Lentil Curry

Ingredients

50g (3 tbsp) butter , unsalted (sub 2 tbsp neutral oil)
4 garlic cloves , finely minced (Note 1)
1.5 tbsp ginger , finely minced (Note 1)
1 onion , finely chopped (white, yellow, brown)
2 tbsp curry powder , mild or spicy (your choice!) (Note 2)
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper , optional
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup dried lentils , green or brown (or any other dried lentils or split peas, Note 3)
400 ml / 14 oz coconut milk , full fat
400g/ 14 oz canned tomato , crushed or diced
3 cups (750 ml) water

Serving:
1/2 cup coriander/cilantro , finely chopped
Yogurt , optional
Basmati rice (or other rice)

Instructions

1. Saute onion: Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger. Slowly cook, stirring every now and then, for 10 minutes until tinged with gold and the onion is sweet.
2. Cook off spices: Turn heat up to high, add curry powder and turmeric, stir for 1 1/2 minutes.
3. Add everything else: Add remaining ingredients and stir. Bring to simmer, then place lid on and adjust heat to low / medium low so it's simmering gently.
4. Simmer: Simmer for 30 minutes, then remove lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes to reduce the sauce. {Note 2 for cook times of other lentils} 
5. Lentils should be soft, sauce should be thickened and creamy. Too thick, add water. Too thin, simmer with lid off - thickens quickly.
6. Coriander: Stir through half the coriander, then taste and add more salt if needed.
7. Serve over basmati rice, sprinkled with more coriander and a dollop of yogurt. (Low carb option - cauliflower rice).

Notes
1. Garlic and ginger - while fresh is ideal (followed by jarred), powder is a sufficient substitute - use 1 tsp of each and add with curry powder.
2. Curry powder - I use Clives of India, Keens, and a generic brand and all tasted the same. The beauty of this recipe is that you don't need any fancy curry powder, just your run-of-the-mill jar from the grocery store.
3. Lentils - use any dried lentils or canned here, or split peas (will result in an an interesting colour in your pot, but it will still be phenomenally delicious!).
NOTE: Age of lentils will affect cook times. Very old dried lentils can take double the cook time. Just keep adding water until it is cooked. Cook times provided are packets purchased within the past few months from a grocery store (ie not super fresh but not extremely old).

COOK TIMES:
Green and brown lentils - most common & cheapest, cook per recipe
Canned lentils (2 cans drained) - 25 min, uncovered the whole time
Red split lentils - 25 min, uncovered the whole time
Yellow or green split peas - 25 min, uncovered the whole time
Any dal (Indian lentils) such as channa dal, toor dal or moong dal - per recipe
French lentils (Puy lentils / black lentils) - not recommended as they don't soften as well as other lentils so you won't get the same creamy, thick texture.

4. Storage - will keep in fridge for up to 5 days, and in freezer for 3 months (thaw, heat, give it a good stir and it will be as good as new. Use water to thin slightly if needed.)

5. Nutrition per serving, excluding rice.
Nutrition
Calories: 414cal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 782mg | Potassium: 865mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 544IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 7mg

Butter Chicken (Thermomix)

Ingredients

Cauliflower ‘Rice’
800g cauliflower, (cut into small florets)

Butter Chicken
4 garlic cloves
3cm fresh ginger, peeled
1 long red chilli, deseeded and halved
1 brown onion, halved
100g ghee or coconut oil
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground paprika
3 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cardamom
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground turmeric
500g coconut cream
3 Tbsp lemon juice
200g tomato paste
3 tsp sea salt
1 kg chicken thigh fillets, cut into 3-5cm pieces (or up to 1.3kg for TM5 or stovetop)

Thermomix Method

1. Place cauliflower florets into TM bowl, and chop 10 sec/speed 5, or until ‘rice’ sized pieces. Place into Varoma dish, poking a hole in the centre to let the steam through. Set aside. Wash and dry TM bowl.
2. Place garlic, ginger, and chilli into TM bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 7.
3. Add onion and chop 2 sec/speed 5. Scrape down sides with spatula.
4. Add ghee or coconut oil, cinnamon, paprika, garam masala, cardamom, coriander, cumin, and turmeric, and cook 5 min/100/speed soft. Loosen mixture from sides and base of bowl with spatula.
5. Add coconut cream, lemon juice, tomato paste, salt and chicken to TM bowl. Place Varoma dish into position, and cook 25 min/Varoma/reverse/speed soft. Cauliflower rice will steam above, as butter chicken cooks below. Check cauliflower is cooked - if not, add another 5 mins/Varoma/reverse/speed soft.
6. Place cauliflower rice into a serving dish, and butter chicken into a separate dish.
7. Serve butter chicken and cauliflower rice with steamed vegetables or a salad.

Stovetop Method

1. Process cauliflower in a food processor until chopped into rice sized pieces. Set aside.
2. Chop onion, garlic, ginger and chilli by hand, then saute in a heavy based saucepan with ghee or coconut oil, until soft.
3. Add remaining ingredients and simmer gently, covered, for 20 mins or until chicken is cooked through and sauce is beginning to thicken. Stir now and then.
4. While chicken cooks, fry cauliflower rice in a frying pan with some ghee or coconut oil, for 15 mins or until soft.

Notes

• Vegetarian Version: Replace chicken with vegetables such as sweet potato, pumpkin, cauliflower and peas and cook for 20 mins in sauce, or until done. Can add chick peas also if you like.
• Freezes well. Store for up to 4 months in the freezer.

