Tomato soup

The recipe for this came about simply down to the fact that I had tomatoes lying around in the fridge and they were creeping close to their use by date.

I really didnt want them to end up in the bin, knew they wouldnt get used in a salad anytime soon and as I hadn't decided what we were having for lunch I thought soup would be perfect.

With the batch I made up, I had plenty leftt over after the 4 of us had 2 helpings each so the whole batch would easily serve 6-8 people or would be perfect for freezing for another day.


To make my  tomato soup you will need

6-8 large tomatoes
2 medium red onions
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 stock cubes - I used knorr vegetable stock pots
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tsp caster sugar
5/6 garlic cloves
Olive oil

• Preheat your fan to 200c fan
• Roughly chop the tomatoes and red onions. Place onto a baking tray with the garlic cloves, drizzle olive  oil all over the veg
•  Roast for 35-40 minutes until the veg is golden brown and beginning to char all over
• Place the roasted veg in a pan, cover with freshly boiled water,  add in the stock cube, paprika and cayenne pepper, bring to boiling point then lower the heat
• Leave to simmer for about 10 minutes on a low heat, by this time the veg will have started to become very soft and fall apart
• Use  hand blender to blend everything together until completley smooth
• Leave to simmer again on a low heat for a couple of minutes until it is at your desired thickness.
• Check the seasoning and adjust if need be, serve with some buttered Bread rolls
  

Stuffed bell peppers

This is a recipe that i love for its simplicity, versatility of the choice of fillings and the fact that despite a few short cuts using pre cooked rice, it is scrumptious.

I know it's a winner for sure since both my kids say that they love it.

With the fillings you could use tuna, minced beef, lamb, rice, or even tofu for all you vegans out there. For this recipe I decided to use Quorn mince in a smoky passata sauce.


To up the veg content I served it with corn on the cob and just because we absolutely love it, a side of mexican rice since it compliments the flavours of the stuffed pepper really well


For 4 people you will need

4 large bell peppers*
240-250g meat free mince
2 cloves garlic or 1 tsp garlic granules
1 medium onion chopped
1 stock cube ( any flavor)
500ml passata/pasta sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
4 corn cobs
3-4 tbsp cream cheese
Handful grated cheddar cheese
Handful grated mozzerella
Mexican rice packs x 4**

• Preheat your oven to 200c (fan) Mix all the cheeses together to make a thick cheese topping and set aside
•  Give the bell peppers a quick rinse, pat dry and slice the top of the peppers off, keeping the stalk in tact as this will be used as a lid
• Stand the peppers up to make sure they stay balanced. If they're a little wobbly, slice a very little bit off the bottom so that they sit straight. Be careful not to cut too much off that you end up making a hole in the bottom
• Carfeully remove any seeds or pith from the inside. Brush all over with olive oil - inside and out not forgetting the lids 
• Place on a baking tray or dish along with the corn cobs, the 'lids' &  pop straight into the oven for about 15-20 minutes
• Whilst the peppers and cobs are cooking,  make a start on the filling
• In a frying pan, saute the chopped onions in a little olive oil until softened. Add in the garlic and cook until both are begining to lighlty brown.
• Add in the mince, stir through fpr a couple of minutes, add in the paprika and cayenne pepper
• Make up your stock by dissolving the cube in 100ml of water. Pour this straight into the mince, along with the pasta sauce 
• Leave to simmer on a low heat for about 10 minutes until the stock has reduced and the mixture has thickened 
• Take the partially cooked peppers, divide the filling equally between the peppers
• Top each of the peppers with the cheese mixture, turn the cobs over, place the lids on the pepppers, place back in the oven for another 15 minutes or until the peppers and corn begin to char, and the cheese topping has melted and is all golden and bubbly 
• When the peppers have about 5 minutes cooking time, make up the rice follwing the instructions on the packet, plate up and serve

*I went for red since they have the nicest flavour I think when roasted

Roasted red pepper & butternut sqaush soup

I'm quite a newbie to making my own soup, but thanks to a good friend who gave me a few good pointers I think it's safe to say I can add it to my list of things i genuinely love to make from scratch.

