It was a packed weekend of cooking demonstrations at London’s Ideal Home Show which celebrates its centenary this year. It was amazing to see how people are still hungry to learn about food and cooking and especially spices. I made extremely easy recipes for the virgin cook who has not really attempted to prepare Indian dishes. It was a quick crash course in making a few simple dishes in 40 minutes flat. If you weren’t able to make it to the show, here are the recipes I made at the sessions. I do hope you like them. And may I suggest that you have a go at the Bombay Potatoes.

Demo 1

Plain Basmati Rice

The mild taste of plain basmati rice harmonizes well with the aromatic, spicy and often rich flavours of Indian cuisine. The absorption method of cooking rice, used here is more streamlined than boiling the rice in a copious amount of water and then draining it. With the absorption method, all the water should be absorbed by the time the rice is tender. After cooking, the grains stay firm and separate and are not sticky.

Rice bought from a specialist Asian shop can be soaked for 20-30 minutes before cooking. This allows the grains to absorb water so the heat penetrates more easily and rice cooks more evenly. However, rice bought from a supermarket should be prepared according to the instructions on the packet. Rice can be cooked upto 48 hours in advance but should only be reheated once. It can be reheated over a very low heat in the same pan, covered, with 4 tablespoons water. Or cover it with foil and place it in a preheated oven at 180C/350F/Gas 4 for 10 minutes.

Serves 4

400g/14oz/2 cups basmati rice

½ tsp vegetable oil

A pinch of salt

Bring 750ml/26fl oz/3cups water to the boil. Put the rice in a sieve and rinse it under cold running water until the water runs clear. This will remove any excess starch. Put the rice in a saucepan, cover with a tight-fitting lid and place over a high heat.

Stir in the oil, salt and boiling water; return to the boil.

Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and leave the rice to simmer for 10-12 minutes. Do not uncover the pan before the rice has cooked for at least 10 minutes. The rice will be tender when all the water is absorbed, holes appear on the surface and some of the grains appear to be pointing up. Test a few grains to make sure the rice is tender. If at the end of cooking, it is cooked but some of the water remains, drain the rice in a sieve. If the rice is not cooked and all the water has been absorbed, add 4 tablespoons boiling water, cover the pan with the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Fluff the rice with a fork, then cover the pan again and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Serve piping hot.

CHICKEN JALFREZI

Serves 4

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, sliced

2 green chillies, chopped

4 tsp Manju’s Quick Curry Paste (see below)

¼ tsp salt

500g/1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite sized pieces

5cm/2in piece root ginger, peeled and grated

2 green peppers, seeded and sliced

For the Curry paste:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp tomato puree

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp garam masala

¼ tsp chilli powder

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and chillies and fry stirring frequently, for 6-8 minutes until the onions are golden brown.

For the curry paste, mix all the ingredients in a small bowl to form a thick reddish brown paste.

Add the paste and salt and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the chicken pieces and continue stirring for 7-8 minutes until they change colour and the spices blend with the chicken.

Bring 250ml/9 fl oz/1 cup water to the boil and pour this into the pan.

Stir the ginger and green peppers into the pan and then simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through.

Check by cutting a piece of chicken in half – the juices should run clear.

Potatoes with Mustard Seeds and Red Chilli

4 tbsp vegetable oil
¼ tsp brown mustard seeds
2 pinches of chilli powder or chilli flakes
¼ tsp turmeric powder
350g/12oz potatoes, boiled and quartered
¼ tsp salt

Heat the oil in a pan on a medium-low heat setting.
To check that the oil is hot enough, sprinkle in a few mustard seeds, if they pop the oil is ready. Then add the remainder of the mustard seeds.
Add the chilli, turmeric and salt to the sizzling seeds. Fry this pungent mixture of oil and spices for 1 minute then add the potatoes. Fry for about 4 minutes until the potatoes are smothered in seeds and appear to have crispy edges. They will look quite yellow in colour. Cover the pan, and on a low heat, cook the potatoes for a further 5 minutes. Serve hot as an accompaniment to a gravy-based curry dish.

DEMO 2

RICE WITH CUMIN SEEDS

Serves 6

300g/10 ½ oz white basmati rice

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

¼ tsp salt

15g/ ½ oz butter

Wash the rice thoroughly under cold running water. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan. Add the cumin seeds and stir for a few seconds, allowing them to sizzle but not burn. Add the rice and salt. Stir so the oil coats all the rice and it looks glossy. Pour in 600ml/21floz of boiling water and add the butter. Cover and simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes until the grains are tender (all the water should have gone). Serve hot.

BUTTERY SPINACH AND POTATOES

Serves 4

60g/2¼oz butter

5cm/2in root ginger, peeled and grated

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 onions, chopped

2 green chillies, chopped

200g/7oz floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 5cm/2in cubes

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp salt

500g/ 1lb 2oz spinach leaves, rinsed and chopped

Pinch of garam masala

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, onions and chillies and fry, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.

