Anjum Anand: Recipes for National Curry Week

We are delighted to host some of Anjum’s favourite recipes on the BritMums blog in honour of National Curry Week. those of you who attended BritMums Live may have tasted some of her delicious chutneys during her session, they were perfect served with the selection of cheese. Here she goes one step further and shows how to use them in recipes too.

Here are some easy and scrumptious recipes to liven up your tastebuds.

Almost Instant creamy spiced tomato prawns

A truly delicious dish that makes an amazing pasta sauce or is lovely just for eating with crusty bread. It takes less than 5 minutes to make and tastes like proper restaurant fare. You can’t go wrong with this!

Serves 1

125g large prawns, shelled and deveined

1 tsp. olive oil

2 tbs. The Spice Tailor Chilli, Tomato and Garlic chutni

1 rounded tbs. crème fraiche

1/8-¼ tsp. red chilli flakes or to taste

5 baby tomatoes, halved

Heat the oil in a small saucepan, add the prawns and stir-fry for 30-40 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients and a small splash of water and cook for 2-3 minutes more or until the prawns are cooked through and the sauce is lightly creamy, slightly mash the tomatoes as you do to help them break down. 

Stir in just cooked pasta (I use 125g fresh pasta) or serve on some crusty bread.

Grilled Tofu and Tangerine Summer rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

A delicious, summery light meal or starter for when you have friends over. It is crunchy and refreshing but deeply satisfying with the slick of the flavourful peanut sauce. If you don’t like fruits or citruses with your savoury, you can leave the tangerine out.

Makes 8

8 rice paper rolls

1 large carrot, peeled and grated coarsely

4” segment of cucumber, sliced and then cut thin matchsticks

1 handful fresh mint leaves, larger ones torn

250g firm tofu

3 tbs. dark soya sauce

1 large spring onion, cut into 3” lengths and finely sliced lengthways

2 tangerine, peeled and segments opened and some skins removed if you are in the mood (optional)

Sauce

5 tbs. The Spice Tailor Peanut and Tamarind Chutni

11/2 tsp. dark soya sauce

11/2 tsp. lemon or lime juice

30g creamed coconut (if block, dissolve in 4 tbs. boiling water) or if creamy add a little less

Heat a non-stick griddle pan. Cut the tofu into ¾” deep, 1” wide rectangles. Pat well with several layers of kitchen roll to take out some of their moisture. I need to oil my griddle pan a little to prevent the tofu sticking (my non-stick coating has completely gone). Place the tofu on the griddle pan and cook until the underside has lovely brown bars on them. Turn and repeat with this side.

Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce. Stir together all the ingredients, adjusting consistency, I like it creamy but not thick. Taste and adjust, lemon juice or coconut to taste.

Once the tofu is done, place straight into the soya sauce (you are not seasoning with anything else so you can allow them to soak in a little).

Place your rice rolls, two at a time in a deep plate of water until just soft. Place them flat on some kitchen roll to dry slightly and place on your work surface. Place 6-7 cucumber shreds in a line in the centre of each, leaving a 1” border at the top and bottom. Follow with some spring onion and 1 tbs. or so of carrot, then 2-3 mint leaves, 1-2 tangerine pieces and finally the tofu. Fold in the top and bottom and then one side and roll, keeping it tight, the whole thing so that it is like a spring roll. Cover with some damp kitchen roll as you finish the rest. Serve as they are or halved with the dipping sauce.

Southern beef and pepper stir fry

Serves 3

11/2 tbs. vegetable oil

300g quality beef for stir fry, cut into strips

1 packet The Spice Tailor Southern Pepper Curry

1 large pepper/capsicum, cut into 1” cubes (I use whichever colour is in the fridge and often use a bits of a couple)

2 medium sized spring onions, chopped

½ small beef stock gel (or cube) or powder to taste

Coriander and grated coconut (you can rehydrate a small handful of desiccated coconut) to finish

Heat half the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the beef and brown a little. Tip into a plate.

Add the remaining oil and stir-fry the vegetables with a pinch of salt and add the chilli from the spice packet if you would like the extra heat (reserve the other spices for another day or grind them to a powder in a pestle and mortar). Stir fry for 2-3 minutes and add the beef, beef stock and sauce in along with a good splash of water, cook stirring and bringing the whole thing together for another 2-3 minutes until the beef is cooked and the sauce is shiny and coats the meat loosely.

Garnish with some fresh coriander and grated coconut if you like along with some plain rice.