Ditch the takeaway – try this…

There’s a misconception that all Indian cuisine is fattening, calorie-laden and generally unhealthy. But step away from creamy curries and deep-fried starters and you’ll find a host of fresh, flavourful dishes that are not only kinder to your waistline, but good for your health, too.

Sabbir Karim, Best Innovative Asian and Oriental Chef of the Year 2013 and owner of London’s Namaaste Kitchen and Salaam Namaaste, is an advocate of healthy Indian cooking. 

"I’m not sure where this misconception began that made people think that all Indian food is high in saturated fats, calories and overall just unhealthy for you. In the past, it's true, more attention used to be given to the taste of the food, rather than considering the nutritional value. But as more and more chefs have become aware and educated in the healthy eating and healthy cooking concept, they have shifted their focus to the nutritional value and how the Indian food is prepared. The fact is that when we cook traditional Indian food, unlike some of the takeaways people are used to, we use fresh ingredients and produce and we also incorporate a lot of vegetables into our dishes. Indian cooking also requires using a lot of spices that are considered to have healing properties, such as turmeric, ginger and garlic – all of which are healthy ingredients."

So this weekend, ditch the takeaway menu and treat yourself instead to Sabbir’s signature recipe…

Lahori Tawa Lamb Chops (lamb chops marinated in fresh ginger paste, papaya, herbs and spices)  

Prep 20 min + marinating

Cook 35 min

Serves 4

For the lamb chops

2tbsp ginger paste

2tbsp garlic paste

1½tbsp papaya paste (½ papaya, deseeded but skin on, blended with 2tbsp cooking oil)

4 large lamb chops, trimmed and flattened slightly

1tbsp lemon juice

2tsp garam masala

½tsp chilli powder (to taste)

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp ground coriander

5tbsp natural yogurt

½tbsp fenugreek seeds

½tsp chilli flakes

½tbsp cooking oil

1tsp English mustard

2tsp mint sauce

For the sauce

50ml cooking oil

4 onions, chopped

3tbsp ginger paste

2tbsp garlic paste

2tsp tomato purée

4 cherry tomatoes, sliced

4tsp makhani cooking sauce (available from Waitrose and Ocado)

1tsp chilli powder

2tsp ground turmeric

245g natural yogurt

2tsp lemon juice

1½tsp ground coriander

2tsp chopped fresh mint

½tsp kewra water or rose water

2tsp garam masala

Watercress, to garnish

1. First, prepare the lamb chops. Combine the ginger garlic and papaya pastes in a large mixing bowl, then massage into the lamb. Cover, then transfer to the fridge to marinate for at least 40 min.

2. Put the remaining lamb chop ingredients in a medium bowl and mix to a fine paste. Take the lamb out of the fridge, then add the paste to the bowl and turn to coat the chops. Cover, then return to the fridge for at least 1 hr.

3. Preheat the oven to its hottest setting. Lift the lamb chops out of the marinade on to a baking tray, then cook for 10–15 min. Set aside and keep warm.

4. Next, make the sauce. Heat the cooking oil in a large frying pan, then fry the onions until golden. Add the ginger paste, garlic paste and the tomato purée and mix well. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until soft. Stir in the makhani sauce, then add the chilli powder, turmeric and yogurt. Add the lamb chops to the frying pan with the lemon juice, ground coriander, chopped mint and 500ml water, then simmer for 3–4 min until the sauce is reduced and thick. Stir in the kewra water or rose water and the garam masala.

5. Divide the lamb among 4 plates, then garnish with watercress and serve with garlic naan or basmati rice, if you like.

Per serving

513kcal

30g protein

26.9g fat

6.6g saturates

28.6g carbs

20.3g sugar

4.1g fibre

2.1g salt

293mg calcium

5.1mg iron

Low sat fat

Low sugar

High protein

High calcium

High iron

Gluten free

1 of 5-a-day

Health tip: why this dish is good for you

Lamb is a good source of vitamin B12, needed for normal cell division as well as neurological and psychological functions, and to prevent fatigue.

Garam masala (a blend of traditional South Asian spices, such as cumin, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves) is great for adding flavour, so you don't need any salt.

Ginger is good for soothing the digestive system and may also help alleviate pain linked to arthritis.

Yogurt is a good source of protein and is rich in calcium, needed for healthy bones and teeth.

Healthy comfort food

As the nights draw in, we’ve been feeling the urge to cook some of our favourite slow-cook recipes. The anticipation created by the aromas wafting from the kitchen as the flavours of your hearty dinner intensify is one of life’s great pleasures.

If you’re in the mood for something warming, try this recipe for lamb, plum and barley mow from the team at EBLEX, the organisation for the English beef and sheep industry.

 

‘You can get the best out of this delicious recipe by using the best quality ingredients,’ says Denise Spencer-Walker, food advisor for EBLEX. ‘Looking out for a quality indicator on meat, such as the Quality Standard Mark (QSM), in independent butchers and select supermarkets will ensure your beef or lamb has been responsibly produced by people dedicated to great food.’

The EBLEX QSM scheme for beef and lamb ensures red meat is produced by independently audited farmers who work to strict guidelines, guaranteeing food safety, animal welfare, care for the environment and eating quality. To find your nearest QSM butcher, visit simplybeefandlamb.co.uk/butchers-block.

Lamb, Plum and Barley Mow

Serves 6

Prep time: 25 min

Cook time: 2 hr 45 min

675g lean boneless lamb leg, cut into 2.5cm cubes

1tbsp ground cinnamon

2tbsp rapeseed or olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

4 carrots, roughly chopped

150ml marsala wine or port

600ml hot reduced-salt lamb stock

2 bay leaves

150g pearl barley

75g kale or savoy cabbage, roughly chopped

2 ripe red plums, stoned and roughly chopped

2tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

1 Preheat the oven to 170°C/fan 150°C/gas 31/2. Put the lamb in a large bowl, season with ground black pepper and mix with the cinnamon. 
2  Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Working in batches, cook the lamb over a medium-high heat, turning, for 3–4 min until browned all over. Transfer to a 1.7litre flameproof casserole dish. 
3  In the same frying pan, cook the onion, garlic and carrots for 2–3 min. Add to the casserole dish with the lamb. Add the marsala wine or port to the pan, scraping the base of the pan to release any sticky bits, then pour it into the casserole dish.
4 Add the stock and bay leaves to the casserole dish and bring to the boil over a high heat. Cover, then transfer to the oven and continue to cook for a further 2 hr. 
5 Remove the dish from the oven and add the pearl barley, then return to the oven for 30 min. Add the kale or cabbage and plums, then return to the oven for a further 10 min. Discard the bay leaves, then serve garnished with parsley.

 

Per serving: 375kcal, 26.6g protein, 13.9g fat, 4.4g saturates, 33.8g carbs, 10.7g sugar, 7.3g fibre, 0.9g salt, 88mg calcium, 3.8mg iron

Per serving this recipe is LOW CAL, LOW SAT FAT, LOW SUGAR, LOW SALT, HIGH PROTEIN, DAIRY FREE, CONTAINS 1 OF 5-A-DAY

For more slow-cooked recipes pick up a copy of our winter issue, out on Tuesday 19 November.