Bombay Aloo: another winner from Kenny

Delicious Bombay Aloo, lovely served on its own or as an accompaniment to any curry dish you happen to be preparing

This is definitely my favourite Bombay Aloo recipe of the moment and I have tried a few over the last few years. It comes courtesy of More Takeaway Secrets (2012) by the wonderful Kenny McGovern http://www.amazon.co.uk/More-Takeaway-Secrets-Kenny-McGovern/dp/0716023008/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382300939&sr=1-1&keywords=more+takeaway+secrets whom I have written about before with, yes you've guessed it, The Takeaway Secret (2010) (I did his gorgeous chocolate cheesecake recipe)  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Takeaway-Secret-Cook-Favourite-Fast-food/dp/0716022354/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382300939&sr=1-2&keywords=more+takeaway+secrets .

Once again this is a book packed full with brand new, really tasty recipes. For those of you unfamiliar with Kenny's two books, they were born out of his love for takeaway food and also of necessity. Kenny suffers from Social Anxiety Disorder and this meant at one stage he could barely leave his home. So what did he do? He took to the kitchen creating and replicating his favourite takeaway foods and hasn't looked back since. The bonus with these recipes is that you are in charge and you know exactly what is going into your food and it is obvious that Kenny has adapted many of them to be healthier without sacrificing the taste. The book is divided into several chapters which include among others: Burgers and Wraps, Kebabs, Chinese, Indian, Pizza, Desserts... If you've seen his first book you wont be disappointed with this one.
As it has only been published for just over a year, I haven't had a lot of time to really get my teeth into any of the other recipes yet, but flicking through there are a number that catch my eye. For example the Garlic Pizza Bread on page 89,  the Puri Bread on page 117, the Mini Hash Browns on page 156 or the Crispy Beef with Sweet Chilli Sauce on page 54 - my stomach is rumbling already!

When you decide to make Bombay Aloo you will need to be organised as the main sauce is made separately. This means it can be stored in the fridge or as I do made in a large batch and frozen in portions. Luckily the sauce is the base for at least eight of Kenny's other curry recipes, so it really is a versatile sauce to have to hand. However, you will will also need to to construct a garlic and ginger paste which can be stored in the fridge for several weeks and a restaurant spice mix. First of all I'll outline these two requirements and then the Savoury Basic Curry Sauce recipe. If this puts you off, let me tell you that it is definitely worth the extra time in completing these stages. Anyone who cooks Indian/Bangladeshi food will know you do reap the benefits from constructing your recipe from fresh spices and ingredients and it will taste better than anything from a jar, tin or packet!


Garlic and Ginger Paste (copyright Kenny McGovern 2012)

5 garlic bulbs
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
50 ml vegetable oil
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
pinch of salt

1. Separate the garlic cloves from each bulb. Peel the cloves and ginger and put in a blender with the vegetable oil. Blend until smooth.
2. Heat a frying pan over a low heat. Add the garlic and ginger mixture and stir well. Add the turmeric and salt and mix well. Stir fry the paste on a low heat for about 2 minutes until the mixture softens and you get a lovely aroma.
3. Remove the pan and cool completely. Store in the fridge in a sealed container until required, It can be frozen for future use. If storing in fridge you may need to add a little extra vegetable oil now and again to keep it fresh.

Garlic cloves ready to be peeled, I halved the ingredients to make less paste

Cooking the paste

Restaurant Spice Mix (copyright Kenny McGovern 2012)

(You could easily half or quarter these quantities!) The following is enough for 50 curries!
8 tbsp mild Madras curry powder
8 tbsp paprika
8 tbsp cumin powder
8 tbsp coriander powder
12 tbsp turmeric powder
4 tbsp garam masala

1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all the above ingredients together and store in a sealed container. This mix is needed for many of Kenny's Indian restaurant dishes!

A bowl of prepared spice mix

Savoury Basic Curry Sauce (copyright Kenny McGovern 2012)

150 ml vegetable oil
3 large Spanish onions (around 800 g peeled weight) chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
2 chilli peppers, chopped
1 large handful fresh coriander leaves and stalks, finely chopped
1 small baby/new potato , peeled
2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste ( see recipe above)
1 tsp salt
2.5 litres water
3 - 4 green cardamom pods (optional)
200 g tinned chopped tomatoes
2 generous tablespoons restaurant spice mix ( see above)

1. In a large pot, add the vegetable oil, onions, carrot, green pepper, red pepper, chilli peppers, fresh coriander, potato, garlic and ginger paste, salt and water. Add cardamom pods if using. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and set the heat to medium-high. Boil the vegetables for 30 minutes.
2. Add the chopped tomatoes and spice mix. Mix thoroughly.
3. Reduce the heat to low and cook for a further 20 minutes. Allow the sauce to cool slightly then blend until completely smooth ( you may need to use a hand blender) Add more water (around 1 litre) while blending until the sauce has a consistency of a thin soup.
4. This sauce keeps well in the fridge for up to three days or can be frozen in batches, suggested batch size is 300 ml for use in a variety of curry dishes.

The ingredients in step 1

Boiling the vegetables on the hob

Chopped tomatoes and spice mix added

Blending the curry sauce to a smooth thin soup consistency

Bombay Aloo (copyright Kenny McGovern 2012)

Serves 1-2.  Useful tip: new potatoes can be parboiled and frozen for up to 8 weeks.

4-5 small new baby potatoes per portion
1 tsp restaurant spice mix (see above)
Pinch of chilli powder
Large pinch of dried fenugreek leaves
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree mixed with 2 tbsp water
150 ml savoury basic curry sauce (see above)
1/2 fresh tomato, sliced
Coriander to serve

Delicious Bombay Aloo

1. Bring the potatoes to the boil in a large saucepan of water- add a pinch of salt. Simmer for 5 - 6 minutes or until slightly soft. Remove the potatoes from the pan, drain and set aside to cool. Slice each potato into two pieces. this is when they could be frozen for future use as have been parboiled.
2. In a small bowl add the restaurant spice mix, chilli powder, fenugreek leaves and salt. Set aside.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
4. Add the tomato puree mix and prepared bowl of spices and mix thoroughly.
5. Add the potatoes to the pan and stir fry for 1 minute.
6. Add the savoury basic curry sauce and mix well. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 - 4 minutes or until the sauce thickens and the potatoes are heated through, stirring occasionally
7. Add the fresh tomato slices and serve garnished with fresh coriander.

Stir frying the onions and tomato puree

Adding the potatoes

Bombay Aloo served with a chicken curry

Bombay Aloo is a really delicious dish and yes, it does taste like the Indian restaurant style you get when you are out for a meal or having a takeaway! Don't be tempted to omit any of the ingredients, especially the dried fenugreek leaves as I find it is this particular herb/spice that gives the Aloo its characteristic flavour.



Now to a very simple and quick recipe from this same book, I couldn't resist giving these a go! You'll know what their 'real' name is from the very name that Kenny gives them

Ambassadors chocolates

Ambassador's chocolates  (copyright Kenny McGovern 2012)
 (with these chocolates you'll really spoil yourself!)

3 crispbreads (Ryvita are excellent)

2 tbsp chcolate and hazelnut spread (Nutella is excellent)

1. Crush the crispbreads in a blender or with a rolling pin in a food bag.
2. Gently warm the chocolate spread in the microwave for a few secons
3. Mix together the crispbreads and chcolate and place into 4 - 6 petit fours cases and refrigerate for a couple of hours before gobbling up!

These are really tasty! Do make sure the chocolate spread is melted enough and if it doesn't seem enough add a bit more! Enjoy!