Lamb bhuna

Lamb Bhuna is ever so popular on Indian restaurant menus. The word ‘bhuna’ comes from Urdu, which means to be fried. My dish differs as i slowly roast the whole spices so the release their oil and not fry them in copious amounts of oil. Bhuna in Punjabi means to cook well hence this dish is cooked slowly until the sauce evaporates and the thick, luxurious masala clings to the lamb. If you prefer Indian food with a sauce I would suggest you always serve raita with this. The intense flavours of the whole spices will send your taste buds on an epic journey.

By Sukhi Singh

Matar paneer (peas and paneer)

Matar paneer is a vegetarian dish originating from Punjab in northern India, where it is one of the most popular vegetarian dishes you’ll find. Paneer is made in abundance in Punjab and many people there lead a vegetarian lifestyle. The soft cubes of paneer, the sweetness of the peas all coated with the voluptuous spicy gravy makes this dish perfect for any occasion. It’s an easy dish to prepare and is defiantly a crowd pleaser.

By Sukhi Singh

Chicken curry (tariwala chicken)

Tariwala chicken is not seen on restaurant menus very often, but it is the highlight in an Indian’s kitchen and we grew up eating it.
I learnt the recipe from my dad, who was a master at making this dish. In fact, I have fond memories of him cooking a huge batch whenever he’d host a drinks party with his friends, where they would all eat bowls full of it whilst drinking whisky.
The dish worked well then and it most certainly holds its magical appeal today, although my version uses ingredients you tend to have in your pantry as whole spices weren’t readily available when my parents first moved to England.
So give my chicken curry a try – you just might end up creating some happy memories of your own.

By Sukhi Singh

Dal makhani (buttery lentils)

Dal makhani the opulent relative of simple dal. It comes from Punjab, which is situated in northern India. You’ll find hundred’s of variations of dal makhani, some have cream, some with butter, some with both and the tarka made differently. I really enjoy my version as it reminds me of the roadside cafes (dhaba) we used to visit on our long drives from Delhi to Punjab. Dal is full of protein, fibre and a favoured dish of vegetarians when out for dinner. The lentils are delicious and buttery with a slight kick from the Kashmiri chilli, scooped up in hot roti or naan, it’s a pure treat.

By Sukhi Singh

Masala baked beans

Masala baked beans is the spiced up version of the simplistic tinned version. We grew up eating masala baked beans, whether it was with a jacket potato, chips, cheese and onion pie, a full English and toast... all these meals were accompanied by masala baked beans. Asians like to spice up everything they eat. Some things are a disaste,r but sometimes an epic recipe is made, which masala baked beans is one of. Try masala baked beans as an alternative to just heating a tin up - its worth it!

By Sukhi Singh

Karahi fish

Karahi fish is a homage for the pescatarians. This is the most favourite dish my pescatarian family order when we go out for dinner or a special request when I’m hosting an Indian dinner party. The flavoursome masala, the taste of fresh fish and the zing from the lemon scooped up in freshly made tandoori naan will surely be the closest thing you’ll get to a #foodgasm. It’s rather easy to prepare and cook from the fridge to the table in less than 30 minutes, which is probably quicker than your local takeaway.

Cod is low in saturated fat. It is also a good source of vitamin D, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and potassium, and a very good source of protein, phosphorus and selenium.

The importance is to use fresh fish; I personally find frozen fish retains too much water and does no justice to this dish.The reason I use cod loin is that it doesn’t have bones in it and is the meatiest part of the fish. Try it, like it, share it and give me your feedback!! Happy cooking!!

By Sukhi Singh

Boiled egg curry

Boiled egg curry, another delight from Northern India. I had this many times in winter when we visited the Punjab. In winter you’d frequently see street food vendors serving variations of eggs at their stalls and this one seemed to favoured by many locals. There are many variations to this dish, some shallow fry the boiled egg, some slice the eggs before adding in to the masala sauce.

Variations of this dish is from region to region in India some serve in with wholes spices, or coconut milk or even cook it in mustard oil and even depends what you serve it with, paratha, dosa, rice, roti or naan. I’m quite positive you could fill a hefty chapter of a cook book with variations of boiled curry.

I usually let my guests decide how they want to eat theirs. My favourite is; in my bowl i’ll cut my egg and stir it so the yolk mixes with the masala sauce creating a delicious, creamy, luxurious sauce and the soft texture of the egg white gives it some bite when you dip your naan and it soaks up the creamy masala it’s heavenly.

By Sukhi Singh

Chicken keema pav (street food)

If you love a vegetarian pav bhaji you will most certainly love keema Pav the meaty sibling to the vegetarian version. Buttery, warm soft bread dipped in a spicy minced chicken masala. The bread absorbs the juices from the chicken masala as you scoop the spicy chicken, topped with finely sliced red onions, a bite of a fresh green chilli and generous squeeze of fresh lime. Did i die and go to heaven or is this heaven on earth?
There are numerous flavours when eating keema pav bhaji, the spices, the heat from the chilli, the sourness from the lime, the earthy flavour of corainder, the freshness from the mint to name a few.
Sometimes i cook a sunny side egg and dip the bread in the yolk to add more richness. I have alway indulged and the fried or poached egg addition just allows me to eat the keema pav bhaji for breakfast as well as lunch or dinner.

By Sukhi Singh

Indian omelette sandwich (amazing breakfast, brunch, lunch or snack)

An Indian omelette sandwich is something I grew up with. It takes me back to my childhood and I wanted to share this recipe with you. We would have Indian omelette sandwiches on weekends, or when mum couldn’t be bothered cooking an extravagant meal.
A omelette is a personal preference of textures and flavours we put in addition to the basic omelette. I rather disapprove of the word basic when it comes to my omelette as it is anything but basic, i would consider it to be more of a foundation omelette and you can add what you like such as cheese, ham, tomatoes, peppers to name a few.

By Sukhi Singh

Fish pakora

The name fish pakora instantaneously takes me down memory lane. It first started from our frequent holidays in India. My dad or my many uncles would take us to one particular place in Gobindgarh market in Punjab. We would devour platefuls of fish pakora's and visit frequently whilst on holiday. As I grew older and passion for cooking started kicking in I started experimenting with fish pakora's, firstly with Madhur Jaffery's Flavour's of India and later combining the flavours of Gobindgarh market and making the perfect fish pakora.
As peek season beings in the Indian wedding calendar you tend to be eating soggy fish pakora's at every function, hence i felt the need to share this recipe so you can do justice to your taste buds.
It's a labour of love with this recipe, two marinades, frying it twice but trust me the result is well worth it. Your opinion on fish pakora's will change for the better. A must try recipe!!

By Sukhi Singh