I am back at work. Six months with Micro Mini Basu just flew. He is now ready for university. Well. One can hope.

Seriously though, I am really enjoying motherhood.

It’s just that two closely-timed pregnancies later, I was beginning to go funny. You know. Saying things like “Don’t lick the floor”. Swinging from side to side sans baby. Counting the hours until a large glass of ice cold wine…

So how does it feel to be back at work? Wonderful. Monday to Thursday is a long weekend compared to the chaos of home. Uninterrupted cups of tea. Trips to the loo. Adult conversation. Shame it’s so hard to say goodbye to the bundles in the morning!

On the quick Indian cooking front, I haven’t been great have been pathetic on the blogging front. Behind the scenes, however, I have been hard at work perfecting a “quick” version of a tangy chilli Kerala beef fry. My friend Boobie fell in love with this recipe at her last trip to India and we’ve been at it ever since!

The trick to this recipe is to either slice thin beef steaks very finely and stir fry everything in a wok. Or to cook cubes of boneless beef/lamb/goat in a pressure cooker until they are virtually falling apart.

With the coconut, I nabbed a fresh coconut in my local grocer, smashed it open and grated and froze the flesh. Two months ago… I really recommend saving a stash in your freezer if you don’t have access to the fresh stuff. Dessicated coconut is a very poor distant cousin of the real stuff.

So here it is. A fresh new start for a fiery classic. Let’s hope it works for you and me!!

Feeds 2:

• 350gm thin beef steaks
• 50gm fresh grated coconut
• 1 medium onion
• Half tsp fennel powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• Half tsp chilli powder
• 4 whole red chillies
• 20 -30 fresh or freshly frozen curry leaves
• 1 inch ginger
• 4 medium cloves garlic
• 1 tsp tamarind paste
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

If using frozen coconut, take it out of the freezer first. Slice the beef steaks very thin and chop the onion into small pieces. If using boneless chunks of meat, cut them into small bite-sized pieces. Peel and finely chop the ginger and garlic.

In a medium sized wok, bring the oil to heat over a high heat. When it starts sizzling, add the onions, ginger and garlic, chillies and curry leaves and fry until the mixture turns golden in colour. This will take 5-10 minutes.

Next, toss in the beef with all the spice powders and fry on a high heat until the meat is cooked and turns a rich dark shade. Now stir in the coconut, tamarind and when it’s mixed through with the beef, add 2-3 tablespoons of warm water and simmer until it is absorbed. Add salt to taste and eat straightaway curled into hot rotis.

If using a pressure cooker, pressure cook on high for one whistle and at least 25 minutes on low. Don’t add the coconut or tamarind until after the meat is cooked.

Now, a lot has happened since September last year. Micro Mini Basu, a little boy, arrived on 29 October 2010. I thought motherhood the first time was difficult. But a quick look back reveals those were the good days – I was still doing my nails!

Manicures are the last thing on the mind right now. I’m the mom of two under two. That’s a lot of nappies, tears and youth rejuvenating serum.

Still, I’m happy to report Micro Mini me is divine and angelic. God knows where he gets that from! Mini Basu, on the other hand, is shaping into a fiesty princess with a penchant for flouncy frocks. (Now, where did she get that from?!) And that I am still sampling the delights of wintry London, with the aid of a lovely Gujarati lady, albeit a little bleary eyed.

As for quick Indian cooking. Did I even know that meaning of “quick” before I had two kids? During the day, quick means whatever I can rustle up while Mini Basu terrorises soft toys or hangs off my skinny jeans, and Micro Mini gets his beauty sleep. In the evenings, it’s a real toss up between cooking and sleeping. Sleeping usually wins.

Makes the 50-slide presentations I put together at work seem easy peasy!

There would be no better to restart this blog than with another version of Dhaniya Murgh, the perfect recipe for the exhausted on a quiet evening. This creamy yet low fat chicken curry is steeped in two of my favourite ingredients – coriander and yoghurt. This version has more curry and cooks quicker with the boneless chicken thighs.

Here’s to everything bigger, better and quicker in 2011. Happy New Year everyone!

