This one is ideally best served on a sunny evening in Eskdale, after having spent at least an hour pitching a new tent. Twice. Preparing this is a lot easier.

Ingredients

• 1 Tin of chickpeas (450g)
• 2 Tablespoons of plain yogurt
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• Plenty of black pepper
• 1 Teaspoon of tandoori powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon of chilli powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon of chilli flakes
• 1/2 Teaspoon of mint (jar)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
• Salt to season

Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl.

I found the above quantities enough for 3 people as a starter. I can imagine making a large bowlful for diners to help themselves to before the main courses arrive.

In 2013 a friend was kind enough to buy me a course at the Curry Academy. I highly recommend it if you’re anywhere near the splendid garden city of Huddersfield. The particular course I took was Restaurant Style Cooking, the point of which is summarised here:

Have you ever wondered why curries cooked at home never taste like the ones ordered from a restaurant? This course will de-mystify the cooking techniques used to produce restaurant standard dishes.

What I hadn’t appreciated was how much time could be taken out of the process, without losing any of the flavours of a properly home-cooked dish. And how few ingredients are required.

Continue reading “Curry in a hurry”