Chicken Briyani

Ingredients

To Blend
1 small onion
1 inch ginger
4 green chillies

6 cashew nuts
10 golden raisins
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp salt

1 kg chicken
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup onions, sliced
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/4 Tbsp briyani masala

1 Tbsp salt
3 cardamoms
8 peppercorns
4 cloves
2 small cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves
2 cups basmati rice
1 tsp rose water
1 tsp kewra water
1 tsp ghee
1/2 cup hot milk
1 tsp range food colouring (optional)

Method

1. Marinate chicken in blended ingredients for at least 30 minutes.
2. Fry sliced onions in oil in high heat until brown then set aside half.
3. In same pan with fried onions, add marinated chicken & fry.
4. Then add chili powder & briyani masala & saute for 5 minutes, then cover & cook for 25 minutes at low heat.
5. To cook the briyani rice, soak the basmati rice for 30 minutes. Then add salt, cardamom, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon sticks & bay leaves to a pot of boiling water and add the basmati rice & give it a stir. Cook for 5 mins at high heat. Then strain the rice.
6. Add rose water & kewra water to the chicken & stir. Cook the chicken until the gravy is reduced, then add the prunes & the rice & pour the ghee & hot milk over the rice. Add the reserved friend onions & food colouring.
7. Cook for 20 mins at the lowest heat.
8. Stir before serving.

Chicken Vindaloo

Ingredients 

20 Red dried Kashmiri Chillies 

1 inch stick of cinnamon 

6 cloves 

1 tsp cumin seeds 

1/4 tsp black mustard seeds 

10 peppercorns 

1/2 tsp turmeric 

6 cloves garlic 

1 inch stick of ginger 

1/4 cup Goa vinegar sub Red Wine Vinegar or Malt Vinegar 

1 kg 2.2 pounds bone in Chicken thigh meat 

1 cup ground Onion 

1 cup pureed Tomato 

8 oz Water 

Instructions 

1. Add the masala to the Chicken and this needs to be marinated and left in the fridge for 24 hours. 
2. Puree one cup of red onion. 
3. Heat some oil and saute the onion paste and cook this for a few minutes to cook off all the raw onion taste. 
4. Add the chicken and and all the red masala marinade. 
5. Give it a really good stir, cover and allow to cook. 
6. Add the tomato puree and the water. 
7. Add salt to taste, cover and cook on low for 30 – 40 minutes till the chicken is done. 
8. Add more water as the gravy starts to thicken if required.

Lentil (Dahl) Curry (Thermomix)

Difficulty : easy

Preparation time : 20 min
Total time : 30 min
Serving size : 6 portions

Ingredients
200 g dried red lentils
500 g water
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 pandan leaf, tied in a knot
60 g coconut cream
60 g oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
1 red onion, quartered
1 garlic clove
2 bird's eye chillies, fresh, deseeded if preferred
3 fresh curry leaves
1 tomato, diced (1 cm)

Preparation

1. Place simmering basket on mixing bowl lid and weigh in lentils. Rinse lentils until water runs clear.
2. Place rinsed lentils, water, salt, turmeric and pandan leaf in mixing bowl then cook 12 min/100°C/Reverse Spin/speed (Stir Ladle).
3. Add coconut cream and heat 3 min/80°C/Reverse Spin/speed (Stir Ladle). Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm. Clean mixing bowl.
4. Place oil in mixing bowl and heat 1 min/Varoma/speed 1.
5. Remove measuring cup and heat again 1 min/Varoma/speed 1, while adding mustard, cumin and fenugreek seeds through hole in mixing bowl lid.
6. Add onion, garlic and chillies then chop 4 sec/speed 4. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula.
7. Add curry leaves and sauté 2 min/Varoma/Reverse Spin/speed 2.
8. Add tomato and cook 2 min/Varoma/Reverse Spin/speed 2. Pour mixture over cooked dahl and stir to combine. Serve warm.

Kufli

Ingredients:

1 litre full fat milk
200 ml condensed milk
1 pinch of saffron
2 teaspoons milk
1 tablespoon pistachios (chopped)

Method:

1. Put 1 litre milk in a large heavy-based saucepan and place pan on medium high heat till the milk boils
2. Reduce heat and let the milk simmer uncovered, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon
3. Cook the milk till it is reduced to almost half, stirring all the time
4. This is essential to stop the milk from scorching and to prevent skin forming on the milk
5. As the milk reduces, you will notice a thick creamy residue sticking to the sides of the pan. Scrape this back into the milk and stir to dissolve
6. When the milk is reduced to half, take it off the heat and cool slightly. Stir at intervals to prevent skin from forming
7. When the evaporated milk is somewhat cooled, add the condensed milk and stir vigorously to mix completely
8. Soak the saffron strands in 2 teaspoons of warm milk. Add this to the milk mixture while it is still warm and mix gently
9. Finally add the chopped pistachios and stir once more to mix
10. Cool the kulfi mix completely and then pour into kulfi moulds and secure the airtight caps. This quantity is enough for 5 medium sized moulds or 4 large sized ones. If you don't have kulfi moulds, pour the mixture into a container with an airtight lid and smooth top. Snap on the lid
11. Freeze in refrigerator freezer for 4-6 hours
12. Take out of the freezer 5-7 minutes before serving
13. Unmould the kulfi and serve with some chopped pistachios on top.