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Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 3 medium onions; 3 medium potatoes; 300 ml oil; 1 kg leg of lamb, cubed with or without bone; 2 tsp garam masala; 1 ½ tsp fresh ginger root, finely chopped; 1 ½ tsp fresh garlic, crushed; 1 tsp chilli powder; 3 black peppercorns; 3 green cardamoms; 1 tsp balck cumin seeds; 2 cinnamon sticks; 1 tsp paprika; 1 ½ tsp salt; 150 ml natural yogurt and 600 ml water.

To Garnish:

• 2 green chillies chopped; fresh coriander leaves, chopped.

Cooking Method:

• Peel and slice the onions and set aside. Peel and cut each potato into 6 pieces.
• Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the sliced onions until golden brown. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.
• Add the meat to the saucepan with 1 tsp of the garam masala and stir-fry for 5-7 minutes over a low heat.
• Add the onions to the pan and remove from the heat.
• Meanwhile in a small bowl, mix together the ginger, garlic, chilli powder, peppercorns, cardamoms, cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks, paprika and salt. Add the yogurt and mix well.
• Return the pan to the heat and gradually add the spice and yogurt mixture to the meat and onions and stir-fry for 7-10 minutes.
• Add the water; lower the heat and cook, covered, for about 40 minutes, stirring the mixture occasionally.
• Add the potatoes to the pan and cook, covered, for a further 15 minutes, gently stirring the mixture occasionally.
• Garnish with green chillies and fresh coriander leaves, and serves at once.

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1.1 kg chicken without giblets, 575 ml canned coconut milk, 425 ml chicken stock, 2 lime leaves.
• Green Curry paste: 2 tsp coriander seeds, half tsp caraway or cumin seeds, 3-4 medium green chillies, finely chopped, 4 tsp sugar, 2 tsp salt, 1 piece of lemon grass, 7.5 cm long; 1 piece fresh ginger, 2 cm long peeled and finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic crushed, 4 shallots or 1 medium onion finely chopped, 1 piece shrimp paste, 2 cm square; 3 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped; 3 tbsp fresh mint or basil, finely chopped; half tsp nutmeg powder, 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 350 gm sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped; 350 gm winter squash, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped; 115 gm French beans, topped, tailed and halved; 1 small bunch coriander, shredded, to garnish.

Cooking Method:

• To prepare the chicken, remove the legs, then separate the thighs from the drum-sticks. Separate the lower part of the chicken carcass by cutting through the rib section with kitchen scissors.
• Divide the breast part in half down the middle, then chop each half in two. Remove skin from all pieces and set aside.
• Strain the coconut milk into a bowl, reserving the thick part. Place the chicken in a stainless steel or enamel saucepan, cover with the thin part of the coconut milk and the stock. Add the lime leaves, and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the bone and set aside.
• Dry or fry the coriander and caraway with cumin seeds. Grind the chillies with the sugar and salt to make a smooth paste.
• Combine the seeds from the wok with the chillies, the lemon grass, ginger, garlic and shallots, and then grind smoothly. Add the next 5 ingredients.
• Place a cupful of the cooking liquid in a large wok. Add 4-5 tbsp of the curry paste to the liquid according to taste.
• Boil rapidly until the liquid has reduced completely. Add the chicken stock, chicken meat, sweet potatoes, squash and beans. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until potatoes are cooked.
• Just before serving, stir in the thick part of the coconut milk and simmer gently to thicken. Serve decorated with the shredded coriander.

• This is one of the most popular Indian sweetmeats. The flavor and beautiful aroma of this sweetmeat comes from rosewater. The finished dish can be served hot or cold.

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp dried full-cream milk powder, 1½ tbsp plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1½ tbsp unsalted butter, 1 medium egg, 1 tsp milk to mix, 10 tbsp pure or vegetable ghee
• Syrup: 750 ml water, 8 tbsp sugar, 2 green cardamoms peeled with seeds crushed, 1 large pinch saffron strands and 2 tbsp rosewater.

Cooking Method:

• Place the dried full-cream milk powder, flour and baking powder in a bowl.
• Place the butter in a pan and heat until melted, stirring.
• Whisk the egg in a bowl. Add the melted butter and whisked egg to the dry ingredients and blend together with a fork to form soft dough.
• Break the dough into about 12 small pieces and shape, in the palms of your hands, into small, smooth balls.
• Heat the ghee in a deep frying-pan. Reduce the heat and start frying the dough balls, about 3-4 at a time, tossing and turning gently with a perforated spoon until a dark golden brown color. Remove the sweetmeats from the pan and set aside in a deep serving bowl.
• To make the syrup, boil the water and sugar in a pan for 7-10 minutes. Add the crushed cardamom seeds and saffron, and pour over the sweetmeats.
• Pour the rosewater sparingly over the top. Leave to soak for about 10 minutes in order for the sweetmeats to soak up some of the syrup. Serve hot or cold.

Makes: 40 rolls

Ingredients:

• 225 gm fresh bean sprouts, 115 gm tender leeks or spring onions, 115 gm carrots, 115 bamboo shoots sliced, 115 gm white mushrooms, 3-4 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp light brown sugar, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry, 20 frozen spring roll skins defrosted, 1tbsp corn flour paste, flour for dusting, oil for deep-frying.

Cooking Method:

• Cut all the vegetables into thin shreds, roughly the same size and shape as the bean sprouts.
• Heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the vegetables for about 1 minute. Add the salt, sugar, soy sauce and wine or sherry and continue stirring for 1½ – 2 minutes. Remove and drain the excess liquid then leave to cool.
• To make the spring rolls, cut each spring roll skin in half diagonally, then place about 1 tbsp of the vegetable mixture one-third of the way down on the skin, with the triangle pointing away from you.
• Lift the lower flap over the filling and roll once.
• Fold in both ends and roll once more then brush the upper edge with a little corn flour paste, and roll into a neat package. Lightly dust a tray with flour and place the spring rolls on the tray with the flap-side down.
• To cook, heat the oil in a wok or deep –fryer until hot, and then reduce the heat to low.
• Deep-fry the spring rolls in batches (about 8-10 at a time) for 2-3 minutes or until golden and crispy, then remove and drain.
• Serve the spring rolls hot with a dip sauce such as soy sauce or Spicy salt and pepper.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 115 gm squid cleaned, 4-6 fresh scallops, 115 gm uncooked prawns, half egg white, 1 tbsp corn flour paste, 2-3 stalks of celery, 1 small red peeper cored and seeded, 2 small carrots, about 300 ml oil, half tsp finely chopped fresh ginger, 1 spring onion cut into short sections, 1 tsp salt, half tsp light brown sugar, 1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp chilli bean sauce, 2 tbsp Basic stock and few drops sesame oil.

Cooking Method:

• Open up the squid and using a sharp knife, score the inside in a criss-cross pattern. Cut the squid into pieces each about the size of an oblong stamp. Soak the squid in a bowl of boiling water until all the pieces curl up; rinse in cold water and drain.
• Cut each scallop into 3-4 slices. Peel the prawns and cut each in half lengthways.
• Mix the scallops and prawns with the egg white and corn flour paste.
• Cut the celery, red pepper and carrots into thin slices, each about the size of a postage stamp.
• Heat the oil in a preheated wok until medium-hot and stir-fry the seafood for about 30-40 seconds. Remove with a strainer and drain.
• Pour off the excess oil, leaving about 2 tbsp in the wok, and add the vegetables with the ginger and spring onions. Stir-fry for about 1 minute.
• Add the seafood to the wok, stir for another 30-40 seconds, then add the salt, sugar, wine or sherry, soy sauce and chilli bean sauce.
• Blend well, add the stock and continue stirring for another minute. Then serve garnished with sesame oil.