add the dried fenugreek or fresh coriander. Drizzle a little more double cream before serving.

Recently I was watching ‘Masterchef the Professionals’ and chef Monica Geletti set the challenge of spatchcocking a quail and making a rocket pesto (series 12, episode 4 if you want to take a look). She made it look ridiculously easy, but of course being under pressure of being on TV for the first time the chefs didn’t find it quite as easy as she made it look. It did however, give me the idea of replicating said dish at home as we had some partridges sitting in my freezer, and whilst a little bigger than quail, will require the same method of cooking albeit for a few minutes longer.

She set the challenge at 15 minutes to do the whole thing – prep and cook the quail and make the pesto. It took me a little longer, but not too much – largely owing to the fact I was cooking for three and not one. The result was absolutely delicious and I think spatchcocking game birds is definitely the way forward. Excuse the poor quality photos – I cooked it in the evening when it was dark outside, so taking photos in those conditions is never going to give you the perfect shot – but you get the idea.

Spatchcock Honey and Smoked Paprika Partridge with a Rocket Pesto

3 partridges/quail

2 tbsp runny honey

2 tsp smoked paprika powder

1 garlic cloves

70g pine nuts

110g fresh rocket

good glugs of extra virgin olive oil (around 150ml)

approx 50g parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1. First prepare the game bird (quail, partridge etc) by cutting up the backbone and remove the innards from it.
2. Turn it over and then press down hard so that it lays flat.
3. Now you want to make a rub. You could mix honey with smoked paprika – which I did, or you could use sumac, garam masala, cumin, curry powder – lots of options.
4. Once you have covered the bird with the rub, heat a griddle pan and when it is hot place the bird down firmly into the pan, breast side first – you want to sear the outside so that it creates the charred lines across it. This will take a few minutes.
5. Then turn it over and after a further minute, remove the bird and place on a plate whilst you continue to sear the remaining birds. Once they have all been seared place back into the griddle pan or a roasting dish and cook in an oven preheated to 80 degrees fan – for 7-10 minutes (around 7-8 for a quail, and 10 for a partridge which is a little bigger). To check that they are cooked simply give then a gently prod with your finger. When they are done the flesh will feel firm.
6. Whilst it is cooking, lightly toast off the pine nuts in a frying pan (do NOT add any oil) so that the oils are released naturally.
7. Place the garlic into a pestle a mortar and pound it until smooth and then add the rocket, followed by the pine nuts. You can do all of this in a mini blender but I think it is nice to have a little bit of texture, hence preparing it in a pestle and mortar.
8. Add a little of the oil and some parmesan. You need to taste and see if you need more of any of the ingredients as it is very much down to personal taste. Season as required.
9. Once the partridge has cooked sufficiently, remove from the oven and cut in half lengthways.
10. To plate up, place a bit of the rocket pesto in the centre of the plate and smear into a round circle, wider than the bird.
11. Then place the halved bird on top of the pesto, leaning one half at angles onto the other.
12. I also accompanied with a few roast potatoes and some kale, which I had lightly cooked in some oil and some chilli flakes.

To follow I skipped pudding and instead opted for a cheeseboard with some fresh fruit. All in all a deliciously decadent meal and yet very easy to prepare.

It’s new year’s day and after a wet and overcast walk through Richmond Park, along the Thames to Ham House followed by a mulled wine pit stop at the New Inn in Ham, we made it back to the car as day was turning to night, just in time before the gates to the park closed.

Wet, windswept and with ruddy cheeks we made it home to hot piping bowls of dal that I had made in advance and then gently reheated. It is the queen of comfort food. Nourishing, warming, simple, restorative and importantly an utter joy to eat. It’s the type of food that gives you a great big hug and an inner body glow. There are so many varieties of dal, it can never get boring to eat or make. In India it is eaten every day in some form or rather. I’m a convert and I hope you will become one too once you give some of my dals a go. This one gives red onion centre stage (although I realise it does not show it in the photos I took, trust me they are in there!) and you can reduce the number of chillies depending on your preference. I find that by chopping them in two you can then make sure they do not go into the bowls of children or those who are less keen on eating a chilli. Either way give it a whirl to warm your soul after a windswept walk. Happy New Year to you all, may 2017 be a great one.

