If you haven’t tried madras beef curry yet, now is the time. It’s a classic Indian dish full of rich flavours.

SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 20 min // COOK TIME 3 hours 

INGREDIENTS

For the curry

Flour 3 tbsp 

Chuck steak, cut into 2.5 cm cubes 1 kg 

Oil 2 tbsp 

Onion, roughly chopped 1 

Chilli powder 1 tsp 

Ground turmeric 1 tsp 

Ground cumin 1 tbsp 

Ground coriander 1 tbsp 

Garam masala 2 tsp 

Chilli, finely chopped 1 red 

Tomato paste 3 tbsp 

Garlic cloves, chopped 2 

Piece fresh ginger, finely chopped 4 cm 

Lemon juice 1 tbsp 

Bay leaf 1 

Curry leaves 3 

Beef stock 3 cups 

Coriander, chopped ¼ cup 

For the raita

Double-cream yoghurt 1 cup 

Lime juice 1 tbsp 

Finely diced cucumber ½ cup 

Chopped coriander, plus a few extra sprigs 1 tbsp 

Spring onion, finely sliced ½ 

Ground cumin ½ tsp 

Garam masala ½ tsp 

METHOD

For the curry

1. Add the flour and beef to a ziplock bag, then shake to mix.

2. Add the oil to a pot over high heat. Fry the beef in batches until browned, about 3 minutes. Remove beef and set aside.

3. Lower the heat, add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. 

4. Combine the chilli powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala, chilli and tomato paste in a small bowl.

5. Add the tomato paste to the pot and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the garlic, ginger and browned beef to the pot and stir to coat the beef well. Cook for 2 minutes and season well with salt and pepper.

6. Add the lemon juice, bay- and curry leaves, along with the stock. Bring to a boil, stir to remove the seasoning from the bottom of the pot, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 2.5 hours until the meat is tender. Remove the lid and continue to cook for 15 more minutes to reduce the sauce.

For the raita

1. Combine the yoghurt, lime juice, cucumber, coriander, spring onion and cumin in a bowl. Sprinkle with the garam masala and top with a few sprigs of coriander.

To serve 

1. Garnish the madras curry with coriander and serve with the raita on the side. Serve with rice or rotis, if desired.

Recipes & styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg
Styling assistant: Jezza-Rae Larsen, Kirsty Buchanan
Photography: Chanelle Naudt/hmimages.co.za

These 2 delicious curries, lentil dhal and coconut fish are perfect for those cold winter evenings. PS for extra flavour, make them the day before!

The post Madras Beef Curry appeared first on MyKitchen.

We love Indian food especially this simple butter chicken! It may be simple, but it is still packed with flavour and perfect for cosy winter evenings.

SERVES 4 // TOTAL TIME 55 min + marination

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken marinade

Boneless chicken fillets, sliced into short strips 4 
Plain yoghurt ¾ cup 
Garlic cloves, minced 3 
Piece ginger, grated 3 cm 
Garam masala 1 tsp 
Ground cumin 1 tsp 
Turmeric 1 tsp 
Chilli powder ½ tsp 

For the sambal

Oil 1 ½ tbsp 
Red chillies, washed & de-stemmed 200 g 
Garlic clove, minced 1 
Lime juice 1 tbsp 
Salt 2 tsp 
Brown sugar 1 tbsp 

For the curry

Oil 2 tbsp 
Onion, chopped 1 
Garlic cloves, minced 3 
Piece ginger, grated 2 cm 
Butter 2 tbsp 
Garam masala 2 tbsp 
Ground cumin 1 ½ tsp 
Turmeric ½ tsp 
Tomato paste 2 tbsp 
Tin tomatoes 1 × 400 g
Chicken stock 1 cup 
Sugar 1 tbsp 
Cream 1 cup 

To serve

Basmati rice, cooked
Roti 4 
Coriander sprigs, to garnish

METHOD

For the chicken marinade

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix to coat the chicken evenly. Cover and set aside for at least 3 hours to marinate.

For the sambal

1. Place the oil in a pan over high heat. Once hot, add the chillies and garlic, then fry for 30 seconds.
2. Remove from the heat and add to a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Blend into a rough paste, then transfer to a jar and set aside.

For the curry

1. Place the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 1 min until fragrant. Add the butter, garam masala, cumin, turmeric and tomato paste. Fry for a minute, stirring well. 
2. Add the tinned tomatoes, stock and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20–30 min, until reduced.
3. Add the cream, chicken and marinade to the sauce and cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. 
4. Serve in bowls with rice, warm roti, coriander and sambal.

Recipes & styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg
Styling assistant: Jezza-Rae Larsen, Kirsty Buchanan
Photography: Chanelle Naudt/hmimages.co.za

You can’t deny that curry on a cold winters day is not the absolute best! So why not ditch the usual chicken or veg and try our crab curry recipe instead!

The post Simple butter chicken  appeared first on MyKitchen.

