Editor’s August Pick #4: What to cook in hot weather – the final curry photos

Editor's note: We'll round off this week's selection with a photo of the butter chicken to show just how daft my thought process was. Also for consideration is a recipe for raita which even if you don't need some kind of tempering for the spice, deliciously adds to the flavours of any curry. Curry without some kind of yoghurt dip would be like a poppadom without chutney!

What to cook in hot weather – the final curry photos

and the remaining bits and pieces.

I realise I'm always going on about raita – it's so easy to make and delicious with any spicy food. I mentioned it as recently as June but just for speed here it is again.

Raita

Take half a large pot of plain yogurt - 250g. Add one teaspoon of ready-made mint sauce and stir well. Add salt and black pepper. If you'd like to add finely diced cucumber feel free but add it as you serve so it remains crisp.

Another culinary marriage made in heaven – the fast and economical way.

I don't make mango chutney, simply because as of yet I can't do better than my favourite - Sharwood's Green Label.

You can buy good quality ready-made naan breads but if you want to make your own I'd choose Garlic Roti which was mentioned in Bread for the New Year in July.

There are heaps of ideas on the Indian label – from Bombay Aloo to Koftas – food for thought – sorry!

Okey dokey just before we complete the hot weather ideas here are a couple of photos :

Butter Chicken – I'd make more

than you need – it's great to pull from the

freezer for a ready-made supper!

Veggie Rendang – just one word – yum!

Neither the Butter Chicken nor the Veggie Rendang are complicated and long-winded whichever route you decide to take – there's fastish and fast!

Editor’s August Pick #3: What to cook in hot weather – then there's the Rendang

Editor's note: I love juxtapositions, and curry during a hot summer is one of those incongruous ideas that shows two "wrongs" can sometimes make a right. Spice on a hot day? Yes please! Not to mention curry is one of the best ways to use up leftover veg as MiamMiam says - I don't eat spinach in anything other than curry. Give it a try any time and you won't be disappointed.

What to cook in hot weather – then there's the Rendang

I've said already that this is a favourite of mine – what I also love about this curry is that it's quick and easy – ideal too for using leftover veggies. I always cook more potatoes than I need and at this time of year it's new potatoes. You can add whatever you've got – cauliflower, peppers, broccoli, anything goes.

Here's the recipe I use :

Rendang Sauce

100 ml coconut cream

50ml water

3 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp curry powder

(I used mild – use medium or hot to suit personal taste)

1 tbsp kecap manis

(also known as sweet soy sauce)

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over a low heat and

serve. Can be made ahead and re-heated.

I doubled the recipe.

You don't have to make the Butter Chicken sauce or the Rendang either – you can cheat and buy ready-made products or, in the case of the Rendang, there's very little time difference.

I added :

500g of cooked new potatoes, cut into cubes

1 large onion, finely diced

1 roasted garlic clove (optional)

glug of rapeseed oil]

a couple of handfuls of frozen petit pois,

boxed and allowed to defrost

Editor’s August Pick #2: What to cook in hot weather - Butter Chicken

Editor's note: Butter chicken is something that I'd often heard of but avoided - it sounded odd somehow - curiosity got the better of me when I saw this post. Obviously my culinary IQ would be quicker to count to than to crack an egg but still thought I'd share that tidbit! There may be someone (I hope!) out there like me that had just glossed over what's involved and would like reassurance that it's a delicious sounding meal full of flavour and isn't just Lurpak and chicken!

What to cook in hot weather - Butter Chicken method and other choices

The simplest recipes are the best and this is no exception.

Butter Chicken Method

Put the tomato paste in a clear measuring jug. Add water slowly, mixing as you go, to make up 8fl oz (225ml) of tomato sauce.

Add the ginger, cream, garam masala, salt, sugar, green chilli, cayenne, green coriander, lemon juice and ground roasted cumin seeds. Mix well. At this stage you can box and fridge until the finishing touch below completing the sauce.

**Heat the butter in a wide sauté pan or a large frying pan. When the butter has melted, add all the ingredients in the measuring jug. Bring to a simmer and cook on a medium heat for a minute, mixing in the butter as you do so.

Now you're ready to add your chicken.

Once again you have chicken choices. I slow cooked chicken breast ahead – one per person plus an extra two for good luck, and then froze. All that remained was to pull it all together and finish off on the day – not forgetting to defrost the chicken in the fridge overnight.

Madhur Jaffrey has another suggestion and that is to add tandoori chicken.

That suggestion gave me an idea for a spot of fusion – of culinary minds that is.