Today's offering is a favourite of mine as well as the husband and kids.. We love it with my Simple bloomer loaf

To easily serve 4-6 people you will need:

1 butternut squash peeled and chopped
1 large red bell pepper
2 medium onions roughly chopped
1 veg stock cube
1/2 -1 tsp  cayenne pepper
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic granules
2 tsp onion salt

• Preheat your oven to 200c fan
• Place all the chopped veg onto a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and roast for 25-30 minutes or until the veg just begins to soften and char all over
• Place the roasted veg into a pan, with a drizzle of olive oil, cook for a couple of minutes so the veg softens further.
• Add in all the spices and stock cube, stir together, then pour in enough freshly boiled water to cover the veg and leave to simmer till all the veg begins to mush
• Use a hand blender to blend everything together till it's nice and smooth 
• Leave to simmer on a low heat unti, its at your preffered consistency 

Masar daal

I have always from being little, absolutely loved daal -lentil curry. I was the child in the family that would eat all her veg & wouldn't complain if there wasn't any chicken or meat for dinner.

Thankfully I still love it just as much now as an adult, although my husband and I always debate what is a better accompaniment..  Are you team rice or chappati ? I love my rice with daal but to be fair whenever I do cook daal i will alternate between rice and chappatis. This time round it was the turn for rice.

I made my husband's favourite daal which is masar daal - brown lentils. 

So for my masar daal to serve 4-6 people you will need 

500g brown lentils
Knob of butter - leave this out if you're wanting it for a vegan diet
1 medium onion chopped
2 frozen cubes garlic/ 5 fresh cloves crushed
2 frozen cubes of ginger/ thumb size peice crushed
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 green chillies chopped
1 tsp hot curry powder
2 tsp cumin seeds 
1 bay leaf
Fresh coriander chopped to garnish. 

• Start by giving the lentils a quick rinse and leave them to soak whilst you cook the masala.
• On a hight heat add a little olive oil to your pan with the knob of butter. Add in the chopped onion. You want the onion to brown and crisp up but watch they don't burn as the heat is high
• Once they have turned a nice dark brown, add a splash of water to soften them. Lower the heat to medium, add in the salt , garlic, ginger and chillies. Cook through for a couple of minutes so the ginger and garlic brown and the chillies soften.
• Add in the bay leaf, cumin seeds and curry powder, stir through and add in all the lentills
• Pour enough water over the lentils to cover them. And leave to simmer on a medium heat for 45 minutes. Stir them intermittently to stop them catching or burning,  and top up the water if need be.
• After 45 minutes the lentils should be fully cooked and the daal should be the perfect consistency 
• If you prefer a drier consistency, leave it to simmer a little further - I make my daal slightly drier if im serving it with chappatis .. Garnish with coriander just before serving

chick pea & potato curry

A delicious vegetarian & vegan curry that is so simple to make but is still full of flavour.

You can serve this with naan, chappatis or even simple boiled rice 

2 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

3-4 curry leaves

3 medium onions chopped

2tbsp garlic puree/4 cloves crushed

2tbsp ginger puree/3 inch peice crushed

1 1/2 tsp salt 

3 green chillies 

1 tsp hot curry powder 

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 x tin chopped tomatoes 

3 x tin chickpeas -water drained

3-4 medium potatoes chopped into chunks par boiled
Fresh coriander chopped for garnishing

