with extra rice.
SERVES 6
600g lamb leg steaks (about 4 steaks)
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 large onions, roughly chopped
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
25g chunk of fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 plump fresh red chilli, roughly chopped (deseeded if you like)
75g medium or mild curry paste (depending on your taste)
400g can of chopped tomatoes
350g potatoes, preferably Maris Pipers, peeled and cut into 3cm chunks
450ml water
2 bay leaves
1 tsp flaked sea salt, plus extra for seasoning the meat
1 tsp caster sugar
3 ripe medium tomatoes, quartered
100g young spinach leaves
freshly ground black pepper
293 calories per portion
Trim the lamb of any hard fat and cut the meat into rough chunks of about 3cm. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a teaspoon of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the lamb in 2 batches until lightly coloured on all sides. Transfer the lamb to a plate as soon as each batch is browned.
Heat the remaining oil in a large flameproof casserole dish and add the onions. Cook over a medium heat for 6–8 minutes until they’re softened and lightly browned, stirring regularly. Turn down the heat, add the garlic, ginger, chilli and curry paste and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring frequently.
Remove from the heat and blitz the onion mixture with a stick blender until blended to a purée. Or you can let the mixture cool for a few minutes, then blend it in a food processor before tipping it back into the casserole. Return the casserole to the hob over a medium heat. Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan 170°C/Gas 5.
Add the browned lamb to the spiced onion purée in the dish and cook over a gentle heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring. Add the canned chopped tomatoes, potatoes, water, bay leaves, teaspoon of salt and the sugar. Bring everything to a gentle simmer, then cover with a lid and place the casserole in the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the lamb is tender and the sauce has thickened. Check after 1 hour and give the contents of the casserole dish a good stir.
Take the dish out of the oven and remove the lid. Stir in the quartered tomatoes and spinach leaves. Cover once more and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and the spinach has wilted. Serve hot with some spoonfuls of fat-free yoghurt if you fancy.
CHICKEN JALFREZI
A culinary triumph for curry-loving dieters – what’s not to like? We’ve reworked this classic to encourage your ever-decreasing waistline, so get shopping and chopping.
SERVES 4
6 long green chillies
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp flaked sea salt
200ml cold water
2 tbsp low-fat natural yoghurt
1 medium onion, cut into 12 wedges
1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into rough 3cm chunks
2 tomatoes, quartered2 tsp cornflour
1 tbsp water
279 calories per portion
Finely chop 4 of the chillies – deseed a couple or all of them first if you don’t like very spicy food. Split the other 2 chillies from stalk to tip on 1 side without opening or removing the seeds. Cut each chicken breast into 7 or 8 bite-sized chunks.
Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a large, fairly deep, non-stick frying pan (or wok) over a high heat. Add the garlic, chopped chillies, chopped tomatoes, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, sugar and salt, then stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until the vegetables soften. Don’t let the garlic or spices burn or they will add a bitter flavour to the sauce.
Next, add the chicken pieces and whole chillies and cook for 3 minutes, turning the chicken regularly. Pour over the 200ml of water, stir in the yoghurt and reduce the heat only slightly – you want the sauce to simmer. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally until the chicken is tender and cooked through and the sauce has reduced by
SERVES 6
600g lamb leg steaks (about 4 steaks)
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 large onions, roughly chopped
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
25g chunk of fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 plump fresh red chilli, roughly chopped (deseeded if you like)
75g medium or mild curry paste (depending on your taste)
400g can of chopped tomatoes
350g potatoes, preferably Maris Pipers, peeled and cut into 3cm chunks
450ml water
2 bay leaves
1 tsp flaked sea salt, plus extra for seasoning the meat
1 tsp caster sugar
3 ripe medium tomatoes, quartered
100g young spinach leaves
freshly ground black pepper
293 calories per portion
Trim the lamb of any hard fat and cut the meat into rough chunks of about 3cm. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a teaspoon of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the lamb in 2 batches until lightly coloured on all sides. Transfer the lamb to a plate as soon as each batch is browned.
Heat the remaining oil in a large flameproof casserole dish and add the onions. Cook over a medium heat for 6–8 minutes until they’re softened and lightly browned, stirring regularly. Turn down the heat, add the garlic, ginger, chilli and curry paste and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring frequently.
Remove from the heat and blitz the onion mixture with a stick blender until blended to a purée. Or you can let the mixture cool for a few minutes, then blend it in a food processor before tipping it back into the casserole. Return the casserole to the hob over a medium heat. Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan 170°C/Gas 5.
Add the browned lamb to the spiced onion purée in the dish and cook over a gentle heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring. Add the canned chopped tomatoes, potatoes, water, bay leaves, teaspoon of salt and the sugar. Bring everything to a gentle simmer, then cover with a lid and place the casserole in the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the lamb is tender and the sauce has thickened. Check after 1 hour and give the contents of the casserole dish a good stir.
Take the dish out of the oven and remove the lid. Stir in the quartered tomatoes and spinach leaves. Cover once more and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and the spinach has wilted. Serve hot with some spoonfuls of fat-free yoghurt if you fancy.
CHICKEN JALFREZI
A culinary triumph for curry-loving dieters – what’s not to like? We’ve reworked this classic to encourage your ever-decreasing waistline, so get shopping and chopping.
SERVES 4
6 long green chillies
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp flaked sea salt
200ml cold water
2 tbsp low-fat natural yoghurt
1 medium onion, cut into 12 wedges
1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into rough 3cm chunks
2 tomatoes, quartered2 tsp cornflour
1 tbsp water
279 calories per portion
Finely chop 4 of the chillies – deseed a couple or all of them first if you don’t like very spicy food. Split the other 2 chillies from stalk to tip on 1 side without opening or removing the seeds. Cut each chicken breast into 7 or 8 bite-sized chunks.
Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a large, fairly deep, non-stick frying pan (or wok) over a high heat. Add the garlic, chopped chillies, chopped tomatoes, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, sugar and salt, then stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until the vegetables soften. Don’t let the garlic or spices burn or they will add a bitter flavour to the sauce.
Next, add the chicken pieces and whole chillies and cook for 3 minutes, turning the chicken regularly. Pour over the 200ml of water, stir in the yoghurt and reduce the heat only slightly – you want the sauce to simmer. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally until the chicken is tender and cooked through and the sauce has reduced by
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