Homemade Indian Curry

Hey everyone, hope you´re all doing very well!

This week I am serving you one of my favourite recipes of all time – A homemade Indian Curry!

I first started getting into Indian cuisine when I moved to The Hague, in fact, the first proper dish I had after moving there was a Shahi Paneer at Maharani (great recommendation btw!).
This recipe is inspired by the Indian Shahi-Paneer, as it is a winner through and through – A really creamy dish with subtle notes of spices such as cinnamon and cardamom, underlined by the refreshing tones of tomato and ginger.

So without further ado – Let´s jump right into it! 

Ingredients

• 6 medium-sized tomatoes
• 3 red onions
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 root of ginger
• 2 bell peppers
• 400g chickpeas (preferably canned)
• 30g cashew nuts
• 350g Paneer cheese or Halloumi
• 100g butter
• Dash of creme fraiche
• Sunflower Oil

As Indian food is all about flavour – Let´s have a rundown of the spices beforehand…

Spices

• Chilli Flakes
• Cinnamon
• Cardamom
• Coriander Powder
• Curry Powder
• Garam Masala
• Black Cumin Seeds
• Turmeric
• Salt
• Sugar

Preparation

Start by soaking cashew nuts in some hot water for about 30 minutes before starting to cook.
Cut onion and tomatoes into medium-sized pieces. Cut garlic cloves and approximately 3cm of ginger root into really fine pieces.
To make your life easier you could already prepare your spice mix for later on. In a bowl, mix 1 tsp of salt, 2 tsp of chilli flakes, 1 tsp of coriander powder, 1 tsp of curry powder, 2 tsp of garam masala and 2 tsp of turmeric powder. Set aside for later.

Cooking Instructions

In a large cooking pot, start by frying onions in some sunflower oil on medium heat. When the onions start to turn a little golden, add in garlic and ginger. Let it cook for a couple of minutes.
Add tomatoes to the pot. Let it cook for 5 minutes. Continue by adding the soaked cashew nuts to the pot – including the water that you soaked them in. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on top. Give everything a good stir and bring it to a boil for about 10 minutes.

Take everything off the heat and blend it with a mixer until a smooth paste is created. Meanwhile, in a smaller pot, melt the butter on low heat. Add 1 teaspoon of Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of Cardamom and a teaspoon of black cumin seeds to the butter. Let everything sizzle for a minute.

Move the bigger pot with the created paste back on the heat. Pour melted butter over the paste and stir everything until well incorporated. Add 300ml of water to the paste. Then, add the spice mix that you prepared earlier. Stir and incorporate well. Put the lid on and let it cook for 10 minutes.

Chop the bell pepper and cheese into mouth-sized pieces. Rinse the chickpeas under water. Add everything to the cooking pot. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring every once in a while.

Garnish with a dollop of creme fraiche and some coriander leaves – Ét voila! The only thing left to do is to pour yourself a nice drink and enjoy your delicious, homemade Indian Curry!

Lots of love,

Anna.