Feeds 2:

• 4 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
• 1 small onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 inch ginger
• 250gm natural Greek (thick) yoghurt
• Half tsp turmeric powder
• Half tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• Half tsp garam masala
• 15 gm fresh coriander
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

Take the yoghurt out of the fridge. Roughly chop the onion and finely mince of puree the garlic ginger. Cube the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

In a medium-sized pan, bring the oil to heat on high. When it starts sizzling, add the onions, ginger and garlic and fry until the mixture is golden brown. The  stir in the all the powders apart from the garam masala.

Fry the masalas for five minutes, adding a serving spoon of hot water if they start getting stuck to the bottom of the pan. Then mix in the chicken and seal on the high heat for about two minutes.

Next, spoon in the yoghurt, lower the heat to medium low and cook, stirring regularly for about 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked and oil floats to the surface of the curry. Finally stir in the coriander, garam masala and salt to your taste. Serve piping hot with freshly-made Basmati rice.

I know. Shoddy. It’s the only word that accurately sums up the abysmal rate of new posts on this site.

The truth is I ran out of steam. Pregnant for the second time, with mini Basu turning into the Tasmanian Devil. Mega intense book launch in India following a short break with the family. And never mind the PR job.

But let me put the violin away for a moment. There are lots of positives to report. Miss Masala is now up there with “Hot Desi Masala” in Google searches. Summer has been short but brilliant fun. And I’ve been cooking loads.

Just eating it all too quickly and passing out straight after!

This is one of the recipes that proved a hit when a girlfriend came over to discuss urgent love matters. A lightweight, meal-in-one Palak Murgh or chicken curry with spinach. Of course, who thought to take a photograph or, more importantly, make a note of the recipe at the time!

So try two, I rustled it up again for a mid-week dinner ticking all above boxes. Except this time I dived in cooking sans shower cap and eating with fingers, forgetting the big client meeting the next day. I swear his nose twitched as I quickly greeted him with an air kiss. The Palak Murgh emanating from my now truly luscious locks came a close second to the aromatic but turmeric-stained fingernails I was sporting.

Still, this curry was worth every moment. Here’s to more where it came from…

PS = You can use diced chicken thighs in this recipe but the end result will not have the same depth.

Feeds 4

• 8 chicken drumsticks and thighs, skinned (1kg)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 inch ginger
• 2 large onions
• 3 large tomatoes
• 2 tsp tomato puree
• 500g fresh or frozen spinach, cooked
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 inch stick cinnamon
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• Half tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• Half tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp flavourless oil
• Half tsp white sugar
• Salt to taste

Chop the onions roughly and mince finely the ginger and garlic. In a pan, bring the oil to heat on high and when it starts sizzling when touched with a wooden spoon, add in the bay leaf, cinnamon and sugar.

As the sugar caramelises within seconds, chuck in the chopped onions and stir viciously for five minutes. Next add the ginger garlic and fry for another five minutes until the whole mixture turns a dark shade of gold. Then chuck in all spice powders apart from the garam masala and fry for another five minutes.

If the spices start getting stuck to the bottom of the pot, add a little hot water and scrape off.

Now, roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to the pot along with the puree. As the tomatoes disintegrate, throw in the chicken thighs and drumsticks and mix the whole lot into the masala to brown evenly. Then add half a cup of hot water, lower the heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes to half an hour covered, stirring every five minutes, until the chicken is cooked.

You will know because the chicken will separate from the bone on the drumstick, but it’s always worth cutting a piece up to be doubly sure.

When the chicken is done, mix in the cooked spinach, add garam masala and salt to taste and simmer for a final five minutes until oil floats to the surface. Enjoy with rotis someone else prepared or in my case, a big bowl of steaming hot Basmati rice.

Mini Basu was strapped squawking into the back of a Mercedes. I shoved the contents of our entire apartment into the rest of the car. Got some white Versace sunglasses and shiny wedge-heeled wellies on. And off we went.  Driving towards three days of fresh air.

It was going so well there. Until I asked an old friend, if the lady of a certain age accompanying him was his mother. No, he replied, she’s my girlfriend.

