ok, so inspired by a few days of curry consuming (home made), please post your favourite curry ideas/recipes. here’s mine; yellow split pea dhal…

(makes enough for 4 big portions)

500g yellow split peas
1.5litres water
1 tablespoon veg/sunflower oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed/finely chopped
2 teaspoons crushed fresh ginger root
4 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 tins chopped tomatoes
a handful of chopped coriander leaves
a bit of salt

bring the water to a boil in a saucepan and chuck the lentils in. bring back to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 45 minutes or so (or until the peas are pretty soft). drain and set aside.
heat the oil up in a huge pan, then add the onions and the dry spices. add a little bit of water (a tablespoon or so); just enough to stop it catching and cook this for 3 or 4 mins.
add the garlic and ginger (and if you like your curry pretty hot, like i do, also add a finely chopped fresh red chilli at this point). cook for a few more minutes, then add the tomatoes.
cook for 5 minutes more then chuck in the lentils, add a bit of salt and let this simmer for at least 15 mins. longer if you like, all this does is break the lentils down a bit more and make it sloppier but it’s a dhal so who cares!
at this point, if you want (and i did on sunday), add a couple of large handfuls of chopped fresh spinach and cook for a couple of minutes more, then serve hot with some good basmati rice and a sprinkling of coriander leaves to garnish.
there.
now your turn…

Off to Tesco now so may be able to comment soon. Oh, and thanks xherbivorex (just understood your name, am getting slow in my old age).
EDIT- Bollox to it, online shopping 🙂

Take 1 telephone.
Dial local curry house.
Order cuz.
Start on beer while you wait.
Ding Dong.
Cuz time.

Get Mrs to put plates in dishwasher while you watch the footy.

trailmonkey, you forgot the phone number, how can I follow your recipe? What would you recommend?

Eastern Eye in Newton Abbot. Details in issue 49’s route guide.

xherbivorex – you didn’t mention lentils in the ingredients – do I just sub in the split peas? Might give this a go next time.

I’ve recently been cooking sag paneer, mutter paneer, curried chick peas – I kind of make it up as I go along though, no recipe as such.

I have finally mastered making naan and peshwari naan – if you fancy trying it, google Madhur Jaffreys recipe for naan bread, it’s spot on, although I cook the naan on pizza stoned preheated to about 250 deg C and it takes 3 to 4 minutes.

Next on my hit list is a good onion bhajee recipe, if anyone has one?

It’s a hell of a lot cheaper and healthier than a take away and can be cooked from scratch in just over an hour. Plus, you don’t have to go pick it up! (no nice curry shops deliver to our house.)

xherbivorex – you didn’t say how much lentils to use? Might give this a go next time.

I reckon 500g is about right.

Drac, I wonder if it might have been a lentil/pea mix-up?

Same thing really just gor mixed up as he went on.

Anyway you want recipes then sign up here,

http://www.realcurryrecipes.co.uk/

Cheat with curry paste.

Marinade your chicken/lamb/whatever in a small amount.

Fry some onions (suit yourself I usually put in at least 1 whole onion) in hot oil.

Add in some peppers & mushrooms if you like.

Add your marinaded meat, till it’s cooked through then add some chopped tomatoes from a tin till it’s thick enough for you and simmer it for a bit. Add in some more curry paste if you like.

Got this recipe off a drunk Glasgow guy called Jimmy (really) on the plane back home to Glasgow from London recently.

So simple it’s not true (so it suits me).

It works a treat.

xherbivorex – you didn’t mention lentils in the ingredients – do I just sub in the split peas? Might give this a go next time

yeah sorry, lentils=split peas. kind of. well, in this recipe anyway! haha!