• Start by heating a little oil in a large pan on a meduim heat. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds & curry leaves. Cook the spices together until the mustard seeds begin to pop.
• Add in the ginger, garlic and chopped onions. Cook the onions until they are completley soft, and lightly golden. If the mixture begins to catch, add a splash of water.
• Add in the green chillies and salt, continue to cook on a 9medium heat until the chillies begin to soften 
• Stir in the tomato puree, curry powder and chopped tomatoes. Lower the heat, stirring occasionally until the oil begins to separate from the curry masala and the tomatoes begin to mush a little. You can speed this up slightly by mashing evverthing together with a potato masher.
• Turn the heat up a little, add in the chickpeas stirring intermittently.
•  Cook until the chick peas slightly darken in colour & the masala sticks to the chickpeas. The oil should start to separate and appear more visble, any moisture in the pan should have completely evaporated and you should be left with quite a dry mixture.
• Carefully add in the par boiled potaotes and again stir intermittently until the potatoes are completely cooked through.
• Pour in 150-200ml of water and leave to simmer on a low heat for a couple of minutes until the curry has thicked up a little. If you prefer it to be the consistency of a bhuna & slighty hotter, add just a splash of water to loosen and do not simmer
• Garnish with coriander just before serving

Chicken tonight

For a quick but taste bud satisfying mid week meal, this chow mein is a winner. It's slighty sweet, with a hint of spice and a delicious crunch of the mixed vegetables and a hit of protein with the chicken.


The best thing about this is you can swap the veg elements around, for example I've often added in some sugar snap peas, sliced tenderstem broccoli or even baby corn on the cob. If your a vegetarian or vegan, just bulk up on the veg


This will serve 4-6 people easily, you'll need the following

1kg chicken thighs - off the bone sliced up
4 tbsp runny honey
4 tbsp wholegrain mustard
4 cloves garlic crushed
2cm peice ginger crushed
4 tbsps soy sauce
3 tbsp siracha sauce
2 meduim onions sliced
800g cooked egg noodles
600g mixed stir fry vegetables
50g salted peanuts roughly chopped
Lime wedges to serve

• Put the chicken in a bowl along with the honey, mustard, soy sauce, siracha sauce, garlic, ginger and salt. Set aside to marinate.
• Place a non stick pan on to a high heat, add a little oil, and when its fairly hot add in the onions.
• When they are golden brown and crisp, add in the chicken with all the marinade and cook through fully through
• When the chicken is fully cooked, add in all your veg, lower the heat slightly and cook for about 5-8 minutes - the vegetables should still have a slight bite. 
• Add in the noodles, stir through ensuring everything is incorporated  evenly, and the noodles have heated through.
• Take off the heat, sprinkle the peanuts and serve - serve with prawn crackers and sweet chilli sauce along with the lime wedges

Channa chaat

Channa chaat is a popular Asian street food very similar to a potato salad, but with the additions of chickpeas, spices and condiments. It is often served as a starter to accompany a main meal and is traditionally made during Ramadan or on Eid. 

A slightly more upgraded version is samosa chat which basically involves piping hot samosas topped with the channa chaat. The combination of cooling yogurt colliding with crispy filled samosa is a real treat for your tastebuds 

To easily serve 4-6 people you will need

4 large potatoes 

2 tins of chick peas ( drained )
1 medium red onion
2 medium size tomatoes
1 level tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
2 level tsp of chilli flakes
2 small green chillies
Squeeze lemon juice
2 tbsp chaat masala
1/2 a cucumber
6 tbsp imli ( i buy the ready made type in the squeezy bottles )
Chopped coriander

2 1/2 500g tubs of yogurt

Cayenne pepper paprika - to garnish

• Start by chopping the potatoes into meduim size chunks & par boil them. Drain and let them cool

• Chop the red onion finely, then cut the cucumber and tomato into small chunks. Place them all in a bowl along with the chick peas.

• Finely chop the green chilli, add to the bowl along with the cumin, salt, lemon juice, imli, chaat masala and small handful of chopped coriander. Mix everything together until combined well.

• Add in the cooled potato chunks and give it one final stir.
Put the chick pea & potato masala into a serving dish, spreading out evenly.