I am happy to report that Shimla is officially the most popular curry house and takeaway name in the small towns in Ayrshire. In fact, so popular is this stuff, that the chef’s Sunday night special at Irvine’s oldest pub (and nicest) was a Lamb Rogan Josh with Spiced Rice.

Made me crave the subtly-spiced Adraki Gosht, or gingered lamb, I’d once cooked for our financial adviser. I sang its praises before lunch until he declared he hates ginger. With Spring well in the air, and quality lamb about, I’ll happily eat this along with my words any day.

Feeds 4:

• 850gm lamb shoulder (goat meat works really well too)
• 1 large onion
• 3 inches fresh ginger
• 4 tbsp low fat natural yogurt
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• Half tsp turmeric powder
• Half tsp chilli powder
• 1 large bay leaf
• 2 inch stick cinnamon
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

Dice the lamb shoulder into large chunks. I use boneless rolled shoulder, which is readily available without a special trip to the butcher.

Chop the onion roughly and mince the ginger in a food processor or just chop finely. Marinate the meat in the yogurt, ginger, turmeric and chilli powders and leave to sit while you fire up the oil in a large pot.

When the oil is hot, add the bay leaf, cinnamon and chopped onion. Saute for five minutes until the onion is pale golden. Then mix in the coriander powder, lamb and its marinade.

Brown the lamb on high, then add half a cup of hot water, lower the heat to a medium high and cook covered for half an hour. You need to keep stirring the lamb to make sure it doesn’t burn. If the masalas start getting stuck to the bottom of the pot, add another half a cup of water and scrape them off.

After half an hour, take the cover off and cook for another half an hour uncovered stirring regularly. Add another half a cup of hot water if the lamb starts sticking to the bottom of the pot. The reason I’m being vague about the cups of water is because it slightly depends upon the quality of the lamb you’re working with.

Finish by adding salt to taste and a sprinkle of fresh, julienned ginger to the serving dish before you plonk it on the dining table. This is great with warm rotis and a raita.

Left my makeup bag and spectacles in the back of a black cab

Burnt mini Basu’s creative casserole and other gourmet offerings to crisp

Conducted a branding workshop for 22 senior corporate executives with my fly undone

Now, there’s Chinese food on an Indian cooking blog.

Bear with me. I’m a big fan of Chinese cooking. We eat Dim Sum every weekend. But Chindian is short for Indian Chinese. Originally from the Hakka Chinese community in India, with a bit of masala thrown in for good measure.

It’s all in honour of a dear friend and fellow blogger Ann Mah, whose literary debut Kitchen Chinese launched this week. The Hakka Noodle and Chilli Chicken combo fed my video guru, man and me last night. I can’t wait to get some brain cells back to read about the real thing!

Feeds 4:

Chilli chicken

• 10 small skinless chicken drumsticks
• 75ml dark soy sauce
• 1 large onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 green finger chillies
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil

Soak the chicken in the soy sauce. Chop the onion into large pieces, the chillies into little ones and slice the garlic.

In a wok or kadai, bring the oil to heat on high. When it’s hot, fry the garlic until golden then add all the other ingredients and stir every few minutes until the chicken is cooked. You’ll know because the chicken will separate from the bone. While it’s cooking make the noodles.

Hakka noodles

• 300gm medium egg noodles
• 1 large tea mug shredded cabbage
• 1 large tea mug shredded carrot
• 1 green pepper
• 5 spring onions
• 1.5 tbsp chilli garlic sauce (any Chinese one will do nicely)
• 1.5 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 garlic clove
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp flavourless white oil

Cook the noodles and set aside. Chop the garlic clove and mix it together with the sauces. Slice the green pepper finely and chop the spring onions.

Next, bring the oil to heat on high in a wok or kadai. When the oil starts sizzling, pour in the sauce mixture and in a few seconds the vegetables, bar one chopped spring onion. Cook for about two minutes until they soften, then mix in the cooked noodles, add salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle the noodles with the remaining chopped spring onion and eat straightaway.

