MEALS FOR THE FAMILY:

This recipe is taken from Indian Festival Feasts by Vivek Singh. Published by Absolute Press. IS­BN: 978 1 4729 3846 6

Raan (Whole Braised Leg of Lamb with Peppercorn and Nutmeg) (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

• 1 leg of lamb, approx. 1.8kg (or if using spring lamb, use 2 shoulders)
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 3 green or black cardamom pods
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 20g spring onion greens, thinly sliced

For the marinade:

• 4 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tablespoons Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 200ml malt vinegar
• 100g crisp fried onions
• 1 teaspoon sugar

For the sauce:

• 200ml tomato purée
• 1½ tablespoon black peppercorns, roasted
• a dry frying pan for 30-60 seconds, then coarsely crushed
• ¼ nutmeg, grated
• 60ml single cream
• salt
• sugar, to taste
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 30ml rum (optional)

Method:

• Remove the surface fat from the leg or shoulder of lamb and prick the leg thoroughly using the tip of a sharp knife or a trussing needle (you can ask your butcher to do this for you, if you wish).

Mix all the marinade ingredients together in­to a paste. Spread the paste all over the lamb and massage the spices in. Set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or preferably for a few hours in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 150C/ 130C fan/Gas Mark 2.

• Scatter the whole spices in a deep baking tray large enough to accommodate the leg, then place the marinated lamb on top. Pour over enough water to come three-quarters of the way up the lamb. Cover with foil and cook in the preheated oven for two-and-a-half/three hours until the meat is soft and easily comes off the bone. Remove from the oven and let the leg cool, then drain and reserve the cooking liquor.

Once cool, make deep incisions into the leg and remove the meat from the bone. Cut the meat in­to 1cm thick slices and arrange on an ovenproof serving platter. Brush with the butter and heat in a warm oven; hold warm until ready to serve.

• For the sauce, transfer the strained cooking juices to a pan, add the tomato purée and cook down slowly to a sauce consistency. Add the peppercorns, nutmeg and cream. Check the seasoning and add salt and sugar to taste.

Whisk in the butter, remove from the heat and pour over the sliced raan. Sprinkle with spring onions. If using rum, pour it into a ladle and heat it up until flaming, then pour over the lamb and bring to the table as the show-stopper.

THIS recipe is taken from Fresh India by Meera Sodha. Published by Penguin Fig Tree. ISBN: 978 0 241 20042 1

Paneer, Mango and Tamarind Salad (Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a side)

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons rapeseed oil
• 3 banana shallots, thinly sliced
• 450g hard paneer, cut into 1.5cm cubes
• 2 teaspoons tamarind paste
• salt
• 2 large semi-ripe mangoes
• 120g mixed salad leaves (e.g. baby spinach and lamb’s lettuce)
• 15g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1 green finger chilli, chopped
• 2cm ginger, peeled and chopped
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon honey

Method:

• Put two tablespoons of the oil into a frying pan over a medium heat and, when hot, add the shallots. Stir-fry the shallots until softened, then add the paneer.

Fry the paneer for around four minutes, until golden and crisp, turning every minute or so, then add the tamarind paste and ¾ teaspoons of salt. Stir-fry for a minute or two, then take off the heat.

• Peel each mango with a vegetable peeler, then slice off both ‘cheeks’ of the mango as close to the stone as possible. Slice off the remaining sides. Cut the mango into wedges around 1cm at the thick end and put into a bowl, along with the mixed leaves, mint and coriander.

Next make the dressing. If you have a pestle and mortar, bash the green chilli and ginger to­gether until it forms a smooth paste. If not, very finely chop both ingredients. Mix together with the lime juice, honey, ¼ teaspoon of salt and the remaining oil, then taste and adjust as you see fit.

Add the paneer mixture and dressing to the salad bowl, and mix together just before serving.

THIS recipe was taken from Cooking Like Mum­mji by Vicky Bhogal. Published by Grub Street. ISBN: 978 1 910690 30 7

Coriander Green Masala Tandoori Roast Chicken (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
• 2 handfuls fresh coriander, including the stalks, roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• chunk fresh ginger, approximately 3x3cm , peeled and roughly chopped
• 125ml/½ cup natural yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon mild and light olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 chicken breasts, skinned and scored

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/gas mark 6. Place all the ingredients, except the chicken, in a grinder/food processor/blender and blend to a thick paste. It’s nice to keep it a bit chunky so you will get the crunchy texture of the coriander seeds.

Rub the paste all over the chicken (use surgi­cal gloves, or put it all in a plastic bag, if you don’t want the turmeric to stain your nails yel­low), cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or preferably overnight for the best flavour and tenderised flesh, but otherwise rub in well and cook straight away.

• Shake off any excess marinade and place the chicken on an oiled baking tray. Roast for 30 minutes, turning over halfway through or, alter­natively, barbecue until cooked through.