December 16, 2014
With the cold, dark nights, we need some quick, easy and very tasty dishes to get us through the winter months. Take a look at our selection of curries and Indian foods that are quick to prepare and healthy for your tummy.
A creamy korma sauce with beautifully tender pieces of chicken is one of the most tempting and delicious dishes. Light fresh and sweet, a korma can be as gentle or a spicy as you like. It has a status as being a prestigious dish rather than an everyday one, which means it can be seen as a special treat or guilty pleasure.
Like many curries, the korma can be customised in many different ways. Something people worry about with this dish is the number of calories due to its signature thick creamy sauce. But one way to lighten up this tasty meal is to use Greek yoghurt instead of cream. The sauce will be just as thick and to keep the same level of sweetness, you simply add a little bit of sugar. The same delicious chicken korma, but much lower in saturated fat. Plus, this version only takes forty minutes to prepare and cook.
If you’re a lover of mushrooms then this recipe is perfect for you. They’re recognised as one of nature’s best treasures and can be used in a whole host of different recipes. But for a healthy, quick midweek treat, this simple meal is perfect. All you need for the recipe is spring onions, chilli, mushrooms, curry powder of your choice and a tin of chopped tomatoes. If you want to include meat, you can – pick the meat of your choice, fry it and stir it into the sauce.
What’s great about this dish is that it can be easily customised. For the curry sauce, choose one where you trust the qualities and flavour, or you could even mix your own. If you want the sauce to be creamier, you can easily add a couple of tablespoons of yoghurt. Or you could try something completely different and use aubergine instead of mushrooms.
Indian vegetarian specialities aren’t celebrated enough. They have some of the best flavours, best ingredients and they always taste delicious. When cauliflower is in season it is one of the finest vegetables to add to a dish. Plus if you’re armed with a tin of chickpeas, you’re able to create a very delicious, filling yet healthy recipe.
There are two tricks to this meal. The first is to cook the cauliflower completely so that it’s tender to taste. The second, is to add as many different spices as you can and make sure they all work together to bring out the best flavour possible. Spices you could include in this dish are coriander, star aniseed, chilli, curry leaves, garam masala and cumin, but feel free to choose your favourites.
This popular dish is not only healthy, but also full of flavour. It’s quick to cook and the marinade does all the work, meaning if you leave the mixture for long enough, the stronger the flavours will be.
Homemade tandoori chicken is really easy to make and there are plenty of unique ways to go about it, from traditional tandoori chicken to barbecued chicken and a choice of drumsticks, legs or thighs. The trick to this dish is the marinade and how you grill the chicken – it’s best to cook them until they’re slightly charred as this will produce an incredible texture.
This is an easy midweek supper that puts a spin on traditional Indian food. With only a few ingredients, they couldn’t be easier to make. Lamb skewers are traditionally known as a summer dish but with warm naan breads and a delicious dipping sauce, it can transform to an ideal midweek winter meal.
The cut of the meat is really important in this dish. Pre-packaged mince doesn’t tell you what part of the animal the meat is from, so if you want to make impressive skewers, the best thing to do is visit a butcher and ask for them to mince you some shoulder. This meat will stick together on the grill and remain nice and juicy.
Pick your favourite curry paste and the only other ingredient you need is coriander – the perfect spice to finish off any dish.
A winter soup is perfect for this time of year. It’s full of goodness, fibre and you can make batches and batches of it. This dish is the perfect comfort food, sure to soothe and relax you. What’s special about this soup is the spices – including so many means they will soothe your senses, which will help greatly with blocked or runny noses.
There are many different varieties of Indian soup meaning you can pick the one with your favourite ingredients. You can make the one you choose even more unique by including your own favourite spices.
This keema dish is traditionally made with mince, but can be made with whichever meat you prefer. It is an extremely versatile dish and can be uniquely made with your favourite curry paste. What is special about this dish, is that the ground meat allows the spices to really sink into the dish meaning it will be full of flavour.
With a beef keema you can add as many vegetables as you want to create a very healthy dish. For more texture you can add potatoes, carrots and peas always work really well in this meal. Add warm bread of your choice to dip in the lovely sauce and the dish is complete.
All you need for this dish is store cupboard ingredients. It is full of goodness and packed with flavour. The secret to the flavoured duck breasts is to rub the garam masala and ginger into the meat thoroughly. While the meat then cooks, these flavours will soak into it and create a lovely wholesome flavour.
For the rice, try and make sure it is cooked thoroughly until it is soft to taste. The texture should not be hard – this is a smooth dish that is packed with flavour. You can cook the duck to your preferences and customise the spices – whatever way you do it, this is one really healthy and easy midweek supper.
This is a full- flavoured dish where the spices used will perk up any type of fish. Like other dishes, the marinade is really important here. The longer the meat is marinated for, the stronger the flavours will be.
The trick is to not be scared of using a lot of chillies. Once they are combined with the fish, they will only create a hint of heat. Don’t be afraid to take time mixing the paste together. If the ingredients are used in the right proportions then the balance of flavours will be perfect.
You can serve this dish with rice, vegetables or a side salad but one thing’s for sure – the highlight of the dish will be the fish.
With minimum ingredients and maximum taste, this is one of the best midweek meal’s to put on your menu. A simply, yet very flavourful dish, this prawn curry is sure to warm you up on any winter’s evening.
You can customise this dish by choosing the curry paste of your choice. If you’re using fresh prawns, it will be ready in fifteen minutes. Add coriander to finish off the flavour and if you want to create a bigger meal, you can serve this curry with rice and warm bread.