• Add a splash of milk to the yogurt to loosen it slightly, mix togther till smooth & pour the yougurt over the chaat ensuring all top is evenly covered, sprinkle with a mix of cayenne pepper and paprika,

• Drizzle over a little more imli and finish with a little bit of chopped coriander. Refrigerate until ready to serve

• For samosa chaat, you can either pour the channa chaat over freshly made samosas then finish off with the yogurt and garnishes or make up the chaat fully, then let your guests pour the made up chaat onto the their samosa portion themselves

Whole egg omelette

This is a recipe that takes me down memory lane, it's something that my mum would whip up in the school holidays for breakfast or if we had guests staying over this was guaranteed to make an appearance at the table for a hearty filling breakfast. Mum would traditionally serve this with paranthas - crispy buttery chapatis - and steaming cups of chai.


With this omelette as the eggs are left whole, you can leave the yolks runny or fully cooked through to your preference, either way this is definitely a tastebud pleaser. 

For this omelette it's super handy if you've got a frying pan with a lid as in the last step the use of the lid helps to cook the yolks with the help of the steam, if not you can place the pan under the grill until the yolks are cooked to your preference 

To make my whole egg omelette to serve 4 /5 people you will need:

5-7 medium eggs* ( depending on the size of your pan you may be able to fit in more or need less )
1 chopped red onion  
1/4 each of red, yellow and green bell pepper sliced 
A large handful chopped mushrooms
1 green chilli finely chopped 
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika 
Handful fresh chopped coriander 
1 tsp cumin seeds 

• Start by cracking the eggs carefully into a bowl ensuring the yolks stay whole and don't split. Set the bowl aside.

• In a frying pan, add a little olive oil and on a medium heat, add in the onion and cook until the onion begins to soften.

• Add in the mushrooms and continue to cook on a medium heat, when they are almost fully cooked, add in the peppers, along with the chilli, chilli flakes, salt and smoked paprika and continue to cook until the peppers are just soft but not mushy. Spread the vegetables evenly over the base of your pan.

• Slightly lower the heat, then carefully pour the eggs into the pan. The eggs may end up all on one side, carefully tilt the pan to help spread the eggs out. 

• When the whites just begin to cook, sprinkle over the cumin seeds and if your pan has a lid, place the lid on and totally lower the heat ( alternatively place under the grill on the lowest setting ) and leave to cook till the whites are completely cooked and the yolks have set to how you like them. 

• Once cooked, sprinkle over some smoked paprika, garnish with the chopped coriander and drizzle over some of your favourite sauce - I went with sweet chilli and garlic but even good old ketchup or brown sauce will go well 

• Serve with toast and any extras as you wish



* I managed to fit 8 eggs in my pan as it is rather big, if your pan is small, adjust the amounts of the ingredients accordingly 

Aubergine Guvec

This recipe was a bit of a 'throw together and hope it tastes alright' kind of dish, since i had some aubergines chopped and frozen and didn't want to do a traditional Asian vegetable curry.

So i thought of some Turkish dishes that I've tried in a couple of restaurants and came up with aubergine guvec which is basically roasted aubergines and bell peppers in a harrisa based sauce, with chickpeas for texture and to make it go that little bit further.

This is perfect to eat on its own as a light snack or light lunch or for dinner as we did with rice or cous cous.

For my aubergine guvec to serve 4-5 people you will need

3 large aubergines cut into chunks
2 bell peppers cut into chunks
2 mediuim onions diced
2 tsp garlic paste
2 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
3-4 tbsp harissa paste
1 x tin of chopped tomato
1 x tin chick peas drained
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp smoked paprika
Squeeze lemon juice
Fresh coriander to garnish

