Weekend treat – A vegetarian curry feast!

Today’s Pieday Friday recipe is a lovely guest post from my blogging pal Lucy. When I saw her mouth-watering curry recipes on her blog LucyLovesYa, I emailed to ask her permission to share these delicious dishes with you today. And thankfully she said yes! These vegetarian dishes are packed full of freshness and flavour – and it costs a lot less to make your own ‘takeaway’ at home than it does to go out for a meal! Lucy says add as many chillies as you like until you get the right level of hotness for you, and don’t forget to cool things down with coriander,  lemons and natural yoghurt mixed with some chopped mint. I never knew how to make an onion bhaji until I read Lucy’s recipe so I hope you’ll enjoy making some of these simple recipes at home too! Onion Bhaji Ingredients: 2 large onions, 1 mug gram flour (chickpea flour), salt to taste, 1 egg, handful coriander leaves, pinch chilli powder, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon paprikaMix the ingredients together until a smooth consistency is formed. Don’t feel tempted to add water as the onions will provide a natural liquid if allowed to stand for an hour before frying. Ladle individual bhajis into a frying pan of hot oil. When they are golden brown, remove and serve with a squeeze of lemon all over and a dash of natural yoghurt.

Aloo Tarka Dhal (potato and garlic dhal) ingredients: 1 mug of rinsed red lentils (masoori dhal), 12 small potatoes, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 large bay leaf, 4 cloves, 4 green cardamoms, 1″ cinnamon stick, 8 garlic cloves, 8 onions, vegetable ghee, pinch of salt

Pre boil the potatoes then put to one side. Simmer the lentils with the turmeric powder, large bay leaf, cloves, green cardamons, cinnamon stick and sea salt. Remove any residue from the lentils and once soft (but not dry) remove the excess water and put to one side. Slice the garlic cloves and finely dice an equal amount of onions. Fry them together in vegetable ghee until golden brown and then add the lentils mixture and potatoes.

Saag Chana Chat (spinach and chickpea curry) ingredients: 1 tin of rinsed spinach, 1 tin of rinsed chickpeas, 1 tablespoon of mint sauce (optional), 1 handful coriander, 1 piece of root ginger – diced, salt to taste, tablespoon curry powder, 1 large finely diced onion, 2 cloves garlic – chopped, 1 handful chopped coriander leaves, 4 medium tomatoes – diced, 1 handful Methi leaves (fenugreek leaves) if available, 1 teaspoon of garam masala, a squeeze of lemon juice, drop of water, ground pepper to taste.

Fry the diced onion and both garlic cloves with the diced root ginger in oil until onions are soft and then add the curry powder and further fry for 5 minutes. Add a drop of water if necessary to prevent sticking. Introduce the chickpeas, spinach, mint, coriander leaves, diced tomatoes, ground pepper and methi leaves. Cook for 20 minutes on a medium heat and then add the garam masala and the lemon juice.You could make just one of the dishes or all for a fabulous feast this weekend. Let me know if you have a go at cooking any of these tasty recipes by leaving me a comment or tweeting Lucy and I at @LucyLovesYaBlog and @Cassiefairy. Enjoy your weekend guys!