Eight easy Indian recipes from Chetna Makan 

By CHETNA MAKAN FOR YOU MAGAZINE

Published: | Updated:

SPINACH PANEER CURRY Palak paneer

I have shared versions of this before, but every so often you cook a recipe with variations and it turns into something extra special. This time I’ve made it in a style similar to what you find in restaurants in India. I hope you love it!

SERVES 4

  • 400g fresh spinach
  • 40g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
  • 10g fresh mint, leaves only
  • 200ml water
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2.5cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 green chilli, finely chopped
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 1 tomato, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 400g paneer, cubed
  • 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi, available from souschef.co.uk)
  • 2 tbsp double cream
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

For the tadka

  • 4 tbsp ghee
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes

1 Put the spinach, coriander and mint in a pan, pour in the water, then cover and cook for 5 minutes until wilted. Blitz to a purée in a food processor.

2 Heat the sunflower oil in a large pan and add the cumin seeds. Once they start to sizzle, add the garlic and ginger, and cook for a minute over a medium-low heat. Add the green chilli and onions and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened. Reduce the heat to low, add the tomato and cook for 10 minutes.

3 Add the spices and salt, followed by the herby spinach purée, and cook for a further 5 minutes, then add the paneer and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the fenugreek, cream and lemon juice.

4 For the tadka, heat the ghee in a small pan, add the garlic and cook for a minute until it starts to change colour. Remove from the heat, add the chilli, pour over the palak paneer and serve.

 

AUBERGINE WITH TOMATOES Baigan tamatar 

For me, this is a new way of cooking aubergine – keeping it simple and adding tons of flavours in a single bowl, leaving you with just the cooking to do.

SERVES 2

  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 2.5cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 green chilli, finely chopped
  • a handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp peanut oil
  • 3 tbsp tomato purée
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp chilli powder
  • 1 large aubergine, sliced widthways into 5mm discs

1 Put everything except the aubergine in a bowl and mix well. Add the aubergine slices and turn to coat thoroughly.

2 Heat a large frying pan over a high heat, pour everything in and cook for 5 minutes, then turn the aubergine over and cook for another 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer everything for a final 10 minutes or until the aubergine is cooked. Serve either warm or at room temperature.

 

CORN CUTLETS Makai cutlets 

Quick snacks don’t need to be boring when you have treats like these, which are so delicious. Adjust the heat to your taste and serve them hot with chutney.

MAKES 12

  • sunflower oil, for deep-frying
  • sea salt flakes, to garnish
  • your choice of chutney, to serve

For the cutlets

  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 400g frozen sweetcorn
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 green chilli, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 50g breadcrumbs
  • a handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp cornflour

1 Put the coriander, cumin and fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar along with the chilli flakes and crush coarsely.

2 Put the frozen sweetcorn in a saucepan and cover with boiling water. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then drain.

3 Transfer the sweetcorn to a food processor and blitz to a coarse paste, but don’t purée it. Transfer the paste to a bowl, add the spices and remaining cutlet ingredients and mix well.

4 Heat enough oil for deep-frying in a large, deep pan to 170C or until a cube of bread browns in 25 seconds when dropped into the oil. When the oil is hot enough, take small portions of the mixture, slightly flatten and fry for 2-3 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on kitchen paper and repeat with the remaining mixture.

5 Sprinkle the cutlets with sea salt flakes and serve them hot with your choice of chutney.

 

SESAME, PEANUT AND POTATO SABZI Till ke alu

Inspired by Maharashtrian and Gujarati food, this is a must-try.

SERVES 4

  • 60g unsalted raw peanuts (with skins)
  • 4 tbsp peanut oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2.5cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and julienned
  • 2 green chillies, thinly sliced
  • 10 curry leaves
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp mango powder (amchoor, see tip)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp jaggery (see tip)
  • 6 medium potatoes, boiled and cut into 2.5cm pieces
  • 100ml boiling water

1 Dry-roast the peanuts in a frying pan for 3-4 minutes over a low heat until golden and roasted well. Crush in a pestle and mortar to break them up.

2 In the same pan, heat the oil and add the cumin and mustard seeds. Let them sizzle for a minute, then add the garlic, ginger and chillies. After another minute, add the curry leaves followed by the salt, the spices, sesame seeds and jaggery. Mix in the cooked potatoes along with the boiling water, throw in the crushed peanuts and cook over a high heat for 5 minutes to get a few crispy corners. Serve immediately.