If you develop a taste for this, try also Nags’ Gobi Manchurian or Meenal’s Egg-vegetable Fried Rice.

Wonderful. I bought a new pair of four-inchers and the shortest tulip dress I could find.

Hello intellectual emancipation.

Not that I didn’t make the best possible use of maternity leave. I researched the purchase of Mini Basu’s every toy, wardrobe essentials, equipment with the fervour usually reserved for groundbreaking client reports. I shook in my shoe boots as I read the latest baby management techniques. For the third time over. Mostly, I bonded with the little fiend. Wooden spoons, I am proud to report, are her favourite kitchen gadgets.

Six month’s later, I was tripping over myself to get back into the real world. Heartless me! It’s clearly okay to be asked why I don’t want to spend more time at home with mini Basu. It’s clearly not okay to wonder why one would want to embrace soiled nappies instead of a well-deserved promotion. Or am I being unreasonable?

It’s not easy. Racing home to see mini Basu, feeling guilty most of the time, about mostly everything. Still, I think I’m lucky to live in a world where I can make the choice.

I choose rushing around. And moist Aloo Keema, or lean mincement with potatoes, tucked into a pitta bread. Something different to an every day spag bol supper.

Feeds 2:

• 500gm lean mincemeat
• 1 medium onion
• 1 large potato
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 4 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 heaped tbsp Greek/thick yogurt
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• Half tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Half tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp oil
• Fresh coriander to decorate

Chop the onion into little pieces and peel and cut the potato into little cubes. Bring the oil to heat over high in a large pan. When it’s hot, saute the onion and ginger garlic paste for 5 minutes until soft.

Add the mincemeat, turmeric, chilli, cumin and coriander, and cook, repeatedly bashing with a wooden spoon, until the meat is brown through and through.

Next roughly chop and add the tomatoes, potatoes, yogurt and half a pint of hot water. Lower the heat to medium and cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Stir this every 5 minutes carefully without breaking the potatoes to make sure the meat doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

When the time’s up, stir in the garam masala, black pepper and salt to taste. Sprinkle with fresh coriander if you fancy and eat tucked into a toasted pitta bread with mango pickle.

It was all going so well. Until we returned via Dubai. I arrived at the departure gate. Baby intact. Outfit in place. Handbag missing.

Disaster. All those valuables. That lucky lipgloss! The irreplaceable Chanel sunglasses! A brand new, albeit empty, Coccinelle wallet!

Luckily, the man had the passports and boarding cards. We jumped on the flight back to London. Mini Basu played merrily with the crew. While I mourned the loss of my precious belongings.

I wasted no time on my return. I ranted and raved at Dubai airport police. Someone stole my handbag. The sunglasses were like no other. The bag was almost new. And when I stopped for breath, they announced it had been found in the last coffee shop I had visited. All contents intact.

This called for celebration. I remembered seeing a decadent recipe for Nalli Gosht, or lamb shank curry, in an old copy of Indian GQ. Contributed by a hotel chef it had the prerequisite cream, butter et al. In my version, you can shove the whole lot into the oven and finish off the curry by running it through a sieve. I ditched the cream, but a small amount of butter really crowned this beauty.

At just over an hour, it’s on my uppermost limit of quick Indian cooking. But I defended my choice by having ample time to make Jeera Pulao, Kulfi and raita for my small dinner party while the lamb did its thing in the oven. You could, of course, cook this on the hob but the shanks will take at least an hour and a half to soften, while you turn them at regular intervals.

Feeds 2:

• 2 medium lamb shanks
• 1 pint of tomato sauce or passata
• 2 medium onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 inches ginger
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• Half tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 black cardamom
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp natural Greek (thick) yogurt
• 1 tbsp oil
• 50gm butter
• Salt to taste

Slice the onions and chop the ginger and garlic up finely. Turn the oven on to 190 degree centigrade (170 for fan assisted). Place a casserole dish large enough to hold the two lamb shanks on the hob and bring the oil to heat. When piping hot, throw in the bay leaves, cinnamon and cardamom. As they sizzle up, mix in the onion, ginger and garlic and fry for 10 minutes until translucent.