Dipna Anand is co-owner of “Brilliant” restaurant in London. The tandoori chicken is taken from a larger Tandoori Chicken Tikka Salad recipe from Dipna. This is an hommage to Madhur Jaffrey and Dipna Anand. It also proves that recipes that are 40 years old work just as well with “now”!

Editor’s August Pick #1: What to cook in hot weather – the curry choices

Editor's note: You may or may not know that this blog started way back in 2015. Over the years there have been a great many posts and a shed-load of surprises. I am not at all shocked when I find the exact thing I'm looking for - or usually something miles better! It also comes as no surprise that I can waffle on about what to cook during the recent heatwave and the next week run into a post about exactly that! Have a read if you're still dealing with the heat like I am!

What to cook in hot weather – the curry choices

Before I begin a small tip you may find helpful. I have this habit of re-visiting a menu plan the following day, which again might sound strange, sometimes I miss an element or there'll be an element that doesn't quite fit. In this case I didn't make any tweaks at all so I'm good to go.

I chose Butter Chicken because quite simply it's very popular and always seems to disappear. The Rendang choice is personal to me because I'm a huge fan of sweet and sour flavours. Rendang is Indonesian in origin although it has spread to Malaysia, among other countries in Southeast Asia. It's perfect to put with veggies.

It might seem pointless talking about the intense heat and what to cook after the event but I have a feeling that it will not be the last time we experience it and it's good to have an idea or two in reserve or, you might just fancy a curry in the summer.

There are heaps of Butter Chicken recipes out there – the one I use comes from my favourite Indian cookery book Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookery – there was a television series too. I can't believe it's 39 years old!

Here it is :

Chicken in a butter sauce

Makkhani murghi

The sauce in this dish should be folded into butter at the very last minute as it tends to separate otherwise. However, you can combine all the ingredients except the butter up to a day ahead of time and refrigerate them until they are needed.

This is a wonderfully simple but spectacular sauce to which you add chicken.

Serves 4-6

4 tbsp of tomato purée

water to mix

1” (2.5cms) cube of fresh ginger, peeled

and grated very finely to a pulp

½ pint (275ml) single cream

1 tsp garam masala

¾ tsp salt

¼ tsp sugar

1 fresh green chilli, finely chopped

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp very finely chopped fresh green coriander

4 tsps lemon juice

1 tsp ground roasted cumin seeds

4oz (110g) unsalted butter

Coming up – the method and your chicken choices continued

Editor’s Pick #15: My Mezze

Editor’s note – Whilst officially listed as an appetizer you are of course king/queen of your own kitchen so why not whip up a smaller meal for a hot summer's evening. I find I eat significantly less in the summer months – although you wouldn’t know it! – so much so that I use smaller plates when the mercury hits a certain level. Tempting dishes like this are perfect for when I’m just not in the mood - just the job!

My mezze …

contribution that is

As you've come to expect with me, what follows is my take on a Lebanese mezze dish which formed the appetiser for my class :

Halloumi and pomegranate salad

Serves 6 as an appetiser

50g walnuts, toasted and chopped

250g Halloumi – sliced

salt and black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

cherry tomatoes, halved

Warm the oil in a frying pan. Season and fry the sliced halloumi for 1-2 minutes each side – set aside and keep warm, add the tomatoes and repeat. Serve in small bowls, sprinkle with walnuts and drizzle with dressing.

Pomegranate Dressing

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

juice of two limes

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Generous pinch of nigella seeds

1-2 tsps sumac

Mix all the ingredients together. Drizzle over the halloumi and tomatoes.

Serve with warmed mini pitta breads or

rustic bread of your choice

By the way – if you have bottled lime juice in your pantry 2 tbsp of juice = 1 lime.

Editor’s Pick #14 Warm Smoked Mackerel Salad

Editor’s note:  I’ve made passing reference a few times to the weather in the UK previously but this week was something else. If you are in the mood to eat anything during the day this summer, then I would recommend sticking very firmly to light bites, and this is a shining beacon amongst recipes for a light summer meal that packs in the flavour. People hear the F word and they get hung up on tuna, cod or salmon and overlook a lot of other fantastic fish so if you haven't dabbled before, it is highly recommended.

It's too fishy …

The fish that springs immediately to mind when using this title is smoked mackerel. It is usually presented in a paté which is fine but there are other ways.

For the following idea combine ingredients so that the fish doesn't overpower – in particular seasonal new potatoes, delicious served as part of a warm salad.

As an added bonus the following recipe can be made with sour cream or if you want to be a little more health conscious use a low fat crème fraiche.