• Start by preheating your oven to 180c (fan) and place the aubergine and bell papers on a baking tray and bake until they are cooked and beginning to go crispy and golden. Remove from the oven once cooked and set aside
• Lightly fry off the onions in a little olive oil till soft and they start to go l golden brown. Add in the salt, garlic and ginger paste, stir through till the garlic and ginger paste begin to take on a golden colour and the onions are slightly darker in colour.
• Add in the curry powder, with a splash of water and stir the curry powder through and cook for about 2 - 3 minutes, then add the tomatoes and the harissa paste, smoked paprika and the cayenne pepper. Pour in about 100ml of water and then add the chickpeas straight in.
•Leave the chickpeas to simmer on a low heat for about 10-12 minutes or until they have softened slightly but take care not to let them start to disintegrate.
• Once the chickpeas have softened, add in the aubergines and bell peppers and carefully stir through- I used a metal fish slice as this helped to stop the aubergines and peppers keep their shape and to not turn into a mashed consistency.
• At this point the dish should be quite dry and most of the water should have completely reduced, and is ready to serve. You can leave it dry as it is or add a splash of water to loosen the consistency a little.
• Just before serving, garnish with a squeeze of lemon juice and fresh chopped coriander. Serve with rice, cous cous or pitta bread.

Stuffed Karelay

This is one of my husbands absolute favourite but its a dish very much like liver curry .. You either love it or hate it - both the husband and I love it, but I hardly ever make it as it's a dish that my kids are guaranteed to turn their noses up at which to be fair this isn't a dish that many a child would like. 

Since i had a real craving for them the last couple of days I just had to make them and this time I even took step by step pictures which are up on my Facebook page @foodymama 


To serve 4 people you will need :

4 large karelay (1 per person)
1 lemon 
2 tsp salt 
6 large onions
1 1/2 tsp salt
3  green chillies
2 -3 tsp garlic paste/ 2 frozen cubes 
3-4 tsp ginger paste/ 4 frozen cubes 
1 tin chopped / plum tomatoes 
2 tsp curry powder 
Oil for shallow frying 

• Start by taking one karaela at a time and with a knife lightly scrape off the outside skin. I don't tend to scrape it all off only bits that are really knobbly and lumpy. Then carefully slit each karela in half down the middle - you dont want to cut all the way through as you won't be abe to fill them.
• Taking one karela at a time again, carefully open it up and remove the seeds and as much pith from the inside as you can. I find using a teaspoon makes it quick and easy and saves you getting bits of the pith stuck in your fingernails.
• Place all the karelay in a bowl, squeeze over the juice of a whole lemon and sprinkle the 2 teaspoons of salt all over. Mix the karelay together ensuring they are well coated with juice and the salt. Set aside
• in a heavy based pan, slice the onions and cook in a little oil till soft, add in the garlic ginger and salt. Cook until the onions are golden brown, add in the chillies, curry powder and tomatoes
• Continue cooking through until the chillies have softened and slightly darkened in colour- this way they will be cooked all the way through- and the oil separates from the masala. 
• Set the masala aside to cool completely. While the masala is cooling, the karelay should have released all the bitter juice. You should be able to see the juice at the bottom of the bowl, remove them from the bowl but as you remove them, gently squeeze them to remove any juice that hasn't released, and fill the karelay once the masala has completely cooled.
• To fill them, take teaspoonfuls of the masala and add to the inside of each karela being careful not to overfill as when you seal them with the toothpicks you'll find it will spill out.
• Once they are all filled seal each one by pushing a tooth pick from one side through to the other, i found 4-5 toothpicks per karela was right. You can also use string to tie them up, simply tie it at one end, wind the string tightly all the way round and tie up at the other end.
• You should find that you have some left over masala which will be used also- set it aside and next step is to fry the karelay.
• Fill a large heavy based pan with oil.. I didn't really measure it out, i just filled my pan till it was about 2-3 inches fill. Heat up the oil on a medium heat and carefully place the karelay into the oil. I managed to fit all mine in at once, if not just add them in batches.
• Fry the karelay till they are dark brown almost charred (but not black and burnt) all over. Carefully remove and place on a plate or dish with kitchen paper to drain any excess oil.
• Drain all the oil from the pan that the karelay were fried in (if all your karelay don't fit you'll need a bigger pan ) and add in the left over masala. Carefully add the fried karelay back in, and on a medium heat, simmer the karelay and masala on a low for about 10-15 minutes just to ensure it  is heated up all the way through and serve. 
• As an extra just before serving, garnish with fresh chopped coriander and crispy fried onion, remove all the toothpicks and place on to a serving dish . Serve 1 karela per person with the karela sitting ontop of the masala or serve as a main with chapatis.  