Then add all the masala powders, along with the lamb shanks. Vigorously stir them, mixing well with the masalas, until the shanks brown and the pungent aroma of the spices subsides.

Now, pour in the tomato sauce and transfer the casserole dish to the middle shelf of the oven. If you have bought a pack of lamb shanks, it should tell you how long they will need to cook. If not, roast for an hour flipping the shanks over once half way through cooking time.

When the lamb falls off the bone easily when prodded with a fork, remove the casserole dish from the oven and turn it off. Carefully remove the lamb shanks on to a oven safe plate and stick them back in the oven to keep them warm. Then pass the curry in the casserole dish through a sieve, pressing hard with a wooden spoon to get as much of the ingredients, into a small pan.

Cook the curry on a low setting, mixing the yogurt and butter in for about ten minutes until you see oil floating to the top through little pores. Add salt to taste, stir in the garam masala and served spooned over the tender lamb shanks with some Jeera Pulao on the side.

Check out Deeba at Passionate About Baking’s mouth watering version too.

I mean who knew one shot of vodka was 25ml? Everyone has a tequila glass!

And why would anyone who buys a cookbook written by yours truly expect to find a recipe for home made ghee in it? I’d rather spend the time trimming my hair with a nail clipper, thank you very much.

Meanwhile, the summer barbeque season has truly kicked off. I’ve also been drinking copious amounts of Rose wine, while billowing barbeques blow sausage smoke through my carefully crafted locks.

True to form, I’ve been saving time, effort and precious brain cells these days by making the same kebab for every barbeque I’ve attended. The juicy, skewered Chicken Reshmi Tikka has been reeled out on three occasions causing quite a sensation. It’s dead easy to make with readily-available ingredients.

Look out for the meat tenderiser powder that goes into it at supermarkets. It’s totally natural and works a treat to soften even the hardest pieces of meat. Perfect for quick fix marinades when every second counts.

Makes 15 skewers:

• 1.5 kg chicken breasts (about 15)
• 15 cloves garlic
• 5 inches ginger
• 3 tbsp coriander powder
• 3 tbsp chilli powder
• 3 tbsp meat tenderiser
• 200ml double cream (I know, I know… but this feeds 15)
• 250gm natural Greek yogurt
• 15 bamboo or metal skewers
• Salt to taste

Chop finely or puree the ginger and garlic together. Take a large mixing bowl and mix in all the ingredients. Add salt to your taste. Remember, the marinade needs to be fairly salty as the barbeque will burn some of it away.

Now cut the chicken into large bite-sized chunks. The best way to do this is cut off the tail end of each chicken breast first and then halve lengthwise each piece and chop through the width. Add th chicken pieces into the marinade bowl. Mix together well.

Leave this to sit covered for at least an hour and up to three hours. When you’re ready to eat, thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers (5-6 chicken pieces for each). Then cook on a sizzling but not smoky barbeque for 20 minutes turning regularly to ensure even cooking.

If the weather’s pants or you don’t have a barbeque, you could just cook the lot in two batches under a hot grill for the same amount of time. Serve on a bed of fresh sliced onions drizzled with some chilli powder, lemon juice and salt. Many times.

All blingtastic, I was going to attend the lunchtime launch of Spooning with Rosie, my friend Rosie Lovell‘s book. The lovely Rosie runs a deli cafe in trendy Brixton. Vintage dresses and unshaven faces were going to rub shoulders amidst mounds of quality cheese, loafs of bread and stacks of her cupcakes.

The anticipation was immense as I dressed mini Basu in a co-ordinated romper. Rosie’s cookbook is a sensational tome brimming with eclectic recipes that nod to London’s vibrant cafe culture. That aside it featured my Bhapa Doi Bengali cheesecake recipe with a mention of yours truly.

Several glasses of wine and hours of mingling later, I couldn’t wait to get stuck into a semi-complicated recipe that matched the dizzying heights I had reached. It was going to be Kofta Curry, soft spicy meatballs in a tomato base.