Moong Dal

Serves 4

230g yellow mung dal

1 tbsp oil/ghee

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 red onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 green chillies, chopped in half

1 sprig of fresh curry leaves

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

salt to taste

serve

squeeze of lemon

1. In a deep pan add the dal and then cover it with cold water. Using one of your hands rub the dal through your fingers and move it around your pan. Pour the water out of the pan and repeat the process a couple of times.
2. Finally cover the dal once again with cold water so that it is about an inch above the dal. Place on a low heat and keep the lid off the pan. You will need to keep adding more water as the dal cooks as it will get soaked up. It is not an exact science so just put a little in at a time so that it does not become too watery.
3. Remove the scum that will form at the top of the dal and discard.
4. Gently cook the dal for around 45 minutes, by which time it will have nicely softened.
5. After the dal has been cooking for about 30 minutes place some oil in a frying pan. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and allow them to begin to splutter before adding the fresh curry leaves and the red onion slices – I find slicing them with a mandolin works best.
6. Move around the pan and allow the red onion to soften slightly before adding the garlic and chilli and cook for a further 5 minutes.
7. Add the turmeric powder and then add a couple of spoonfuls of the dal to the pan. Move the dal around the frying pan before returning the contents of the frying pan into the pan with the dal.
8. Give a good stir and add salt to taste. If you are going to eat the dal later in the day, gently reheat it and add a little more water to loosen it up.

Serve with a squeeze of lemon.

Dhokla or khaman dhokla, to give it’s proper title, is a spongy steamed snack that originates from the state of Gujarat in India. Traditionally it is steamed for around 15-20 minutes before a hot tadka is poured over the top. Tadka, or tempering as it is sometimes referred,  is a form of cooking in the Indian subcontinent where whole spices are roasted briefly in oil or ghee to release their flavours. They are then put on the top of dals, curries and of course dhokla. The tadka completely lifts the whole dish and is key in many recipes.

The magic ingredient in dhokla is an ingredient called Eno. You’ll be able to pick it up at any Indian grocers. Do not be alarmed when you buy it in a bottle and it reads ‘fast refreshing relief from stomach upset’. You are buying the right ingredient. Do check the guidelines on the back and if anything applies to you then give it is a miss. If Eno is hard to source then I suggest using bicarbonate of soda in it’s place. It won’t be as spongy but the dhokla will still taste great.

One other addition that you can decide whether to add or not is the sugar component at the end. Whilst dhokla is principally a savoury snack it does often have a little sugar added to the tarka which is then poured over the steamed dhokla. It gives the snack a delectable lightly sweet and salty taste to it, although it is principally a savoury snack.

Dhokla

150g gram flour (chickpea flour)

25g course semolina

140g natural yoghurt

2 small fresh green chillies (keep the seeds in for added heat)

1 heaped tsp ginger paste

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp lemon juice

approximately 120ml water (add more if necessary)

1/2 tsp salt, to taste

1tsp  Eno

*****

Tadka

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1 tsp sesame seeds

1/4 tsp hing/asafoetida

Around 15 fresh curry leaves (cleaned and dried)

1 tsp sugar, optional

25ml warm water, optional

To serve

1 handful of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

1/2 tbsp fresh or dried coconut shavings

1. First line your tin with baking parchment and rub a few drops of olive oil into the sides and bottom. My tin is just over 19cm in diameter and fits perfectly into my wooden bamboo steamer. If you do not have a steamer, simply use a large deep pan (which has a lid) and place an upside down bowl that you can rest the cake tin on. You need to then fill the pan up with water so that the water level remains below the bowl or first level of the bamboo steamer.
2. Next you need to sieve the gram flour and semolina and then add the natural yogurt. Stir together and then add the finely chopped chilli, ginger paste and salt. Pour in the water gradually so that no lumps form and you have a smooth paste, slightly denser than pancake mixture.
3. Heat the pan so that the water is boiling and ready to steam the dhokla.
4. Add the eno (or bicarbonate of soda) and stir continuously for about 1 minute to allow air to enter the mixture. You will notice that the size of the batter will increase slightly.
5. Immediately pour the dhokla batter into the baking tin and place in the steamer for around 20 minutes on a medium heat. At 17 minutes insert a toothpick or knife into the dhokla to see if it comes out clean. If it is then it is ready, if it has some mixture on it then leave it for a further few minutes. When it is done, remove from the steamer and leave to rest for 5 minutes, before turning it out of the tin and removing the baking parchment.
6. Meanwhile heat a frying pan with oil and when it is hot add the sesame seeds, mustards seeds, asafoetida and fresh curry leaves. Leave to fizzle for no more than 20 seconds, moving around the pan.
7. In a small jug mix the sugar with the warm water and add to the pan. It will spit so be careful. Move around the pan for a few seconds and then pour the tadka over the dhokla so that it soaks into it and scatter the coriander and coconut garnish as well.
8. Eat immediately or at room temperature.

* I have friends who make it with just semolina and no gram flour and you can also make it with dhokla flour itself (a combination of gram flour and rice flour).

* You can also omit water altogether and simply use yoghurt so use my recipe as a template to find the one that suits you and your taste best.

* you can find eno (fruit salt) in any Asian grocers. It is the ingredient that makes the cake spongy in appearance.  If you do not have it to hand you can use bicarbonate of soda although it will be more dense in texture.