Chetna says: “Very different to the usual Punjabi chole that I make all the time, in this recipe the chickpeas are cooked with yoghurt and spices making the dish refreshingly light. This popular chana madra is from the Himachal region of India, where it is made for all sorts of occasions, festivals and weddings. Serve with some piping hot rice, if liked.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the yoghurt:

• 300ml (10fl oz) natural yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

For the curry: 

• 4 tablespoons ghee
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon asafoetida
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cloves
• 4 black peppercorns
• 1 black cardamom pod
• 1 blade of mace
• 2 dried red chillies
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 2 × 400g (14oz) tins of chickpeas, drained

Method

In a bowl, mix the yoghurt and spices. Set aside.

For the curry, heat the ghee in a large pan, add the cumin seeds and asafoetida, and let sizzle for a few seconds. Next, add all the spices and the chillies and mix well. Remove from the heat, add the spiced yoghurt and stir continuously for a few seconds, then return to a low heat and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chickpeas and cook for a final 10 minutes, then serve.

Chetna says: “I am aware that I have shared recipes for palak paneer in my previous books, but every so often you cook a recipe with variations and it turns into something extra special. I have always cooked this dish very simply, with salt, chilli and garlic, but this time I have cooked it in a style similar to what you find in restaurants in India. I hope you will love it! Great served with some flatbreads or rice.”

Ingredients

• 400g (14oz) fresh spinach
• 40g (1½oz) fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 10g (¼oz) fresh mint, leaves only
• 200ml (7fl oz) water
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2.5cm (1 inch) piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 1 tomato, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 400g (14oz) paneer, cubed
• 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
• 2 tablespoons double cream
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the tadka:

• 4 tablespoons ghee
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes

Method

Put the spinach, coriander and mint in a pan, pour in the water, then cover and cook for 5 minutes until wilted. Blitz to a puree in a food processor.

Heat the sunflower oil in a large pan and add the cumin seeds. Once they start to sizzle, add the garlic and ginger, and cook for a minute over a medium-low heat. Add the green chilli and onions and cook for 5–6 minutes until softened. Reduce the heat to low, add the tomato and cook for 10 minutes. Add the spices and salt, followed by the herby spinach puree, and cook for a further 5 minutes, then add the paneer and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the dried fenugreek leaves, cream and lemon juice.

In a separate small pan, heat the ghee for the tadka, then add the garlic and cook for a minute until it starts to change colour. Remove from the heat and add the chilli flakes. Pour the tadka over the palak paneer and serve.

Chetna says: “These are the famous potatoes served with Bedmi Puri (see page 134 of Easy Indian Vegetarian). The flavours of the curry are a perfect match for the delicious puri. The small amount of gram flour here helps to give the curry a little bit of body and squashing the potato by hand helps it soak in all the flavours. If you can’t serve it with piping hot Bedmi Puri, don’t let that stop you from trying this – it’s also great with Masaledar Puri or simply with a pile of rice.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 cardamom pods
• 5 cloves
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 green chillies, thinly sliced
• ¼ teaspoon asafoetida
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon gram flour (besan)
• 4 tomatoes, blitzed to a purée
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 200ml (7fl oz) water
• 4 potatoes, boiled and cut into 2.5cm (1 inch) pieces
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
• a handful of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
• Bedmi Puri, to serve

Method

Heat the oil in a pan over a medium-low heat, add the bay leaves, cardamom and cloves, and give them a few seconds to sizzle. Add the fennel and cumin seeds, and let them sizzle for a few seconds before adding the green chillies and asafoetida.

Turn the heat to the lowest setting, then add the dry spices and then the gram flour, and cook for 2 minutes. Next add the tomato puree and salt, followed by the water. Cover and cook over a low-medium heat for 15 minutes.

Now squash the potato pieces by hand, add them to the curry and cook for 5 minutes. If you need more water at this stage, add another 200ml (7fl oz) of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Finally, stir in the garam masala, fenugreek leaves and coriander, and serve with Bedmi Puri.