If you’re in the mood for something spicy and flavourful for dinner, you can’t go wrong with Indian food. There’s just something so hearty about some curries and tandoori. We’ve got three delicious Indian dishes you can savour with your favourite curries:
Aloo Tikka
Prep: 30 mins/Cook: 20 mins/Yield: 32 pieces
Ingredients:
⅓ cup yellow split peas, rinsed
3 large potatoes, peeled, chopped
½ cup besan flour (or plain flour)
⅓ cup tikka masala paste
2 tbsps mint, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup vegetable oil
Tomato and mint salsa, to serve (see tip)
TAMARIND SAUCE
½ cup tamarind concentrate
½ cup water
2-3 tbsps brown sugar
2 tsps ginger, grated
1 tsp ground cumin
Directions:
Place peas in a bowl, cover with water. Soak 40 mins. Drain. Place peas in medium saucepan, cover with cold water. Bring to boil on high. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10-15 mins until just tender. Drain.
Meanwhile, boil potatoes in a saucepan of water 12-15 mins until tender. Drain, mash, cool.
In a bowl, combine potato, flour, tikka paste, herbs, lemon juice and peas. Mould heaped teaspoons into balls, then flatten to form patties. Chill until ready to cook.
TAMARIND SAUCE
In a small saucepan, combine tamarind, water, sugar, ginger and cumin. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to boil. Remove from heat, keep warm.
Heat oil in pan on medium. Fry patties in 4 batches 1-2 mins each side, until golden. Drain on paper towel. Serve with tamarind sauce and salsa.
Vegetable Bhajia
Prep: 25 mins/ Cook: 20 mins/ Yields: 16 servings
Ingredients
½ cup cabbage, finely shredded
50 g green beans, trimmed, thinly sliced
2 finger eggplants, finely shredded
1 carrot, finely shredded
1¼ cups besan flour
1 cup cold water
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsps cumin seeds
Oil, for deep frying
Mango chutney, coconut sambal, to serve
Directions
In a large bowl, combine vegetables, flour, water, garlic and cumin seeds. Mix well and season to taste.
Heat oil in a wok or large deep frying pan on high, until a droplet of batter sizzles as soon as it is added.
Working in 4 batches, lower heaped tablespoons of mixture into oil. Cook each batch 4-5 mins, turning, until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towel. Serve straight away with mango chutney and coconut sambal.
Potato and Onion Chappati
Prep: 15 mins/Cook: 30 mins/Yields: 6 pieces
Ingredients:
3 medium potatoes, peeled
30 g butter
2 tbsps vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 tsps ground coriander
2 cloves garlic, crushed
6 chapattis or roti flatbreads
1 cup ricotta
1 cup shredded tasty cheese
Sea salt, lemon wedges, to serve
Directions:
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to boil on high. Cook 8-10 mins, until just tender. Drain, cool and cut into 4-mm slices.
Heat butter and oil together in a large frying pan on high. Sauté onion 3-4 mins, until tender. Add cumin, coriander and garlic and cook 1 min, until fragrant. Add potato, carefully stirring to heat through and coat in spice mixture.
Place 3 chapattis on bench. Spread with ricotta. Layer evenly with potato mixture and then sprinkle with tasty cheese. Top with remaining chapattis.
Heat a large, oiled frying pan on medium. Cook each chapatti 1-2 mins each side, until golden and cheese melts. Transfer to a plate, cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining chapattis. Serve warm in wedges, sprinkled with sea salt. Accompany with lemon wedges.