Month: May 2026

Beef curry in the oven

This is a very easy recipe from ‘Curry Easy’ – a regular source of inspiration. I made a smaller version than the recipe in the book. I served it with rice and a side serving courgettes, sliced into finger-sized lengths, quickly fried and sprinkled with salt, pepper, coriander, a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, 

INGREDIENTS:

  • vegetable oil
  • 3 green cardamom pods
  • a stick of cinnamon
  • 450 to 500g diced beef, in large chunks
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 200ml plain unsweetened yoghurt, whipped to smoothness
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt

METHOD: 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C
  • Heat the oil in a casserole pan, and add the cardamom and cinnamon for a few seconds, before adding the meat, and stirring to ensure that each side is browned. Transfer the browned meat to a bowl .
  • Add the onions and cumin seeds to the casserole pan, and fry over a medium heat until the onions are beginning to brown.
  • Add the meat back to the pan along with the coriander, ginger, cayenne pepper and salt, then stir in the yoghurt. 
  • Cover the casserole dish and bake in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes. Madhur Jaffrey suggests covering the dish with tin foil before putting the lid on, and this will keep the moisture in more effectively. 

 

Persian Chicken in a tomato sauce

This is a simple dish on its own, best served with rice or fried potatoes, or even chips. The main recipe I tried was from ‘Nightingales and Roses‘, one of my favourite sources for ideas. I made a smaller version than the one in the recipe book. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • Vegetable oil or ghee
  • Jointed chicken, around 600g
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 3 tbsp concentrated tomato paste
  • 250ml stock or water
  • Juice of 1/2 a lime (or to taste)

METHOD:

  • Heat the oil in a casserole pan, and sear the chicken pieces until golden on all sides. Remove these from the pan and set aside
  • In the same oil, fry the onion until it is beginning to brown, before adding the turmeric, salt and pepper, and the tomato paste. Stir to combine and heat through for a minute or so, before adding the stock and bringing to a simmer.
  • Add the chicken back to the pan, cover with a lid, and leave to simmer slowly for 30 minutes. 
  • At the end of cooking, remove the lid, and add the lime juice to taste. Simmer for another 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked and tender. 

 

Kuku-ye Lubiya Sabz – Persian bean and potato fritata

This Persian dish is delicious hot or cold; a slice is excellent in a packed lunch, equally good as part of a lavish spread of food, as a side dish. There are a lot of traditional kuku recipes in Persian cookery, depending on seasonal vegetables. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • vegetable oil
  • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced, and then rinsed in cold water and drained
  • 600g green beans, chopped into short segments
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 6 large eggs, lightly beaten

METHOD:

  • Heat some oil in a large non-stick frying pan or wok, and cook the potato cubes over a medium heat for around 10 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oil and set aside. 
  • Fry the beans and diced carrots in the same oil for around 10 minutes or until they are starting to brown at the edges. Remove from the oil and leave to cool. 
  • Preheat the oven to 200C. While the oven is heating up, mix the salt, baking powder, spices and flour. In another bowl, mix the vegetables with the eggs, mix well and sprinkle in the flour and spice mixture. Stir the ingredients togehter
  • Oil a flan dish or other oven-safe dish, and then put it in the hot oven for a couple of minutes to heat the oil up. When it is really hot, take it from the oven and pour in the egg mixture, smoothing it level with a spatula. 
  • Bake for around 30 minutes, until the top is golden. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes before cutting into servings.