Quick chickpea, spinach and turmeric curry

Having been reading a lot recently about how incredibly good turmeric is for you I’ve been devising ways of upping the quantity I use. It turned out particularly well with this super-easy (and frugal) chickpea curry

Serves 2
2 tbsp light olive or vegetable oil
1 medium to large onion peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp chilli powder or hot paprika or a shake of hot pepper sauce
1 small can or 1/2 a 400g can of tomatoes or 200ml of passata
1 400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 handfuls of sliced fresh spinach leaves (stalks removed if tough and stringy)
1 heaped tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves (optional)
Salt
A small carton of unsweetened plain or soy yoghurt (optional)
Naan or pitta bread to serve

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion for about 4-5 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic and spices and fry for a few seconds then tip in the tomatoes and break them up with a wooden spoon, spatula or fork. Bring to the boil, add the drained, rinsed chickpeas, cover the pan and simmer for 7-8 minutes. Chuck in the spinach and coriander if using and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add salt to taste (you'll need slightly more than usual). Serve with a dollop of yoghurt and some warm pitta bread or naan

Do you have any favourite ways of using turmeric?

Quick chickpea, spinach and turmeric curry

Having been reading a lot recently about how incredibly good turmeric is for you I’ve been devising ways of upping the quantity I use. It turned out particularly well with this super-easy (and frugal) chickpea curry

Serves 2
2 tbsp light olive or vegetable oil
1 medium to large onion peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp chilli powder or hot paprika or a shake of hot pepper sauce
1 small can or 1/2 a 400g can of tomatoes or 200ml of passata
1 400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 handfuls of sliced fresh spinach leaves (stalks removed if tough and stringy)
1 heaped tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves (optional)
Salt
A small carton of unsweetened plain or soy yoghurt (optional)
Naan or pitta bread to serve

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion for about 4-5 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic and spices and fry for a few seconds then tip in the tomatoes and break them up with a wooden spoon, spatula or fork. Bring to the boil, add the drained, rinsed chickpeas, cover the pan and simmer for 7-8 minutes. Chuck in the spinach and coriander if using and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add salt to taste (you'll need slightly more than usual). Serve with a dollop of yoghurt and some warm pitta bread or naan

Do you have any favourite ways of using turmeric?

Veggie Wednesday: Cauliflower and Pear Curry

Last week we had one of those throw-together-meals for dinner. Cubed chicken breasts, bagged frozen veggies and bottled curry sauce. I also had a few pears on-hand that needed to be used, so I threw them into the mix. The combo of cauliflower and pear was so good that I decided to make it again as a vegetarian dish.

Ever since my friend Jodie sent me a bunch of fun stuff from Japan, including several packages of Vermont Curry, I've been hooked on it. It's sweeter than most other curries and smoother, as well. I took the Wafuu recipe from Saveur and did my own thing with it, using pears rather than apples and using my own blend of veggie. Here is the recipe with my changes in blue. Of course, the curry blend you use will change the flavor of the finished dish, so make sure to use a curry you're fond of.

Japanese-Style Chicken Curry
(Wafuu Curry)

SERVES 4

Wafuu curry has a cult following in Japan, where many fondly remember eating it at home and at school functions. The recipes vary from cook to cook, and often include a host of "secret" ingredients like chocolate, milk, miso, and dashi (a stock made from seaweed and bonito flakes). Unlike most curries in other countries, this one is thickened with flour, which creates a smoother texture.

3 cups Chicken Stock
1 tbsp. canola or peanut oil
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1" chunks (I left this out)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh ginger
1 medium yellow onion, 1⁄2 finely chopped, 1⁄2 cut into
1" pieces
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. curry powder, preferably S&B brand
2 tbsp. crushed tomatoes
1 dried bay leaf
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut crosswise into 1⁄2" rounds (I used red and green pepper slices)
1 medium russet potato, peeled and cut into 1" chunks (one head of cauliflower florets and NO potato)
1 small fuji apple, peeled, cored, and coarsely grated (I used 1/2 a pear grated and one half sliced)
1 tsp. honey
1 tbsp. soy sauce
Steamed short-grain white rice (no rice here - just the veggies)

1. Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a medium pot over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season chicken thighs all over with salt and pepper to taste, add to the skillet, and cook, stirring and turning frequently, until deep golden brown on all sides, about 4 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, transfer the chicken to a large plate, and set aside.

2. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and melt the butter. Add the ginger, chopped onions, and garlic and cook, stirring often to scrape up any browned bits, until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is evenly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the curry powder and the tomatoes, stir well to combine, and remove the skillet from the heat. Add 1⁄2 cup of hot chicken stock and whisk vigorously to combine, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of skillet. (The browned bits will contribute greatly to the taste and color of the curry.) Whisk the curry mixture into the pot of simmering chicken stock, then add the reserved browned chicken thighs, onion pieces, bay leaf, carrots, and potatoes. (This is where I added the cauliflower, onion and peppers) Bring the curry to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes (only 20 minutes were necessary to cook the cauliflower and peppers).

3. Add the apples, honey, soy sauce, and salt to taste to the curry and stir well to combine. Cook the curry, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat, until the flavors meld, about 5 minutes more. Serve the curry with steamed rice.

I added the sliced pear close to the end so it didn't become mushy during cooking.

Gujarati pizza

A night out with the girls yesterday: two friends - a chef and a fellow food writer who was researching a piece on budget eats in Bristol. We ended up in a takeaway with a couple of tables called Tiffins which I can see is going to be my new favourite place.

An Indian takeaway in a student town needs to appeal to the locals and the proprietors Nick and Jay have very cleverly come up with an Indian - or more specifically Gujarati take on student staples like pizza, kebabs and baked potatoes which they top with one of their really excellent home-made curries. (See Nick's flashy spinning technique with the pizza dough above - quite worthy of an Italian!)

We literally stuffed ourselves with cheese topped garlic-bread with chillies, one of the pizzas topped with Saag Paneer and Kheema (weird but good) and a couple of veggie curries and rice all served with quite the best fresh coriander chutney I've ever eaten (with chillies and coconut but I'm not sure what else). Jay says if I go back she'll tell me how to make it. We finished up with two heavenly little pots of homemade kulfi - one with mango, the other with pistachios and saffron so I'll try and see if I can find out the secret of those too.

The bill for the 3 of us came to just over £20 which was pretty amazing and reminded me just what fantastic value and how delicious Indian veggie food is. Great inspiration for meals at home too.

Gujarati pizza

A night out with the girls yesterday: two friends - a chef and a fellow food writer who was researching a piece on budget eats in Bristol. We ended up in a takeaway with a couple of tables called Tiffins which I can see is going to be my new favourite place.

An Indian takeaway in a student town needs to appeal to the locals and the proprietors Nick and Jay have very cleverly come up with an Indian - or more specifically Gujarati take on student staples like pizza, kebabs and baked potatoes which they top with one of their really excellent home-made curries. (See Nick's flashy spinning technique with the pizza dough above - quite worthy of an Italian!)

We literally stuffed ourselves with cheese topped garlic-bread with chillies, one of the pizzas topped with Saag Paneer and Kheema (weird but good) and a couple of veggie curries and rice all served with quite the best fresh coriander chutney I've ever eaten (with chillies and coconut but I'm not sure what else). Jay says if I go back she'll tell me how to make it. We finished up with two heavenly little pots of homemade kulfi - one with mango, the other with pistachios and saffron so I'll try and see if I can find out the secret of those too.

The bill for the 3 of us came to just over £20 which was pretty amazing and reminded me just what fantastic value and how delicious Indian veggie food is. Great inspiration for meals at home too.

My You and Yours chicken curry

If you were listening to You and Yours yesterday you'll have heard me making a chicken curry. It's an odd idea when you come to think of it, cooking on radio. There you are in the studio with a two ring Baby Belling - and a Fire Officer, in case the whole place goes up in flames. (You have to sign a contract which includes an undertaking to use no more than 1 tablespoon of oil!)

The Belling takes a painfully long time to heat up. I turned it on 20 minutes before the programme started and added the oil 10 minutes before we went on air but the chicken still didn't sizzle when it hit the pan. (Sound effects, as you can imagine, are critical. The rest of the time you have to tiptoe round trying not to make too much cooking noise during earnest discussions on more serious topics such as airport expansion)

The point of the exercise was to question whether it was cheaper to cook home made food than to buy it. The agenda of the programme seemed to be that it wasn't. I carefully costed my curry which came to £3.33 for two portions. The presenter pointed out that you could buy a ready made curry more cheaply in Waitrose, let alone a budget ready meal (75p) or a curry in a can (49p)

It was a curious attitude for such a programme to take. I would have thought, like Jamie, they would be all for encouraging people to cook from scratch. The point I made was that there was not only more meat in my curry but that it it tasted fresher and was healthier than most shop-bought versions. At least they admitted the end result was delicious!

