Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Chicken Curry & Tarka Dal
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
30 minutes
45 minutes
1 hour 15 minutes
Serves:
4 servings
Anisha created this dish for MasterChef UK ™ Season 22. Her chicken and red pepper curry won praise for its fragrant green cardamom and green chilli set against the sweetness of the peppers, alongside a creamy turmeric red-lentil dal finished tableside with a sizzling roasted garlic butter tarka. Th...
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Ingredients
FOR THE BASMATI RICE:
Basmati rice — 1 cup (200 g), rinsed and drained
Water — 1 3/4 cups (420 ml)
Salt — 1/2 tsp
FOR THE TURMERIC RED-LENTIL DAL:
Red split lentils (masoor dal) — 1 cup (200 g), rinsed until the water runs clear
Water — 3 cups (750 ml), plus more as needed
Ground turmeric — 1/2 tsp
Salt — 3/4 tsp
Unsalted butter — 2 tbsp (30 g)
FOR THE CHICKEN & RED PEPPER CURRY:
Vegetable oil or ghee — 3 tbsp (45 ml)
Green cardamom pods — 5, lightly bruised
Onion — 1 large, finely chopped
Garlic cloves — 4, crushed
Fresh ginger — 1 1/2 tbsp (20 g), grated
Green chillies — 2, slit
Ground cumin — 2 tsp
Ground coriander — 2 tsp
Ground turmeric— 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder — 1/2 tsp
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs — 1 1/4 lb (600 g), cut into bite-sized pieces
Chopped tomatoes (tinned) — 1 cup (200 g)
Water or chicken stock — 3/4 cup (180 ml)
Salt — 1 tsp
Red bell peppers — 2, deseeded and cut into chunks
Garam masala — 1 tsp
Fresh coriander — small handful, chopped, to finish
FOR THE ROASTED GARLIC BUTTER TARKA:
Unsalted butter — 3 tbsp (45 g)
Garlic cloves — 6, thinly sliced
Cumin seeds — 1/2 tsp (optional)
Dried red chilli — 1, broken (optional)
EQUIPMENT:
Large heavy-based saucepan or casserole
Medium saucepan
Small saucepan or frying pan
Lidded saucepan or rice cooker
Fine grater or microplane
Wooden spoon
Ladle
Method
STEP 1: COOK THE BASMATI RICE
Rinse the basmati until the water runs clear, then drain. Combine with the water and salt in a lidded pan. Bring to the boil, stir once, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for 10–12 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave, covered and undisturbed, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
STEP 2: SIMMER THE LENTILS
Rinse the red lentils thoroughly. Put them in a saucepan with the water and turmeric. Bring to the boil, skimming off any foam, then simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils collapse into a soft, soupy purée. Add a splash more water if it thickens too far; the texture should be loose and creamy, not stodgy.
STEP 3: FINISH THE DAL
Stir in the salt and the butter and beat well for a minute until the dal turns silky and creamy. Keep warm while you make the curry.
STEP 4: BLOOM THE CARDAMOM AND SOFTEN THE ONION
Heat the oil or ghee in a large heavy pan over medium heat. Add the bruised cardamom pods and let them sizzle for 20 seconds until fragrant. Add the onion and cook gently for 8–10 minutes until soft and golden.
STEP 5: ADD THE AROMATICS AND GROUND SPICES
Stir in the garlic, ginger and green chillies and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ground cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli powder and fry for 30–60 seconds until aromatic, adding a splash of water if the spices catch.
STEP 6: SIMMER THE CHICKEN
Add the chicken and stir to coat in the spices, cooking until it loses its raw colour. Add the chopped tomatoes and the water or stock, season with the salt, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
STEP 7: ADD THE PEPPERS AND FINISH THE CURRY
Add the red pepper chunks and simmer, uncovered, for a further 8–10 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the peppers are soft but still holding their shape. Stir in the garam masala, check the seasoning, and finish with the chopped fresh coriander.
STEP 8: MAKE THE GARLIC TARKA
Melt the butter in a small pan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic, plus the cumin seeds and dried chilli if using, and cook slowly for 4–6 minutes, stirring, until the garlic turns an even pale gold and smells deeply nutty. Watch closely — take it just to golden, never to bitter brown.
STEP 9: POUR THE TARKA
Pour the hot garlic butter tarka straight over the warm dal at the moment of serving, so it crackles on contact.