I mixed the Kofta or meatballs before going to bed. Cooked the dish the following day. Scooped the finished lot into a bowl. Just in time for my hungry dad’s arrival. This experienced cook was not going to be easy to please. “So how is it”, I asked, waiting for the lavish praise.

“Delicious”, he replied. And just as I was about to mutter a thanks, he added: “You could have cooked the masala a bit more.”

Nothing like family to keep you grounded. Here’s the perfected recipe for when you want to show off. Best served with a pinch of humility.

PS = I made this with beef mince but you could just as easily substitute it with lamb.

Feeds 4:

For the kofta:

• 500gm beef mince
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• Half tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp salt

For the curry:

• 1 large onion
• 400gm tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 inch ginger
• 1 tsp paprika
• Half tsp chilli powder
• Half tsp garam masala
• 10 sprigs fresh coriander
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

Mix all the kofta ingredients together and stick in the fridge. It needs a good hour, but I did this before going to bed and left it in the fridge until I was ready to cook.

When you’re ready to make the curry, halve the mince mixture and fashion it into two large sausages. Then break off equal pieces and roll them into largish balls on a chopping board and leave to sit.

Chop the onion, ginger and garlic finely. Bring the oil to heat on high in a large non-stick pan. When it’s hot, chuck in the bay leaf and cinnamon. As they start sizzling, mix in the onion, ginger and garlic and fry until golden brown. This will take a good 10-15 minutes on a high heat.

If the mixture starts getting stuck to the bottom of the pan, add a little hot water and scrape off.

Next, add the paprika and chilli powders and fry for another two minutes. Then mix in the tin of tomatoes. You could use three large ripe and red chopped tomatoes if you prefer going fresh. Now let this masala mixture start bubbling, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

At this stage, oil will start oozing through little pores in the mixture. When it does, gently lower the koftas into the curry. Cook for 10 minutes and then flip them over to the other side for another 10 minutes.

Alternatively you could grill them for the same amount of time under a medium heat and mix them into the curry. Leave the curry bubbling, just add a bit of water if it dries up.

Finally, add the garam masala, salt to taste and sprinkle chopped coriander. This was lovely with a hot roti that I bought in a store earlier.

Let’s just say motherhood is much like cooking a biryani, naked, on a patio, in the middle of a blizzard.

Still, I’ve had plenty to keep me going. My personal favourite is the card that reads: “When I grow up I wan to be a total bitch, just like my mother”. A close tie with the one featuring a designer-clad mummy whispering “Gucci, Gucci” into her stroller.

Oh and the bottle of yet-to-be-opened gold-encased limited edition Armand De Brignac champagne.

Mini Basu is sampling the delights of Baby Dior, the farmer’s market and the cultural hotspot of South Bank. While I snatch precious moments for a spot of shopping, beauty sleep and cooking.

Thank God for quick Indian cooking.

My first recipe back had to be a light and healthy chicken curry steeped in fresh coriander – Dhaniya Murgh. It took care of dinner. Suitably impressed visitors. And launched my comeback in half an hour.

Here’s to life’s next phase…

PS = Thanks SO much for all the wishes, emails and love you’ve sent my way. Mini Basu will wield a wooden spoon as soon as possible.

Feeds 2:

500gm chicken thighs and drumsticks
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
Half tsp chilli powder
Half tsp turmeric powder
Half tsp coriander powder
2 tbsp natural Greek (thick) yogurt
15gm fresh coriander
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

Skin the chicken and marinate it in the yogurt, chilli, turmeric, ginger and garlic pastes. I did this in between painting my nails and baby stuff in the morning and left the chicken out covered with some clear film.

When you’re ready to cook, bring the oil to heat over a high flame in a small pot. When it’s sizzling, fry the chicken with the coriander powder for 10 minutes until evenly brown all over. Add half a cup of hot water, lower the flame to a gentle boil, cover and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes until the chicken is well cooked. You’ll know it’s done because the meat will separate from the bone on the drumsticks.

To finish, chop up the coriander leaves and stir into the chicken along with the salt. It should have a light, moist curry. Perfect to mop up with some readymade naan and a serving of thick yogurt.