TIP Jaggery, a natural unrefined cane sugar, and mango powder are available from ocado.com.

 

ROAST CAULIFLOWER RAITA Gobhi raita

I am a big fan of cauliflower and I love to cook it in different ways. Here, I have roasted it with a few lovely spices and served it with a lightly spiced yogurt, making it the perfect side dish for a meal.

SERVES 4

  • 3 tbsp chilli oil or sunflower oil
  • 70g tomato purée
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets
  • a few mint leaves, roughly torn

For the yogurt

  • 300g natural yogurt
  • 50ml water
  • a pinch of salt
  • a pinch of black pepper
  • ¼ tsp ground cumin

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

2 In a small bowl, mix together the oil, tomato purée, salt and curry powder. Place the cauliflower florets on a baking tray, put the paste on top and mix it all well. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn the cauliflower florets over and return to the oven to roast for another 15 minutes.

3 In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt with the water, salt, pepper and cumin and spread it over a serving plate.

4 Place the roasted cauliflower florets on top, sprinkle with the mint and serve.

 

ONION RICE Vagharela bhaat 

Bhaat means ‘rice’ and this is a delicious way to use up leftover rice. It is an old recipe and people have their own way of preparing it. Some add more vegetables, some add buttermilk, but this is the most common Gujarati way to do it. To be honest, I would happily cook fresh rice just to make this recipe, it’s so good!

SERVES 4

  • 4 tbsp peanut oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • ¼ tsp asafoetida
  • 10 curry leaves
  • 2 green chillies, thinly sliced
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 500g cooked basmati rice

1 Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat, add the mustard seeds and asafoetida.

2 Once they start to sizzle, add the curry leaves and chillies, cook for a few seconds, then mix in the onions and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the salt and spices, mix well, then stir in the rice. Cook over a high heat for 3-4 minutes until warmed through. Serve.

 

Chana dal

This is a family recipe of Bhumika, who lovingly cooked it for me in her beautiful kitchen in Gujarat. Once I started eating it, I found it hard to stop.

SERVES 4

250g chana dal (split yellow peas)

50g moong dal (split mung beans)

1.2 litres water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tomato, chopped

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp mango powder (amchoor, see tip) 

For the tadka

2 tbsp peanut oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

a handful of fresh coriander

leaves, finely chopped

To serve

coriander chutney

chopped red onions

fresh coriander

1 Put the dals, water, salt, turmeric and tomato in a large pan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hour over a medium–low heat until the dal is soft and cooked through. Remove from the heat, add the chilli powder and amchur, and let it sit for 10 minutes.

2 To prepare the tadka, heat the oil in a small pan and add the cumin seeds. Once they start to sizzle, remove from the heat and add the chopped coriander. Immediately pour the tadka over the cooked dal and serve with pakwaan (crisp pastries), your choice of chutney, chopped red onions and fresh coriander, if liked.

TIP Mango powder is available from ocado.com.

 

STUFFED PEPPERS Bharva shimla mirch 

The slight sweetness and crunch of the peppers with the soft spicy potato filling makes this a great snack, or a side with your meal. Team it up with some dal or enjoy it with pulao. You can even make it with green and yellow peppers to mix it up a bit.

SERVES 4

  • 3 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp chilli powder
  • ½ tsp chaat masala, plus extra to serve
  • a handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
  • 2 red peppers
  • 100ml sunflower oil

1 Put the mashed potatoes in a bowl with the salt, spices and coriander, and mix well.

2 With a sharp knife, make a hole in each pepper from the top taking off the stem and removing the core and seeds. Tightly stuff the peppers with the potato mixture.

3 Carefully slice the stuffed peppers into rings, 1cm thick, making sure the potato filling stays inside each ring.

4 Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan. Once hot, carefully place the stuffed pepper rings in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden. Sprinkle some extra chaat masala on top and serve.

 

 

NOW BUY THE BOOK

Our recipes are from Easy Indian Vegetarian by Chetna Makan, with photographs by Nassima Rothacker (Hamlyn, £26). To order a copy for £22.10 until 1 December, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over £25.