Today’s recipes are classics from two different regions of India. You’d typically find the kozhi kari at weddings and celebrations in Kerala, and the recipe here is a riff on my friend Ravi’s grandmother’s, who made the best version I have ever had. The kumro chenchki, meanwhile, is essentially a simply spiced stir-fry, that’s usually served with dal, ghee and flatbread for the ultimate comfort food.
Bengali kumro chenchki (stir-fried pumpkin with dried chillies, panch phoran, ginger and cumin; pictured top)
Bengalis are known for their wide variety of veggie stir-fries, and this one is a celebration of all the key spices in their cuisine. Panch phoran is a spice blend that includes cumin, mustard, nigella, fennel and fenugreek seeds, and is readily available in Asian food shops and online.
Prep 15 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 4-6
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 heaped tsp panch phoran
2 dried mild red chillies, deseeded
4cm piece ginger, peeled and crushed to a paste
680g squash or pumpkin, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp kashmiri chilli powder
1 heaped tsp coriander powder
A pinch of sugar
Salt, to taste
Fresh coriander, to garnish
Put the oil in a deep, nonstick saucepan on a medium heat. Add the panch phoran and dried chillies,and let them sizzle for a few seconds. Add the ginger paste and fry for a minute, stirring so it doesn’t catch and burn. Add the chopped squash or pumpkin, stir for two to three minutes, then stir in the powdered spices and sugar, and season to taste.
Add 150ml water, cover and simmer on a low heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring halfway – you want the squash to cook yet hold its shape. Cock the lid so it half-covers the pan, then simmer for another eight to nine minutes, so the water reduces slightly.
Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with dal and luchi or puris.
Chertha kozhi kari (chicken and cashew curry with turmeric, ginger and curry leaves)
Hearty, delicious and comforting. You can swap the chicken for leftover turkey.
Prep/Soak 30 min
Marinate 2 hr+
Cook 50 min
Serves 4-6
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
1 tsp turmeric powder
800g skinless, bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 cloves
3cm cinnamon stick
120g white onions, peeled and finely chopped
Salt, to taste
A pinch of sugar
½ tsp ground cardamom powder
For the cashew paste
75g cashew nuts, soaked in 100ml warm water for 30 minutes
5cm piece root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 green bird’s eye chillies
For the tempering
1 tbsp vegetable oil
A handful of cashew nuts
1 tsp black mustard seeds
10 curry leaves
Put the yoghurt and turmeric in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the chicken pieces, mix well and leave to marinate for at least two hours, and preferably overnight.
Meanwhile, make the cashew nut paste. Put the cashews and their soaking liquid in a blender with the ginger and chillies, blitz to a smooth, fine paste, then set aside.
In a large, heavy-based saucepan, heat the oil over a medium flame, then add the cloves and cinnamon stick. When they begin to sizzle, add the onions and fry, stirring often so they colour evenly, for 10 minutes, until brown. Add the marinated chicken and fry, stirring, for eight minutes, until seared all over. Lower the heat, add the sugar and 100ml water, season with salt to taste, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
Stir in the cashew paste, simmer for four to five minutes, then add the ground cardamom and take off the heat.
While the curry is resting, make the tempering. Put the oil in a small frying pan on a medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the cashew nuts and, when they begin to colour, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves and leave them to splutter for a few seconds. Pour this over the chicken, then serve with parathas.