Bhindi Aloo - Okra & potato curry

Todays post is one of my favourite vegetarian curries- Okra, or ladies fingers as there sometimes known as are also great with chicken or lamb, but i love them simply with potatoes or even on their own.

What makes this dish even simpler from when i was younger is that now frozen okra are readily available in all Asian food stores, I've even seen them in Asda & Tesco, so you can save your time washing and chopping them which takes up most of the time when cooking this curry.

To serve 4-6 people you will need 

2 x 400g bag frozen chopped okra

3 medium onions

4 green chillies chopped

1 1/2 tsp salt 

2 tsp garlic paste / 2 frozen garlic cubes

3 tsp ginger paste / 3 frozen garlic cubes

1 tin plum / chopped tomatoes

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp curry powder

fresh coriander to garnish

• Start by adding a small amount of oil into a heavy based pan, add in the ginger & garlic, and fry on a medium heat, stirring to ensure the garlic and ginger don't catch at the bottom of the pan, meanwhile, finely slice the onions.When the garlic and ginger have browned, add in the onions
• Brown off the onions till they are golden brown in colour on a medium heat, then add in the salt & the chillies
• When the chillies have softened and cooked through, add in the curry powder and the tin tomatoes. break up the tomatoes with the spoon or even lightly mash them, and leave to simmer on a low heat 
• In a small frying pan, on a low heat toast the mustard & cumin seeds together. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, take the pan off the heat and put aside.
• Add the chopped okra to the curry masala, and leave to simmer, for 20-25 minutes on a low heat, or until the okra are soft and cooked through. Stir the okra half way, to ensure they cook through evenly and aren't catching on the bottom of the pan. If you find them catching, add a splash of water, stir through and continue to simmer till they're cooked.
• Once the okra are cooked, add in the cumin & mustard seeds, stir through. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander and serve 

Potato & Chick pea curry

This is another vegetarian favourite of mine .. quick and simple but packed full of flavour. It's great with rice or naan or even on it's own with a good dollop of natural yogurt. It's also a dish traditionally eaten on Eid for breakfast with Poori's ( fried flatbread)  and halva (semolina based dessert), the combination of spice with warm sweet halva is just amazing

To serve 4-6 people you will need

1 large onion

2 tsp garlic paste or crushed garlic

1 tsp ginger paste or crushed ginger

1 tsp salt

1 green chilli

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

2 tsp curry powder

2 x 400g tin chickpeas - water drained

3 large potatoes

2 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp poppy seeds

fresh coriander to garnish

2-3 tbsp natural yogurt ( optional )

• start by chopping your onion and browning in a heavy based pan in a little oil, add in the ginger garlic & the salt
• On a medium heat, cook the onion with the ginger and garlic till golden brown & completely softened.
• Add in the chillies & curry powder, lower the heat, cook through until the chillies have softened. Remember to stir occasionally & add splashes of water if need be to stop it from catching the bottom of the pan.
• Add in the chopped tomatoes and simmer on a low heat for about 10 minutes till tomatoes have softened. 
• While the tomatoes are simmering, peel & chop the potatoes into quarters. Par boil them in a pan, drain and put to the side.
• When the tomatoes have softened, add in the chickpeas, cook through on a medium heat for about 5-8 minutes and add in the potatoes. Check the seasoning & add more salt if need be to your taste,leave to simmer on a low heat
• While the potatoes & chickpeas are simmering, toast your seeds on a low heat in a frying pan till browned. Remove from the heat as soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop & add into the chickpeas & potatoes and stir through*
• Add enough water just to cover the potatoes & chickpeas and leave to simmer on a medium heat for about 10 minutes. Serve with boiled rice, naan or even poori's   