That’s right, we’ve whipped up the best-ever dal curry to keep you warm this winter. You can enjoy it with some fragrant basmati rice.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 40 min

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp vegetable oil
½ onion, peeled and roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 cm ginger, peeled and grated
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
3 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tbsp dried curry leaves
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
400 ml vegetable stock
200 ml coconut cream
¾ cup red lentils
1 tbsp lime juice
Salt and black pepper

METHOD
1. Heat oil in a pot. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, chilli, all of the spices, and curry leaves. Fry until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the potatoes and fry for another 3 minutes, until golden.
3. Add chopped tomatoes, stock, coconut cream and lentils and bring to a simmer for 30 minutes, until the potatoes and lentils are soft.
4. Season with lime juice, salt and pepper and serve with rice.

Recipe, styling & photography: Anett Velsberg

Serve your dal with Vani Padayachee’s dhania murgh.

The post MK’s best-ever dal curry to warm your belly appeared first on MyKitchen.

Restaurant chef Vanie Padayachee shares her delicious mirch baingan ka salan recipe, a typical dish of the southern Indian city of Hyderabad. It’s the perfect vegetarian main, or a wonderful side to breyani.

SERVES 6 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 30 min

INGREDIENTS
For the vegetables
Vegetable oil, to deep-fry
10 baby brinjals
1 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
For the Kashmiri masala
30 green cardamom pods (seeds only)
15 cloves
5 black cardamom pods (seeds only)
4 cinnamon sticks
½ nutmeg
5 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds
2 tsp black peppercorns
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
For the sauce
300 g cashews
150 g coconut flour
100 g sesame seeds
200 ml vegetable oil
2 tbsp black mustard seeds
4 sprigs curry leaves
2 tbsp fenugreek seeds
5 green chillies, halved
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tsp salt
½ tsp Kashmiri masala
700 ml plain yoghurt
250 g tamarind paste, mixed with a little water

METHOD
For the vegetables
1. Preheat oil in a wok or pan.
2. Butterfly the vegetables (cut them open so they are spread out flat) and deep-fry until just cooked. Drain in a colander and set aside.
For the Kashmiri masala
1. Toast all the ingredients and then grind into a powder.
For the sauce
1. Dry-fry cashews, coconut flour and sesame seeds separately. Then combine them, add a little water and purée.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan. Fry the mustard seeds until they start popping.
3. Add the curry leaves and the fenugreek seeds and cook until the seeds start popping.
4. Add the chillies, turmeric, salt and Kashmiri masala, and fry for 5 minutes.
5. Add the cashew paste and cook gently for 5 minutes.
6. Add the yoghurt and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
7. Add the tamarind paste and cook the sauce until it splits.
8. Bring the sauce to the boil. Add the fried vegetables and simmer for a few minutes, until they have absorbed the sauce.
9. Serve your mirch baingan as is or with a side of breyani.

Recipe: Vanie Padayachee
Styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

You haven’t tried Indian food until you’ve tasted a traditional chicken korma curry!

The post Vanie Padayachee’s mirch baingan ka salan appeared first on MyKitchen.

We know it’s summer, but we also know how much we (and our fellow South Africans) love a good traditional curry. So we put together these spicy sarmies and freshened them up with lime and fresh coriander.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 90 mins

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, peeled and sliced
1 red chilli, sliced, plus extra to garnish
2 cm ginger, peeled and sliced
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp curry powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
500g baby potatoes, halved
Juice of 1 lime
200 ml vegetable stock
2 cups plain yoghurt
30g coriander, stalks and leaves separated, both finely chopped
300g frozen peas
Butter, at room temperature
8 slices white bread

Method
1. Heat the oil in a large pan over low heat, add the onions and fry until soft. Add the chilli, ginger, cumin seeds, curry powder and turmeric and fry for 1 minute.
2. Add the potatoes, lime juice, stock, yoghurt and coriander stalks. Simmer for 45 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked and the sauce has reduced.
3. Add the peas and coriander leaves and cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Butter 1 side of each slice of bread. Place a slice of bread on the bottom half of a jaffle iron, butter-side down, spoon some curry into the cavity and top with another slice of bread, butter-side up. Close the iron and place it in the fire for 5 minutes, until the bread is golden. Repeat with remaining bread and curry.
5. Garnish with extra chilli and serve.

The post Potato and pea curry jaffles appeared first on MyKitchen.

There is nothing quite like a deliciously exotic cup of home-made chai tea. Originating in India, chai is made with a blend of sweet, aromatic spices. Enjoy it steaming hot on a chilly winter’s evening or pour it over ice for a poolside drink that will transport you to shores of India.

SERVES 2 // COOKING TIME 15 mins

INGREDIENTS
2½ cm ginger, peeled and chopped
4 cardamom pods
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
½ tsp peppercorns
2 tea bags / 2 tsp loose-leaf tea (Darjeeling is traditional, but the choice is yours)
1 cup full-cream milk
¼ cup sugar

METHOD
1. Crush the spices with a mortar and pestle, coffee grinder or a rolling pin and plastic bag.
2. Place the spices and 2 cups of water in a pot. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and add the tea. Cover and steep for 3–5 minutes, to reach your desired strength.
4. Add the milk and sugar and reheat to just below boiling point, stirring (dissolve the sugar, but don’t scald the milk).
5. Strain the chai before serving.

The post The perfect cup of chai appeared first on MyKitchen.