Curry Night!

We're having an Indian fakeaway extravaganza for tea tonight! On the menu is Tandoori Chicken Strips, Tikka Chicken Masala, Onion Bhajis, Mint Raita, Pilau Rice, Slimming World Chips and Salad! I told you it was an extravaganza!

The underlined dishes are the ones that follow below. It's a little time consuming, but absolutely worth the effort; I hope you enjoy it as much as we will!

Tandoori Chicken Strips


This one's fairly straight forward; I did some cheeky prawns in there too...

Pack chicken mini breast fillets
5 tblsp fat free natural yogurt
3 tblsp Tandoori Spice Mix
Juice 1 lime
2cm piece root ginger
1 chilli
2 cloves garlic
Few sprigs fresh coriander


1. Whizz the ginger, chilli, garlic and coriander until you have a paste.
2. Mix this paste with the garlic, tandoori spice mix and lime: I always use a resealable freezer bag for this.
3. Add the chicken fillets and scrunch them into the marinade.


4. Leave in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
5. When needed, take the chicken fillets out if the freezer bag and place on a baking tray covered in foil.
6. Cook in the oven for approximately 20 mins until the chicken is cooked through and the marinade has gone browned and sort of crumbly.

Chicken Tikka Masala


If you can marinade your chicken breasts overnight, it really does make a difference. If not, just get them in the marinade first for as long as you can.

For the marinade:
1 chicken breast per person, diced
5 tblsp fat free natural yogurt
2cm piece ginger, grated
3 tblsp Tikka Spice Mix
Juice 1 lime

Put all ingredients into a freezer bag and smush together.


Place in fridge until needed.

For the masala sauce:
2 onions, finely sliced
3cm piece root ginger
4 garlic cloves
1 chilli
2 tblsp tikka spice mix
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp onion (nigella) seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
Half tube tomato purée
Small tub tomato passata (or whizz a tin of plum toms)
100ml water
1 tsp sweetener
Handful fresh coriander and 3 tblsp fat free natural yogurt to add before serving.
1. Whizz the ginger, garlic and chilli into a paste.
2. Brown onions in pan sprayed with fry light before reducing heat and softening onions (about 6 minutes)
3. Add the paste, tikka spice mix, cinnamon, cumin and onion and mustard seeds to the onions. Fry gently for 2-3 minutes.


4. Add the tomato purée to the pan and cook off for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the tomato passata, water and sweetener. Season if required.


6. Simmer gently.

To serve:
1. Cook chicken pieces on a baking tray in oven or under grill until cooked through.
2. Warm sauce and add yogurt and chopped fresh coriander.
3. Stir cooked chicken pieces into sauce and serve with pilau rice.

Onion Bhajis


1 large/ 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
75g gram (chickpea) flour
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
1 chilli, finely chopped
1 tblsp garam masala
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black onion seeds
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste
Handful chopped fresh coriander

1. Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and combine well.


2. Add all other ingredients, including onions, and combine.


3. Add water a tablespoon at a time until a thick batter coats the onion.


4. Leave mixture to rest for at least 15 mins. Mix thoroughly again before forming individual Bhajis.
5. Preheat oven to 220c and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
6. Drop small mounds of mixture onto baking tray to give approx 12 bhajis (approx 1 syn each) and spray with fry light.


7. Bake for 15-20 mins til golden.

Serve immediately.

Mint Raita
This is my Dad's recipe, with a little Emma addition. Admittedly it's nicer with creamy full fat yogurt, but is still blooming delicious in a fat free version.

You will need:
1 small-ish red onion
1/2 cucumber
Handful fresh coriander
1/2 a big pot fat free natural yogurt
Tsp sweetener
Few sprigs fresh mint


Dead simple, just chop everything and mix it together!



Just eaten our 'feast' and I can confirm that it was absolutely outstanding! :-D
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