Spicy cauliflower, pea and spinach vindaloo

 

This is a very tasty way of getting a lot of different vegetables into a meal: I've used cauliflower, peas and spinach but you can throw pretty much anything you have in the fridge into this curry.

For around four people you will need:

Half a head or so of cauliflower, washed and broken into pieces

A cup of frozen peas

A cup or two of washed spinach leaves 

2 tablespoons of ghee

1 red onion, finely chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1-2 green chillies, finely chopped

1 stalk of curry leaves, omit if you don't have any

2 teaspoons of vindaloo masala

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of sugar

3 tomatoes, blended, or a tin of diced tomatoes

2-3 teaspoons of vinegar

Heat the ghee and fry the onions gently for 15 minutes until they are lovely and soft and caramelised.  It's really important to fry the onions well at this stage.  Add the curry leaves, garlic and green chilli and fry for another few minutes until the garlic smells cooked.

Add the vindaloo masala, and the tomato, bit by bit, stirring between each addition - you want to build up a thick glossy gravy slowly.  Once the tomato is added, add the cauliflower and peas, and a bit of water or stock to top up the gravy.  Simmer for 20 minutes or so, then add the salt, sugar and vinegar, tasting the curry to make sure you have the balance of flavours right.

Stir in the spinach leaves and serve with hot white rice.

 

Amazingly easy palak paneer

 

Paneer is so easy to make once you try it you won't ever buy it again.

To make a small ball of paneer around 250 grams in weight (to feed 4-6 in a curry), you will need:

3 litres of full cream milk

1/3 a cup of vinegar (apple cider or white vinegar is fine, you can even use lemon juice)

1 teaspoon of salt

Heat the milk in a large pan on the stove until it boils, stirring well.  To flavour the paneer, we added a teaspoon of red chilli flakes and a teaspoon of cumin seeds.  When the milk is bubbling and rises, pour in the vinegar and keep stirring. The milk will start to curdle really quickly.  Stir and stir until the whey has fully separated and is almost clear.  Turn off the heat.

Place a piece of muslin or cheesecloth into a large strainer in the sink and quickly pour in the curdled milk.  Drain away all the liquid, and squeeze the solids in the muslin into a small ball.  Keeping it wrapped in the cloth, place it on a plate or in a bowl with another plate on top of it and a heavy weight to weigh it down.  Keep it pressed for half an hour or so, then unwrap - you should be delighted to find a solid ball of cheese. 

To make paneer and spinach curry for 3-4 people, you will need:

One portion of homemade paneer, cubed

2 tablespoons of ghee or oil

1 heaped teaspoon of my vindaloo masala (or any good curry powder)

1 large tomato, blended or finely chopped

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

1 large bag of washed spinach leaves

salt and a bit of sugar to taste

To make your curry, heat the oil in a heavy pan.  Add the vindaloo masala powder, tomato and tomato paste and stir well until you have a glossy and shiny curry paste.  Throw in the spinach leaves and stir for a minute or so, then gently add the paneer.  From here on stir gently so as not to break up the paneer.  Add salt to taste, and a bit of sugar if you need it. Add a bit more water to form as much gravy as you prefer - we eat it as quite a dry dish.

Chick pea vindaloo

 

I am so gloriously happy to see the last day of winter finally come round, albeit a wet, cold and windy one.  Spring is nearly here!  I have made myself the hottest possible vindaloo for lunch and am going to dream about the sun while I'm eating it.  This recipe uses my hand roasted, small batch vindaloo masala, an all natural mix of dried chillies, turmeric, cumin seeds, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and black pepper.  If you haven't got your hands on some, try and use another good quality vindaloo masala. 

For 4 people you will need:

2-3 tablespoons of oil

2-3 big tomatoes, blended or grated into a pulp

1 large clove of garlic, crushed

1 green chilli, sliced down the middle

2 heaped teaspoons of vindaloo masala powder

2 tins of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or substitute kidney beans, black eyed beans or cannelini beans, alternatively you can also use vegetables)

A cup of stock

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 a teaspoon of sugar

1 heaped teaspoon of tamarind paste

To make the curry, heat the oil in a heavy saucepan and gently fry the garlic and green chilli for a minute or so until it starts to smell cooked, then add the pulpy tomatoes and stir, followed by the vindaloo powder.  Stir-fry on medium heat until the tomato starts to reduce and the mixture becomes thick and glossy.  At this point add the drained chickpeas, half to a cup of stock, the salt and sugar and the tamarind paste.  Gently cook for 15-20 minutes until the curry reduces nicely, adding a bit more stock to top up the gravy as you go and at the end to achieve the consistency of gravy you like.  Taste for salt, sugar and the right balance of flavours at the end and serve with some baby spinach leaves tossed through, and or some fresh coriander.

Vegetable vindaloo

 

This spicy vindaloo delivers all the flavour you need to feel like you've treated yourself, but is full of healthy vegetables and spices and is just the perfect way to start a meatless Monday.  I tend to always make my vindaloo with meat, and this was a surprisingly nice change that will stay on my weekly menu. 

For 3-4 people you will need:

4 tablespoons of oil

2 large tomatoes

3 cloves of garlic

1-2 green chillies

2 heaped teaspoons of vindaloo masala

1/2 a teaspoon of salt

1/2 a teaspoon of sugar

500 grams or about 5 medium potatoes, 150-200 grams of green beans (you can use any combination of veggies)

A cup of stock

1-2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar

Get started by blending the chilli and tomatoes to a paste, or chopping/grating them very finely.  Set aside, and heat the oil in a large pot, then add the crushed garlic and fry for a minute or so until it starts to smell cooked (but doesn't burn).  Add the tomato and chilli mixture, the vindaloo masala and the sugar and salt.  On medium heat fry for a few minutes, you want the tomato to reduce and the oil to separate to the point the mixture looks like a glossy thick paste.  

At this point add your chopped up vegetables, a cup of stock, turn the heat down and cover and cook until the veggies are done, stirring occasionally.  When everything is cooked, taste the curry and add salt/and or sugar, plus 1-2 teaspoons of white vinegar to taste - you want the flavour of salt, sugar and vinegar to balance nicely.

Serve with hot white rice and roti.