STEP 10: PLATE AND SERVE
Spoon the chicken and red pepper curry alongside a mound of basmati rice. Ladle the dal into a small bowl or onto the plate and crown it with the sizzling garlic tarka. Scatter with a little extra coriander.
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Instructions
FOR THE BASMATI RICE:
Basmati rice — 1 cup (200 g), rinsed and drained
Water — 1 3/4 cups (420 ml)
Salt — 1/2 tsp
FOR THE TURMERIC RED-LENTIL DAL:
Red split lentils (masoor dal) — 1 cup (200 g), rinsed until the water runs clear
Water — 3 cups (750 ml), plus more as needed
Ground turmeric — 1/2 tsp
Salt — 3/4 tsp
Unsalted butter — 2 tbsp (30 g)
FOR THE CHICKEN & RED PEPPER CURRY:
Vegetable oil or ghee — 3 tbsp (45 ml)
Green cardamom pods — 5, lightly bruised
Onion — 1 large, finely chopped
Garlic cloves — 4, crushed
Fresh ginger — 1 1/2 tbsp (20 g), grated
Green chillies — 2, slit
Ground cumin — 2 tsp
Ground coriander — 2 tsp
Ground turmeric — 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder — 1/2 tsp
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs — 1 1/4 lb (600 g), cut into bite-sized pieces
Chopped tomatoes (tinned) — 1 cup (200 g)
Water or chicken stock — 3/4 cup (180 ml)
Salt — 1 tsp
Red bell peppers — 2, deseeded and cut into chunks
Garam masala — 1 tsp
Fresh coriander — small handful, chopped, to finish
FOR THE ROASTED GARLIC BUTTER TARKA:
Unsalted butter — 3 tbsp (45 g)
Garlic cloves — 6, thinly sliced
Cumin seeds — 1/2 tsp (optional)
Dried red chilli — 1, broken (optional)
EQUIPMENT:
Large heavy-based saucepan or casserole
Medium saucepan
Small saucepan or frying pan
Lidded saucepan or rice cooker
Fine grater or microplane
Wooden spoon
Ladle
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: COOK THE BASMATI RICE
Rinse the basmati until the water runs clear, then drain. Combine with the water and salt in a lidded pan. Bring to the boil, stir once, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for 10–12 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave, covered and undisturbed, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
STEP 2: SIMMER THE LENTILS
Rinse the red lentils thoroughly. Put them in a saucepan with the water and turmeric. Bring to the boil, skimming off any foam, then simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils collapse into a soft, soupy purée. Add a splash more water if it thickens too far; the texture should be loose and creamy, not stodgy.
STEP 3: FINISH THE DAL
Stir in the salt and the butter and beat well for a minute until the dal turns silky and creamy. Keep warm while you make the curry.
STEP 4: BLOOM THE CARDAMOM AND SOFTEN THE ONION
Heat the oil or ghee in a large heavy pan over medium heat. Add the bruised cardamom pods and let them sizzle for 20 seconds until fragrant. Add the onion and cook gently for 8–10 minutes until soft and golden.
STEP 5: ADD THE AROMATICS AND GROUND SPICES
Stir in the garlic, ginger and green chillies and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ground cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli powder and fry for 30–60 seconds until aromatic, adding a splash of water if the spices catch.
STEP 6: SIMMER THE CHICKEN
Add the chicken and stir to coat in the spices, cooking until it loses its raw colour. Add the chopped tomatoes and the water or stock, season with the salt, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
STEP 7: ADD THE PEPPERS AND FINISH THE CURRY
Add the red pepper chunks and simmer, uncovered, for a further 8–10 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the peppers are soft but still holding their shape. Stir in the garam masala, check the seasoning, and finish with the chopped fresh coriander.
STEP 8: MAKE THE GARLIC TARKA
Melt the butter in a small pan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic, plus the cumin seeds and dried chilli if using, and cook slowly for 4–6 minutes, stirring, until the garlic turns an even pale gold and smells deeply nutty. Watch closely — take it just to golden, never to bitter brown.
STEP 9: POUR THE TARKA
Pour the hot garlic butter tarka straight over the warm dal at the moment of serving, so it crackles on contact.
STEP 10: PLATE AND SERVE
Spoon the chicken and red pepper curry alongside a mound of basmati rice. Ladle the dal into a small bowl or onto the plate and crown it with the sizzling garlic tarka. Scatter with a little extra coriander.
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