Indian Home Cooking Recipes – Balti; Pokoras; Tarka Dhal;
Our cookery classes are as much about learning to cook as they are a sociable experience. We hope you enjoyed your evening and are ready to recreate the meals at home. The recipes work really well as delicious dinners and make a great combination for dinner party ideas.
You Cooked:
- Chicken Balti
- Tarka Dhal
- Lamb and Spinach Handi
- Pokoras
- Chipattis
Chicken Balti
Ingredients:
- – ½ kg of chicken breast (cubed)
- – 2 onions (peeled & chopped)
- – ½ tin of chopped tomatoes or 3 chopped tomatoes
- – 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- – 2 bay leaves
- – 1 green chilli (or to taste) (chopped)
- – 4 garlic cloves (peeled & chopped)
- – ½ inch piece of ginger finely chopped
- – 3 black cardamom seeds
- – 2 tbsp. of natural yogurt
- – ½ tsp. of garam masala
- – ½ tsp. of chilli powder
- – ½ tsp. of paprika
- – 1 tbs. of tomato puree
- – ½ tsp. of salt
- – ½ tsp. of coriander powder
- – ½ tsp. of cumin powder
- – 3 tbsp. of cooking oil
- – 1 tbsp. of fresh coriander leaves (chopped)
Method:
- Add the oil to the pan, once its heated add the onions and brown them slightly on medium heat.
- Add the garlic, ginger and red pepper and fry for about five minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato puree and cook for about ten minutes.
- Add the spices and fry for about five minutes.
- Once the mixture has thickened and formed a sauce like consistency add the chicken.
- Once the chicken begins to cook add the yogurt.
- Cook on medium heat stirring slowly until the water has dried and the oil begins to separate in the sauce.
- Once the oil separates, add a bit of water if you want a sauce.
- Cook for about 5 minutes until you see a glow.
- Now sprinkle with fresh coriander.
Tarka Dhal
Ingredients:
- – 1 cup red split lentils
- – ½ cup of moong lentils
- – 3 cups water
- – 1 teaspoon salt
- – 1 large onion chopped
- – 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- – 3 tablespoon melted ghee or oil
- – ½ tsp of turmeric
- – 1 tsp of red chili
- – 1 tsp of ground coriander
- – 1tsp of ground cumin
- – ½ teaspoon garam masala
- – 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander
Method:
- Wash the lentils in several changes of water or until the water starts to run clear.
- Put the lentils into a saucepan with the water and bring to the boil.
- Turn the heat down and simmer uncovered for twenty minutes skimming off the froth that collects at the top. Now add the ground cumin, turmeric, ground coriander, salt, garam masala and chilli powder. Mix everything together.
- Partly cover the pan and leave to cook until the lentils become soft, stirring now and again. (about 45 minutes)
- The cooked lentils should have a pale yellow soup like mixture.
- While the dhal is cooking fry the onion in oil/ ghee until slightly brown.
- Now add the garlic and fry until onions are pale brown. Be careful not to burn the garlic as this will add a bad flavor to the dish.
- Stir the onion mixture into the cooked lentils. Serve hot sprinkled with fresh chopped coriander.
Lamb and Spinach Handi
Ingredients:
- – 500 g of boneless lamb
- – 500g of chopped spinach, fresh or frozen (defrost if frozen)
- – 1 tsp. of coriander powder
- – 1 tsp. of cumin powder
- – ½ to 1 tsp. of chilli powder
- – ½ tsp. of turmeric
- – ½ tsp paprika
- – ½ to 1 tsp. of salt.
- – 5 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped
- – 1 tsp chopped fresh ginger
- – 2 medium size chopped tomatoes or 200 g of tinned tomatoes
- – 2 medium sized chopped onions.
- – 1 cup of water
- – Vegetable oil or ghee about 3 tablespoons
Method:
- Add the oil to the pan, once heated add the chopped onions and soften for a few minutes.
- Add the cumin, coriander, chilli powder, turmeric, salt, garlic, ginger and the tomatoes. Cook for couple of minutes.
- Add the lamb and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add a cup of water to the pan and simmer for about 45 minutes.
- When the lamb is almost 80% cooked remove the lid and stir fry it on medium heat Continue to stir-fry until meat is well browned, takes about 20 minutes, at this point the oil/butter should begin to separate.
- Add the spinach and stir-fry it until the water has dried out, and the spinach and lamb are cooked through. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with boiled rice, naan or chapatti.
Pokoras
Ingredients:
- – 200g/ 9oz of gram flour
- – ½ tsp of chilli powder
- – ½ tsp pomegranate powder
- – ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda/baking powder
- – salt
- – 1 egg
- – 1 tsp ground cumin
- – 1 tsp ground coriander
- – 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
- – other vegetables of your choice, 1 potato, hand full of spinach, or peas
- – 1 green chilli, finely chopped
- – 50g / 2oz finely chopped fresh coriander
- – cold water to mix
- – vegetable oil for deep frying
Method:
- Mix the flour, chilli powder, pomegranate powder, cumin, coriander and baking powder/bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped coriander, onions, egg and green chilli and mix well. Gradually add the water little bit at a time and mix to make a batter of medium consistency. Leave the mixture to stand for about 30 minutes.
- Add the salt and stir well.
- Preheat the deep fat fryer to 180ºC / 350ºF. or use a wok or Karahi for frying.
- When the oil is hot, very carefully drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil and fry until golden brown.
- Drain well on kitchen paper and serve hot with yogurt or ketchup.
Chipattis
Ingredients:
- – 1 cup of chapati flour (you can also use wholemeal flour or any other wheat flour)
- – 65 ml of warm water
Method:
- Prepare the dough by mixing together ½ cup of water with wheat flour. Slowly add the rest of the water kneading in between.
- Knead for 5 – 10 minutes.
- Put the dough to one side for about 45 minutes if possible and knead again and set aside until needed.
- Place your tawa or frying pan on a medium heat.
- Take some dough and make a ball about the size of a small apple.
- On a lightly floured surface/worktop, use a floured rolling pin to roll out the ball of dough into a thin chapati.
- Place the chapati onto the hot tawa/frying pan.
- Once it changes colour flip it over and cook both sides of the chapati. If necessary, you can flip it over again.
- Once cooked place it in foil to keep warm. Make the rest of the chapatis in the same way.
- You can butter them if you wish.
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