Add the potatoes and continue stirring for 5 minutes. Tip in the cumin, coriander, turmeric and salt, followed by the spinach with just the water clinging to the leaves and continue frying and stirring for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Sprinkle the garam masala over and serve hot.

CHILLI CHICKEN

Serves 4

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp tomato sauce

1 tsp chilli sauce

1 tsp malt vinegar

1 tsp sugar

¼ tsp ground black pepper

450g/1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 tbsp cornflour

½ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp salt

4 tbsp groundnut or vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 onion, sliced, plus extra cut into rings, for serving

1 green chilli, chopped, plus extra sliced, for serving

STIR the soy sauce, tomato puree, tomato sauce, chilli sauce, vinegar, sugar and black pepper together in a small bowl, then set aside.

Put the chicken strips in a large bowl with the cornflour, turmeric and salt and mix well.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok over a medium heat.

Add the chicken pieces and fry, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until they change colour. Remove the chicken pieces from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Tip the garlic and onion into the oil remaining in the pan and fry stirring, for 3 minutes.

Add the green chilli and fry for 1 minute.

Stir in the spicy sauce mixture and stir for 2 minutes, or until the chicken pieces are cooked through. Serve hot topped with the onion rings and sliced green chillies.

DEMO 3

Plain Basmati Rice
 

The mild taste of plain basmati rice harmonizes well with the aromatic, spicy and often rich flavours of Indian cuisine. The absorption method of cooking rice, used here is more streamlined than boiling the rice in a copious amount of water and then draining it. With the absorption method, all the water should be absorbed by the time the rice is tender. After cooking, the grains stay firm and separate and are not sticky.

Rice bought from a specialist Asian shop can be soaked for 20-30 minutes before cooking. This allows the grains to absorb water so the heat penetrates more easily and rice cooks more evenly. However, rice bought from a supermarket should be prepared according to the instructions on the packet. Rice can be cooked upto 48 hours in advance but should only be reheated once. It can be reheated over a very low heat in the same pan, covered, with 4 tablespoons water. Or cover it with foil and place it in a preheated oven at 180C/350F/Gas 4 for 10 minutes.

 Serves 4

 400g/14oz/2 cups basmati rice

½ tsp vegetable oil

A pinch of salt

Bring 750ml/26fl oz/3cups water to the boil. Put the rice in a sieve and rinse it under cold running water until the water runs clear. This will remove any excess starch. Put the rice in a saucepan, cover with a tight-fitting lid and place over a high heat.

Stir in the oil, salt and boiling water; return to the boil.

Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and leave the rice to simmer for 10-12 minutes. Do not uncover the pan before the rice has cooked for at least 10 minutes. The rice will be tender when all the water is absorbed, holes appear on the surface and some of the grains appear to be pointing up. Test a few grains to make sure the rice is tender. If at the end of cooking, it is cooked but some of the water remains, drain the rice in a sieve. If the rice is not cooked and all the water has been absorbed, add 4 tablespoons boiling water, cover the pan with the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Fluff the rice with a fork, then cover the pan again and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Serve piping hot.

CHICKEN JALFREZI

Serves 4

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, sliced

2 green chillies, chopped

4 tsp Manju’s Quick Curry Paste (see below)

¼ tsp salt

500g/1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite sized pieces

5cm/2in piece root ginger, peeled and grated

2 green peppers, seeded and sliced

For the Curry paste :

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp tomato puree

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp garam masala

¼ tsp chilli powder

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and chillies and fry stirring frequently, for 6-8 minutes until the onions are golden brown.

For the curry paste, mix all the ingredients in a small bowl to form a thick reddish brown paste.

Add the paste and salt and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the chicken pieces and continue stirring for 7-8 minutes until they change colour and the spices blend with the chicken.

Bring 250ml/9 fl oz/1 cup water to the boil and pour this into the pan.

Stir the ginger and green peppers into the pan and then simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through.

Check by cutting a piece of chicken in half – the juices should run clear.

TEMPERED RED LENTILS

Serves 4

200g/7oz split red lentils

45g butter

6 curry leaves

1 green chilli, chopped

½ tsp brown mustard seeds

½ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp salt

A pinch of asafoetida

Bring 500ml/17fl oz water to the boil in a large saucepan over a high heat. Add the lentils and return the water to the boil. Partially cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes until the mixture becomes mushy. Watch carefully so the lentils do not burn. Top up with extra boiling water if necessary. Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the curry leaves, chilli, mustard seeds, turmeric, salt and asafoetida and fry, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds, or until the spices splutter. Watch carefully so they do not burn.

Stir the buttery spice mixture into the lentils, then cook for a further 2 minutes.