Warm smoked mackerel salad

Serves 2

350g new potatoes

1 tsp horseradish cream

juice of 1 lemon

2 smoked mackerel fillets, skinned and

flaked (200g approx)

black pepper

100g sour cream

bunch of spring onions – approx

85g when trimmed and finely sliced

handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

OR use baby spinach

Cook the potatoes in salted boiling water until tender. Whilst the potatoes are cooking mix the sour cream, horseradish cream and lemon juice in a large bowl. Season with black pepper.

Drain the potatoes and cut in half lengthways – let them cool and then tip into the sour cream mixture so that it covers the potatoes – the mixture will loosen. Add the flaked smoked mackerel and the spring onions and combine gently. Sprinkle with finely chopped flat leaf parsley and serve whilst warm.

Ps. If there is any left, box it, fridge it and lunch it next day! If you like cold leftovers so be it – if you don't then just pop into the microwave (at home or the office) for a minute to warm through and instant lunch!

I think that's one or two boxes ticked!

Here's a photo of one I made earlier.

Editor’s Pick #13: Miso Maple Glazed Chicken

Editor’s note: Sometimes the best ideas come from random conversations! This recipe is a classic example of that. Usual caveats apply – full recipe including side dishes follows, and this will more than likely work perfectly with a meat substitute like the Quorn fake fillets that I’ve applied other MiamMiam recipes to with great success.

Class Report : Miso and Maple

The idea for the main dish came about from an impromptu conversation during the previous class. Don't ask me why the subject of miso came up, such is the nature of the classes that completely random questions pop out of nowhere! Anyway on that occasion I uttered those immortal words, “hold that thought” and disappeared into my pantry returning clutching a packet of sweet white miso.

This is what it looks like:

It's available from most supermarkets – mine came from Daily Bread Co-operative Ltd www.dailybread.co.uk.

I first mentioned Miso Maple Glazed Chicken in The Method in my Madness – The Creaking Table as part of a supper for Christmas Eve.

For ease, here it is :

Miso Maple Glazed Chicken

4 chicken breasts

1 tbsp baking powder*

4 fl oz/½ cup maple syrup*

2 fl oz/¼ cup white miso paste*

Mix * together, add the chicken breasts and

marinate for 24 hrs

Sprinkle with chopped spring onions

Bake in a pre-heated oven 180 fan/200c/Gas 6

for 35 minutes

Again, takes no time at all and, if you marinate the chicken in one of my famous, washing-up free foil dishes, it can go straight from the fridge, into the oven.

This recipe is as easy as falling off a log.

Continuing with the “flying by the seat of my/your pants” theme, serve with :

Maple Glazed Veggies

100ml dark soy sauce

50ml Maple syrup

1 tsp garlic paste

2 tbsp light olive oil

black pepper

You can choose any veggies you like, here's my choice :

Mange tout – cut in half diagonally

Baby sweetcorn – cut in half lengthways

Carrots – peeled, topped and tailed and cut into batons -

5 cms long x 1cm, as a guide – you'll get approximately

28 batons from 1 large carrot

Red Romano pepper – topped, tailed, de-seeded and

cut into a similar size to the batons

Salad onions – topped and tailed and cut diagonally.

A word of caution – it's important that your veggies are of a similar size so that they cook evenly. Some veggies take longer than others, so, when making your choice bear that in mind.

Heat the oil until hot in a frying pan (or wok) add the salad onions and garlic paste and cook for 1 minute, tossing as you go. Add the baby corn, carrots and red pepper for 2 minutes and then finally add the mange tout for another minute.

Add the soy/maple syrup mixture and toss through the vegetables for another 2 minutes, season with black pepper.

Serve immediately in bowls and top with sliced Miso Maple Glazed chicken.

The food you eat should look appetising, hence the expression “you eat with your eyes”, more than that it has to taste good. I chose the veggies because they ticked all the boxes – eye catching colours, great flavour and great taste. An additional bonus - a carb free speedy lunch or supper.

Here are a couple of photos of the finished dish.

P.S. I know that many of you will know about miso, but, for those that may not, it is Japanese. I'm not going to blind you with science – suffice it to say it's a seasoning in a paste, made from fermenting soybeans with salt and koji, or rice or barley. There are many types but the two most common are white and red. The white is sweet and lighter in taste. The red is aged, darker and a stronger flavour. Probably the most well known miso dish is the soup – it has many other uses, in casseroles and sauces. Its benefits are that it is high in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals but above all, it tastes great!