15 Slow Cooker recipies

15 Slow Cooker recipies

Bombay Potatoes - extra hot with chilli - vegetarian dish

I have been making this dish since 1992, and there is no set recipe, chuck in anything you want in the middle cooking stage. Use the biggest pan you can, you need a lid as well for the black mustard seeds.

Ingredients:

• 2lb potatoes, skins on, cubed to 1" approx
• Oil for frying
• 4 heaped tablespoons of black mustard seeds (or brown)
• Saucer of spices (2 heaped tsp each of Garam Masala, Turneric, chilli powder)
• Fresh garlic 8 cloves chopped finely and ginger grated with a cheesegrater (ginger powder is fine, as is garlic puree)
• One fine chopped onion
• A handful of fresh chopped jalapenos chillis (fine chopped)
• Tomato puree / sun dried tomatoes / tomato ketchup 
• Tin of chopped tomatoes
• Dried mixed herbs
• Salt & pepper & sugar to suit
• Fresh coriander to garnish

Over the years I have experimented with chopped pineapple, adding mango chutney, lime pickle, cooked chick peas, anything really.

Method:

1. Cube the potatoes and do not wash, as the starch from the tubers helps thicken the sauce.
2. In the lidded pan on a high heat add the cooking oil until it is top temperature. Get ready with the onions, fresh chillis, garlic, ginger, saucer of spices. First, add the black mustard seeds into the oil. Quickly put on the lid and wait for them to pop like popcorn. Shake the pan for even cooking. Once the popping has subsided, add everything above in blue text.
3. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring.
4. Add the potatoes and stir around until they are coated with all the spice mix. Stir for 2-3 minutes.
5. Middle stage: add what you want
6. Add tin of chopped tomatoes, tomato puree (or alternative) and herbs
7. Add half a pint of water or an amount where it's just below the level of the potatoes in the pan. The aim is now to cook the potatoes in water and spices so they take on a yellow colour. Check after 20 mins, stir, cook for 25-30 mins.
8. Add salt & pepper to suit. Extra chilli if required. Even 3 teaspoons of sugar if required.
9. Boil down until thick sauce consistency and not watery.
10. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve piping hot

This is based on a traditional Indian recipe passed down to me which is vegetarian. I have also added meat at the middle stage like chopped sausages, bacon and ham cubes for extra protein.

Good luck and send me your photos!

Tarka Dhal

A lentil purée, rather like thick soup, and used as an accompaniment to curry. Spice to taste.

Timings: Preparation time: less than 30 mins

Cooking time: 1 to 2 hours

[NINA TIP] I soaked the dhal overnight to increase water absorption and decrease the amount of times I had to wash to drain out the dust

Ingredients

• 250g/9oz chana dal (yellow dried split peas), rinsed until the water runs clear
• 1 litre/1¾ pints water
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3-4 whole green chillies, pricked with a knife
• 2cm/¾in piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
• 3 tomatoes
• ¾ tsp ground turmeric
• ¾ tsp garam masala
• 1½ tsp ground coriander
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• handful chopped fresh coriander leaves

Method

  

1. Place the lentils and 900ml/1¾ pints of the water into a pan, stir well and bring to the boil. Skim off any froth that forms on the surface of the water with a spoon. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer, stirring regularly, for 35-40 minutes, or until the lentils are just tender, adding more water as necessary.

2. When the lentils have cooked through, remove the pan from the heat and use a whisk to break down the lentils. Set the mixture aside to thicken and cool. [NINA TIP] I used the whisk to punch the lentils in the bowl rather than the traditional whisking action

3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and fry for 20-30 seconds, or until fragrant.

4. Add the onion, chillies and ginger and fry for 4-5 minutes, or until golden-brown. [NINA TIP] I store fresh ginger in the freezer and use a cheesegrater to take less time - see below:

5. Blend the garlic and tomatoes to a purée in a food processor. Add the purée to the pan and stir well to combine. [TIP] Plum tomatoes are too sweet for this recipe. You need to use well flavoured vine tomatoes or even just supermarket tomatoes, which I normally find too sour for salads. [NINA TIP] Without fresh tomoatoes I used a firey chilli tomoto based pesto

 6. Add the ground spices and 100ml/3½fl oz of water to the pan and stir well to combine. Season, to taste, with salt and simmer over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until the oil from the sauce has risen to the surface of the sauce.

 7. Add the cooked lentils to the sauce and stir well, adding more water as necessary to loosen the mixture. Bring the mixture to the boil and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the chopped coriander just before serving.

PHOTO OF THE FINISHED DISH:

Taken from the BBC Website