Home grown

Bought these little plants yesterday at the farmers market ( whilst selling Sam's garlic and chilli's ) and, having no pots left, was reduced to planting thus.

Actually, dare I say it, they look a bit shabby chic. Yeah, I know, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that.

Debs

Another Herman

Ok, so I baked yet another Herman cake last week but I think I lost the plot a little. I'm afraid that my measurements were so haphazard that - although it looks great - it was really heavy and soggy.Yuk.

Just goes to show as this is a pretty good picture for me. We recycled it to the bird population.

Debs

How long will these last?

I planted one quite large windowbox ( outside teen bedroom ) with tumbler tomatoes and although they will be a while yet, living on a busyish road, I wonder how many I will actually get to eat myself!

Debs

Mumrez Khan's Lamb ( chicken ) and spinach curry.

I caught the tail end of this curry on TV a couple of weeks ago in a programme with Rick Stein but unfortunately I don't know which programme etc. It looked like a tasty curry so googled the life out of it and found a recipe on a fan blog...thanks guys. I have made it with chicken as Mr Debs won't eat lamb but otherwise the recipe is true to the original.

250g/9 oz Ghee/clarified butter
65g/ 2 1/2 oz chopped garlic
1 Tbspn Red chilli powder
1 Tbspn Paprika
1 Tbspn Ground cumin
1 Tbspn Ground coriander
1 Tbspn Turmeric
550g   ( 1 1/4lbs ) chopped onions
50g / 2oz piece fresh chopped ginger
900g / 2lbs Boneless leg or shoulder of lamb ( I used chicken breast )
120mls 4oz Water
3 Tbspn Chopped fresh coriander
350g / 12oz Fresh spinach washed with large stalks removed
4 Medium sized chilli's topped and tailed
1/2 a tablespoon Garam Masala
1 x 400g ( 14oz ) tin chopped tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste.

Heat the ghee in a large frying pan add onions and cook until turning golden brown - about 20 minutes.

Put the tomatoes, water, ginger and garlic into a liquidizer and blitz until smooth.

Add the fried onions to the liquidizer using a slotted spoon and blend briefly until all smooth.
Return the puree to the ghee left in the frying pan, add the lamb, season and continue to cook for 30 minutes.

Stir in the turmeric, chilli powder, turmeric, cumin, paprika and ground coriander and continue to cook for 30-45 minutes for shoulder and 45 minutes to 1 hour for leg adding a little water if needed if the sauce becomes too thick or starts to stick.

Put half the spinach into a saucepan and cook until wilted - about one minute.
Transfer to the rinsed out liquidizer and blitz to a puree ( not too fine ).

Set aside and rinse liquidizer again. Add to the liquidizer, chillies and a couple of tablespoons of water. Blitz to a puree.

Stir in the spinach puree and the remaining spinach leaves and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Taste your curry and add chilli puree according to you taste, add salt and pepper and simmer for 2 more minutes.
When ready to serve, sprinkle in fresh coriander and garam masala.




I'm sorry to say that I completely forgot to photograph the end product but this is a photo from the        Karachi Restaurant from which the original recipe comes. It really does go a kind of browny greeny colour as soon as the spinach is added but the taste of this curry is so good that all is forgiven. I served mine with a lovely mushroom pullao and some peshwari naan. Everyone loved this including the kids so I'll be making it again. It sounds a little time consuming but it's dead easy. Fab.

Debs

Oh no not again.

Yup, another one arrived last week and is currently baking in the oven. I have to say, if nothing else it does make the house smell great.

Debs