*if you'd like the consistency to be thicker, simmer for slightly longer or if it's too thick for your liking then add in a little more water

Gram flour curry

Now I know you're reading this recipe and probably thinking that this has got to be a mistake and well just not right ? Well I promise this is one of my all time favourite served with pakoras. It is such a simplistic dish but bold on flavours

It doesn't cost the earth, it's quick to make & the amount will easily feed a hungry family of 4 with enough left over for the next day if any of you can resist it !

you will need :

2 x 454g tub natural yoghurt

2oz melted butter

4 tablespoons oil

2 tbsp gram flour (ground chick pea flour)

1 small onion finely sliced

1 tsp mustard seeds

1tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp garlic paste

1tsp ginger paste

1 tsp salt

3 green chillies

1 1/2 tsp curry powder

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 bay leaf

coriander to garnish

• Start by pouring the yoghurt into a jug, and add equal amount of water  (about 40fl oz) along  and whisk together. 
• Put the gram flour into a small bowl and add enough of the whisked yogurt to the gram flour to make a smooth paste, pour the paste back into the whisked yougurt, whisk together till combined and set aside.
• In a heavy based pan, heat up the oil & butter on a medium heat, add in the mustard seeds and cover the pan with a lid until you hear the seeds begin to pop
• Add in the onions, when slightly softened, add in the garlic, ginger and green chillies. Cook through until the garlic & have browned. Add a splash of water if the mixture begins to catch
• Next add in the curry powder, cumin seeds, tomato puree and bay leaf. Leave to simmer on a low heat for about 5 minutes
• Turn the heat up to full, and quickly but carefully pour in the yogurt, stirring in a continous clock wise motion as you do. Keep stirring till it reaches boiling point* 
• Lower the heat back down and leave to simmer for about 10-15 minutes till the curry has thickened in consistency. Garnish with coriander just before serving, and serve with pakora's  & chapatis 

*stirring the curry till it reaches boiling point ensures that the mixture won't curdle

Kidney Bean Daal

This is possibly one of my all time favourite Daal's. For those that aren't familiar with what Daal is, it's a curry using lentils. Most often Daal's are garnished with what is called a tharkaah, (pronounced thur-kah) which is crushed garlic browned off in butter separately, then added to the daal. Adding tharkaah makes your daal that little bit more indulgent and the overall aroma is far more pungent.

This daal is one that's made without a tharkaah, but is just as delicious. The tang of tomatoes, combination of the spices and toasted cumin left tingling on your tastebuds is heavenly. It's also quick and cheap to make too, and will easily feed a family of 4.

You'll need the following ingredients:

1 medium onion
1 tsp salt
6-8 cloves crushed garlic / 2 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
2 x 400g tin red kidney beans/ 800g raw kidney beans soaked over night
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 green chillies 
1 tsp curry powder 
fresh chopped coriander (to garnish)

• Chop your onions, and in a heavy based pan, fry in olive oil till golden brown, add the garlic & ginger, and chillies,* cook until the garlic & ginger has browned and chillies have softened.
• Add in the tomatoes , curry powder & cumin seeds. Cook the mixture till it has slightly reduced and the tomatoes have slightly 'mushed'**
• Add in your kidney beans, without draining them, then half fill one of the tins with boiled water and add the water to the pan.
• leave to simmer on a low heat for about 10-15 minutes, add the chopped coriander and serve with boiled rice or chapatis 

*if you'd like your daal spicy, chop your chillies up as this releases more of their flavour, otherwise leave them whole.

** I like to leave the tomatoes slightly chunky, it gives a nice texture and brings out their flavour more