This is my own easy curry recipe. It has developed over years of trying different ones. 

By easy I mean without roasting and grinding your own spices. It uses a pre-made spice mix called tandoori masala. Although you can always make your own.

I find the tamarind paste gives it a lovely zing, and the curry leaves lend a depth of flavour.  Again the paste is pre-made, so you could leave this out.

I have tried this with both fresh and tinned tomatoes and I don’t think there’s much of a difference. As peeling tomatoes can be annoying I recommend using the tinned version in this case!

Ingredients

From the garden:

Also:

  • 3 tbsp oil
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • thumb size piece of root ginger, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tsp tandoori masala
  • 2-3 green finger chillies, chopped
  • 6 tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or 400g tin of chopped tomatoes)
  • 5 cardamon pods (optional)
  • 1 tsp tamarind paste (optional)
  • 6 curry leaves (optional)
  • 400 ml water

Method

  • Heat a tbsp of oil in a wok or large frying pan to a high heat, and fry the courgettes until they’re brown. Put them into a bowl and set aside. You can skip this step if you don’t have time.
  • Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok at a high temperature for 2 mins. Add the onions and cook until they are soft and translucent, and are golden brown at the edges.
  • Turn the heat down to medium. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 2 minutes, making sure not to burn it.
  • Add the salt, turmeric, tandoori masala and mix everything together. Cook for a few more minutes.
  • Add the chillies, tomatoes, vegetables, potatoes and all the optional ingredients if using. Cook together for 5 minutes.
  • Add the water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Once it has reduced to a sauce, cover with a lid for the remaining time.

Serve

  • Serve with fresh coriander, natural yoghurt (or home made raita), cucumber, a lemon wedge, and rice or naan bread.
  • Add toasted cashews/almonds/seeds for a crunch.

Try with

  • Squash, pumpkin, cauliflower: Use the same timings.
  • Aubergine, mushrooms: Always fry them first on a high heat with a little salt.
  • Okra: Make sure they are dry before cooking. Chop into pieces and fry for around 10 mins first, until cooked. Set aside and add again 10 mins before end of cooking.
  • Chicken legs/thighs/wings: Simmer for at least 30 minutes in total.
  • Chicken breast: Fry first for around 10 minutes until just- cooked, then set aside and add right at the end.
  • Diced lamb: Add 100ml more water, simmer for at least an hour (preferably two), and add the potatoes twenty minutes before the end.