I’m a massive fan of a good curry, although it’s not something I cook on a regular basis at home. There are some excellent and ambitious restaurants opening up around the country that show just how fabulous and diverse Indian food can be.
Having said that, I’ll happily dig in to a lurid chicken tikka masala as keenly as the next man. I sop up the remnants from the foil container with my peshwari naan, and the sauce inevitably slips onto my shirt.
I’ve even relished the leftovers for breakfast, the flavour hit is the perfect foil for a seedy head. I slurp it in before anyone catches me. It’s not unusual for another shirt to bite the dust. I’m as messy as a toddler.
These recipes are entirely different. The chicken dish is adapted from Pat Chapman, a chef and author who founded The Curry Club in the UK. I have a book of his, dating from the 1990s. This is a gem of a recipe. It resembles a korma, so it’s a crowd pleaser. The saffron is optional, but lovely. There’s a bit of spice action going on, but if you don’t have them all don’t worry, it’ll be lovely all the same.
The lamb vindaloo comes courtesy of our friends Jane and James. Jane did our flowers when we opened up the restaurant 25 years ago. They invited us to dinner when everybody else was afraid to have a chef to the house. Over the years we’ve had lots of good times together.
This is one of the dishes from many years ago, I still remember it. It’s not as hot as you might think, but if you are worried just omit the chilli. It’s a bit of a hybrid but it works. Eat it with naan bread and mango yoghurt to cool it down. You can buy frozen cubes of mango in the supermarket, I’m never without them.
While not a curry, this egg dish is easy and delicious. The tarka refers to a method of cooking the whole spices. Leave the egg runny so it lubricates the potatoes underneath.
Recipe: Bangladeshi chicken rezala
Recipe: Pulled lamb vindaloo with mango yoghurt
Recipe: Potato tarka, chilli fried egg
