No, curries don't all have to take ages to cook and yes, you can get these recipes from new book, 30 Minute Curries by Atul Kochtar, whipped up on a weeknight for a delicious dinner.
Andhra Prawn Curry
Veinchana Royyalu
Andhraiites typically eat fiery hot food, but this prawn curry packs a lot of flavours too.
SERVES 4
Ingredients
500g raw peeled tiger prawns
6 green cardamom pods
fresh coriander sprigs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
4 tablespoons Onion Paste (recipe below)
4 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon red chilli powder, or to taste
125ml passata
250ml water
sea salt
Method
Assemble all the ingredients and equipment before you begin. You need a large sauté or frying pan.
Remove and discard the prawn tails, if necessary. Lightly crush the cardamom pods to loosen the seeds. Rinse and chop enough coriander sprigs to make about 2 tablespoons and set aside a few sprigs for a garnish.
Heat the vegetable oil over a medium-high heat in the pan. Add the cardamom pods and the seeds, the cloves and fennel seeds, and stir until the spices crackle. Add the onion paste and stir it into the oil for 30 seconds. Add the ground coriander, chilli powder and passata. Season with salt and stir for 30 seconds–1 minute to cook the spices. The mixture will have a paste-like texture. Watch closely so the spices do not burn.
Add the chopped coriander, prawns and water. Bring to a simmering point, stirring for 30 seconds, or until the prawns turn pink. Adjust the seasoning with salt, if necessary. Garnish with coriander sprigs to serve.
Atul's time-saving tips
Buy raw prawns that have already been shelled, and this warming and satisfying curry will be on the table in less than 15 minutes. That's quicker than the time it takes to heat the oven and cook a ready meal. If the prawns need thawing, however, put them in a large colander or sieve and run lukewarm water over them until they thaw.
Caldin Mushroom Curry
Cogumelo Kari
This is a coconut milk-based Goan mushroom curry; flavourful and not too spicy. The earthiness of the mushrooms with tamarind and coconut are a real winner for me. Photo: Mike Cooper
SERVES 4 AS A SHARING DISH
Ingredients
250g chestnut mushrooms
1 onion
fresh coriander leaves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Onion Paste (recipe below)
4 tablespoons Tamarind Liquid
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons frozen grated coconut, plus extra to garnish
125ml coconut milk
50ml water
sea salt
For the spice powder
1 or 2 large dried red chillies, to taste
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1½ teaspoons cumin seeds
Method
Assemble all the ingredients and equipment before you begin. You will need a spice grinder, a nonstick pan for toasting the spices and a large sauté or frying pan.
First, make the spice powder. Heat the dry non-stick pan over a high heat. Add the dried chillies and coriander and cumin seeds and stir until the spices are aromatic. Watch closely so the chillies don't burn before the spices toast. Transfer the chillies and seeds to the spice grinder and grind until a fine powder forms. Set aside.
Wipe, trim and quarter the mushrooms, including the caps and stalks. Halve, peel and thinly slice the onion. Rinse and chop enough coriander leaves to make about 2 tablespoons.
Heat the vegetable oil over a medium-high heat in the sauté pan. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and stir until it is softened, but not coloured. Add the mushrooms and continue stirring for 4–5 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and the onions are lightly coloured.
Add the onion paste and stir it into the onions and mushrooms for 30 seconds. Add the spice powder, tamarind liquid and turmeric, and continue stirring for 30 seconds to cook the spices. Stir in the frozen coconut, coconut milk and water, and set aside a little extra grated coconut to thaw. Season with salt and bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 2–3 minutes to blend the flavours. Stir in the chopped coriander just before serving and garnish with a little extra grated coconut.
Fenugreek Chicken Curry
Kasoori Kukkar
A flavour that inspires. This Fenugreek Chicken Curry is a dish that you'll love. Photo: Mike Cooper
The best fenugreek I know of – very special indeed – comes from Kasur, in Pakistan, and that was in my mind as I created this rich, dark curry. This recipe is more inspirational than classical, as I don't think anyone in India would be cooking chicken thighs with the skin on, but they add so much flavour. The golden skin loses its crispness as the thighs finish cooking in the gravy, but I couldn't bear to lose the beautiful taste. If, however, you prefer a crisp skin, transfer the thighs to an oven preheated to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas Mark 4 to finish cooking and then serve them with the gravy alongside.
SERVES 4
Ingredients
4 chicken thighs, about 150g each, skin on
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
5cm piece of fresh ginger
1 onion
4 green cardamom pods
5 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
6 tablespoons Onion Paste (recipe below)
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon red chilli powder, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
500ml water
5 tablespoons passata
1 dried bay leaf
2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaf powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
fresh coriander leaves
sea salt
Method
Assemble all the ingredients before you begin. You need 2 large sauté or frying pans, one of which is ideally non-stick and the other with a lid. A splatter guard large enough to cover the non-stick pan is useful.
Remove the bones from the chicken thighs and pat the thighs dry. (The bones can be used to make chicken stock.)
Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil with a pinch of salt over a medium-high heat in the non-stick pan. Add the chicken thighs, skin side down and opened out, and fry for 4–6 minutes until the skins are golden brown and crisp. Turn them over, reduce the heat to medium and leave them to continue cooking while you make the sauce. They will render a lot of fat, so it's a good idea to cover the pan with a splatter guard.
Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the ginger. Peel, halve and finely chop the onion. Lightly crush the cardamom pods to release the seeds.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over a medium-high heat in the other pan. Add the cardamom pods and their seeds, the peppercorns and cumin seeds, and stir until the spices crackle. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and continue frying, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly browned.
Add the onion paste and stir it for 30 seconds. Add the ground coriander, chilli powder and turmeric, and continue stirring for a further 30 seconds to cook the spices. Watch closely so they do not burn.
Add the water and passata and continue stirring for about 1 minute to make a rich sauce. Stir in the bay leaf, fenugreek powder and garam masala. Season with salt and leave the gravy to simmer and thicken, uncovered. It will become darker when you add the fenugreek leaf powder. Stir in half the chopped ginger and leave to continue simmering while you chop enough coriander leaves to make about 4 tablespoons. Stir half the chopped coriander into the gravy.
Transfer the chicken thighs to the gravy, skin side up, cover the pan and leave them to simmer for 5 minutes, or until they are cooked through and tender. Adjust the seasoning with salt, if necessary. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped ginger and chopped coriander, and serve.
Lamb with Cardamom and Yogurt
Lamb Dhaniwal Korma
The delicious flavour of cardamom mixed with lamb and yogurt makes the perfect curry! Photo: Mike Cooper
This is a favourite recipe of mine. Cardamom is the important flavour here, so make sure you have a fresh supply of green cardamom pods or ground cardamom before cooking. Naans or pilau rice is the ideal accompaniment to serve with this.
SERVES 4
Ingredients
600g boneless lamb rump or neck fillet
2.5cm piece of fresh ginger
6 green cardamom pods
3 garlic cloves
1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves
3 tablespoons Onion Paste (recipe below)
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon red chilli powder, or to taste
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
250ml water, plus an extra
2 teaspoons
small pinch of saffron threads
2 tablespoons Greek-style yogurt
fresh coriander leaves
½ lemon
sea salt
Method
Assemble all the ingredients and equipment before you begin. You need a large heavy-based, nonstick saucepan with a lid.
Cut the lamb into bite-sized pieces, trimming and discarding any fat. Peel and finely chop the ginger. Lightly crush the cardamom pods to release the seeds. Peel and thinly slice the garlic cloves.
Heat the vegetable oil over a medium-high heat in the saucepan. Add the cardamom pods with the seeds and the cloves and stir until they crackle. Add the ginger and garlic and stir to flavour the oil, making sure the garlic doesn't over-brown.
Add the onion paste and continue stirring for 30 seconds until it begins to 'loosen', again watching closely so it doesn't burn. Turn the heat to very low and stir in the ground coriander, chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric and black pepper, and continue stirring for 30 seconds–1 minute to cook the spices.
Stir in the lamb, increase the heat to high and stir until it is browned on all sides and coated in the spice mixture. It's important to watch closely so nothing burns at this point. Stir in 250ml of the water and the saffron. Season with salt and bring to the boil, stirring.
Reduce the heat, cover the pan and leave the lamb to simmer for 10 minutes, or until it is tender. Top up the liquid, if necessary, so the lamb is always submerged.
Meanwhile, mix the yogurt and remaining 2 teaspoons of water together. Rinse and finely chop enough coriander leaves to make about 2 tablespoons. Squeeze 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.
When the lamb is tender, stir the yogurt mixture into the pan. Add the lemon juice and adjust the seasoning with salt, if necessary, then stir in the chopped coriander to serve.
Prawn and Coconut Curry
Narkol Chengri Moli
Prawn and Coconut Curry: here's some almost-instant sunshine in a bowl from the Bengali coastal region. Photo: Mike Cooper
SERVES 4
Ingredients
500g raw peeled tiger prawns
3 green cardamom pods
fresh coriander leaves
1 tablespoon ghee or vegetable oil
2 cloves
1 dried bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon Onion Paste (recipe below)
½ teaspoon red chilli powder, or to taste
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
250ml coconut milk
sea salt
Assemble all the ingredients and equipment before you begin. You need a large sauté or frying pan with a lid.
Remove and discard the prawn tails, if necessary. Lightly crush the cardamom pods to loosen the seeds. Rinse and chop enough coriander leaves to make about 1 tablespoon.
Melt the ghee over a medium-high heat in the pan. Add the cardamom pods and the seeds, the cloves, bay leaf and cinnamon stick, and stir until the spices crackle. Add the onion paste and stir it into the oil for 30 seconds. Add the chilli powder and turmeric and stir for 30 seconds to cook the spices. Watch closely so they do not burn.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the prawns and coconut milk. Season with salt and continue stirring for 30 seconds, or until the prawns turn pink on both sides. Take care not to over-cook the prawns.
Adjust the seasoning with salt, if necessary, and stir in the chopped coriander just before serving.
Onion Paste
MAKES ABOUT 600G
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
500g onions, coarsely chopped
100g (about 6 tablespoons) Ginger-Garlic Paste (page 220)
1 teaspoon sea salt
Method
Heat the oil over a medium-high heat in a large sauté or frying pan that is ideally non-stick. Add the onions, the ginger-garlic paste and salt, and stir frequently for 25 minutes, or until the onions are browned. Watch carefully towards the end of cooking so the mixture doesn't catch and burn, which can happen very quickly. If they do burn, you'll have to throw them out and start over – there isn't any way to rescue them.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor while it's still warm and blitz to a fine paste. Leave to cool completely, then store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 weeks, or freeze for up to 3 months.