Mira's Chicken Curry

This is a fantastic curry dish. When I first looked at the set of ingredients I did not believe that the outcome would be that interesting - but I could not have been more wrong. This is something we return to again and again.
Mira is an old friend - a solicitor who I have worked with for over 15 years - she sent me the recipe on the proviso that if I ever wrote a book she would get the credit  - so here it is. Not quite a book - but credit where credit is due!
I have used chicken thighs in place of chicken breasts in the original recipe.
Further Mira recipes to follow!

Serves 4 generously

4-500g chichen thighs, cut into bite size chunks
2 large onions, chopped
1tsp cumin seeds
1/2 cinamon stick
2 cloves
2 green chilli (add more or less to taste)
1 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tbsp chopped garlic (or use minced garlic or ginger available in jars)
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 cup fresh coriander
1/2 bag spinach
1 cup fresh fenugreek or 2 tbsp dried (optional - I have had trouble buying fresh)
1 tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp garam masala (optional)
3 tbsp cooking oil
Salt to taste

1 Heat the oil until very hot. Add the cumin seeds, cinamon stick and cloves. Cook for 1 minute.
2 Add the onions and cook on a medium heat until dark brown.
3 Add the garlic, ginger, tumeric and chillies - followed by the chicken.
4 Stir with the onions and cook for at least 5 minutes, until the chicken has taken on some colour.
5 Add the green, let them wilt, and then finally add the tomatoes. Add salt to taste.
6 Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the curry has taken on a dark colour.
7 If using garam masala add two minutes before the end of cooking time.

Courgette Ribbons with Tomato and Chorizo Sauce

This recipe started life in The Times, in a selection of recipes under 300 calories by Jaqueline Whitehart. Mine is slightly different - and therefore probably over the original 158 calories - but still a really tasty alternatitve to pasta - and just as quick.
It really is tasty - and you would have no idea is was pretty healthy - always a bonus!

Serves 2

3-4 courgettes
50g chorizo - thinly sliced (in my recipe I used 1 x 67g pack of prepared chorizo)
1 clove garlic - thinly sliced
1 tbsp tomato puree
250 g ripe cherry tomatoes




1 Use a vegeatable peeler to cut the courgette into ribbons. Discard the first slice as this will be mainly skin, a rotate the courgette as you reach the seeds.

2 Heat a frying pan to a medium heat - toss in the chorizo and allow to sizzle and brown. Remove the chorizo from the pan, leaving ehind the oil that has come from the chorizo.

 3 Add the garlic and fry until golden, make sure it does not burn. Add the tomato puree and stir for approximately 30 seconds, before adding the courgettes. Stir these for a couple of minutes.


4 Finally add the tomatoes, reduce the heat an cook slowly for about 10 minutes.

5 Serve sprinkled wit the reserved chorizo.