Top Scottish chef Praveen Kumar shares the recipes for two of his best-selling dishes.
Having worked at five-star venues around the world, including Gleneagles and Turnberry, chef Praveen Kumar knows how to feed people really well.
He and his wife, Swarna, run their own Indian Cook School and own the multi-award-winning authentic Indian restaurant Tabla, in Perth.
More recently they branched out into the home-delivery market and launched Praveen Kumar Authentic Indian Cuisine, which delivers frozen versions of his restaurant dishes across the UK.
It been such a runaway success, he now employs 18 staff to help him keep up with demand.
These ready meals can be bought directly from the website praveenkumar.com but you’ll also find them in independent stores, farm shops and delis around Scotland.
But Praveen knows our readers also enjoy cooking from scratch, so here he kindly shares recipes for two of his best-selling dishes for you to make at home.
Kodi koora
(Serves 4)
Ingredients
- 350g chicken breast, cut into two-inch pieces
- 20g rapeseed oil
- 50g ginger and garlic paste
- 50g tamarind paste
- Salt to taste
- 5g each of curry powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder
- 2g turmeric powder
- 15g rapeseed oil
- 10g fresh garlic & ginger, diced
- 10g fresh curry leaf
- 10g each of cumin seeds, coriander seeds and mustard seeds
- 100g onion diced
- 75g fresh tomatoes diced
- 20g coriander leaf fresh
- 100ml water
Method
- Marinate the chicken with 5g of oil, ginger and garlic paste, tamarind paste, salt, curry power, chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt and turmeric powder for one hour.
- Heat the pan on full flame, add 15g of oil, allow oil to heat up for five seconds.
- Fry diced ginger and garlic for five seconds; add fresh curry leaf, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and fry for five seconds.
- Now add diced onion and cook for five minutes without the lid on. Onions should now turn golden brown.
- Add the diced tomatoes, stir in and cook for five mins with lid on. Once tomatoes go soft and juicy, add marinated chicken, water and cook for 15 minutes in a low heat.
- After chicken is cooked transfer to serving dish and garnish with fresh coriander. Serve with steamed rice.
Lamb Bhuna
(Serves 4)
Ingredients
- 350g diced lamb shoulder
- 20g rapeseed oil
- 5g chili powder
- 2g turmeric powder
- 5g each of curry powder, garam masala powder
- 50g ginger and garlic paste
- 10g fresh garlic and ginger diced
- 10g each of cumin seeds, coriander seeds and mustard seeds
- 100g onion, diced
- 75g fresh tomatoes diced
- 100ml water
- 20g fresh coriander leaf
- Salt to taste
Method
- Marinate the meat with 5g of oil, ginger and garlic paste, curry power, chili powder, garam masala power, salt and turmeric powder. This can be left to marinate for 24-48 hours.
- Heat the pan on full flame, add 15g of oil, allow it to heat up for 10 seconds.
- Fry diced ginger and garlic for five seconds, add and fry cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds for five seconds.
- Now add the diced onion, cook for five minutes without a lid until golden brown.
- Now add diced tomatoes, stir in and cook for five mins with lid on.
- Once tomatoes go soft and juicy, add the marinated lamb and water and cook for one hour on a low heat until tender.
- Taste and season, adding coriander leaf as a garnish.
- Serve with naan bread.
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