Paolo Tullio is off frolicking around the vineyards of Barcelona so this week we thought we’d look at Indian food and how we can recreate some of our favourite dishes at home.

Chef and restaurant owner, Asheesh Dewan, from Ananda Restaurant in Dundrum talks to Sean Moncrieff from 3pm today live at Dundrum Town Centre.

Below are two recipes he recommends to try at home.

TANDOORI MURG

Famous Tandoori chicken has been favorite for long time.   It is a simple recipe from Indian kitchens and can be produced easily in household ovens or on barbeque. 

SERVES  4                                          

Ingredients:

1 no chicken, (approx 1 kg) skin removed

1st marinade: mix all the ingredients together

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp ginger – garlic paste

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 tbsp lemon juice                  

2nd marinade: mix all the ingredients together

250 gm thick yoghurt

1 tsp garam masala

100 ml vegetable oil

½ tsp cinnamon powder

½ tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp salt

A pinch of edible red colour(optional)                                  

Butter –oil mixture for basting

1 ½ tsp lime juice

1 tsp chat masala*

Method:

Cut chicken into 4 pieces (2 breasts & 2 legs), make 3-4 deep incisions on each piece without cutting across the flesh.   Apply 1st marinade and leave aside for 20 minutes and allow the juices to drain.

Apply 2nd marinade and keep aside for 2-3 hours.   Skewer the chicken and cook in moderately hot tandoor for 10 minutes, baste with butter oil mixture and cook for further 5 minutes, remove.   Again, baste the chicken and sprinkle limejuice and chat masala.   Serve hot with a salad and mint chutney.

•           Chat Masala is a proprietary spice mix and can be bought at Asian grocers.

KASHMIRI LAMB CURRY

ROGAN JOSH

There are various stories attached to this controversial recipe –

Roganjosh is a classical preparation traditionally with lamb but it has versions into chicken, seafood and even vegetables!!   There are various stories about the name of Roganjosh.   Some claim “Rogan” is the red colored chilli oil that floats on the curry gives the name, some has it that violet bark of a Kashmiri tree called “Ratanjog” should be boiled in oil to prepare “Rogan” and then lamb curry made with this oil is called Roganjosh.   Recently, I met up with my Kashmiri friends, I went to school with – there version was – Cocks comb flower (Marwal ka Phool) extract should be used to give characteristic color to this classic preparation.   So, there are numerous stories – to keep it simple, I use a recipe and extract the colour from red chillies & tomato paste to get the right looks for this preparation.

SERVES   4

Ingredients:

LEG OF LAMB                            1 KG

YOGHURT                                150 GMS

SAFFRON                                 1/2 GM

ALMONDS CRUSHED                   30 GMS

OIL                                         100 ML

WHOLE GARAM MASALA 

CUMIN                                     1 ½ TSP

GREEN CARDAMOM                    6 NOS

BLACK CARDAMOM                    2 NOS

CINNAMON                               1” STICK

CLOVES                                   8 NOS

STAR ANISE                              1 NO

MACE                                       2 BLADES

BLACK PEPPER                          1 TSP

ONIONS                                   350 GMS

GINGER - GARLIC PASTE            50 GMS

RED CHILLI POWDER                10 GMS

CORIANDER POWDER                10 GMS

GARAM MASALA                        3 GMS

TURMERIC POWDER                 5 GMS

SALT                                     

TOMATOE PASTE                       60 GMS

CORIANDER LEAVES                  1 BUNCH

GINGER                                   10 GMS

PREPARATION:

1. Leg of lamb - Trim & remove the bones and cut into 1 inch cubes.   Whisk the yogurt, add almonds, saffron, salt & half the ginger garlic paste & keep in marinade for 2 hours.

2. Pound the whole spices in a mortar - pestle.

3. Peel & slice the onions thin.

4. Wash & finely chop the coriander leaves, wash & scrape the ginger and cut into julienne.

COOKING:

1. Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pan, add the pounded spices, and stir till spices start to crackle.

2. Add the sliced onions, stir & cook till golden brown.

3. Add the lamb with the marinade, stir & cook till meat is browned & 3/4 cooked.

4. Add the dry spices & cook for 5 minutes.

5. Add the tomato paste & stir till lamb is cooked.

* When the lamb is added, lamb will shed the excess of moisture & will cook in its own stock, if there isn't much liquid in the pan, some water or lamb stock can be added.   Once the meat is browned, it will tend to get stuck at the bottom, one has to keep stirring with the scraping at the bottom, which is important for the characteristic development of the flavors.

PRESENTATION:

1. Serve it in bowl, garnished with coriander & ginger julienne.

2. Roganjosh can be served with saffron rice or