Bengali Potato Curry

This sweet potato curry is dead easy to make and tastes amazing. You can use the panch phoran that was in my last post. Quick, nutritious and delicious, this is ideal for a quick dinner or lunch.

Should serve two people (or one very hungry person). 

You will need: 

• A few tablespoons of oil
• 1 teaspoon of panch phoran
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 2 cloves of garlic
• About 400g of sweet potatoes, chopped
• A pinch of coriander
• A squeeze of lemon or lime
• Salt

Bengali Five Spice (Panch Phoron)

Panch Poron (literally 'five spices') is another Indian spice mix which is easy to make and makes a real difference to curries. Try it in place of garam masala, it tastes lovely!

There is no need to grind this mix but I'm sure it would be just as nice if you wanted to, it would save you getting a big taste of one of the spices when you bite in to one.

You need:

• 2 tablespoons of fenugreek
• 2 tablespoons of nigella seeds
• 2 tablespoons of mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons of fennel seeds
• 2 tablespoons of cumin seeds

Potato Stuffed Paratha (Indian Bread)

I make this all the time, it so tasty and very filling. It's makes a great lunch or accompaniment to a curry.

The finished paratha!

You need:

• Chapati dough
• A few potatoes
• 1 small onion, chopped finely
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped finely
• Half a teaspoon of grated ginger
• 1 chilli (or as much as you think you can take)
• 1 teaspoon of garam masala
• ¼ – ½ teaspoon turmeric
• salt to taste
• Cilantro/coriander (optional)

Long Green Bean Curry

I made this last night and it was delicious. It one of the quickest curries to make that I've ever seen or made yet it tastes very fresh and is packed full of flavour. Unfortunately, as usual, I had nearly eaten it all before I thought taking a photograph for this blog but I'm sure I will cook it again soon so hopefully, sooner or later, there will be some pictures to accompany the recipe. This would be a fantastic starter or a quick lunch.

You need:

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 tablespoon of oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 onion
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
2 or 3 handfuls of long green beans, chopped
2 or 3 small tomatoes
A squeeze of lime/lemon
salt to taste

Naan Bread

A perfect addition to a curry, or any other meal really, this naan bread is very easy to make and quick to cook. There is no yeast so it is doesn't take long to make at all.

You will need:

250g flour
120ml milk
a couple of tablespoons of oil
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
Plus whatever you want to put on as a topping


In a big mixing bowl mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Make a well in the centre, add the oil and slowly start adding the milk by bringing in more and more flour from the side. Eventually you should have a smooth and soft dough, if it is too wet then add some more flour or if it is too dry add some more milk.

Want a Curry? Make your own Garam Masala

Why would I want to make my own garam masala I hear you ask. Well, garam masala is not available where I live so I thought I would try to make my own as I could get hold of most of the spices individually. It actually turned out to be the best thing I've ever discovered as far as curry making goes, the freshly roasted and ground spices taste so much better than the ready mixed-packets you can buy and this makes such a difference with the dishes you cook with it. And the best thing about it is that it is so easy to do.

In a dry frying pan (no oil!) add the following spices and dry fry for a good few minutes. The spices will give off aromas so fry them until you can smell them well and they are starting to take colour.

• 1 tablespoon of cardamon seeds (break open and extract from the pods if that's what you buy)
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 2 sticks of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• about 1/2 of a whole nutmeg

Chapatis

These are so easy to make and go really well with any curry.

You will need: 

1 cup of flour (traditionally wholemeal but white also works very well)
Water
A pinch of salt
A few drops of oil

• Start by putting the flour in to a bowl and add the salt and oil.
  
  
• Add some water and mix in with the flour and start to create a dough. If it seems too wet add some flour or if it is too dry add some more water.
  
  

• Knead the dough for about 5 minutes then leave in the bowl for 15-30 minutes. You can rub a little oil over the surface to prevent drying out/skin if you leave it for a while.  

Tarka Dal

Dals are amazing - they're tasty, nutritious, cheap, quick to cook, and they can be as simple or complex as you care to make them. They are also great for vegetarians as lentils are full of protein.

This recipe is probably the simplest recipe around but it tastes amazing and can be done in no time at all. All the ingredients should be available in your supermarkets but I would urge you to go to independent local shops. Most towns have Asian grocery stores and the ingredients needed for this will probably be cheaper (and fresher) in these.

Cooking time: 15-20mins
Serves two people.

What you will need:

1 cup red lentils/split peas
2-3 cups water (depending on the texture you like)
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1 or 2 tablespoons of oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
A few curry leaves (fresh if you can get them but dried work also work)
Salt to taste (a pinch should be enough)