“Garam” means hot and “masala” means spices. Garam masala is a mixture of spices and varies from region to region and family to family.
I would recommend that you make your own masala mixture as shop bought versions are pallid as cheaper spices like coriander and cumin are used instead of cloves and cardamom.
Spices should be ground or bought in small quantities so they stay fresh and add more flavour.
“Tikka” means pieces or chunks and “Masala” in this context refers to the gravy, so the dish is translated as “chicken pieces” (chicken tikka) or “chicken pieces in gravy” (chicken tikka masala).
Chicken Tikka is a very popular dish in India. It is a dry dish which can be eaten as a starter or as part of a main meal.
Chicken Tikka Masala was “invented” by enterprising cooks who added a gravy (the “masala”) to Chicken Tikka to suit the western palate by making it creamy and mild.
I have included the recipes for both Chicken Tikka and Chicken Tikka Masala – click read more.
This fragrant rice dish is from south India and can be enjoyed with simple chicken or lamb dishes or any vegetable or meat dish depending on personal preference. Use fresh coconut if you can source it otherwise use dessicated coconut as I have listed in the ingredients.
This vegetarian dish is so flavoursome that I feel it will please all palates. It would be a tasty accompaniment to any barbecue dish or would be great at a picnic.
This isn’t just a favourite in Indian homes but it has become a favourite in British homes too.
Onion bhajees are easy to make and are great as a snack, starter, or even as an accompaniment to a cup of tea.
Why not pack a batch for your next picnic?
This is a simple dish served for brunch with puris and deep-fried green chillies sprinkled with salt.
“Paratha” is a generic name for bread made in north India from plain paratha to stuffed parathas. There is a wide range of stuffing for parathas – spicy potato is the most common.
Parathas are eaten as part of a main meal or can be enjoyed at lunch time with a raita.
“Puris” are very popular in Western India. They are often eaten for breakfast with a potato curry and fried chillies or eaten at main meals with vegetable dishes.
This is a very popular dish in my house and very quick to make. It’s also a great way to use up left over plain rice.
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“Chapatti”, the national bread, is freshly prepared everyday as an accompaniment to most meals. Chapattis should be very soft and round in shape.
A “tava” is used to make chapattis in India and in Indian homes wherever they have settled.