The point I didn't have time to expand on is that it's a recipe that you could easily run up with leftovers (do try it with the Christmas turkey). If you're going to cook frugally you need to be flexible, cooking with what you have rather than going out to buy new ingredients. You could use an ordinary onion, for example, rather than spring onions or a combination of double cream and yoghurt rather than creme fraiche. You don't have to use turmeric if you don't have any though if you do it improves the colour. You could use another kind of curry paste - it doesn't have to be korma. And you can pay less for the coriander than I did if you buy it in an ethnic shop and still have plenty over for the rest of the week's cooking. Frugal cooking is all about improvisation.

Anyway if you want to have a crack at the recipe you'll find it on the You & Yours website, along with some other thrifty recipes from You & Yours listeners. I think I can safely say you'll find it better than a can ;-)

My You and Yours chicken curry

If you were listening to You and Yours yesterday you'll have heard me making a chicken curry. It's an odd idea when you come to think of it, cooking on radio. There you are in the studio with a two ring Baby Belling - and a Fire Officer, in case the whole place goes up in flames. (You have to sign a contract which includes an undertaking to use no more than 1 tablespoon of oil!)

The Belling takes a painfully long time to heat up. I turned it on 20 minutes before the programme started and added the oil 10 minutes before we went on air but the chicken still didn't sizzle when it hit the pan. (Sound effects, as you can imagine, are critical. The rest of the time you have to tiptoe round trying not to make too much cooking noise during earnest discussions on more serious topics such as airport expansion)

The point of the exercise was to question whether it was cheaper to cook home made food than to buy it. The agenda of the programme seemed to be that it wasn't. I carefully costed my curry which came to £3.33 for two portions. The presenter pointed out that you could buy a ready made curry more cheaply in Waitrose, let alone a budget ready meal (75p) or a curry in a can (49p)

It was a curious attitude for such a programme to take. I would have thought, like Jamie, they would be all for encouraging people to cook from scratch. The point I made was that there was not only more meat in my curry but that it it tasted fresher and was healthier than most shop-bought versions. At least they admitted the end result was delicious!

The point I didn't have time to expand on is that it's a recipe that you could easily run up with leftovers (do try it with the Christmas turkey). If you're going to cook frugally you need to be flexible, cooking with what you have rather than going out to buy new ingredients. You could use an ordinary onion, for example, rather than spring onions or a combination of double cream and yoghurt rather than creme fraiche. You don't have to use turmeric if you don't have any though if you do it improves the colour. You could use another kind of curry paste - it doesn't have to be korma. And you can pay less for the coriander than I did if you buy it in an ethnic shop and still have plenty over for the rest of the week's cooking. Frugal cooking is all about improvisation.

Anyway if you want to have a crack at the recipe you'll find it on the You & Yours website, along with some other thrifty recipes from You & Yours listeners. I think I can safely say you'll find it better than a can ;-)

Royal Foodie Joust Entry: Sweet Chicken Curry with Mango and Kumquats

This month's Royal Foodie Joust ingredients are, cardamom, mango and brown sugar.
I know most jousters are thinking along the lines of baked goods, but I'm more pulled to the savory side of life.

Here's what I made:

Sweet Chicken Curry with Mango and Kumquats

1 lb. chicken breast - cubed
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 tablespoons sliced green onion
1 clove garlic - minced
1 small onion - sliced
1/2 cup each red, green and yellow peppers
1/2 cup pineapple bits - drained
1/2 cup small kumquats
1/2 cup diced mango
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon curry powder (the cardamom is in the curry!)
2 tablespoons brown sugar

4 cups cooked jasmine rice

Stir together flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Toss chicken cubes in flour mixture and fry in a large heavy pot in batches until lightly browned. Set aside.

In the same pan, cook shallots, green onion, garlic and onion until limp. Do not brown. Add peppers, pineapple, kumquats, mango, stock, curry and brown sugar. Simmer for 20 minutes or until peppers are tender. Stir in reserved chicken and simmer for another 5 minutes. The cornstarch and flour on the chicken will thicken the sauce. Serve over jasmine rice.

Look how pretty this was just after getting it together in the pot: