Ingredients:

1 Kg Pork non-fat meat

2 Big Onions

Salt as per taste

3 peppercorns

3 cm piece of Cinnamon

few cloves

Vindaloo masala:

1 red Chillie, deseeded and chopped (or 1/2 tsp chilli powder)

1 tsp sweet red paprika

4 Garlic cloves crushed,

1 tbs grated ginger

2 tsp cumin powder,

1 tsp coriander powder,

2 tbs Vinegar

Method:

Wash the Pork pieces well, and then chop them up into 3 cm cubes. Dry well. Add salt and set aside.

Get the masala ready, grind the chillies into a powder, then add vinegar and all the ingredients of the vindaloo masala (spices), then grind all of it in the blender.

Add masala to the pork pieces and mix it up well. Make sure all the pieces of meat are evenly mixed with the masala. Store it overnight in the fridge.

Just before cooking, chop and blend onions, then add them to meat.

Heat the pan with some oil and fry meat on medium heat for 5 mins. Add a few peppercorns, a cinnamon and a cloves to the dish.

After a little while of frying add some water and simmer on a low heat as the meat soaks in the masala and gets cooked (1-2hrs).

The Vindaloo is ready when it turns the fiery red colour.

Note: The Vindaloo always tastes better the next day as the meat gets properly marinated, its not really a very spicy dish but on the tangy side. The longer you store it the better it tastes, just like a pickle!

Ingredients:

3 dried whole red chillies

1 tablespoon cumin

2 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

2 teaspoon ground turmeric

3 garlic cloves

3cm piece ginger

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 ripe tomato, chopped

1 large green chillies, seeded and sliced thinly

440g can coconut milk

salt to taste

800g fillets flat head, halved

Method:

Using a spice grinder blend chillies, cumin, coriander, mustard seeds and turmeric to a fine powder. In a pestle and mortar crush garlic and ginger to a fine paste. Add spice powder and incorporate well into the ginger paste. Mix in vinegar.In a large deep frying pan heat oil. Add onion and fry until slightly coloured. Add spice paste and fry for 3 minutes until fragrant. Add tomato and chilli and cook for 10 minutes or until tomato breaks down. Add coconut milk, season with salt and then add fish fillets. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes, turn fish over and simmer for remaining 5 minutes or until fish is cooked as desired, this will vary with size of fillet used. Serve with basmati rice

Note: As Goan version might be hot to someone’s taste, make it milder by halving the amount of spices/chillies.

Ingredients:

* 4 tbsp sunflower oil

* 1 tsp black mustard seeds

* 400g canned chopped tomatoes

* 500g raw tiger prawns, peeled

* 100ml coconut cream or fresh cream

* 4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

For the curry paste:

* 1 medium onion, chopped

* 3 garlic cloves, crushed

* 2 green chillies, deseeded and chopped

* 2.5cm fresh ginger, chopped

* 4 tsp paprika

* 1 tsp garam masala

* 1 tsp ground coriander

* 1/2 tsp cumin powder

* 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

* 1/2 tsp salt

* 2 tsp lemon juice

Method:

1. Make the curry paste. Put the ingredients into a food processor with 1 tablespoon of water and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the mustard seeds and cover the pan with a lid. As soon as they begin to pop, uncover and add the prepared curry paste. Fry for 4-5 minutes until it seems to be splitting from the oil, then add 250ml hot water and simmer for a further 3 minutes.

3. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until they have broken down in the sauce. Add the prawns and cream and simmer gently for 3-4 minutes, until

the prawns are just firm and pink. Season to taste. Stir in the coriander and serve immediately with naan bread or pooris.

Ingredients:

* 3-4 tbsps vegetable or sunflower cooking oil

* 1 kg lamb, chopped into cubes

* 2 onions, finely chopped

* 2 tsps garlic, ground to a paste

* 1 tsp ginger, ground to a paste

* 4 large tomatoes, finely chopped

* 1 tsp cumin seeds

* 6 peppercorns

* 6 cloves

* 2 tbsps coriander seeds

* 1 tbsp mustard seeds

* 1 tsp cinnamon

* 1 bay leaf

* 1 tsp fennel seeds

* 1/2 tsp chilli powder

* 1 cup thick coconut milk

* Salt

Method:

1. On a medium heated dry pan, roast the fennel seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves and peppercorns until they are slightly dark and aromatic. Remove from heat and grind to a fine powder mix.

2. Place the mix with the garlic and ginger pastes, red chilli powder, cinnamon and 3-4 tbsps of water in a food processor and grind until it’s a smooth paste.

3. Heat the cooking oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat. Fry the onion until golden, add the above masala paste and bay leaf and reduce heat slightly. Stirring often, fry until the oil separates from the spice paste. If required, add water to keep the masala from sticking to the pan.

4. Add the meat and brown it, then add the tomatoes, coconut milk and 1 cup of hot water. Season with salt. Cook until the lamb is soft and the gravy is thick. If required add hot water to maintain the amount of gravy as you cook.

Remove bay leaf and serve with brown or pilau rice and naan bread.

Note: This rather hot, but absolutely delicious dish, takes its’ name from the city of Madras in Southern India. In Southern India dishes tend to be made ‘hotter’ than other areas in India, designed to make you perspire, thus cooling you down… It is supposed to be a hot dish but if you find it ‘too hot’ then use less Chilli Powder

Ingredients:

1. 6-8 chicken thighs and/or legs, skinned, bone in and washed

2. 250 mls thick (Greek style) yoghurt

3. 1 tbs ground red sweet paprika

4. pinch of chilli flakes

5. ¼ tsp of each powder: turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, black pepper

6. 1tsp curry powder

7. 1tsp garam masala powder

8. 3-4 tbs oil

9. 1/4 tsp of each type of seeds: cumin, coriander, carraway and poppy

10. 1-2 whole dry red birds-eye chillies

11.  2 big onions finely chopped

12. 1 tbs ginger-garlic paste

13.  1/2 tsp of each powder: coriander, turmeric, cumin, nutmeg, curry and garam masala powder

14.  400 g diced tomatoes (fresh or from can)

15.  salt to taste

16. chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

1. Combine ingredients 2-7 into marinade mix. Poke Chicken thighs with fork. Marinate chicken for 20 mins-1 hr.

2.In a deep pan add oil and fry on low heat seeds and chillies (9-10) just to release aroma.

3. Add the onions and ginger-garlic paste and saute till soft and translucent.

4. Add all powders (13), combine well and fry for another minute to release fragrance.

5. Add the marinated chicken and cook on medium for 4-5 minutes until browned.

6. Add the tomatoes and let it cook for 3-4 minutes.

7. Add a cup of water for more gravy consistency, salt to taste. Simmer on low for 1 hr or until chicken pieces are soft (meat is coming of bones easily) and you get the desired curry consistency. Adjust salt.

8. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Note: This recipe uses dry seeds and powders and is handy if you can’t buy fresh ingredients (except for coriander leaves).  It gives delicious spicy but not hot taste. Amount of spices can be adjusted to personal taste.