Cheesy Curry Scones

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Curry Scones

OMG! What can I say, these are super tasty and very moreish. I do love a good scone, especially with butter & jam but I wanted to try something a bit different, we were having some pakora for dinner (Irn-Bru Chicken pakora recipe here https://cookingwithluce.wordpress.com/2021/05/16/irn-bru-chicken-pakora/) so decided to try an Indian inspired flavour to go with. The curry powder lends that nice warmth of Indian spices to the cheese without being overbearing.

These scones are simple and quick to make, you can also change up the spices to suit your own palette.

Makes 12

400g Self Raising Flour

100g Butter, softened

4 Tsp Baking Powder

3 Tsp Curry Powder

1.5 Tsp Smoked Paprika

1.5 Tsp Turmeric (or Mustard Powder)

200g Grated Cheese (I used a good Scottish Mature Cheddar)

2 Eggs

Milk to Bind

  1. Preheat your oven to 180 deg. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Place flour, baking powder, smoked paprika, turmeric & curry powder into a bowl and mix. Next rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles crumbs then add in the grated cheese. (keep a little grated cheese back to top the scones before baking)
  3. Crack in the eggs and add a little milk at a time to bind to a soft dough. You don’t want the dough too sticky.
  4. Roll out to about 1″ thick, using a cutter cut into 12 rounds. Place onto your backing tray, brush with a little milk and top with some grated cheese.
  5. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until lightly golden and risen.
  6. Remove and allow to cool. Serve with butter, chutney or anything you fancy really.
Cheesy Curry Scones

Lentil & Squash Dhansak

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Lentil & Squash Dhansak

This quick and easy vegetarian meal is perfect for those Autumn and Wintry Days, a warming bowl of goodness in your tummy. Full or nutrition and good vitamins, with only around 300 calories per bowl is a great healthy option to a takeaway Curry. This is also a good recipe to batch cook with. You can serve with a toasted naan on the side for a more filling meal.

Serves 4

300g Sweet Potato – chopped and diced into 2cm cubes

300g Butternut Squash – chopped and diced into 2cm cubes

2 White Onions, diced

2 tbsps Mild Curry Powder

2 tbsps Garam Masala Powder

1 x 400g Tin Chopped Tomatoes

1 x 400g Tin Coconut Milk

1 x 400g Tin Green Lentils

200g Spinach – chopped

Sunflower & Pumpkin Seeds to garnish (yoghurt optional)

  1. Steam cook the Sweet Potato & Butternut Squash, place in a microwaveable bowl with 2 tbsps water and cover, cook on medium level for 10 minutes. (you could always roast in oven for about 35 mins too)
  2. While cooking add a little oil to a pan and cook the onions until softened, add the curry powder, garam masala powder and mix through. Add the tin tomatoes and coconut milk, bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes to allow sauce to thicken slightly.
  3. To the sauce add the sweet potato and butternut squash along with the lentils and spinach, season and mix through, allow to simmer for a few minutes.
  4. Serve into bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of seeds.
Pot of Lentil & Squash Dhansak

Beef Kofta Curry

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Beef Kofta Curry Dish

Another great recipe from PON book, we are loving our curries at the moment, must be all this rainy weather we are getting thats putting us in the mood…lol! After all, who doesn’t love a good curry?

There is nothing better than a homemade Curry, fresh ingredients, good scottish beef and making from scratch you can save on those extra calories to make it a guilt free Curry. This little Curry is only 200 calories per serving. (add on 50g cooked brown rice to serve, still brings it to under 500 calories) Yummy!

Beef kofta Curry Serving

Serves 2

1 Red onion, diced

1 tsp garlic granules (or 1 clove peeled and diced)

1 tbsp Curry Powder

1 tbsp Tomato Puree

400ml Beef Stock

230g Butternut Squash, diced

300g Scottish Beef Mince

Fresh Coriander, chopped

Salt & Pepper to taste

  1. Lightly oil a saucepan and add the onion, cook until browned. Add in the garlic and curry powder and stir, add in the tomato puree, stir then add in the stock. Add the butternut squash and bring to the boil then simmer for about 20 minutes until squash has softened.
  2. To make the meatballs, put the mince & coriander in a bowl then season with salt & pepper, mix together and then divide and roll into small balls. I got 10 out of mine.
  3. Spray a pan with a little oil and brown the meatballs. Set aside.
  4. Once butternut squash is ready, blitz with a hand blender to make a smooth sauce. Place the meatballs into the sauce and warm through for a few minutes. Remove and serve with a sprinkle of fresh coriander. Yum!
Making the meatballs and sauce
Beef kofta Curry Dish

Keema Pie

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Keema Pie

Oh WOW! This dish is super tasty, if you love Pies and you love Curries, you will absolutely love this. This came from my PON Everyday light Cookbook, so lower in calories too at just 400 per serving. The Sweet Potato Topping adds that extra flavour for perfection. This would be a good batch cook meal too.

Keema Pie

Serves 2

For the Filling:-

300g Scottish Beef Mince

1 Red onion, diced

1 Red pepper, diced

1 Carrot, diced

1 tsp dried ginger granules (or 1cm fresh ginger, grated)

1 tsp garlic granules (or 1 clove, chopped)

2 tbsp Curry Powder

2 tbsp tomato puree

250ml Beef Stock

80g frozen peas

Salt & pepper to taste

For the Topping:-

1 large Maris Piper potato, peeled and diced

2 medium Sweet Potatoes, peeled and diced

1/4 tsp Turmeric

  1. Preheat oven to 180 deg fan
  2. Place the potatoes into a pan of water and bring to boil, then simmer for 20 minutes until tender.
  3. Meanwhile, spray some oil in a pan and brown the mince. Add the onion, pepper, carrot and cook for a few minutes. Add in the ginger, garlic, curry powder & tomato puree and mix. Then add the stock and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 15-20 minutes until sauce has thickened.
  4. Once potatoes are cooked, drain and mash with the turmeric and season.
  5. Once mince has cooked stir through the frozen peas and place into an ovenproof dish, allow to cool slightly. Once cooled spread the mash potatoes on top and fluff up with a fork. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. If you have a browning setting on your oven, place under grill and brown for a couple of minutes. (add that extra crunch)
Keema Pie Serving

Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Curry

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Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Curry

This is my best homemade curry yet! (as said by my partner) I have to admit this was very delicious. I do surprise myself sometimes with my combinations out of a hat…lol! We had just come back from a mini hike nearby so we were pretty hungry, the weather was scorching (now scorching in Scotland is about 21 deg of sunshine…lol!), we fancied something light and refreshing. Looking in my cupboards & fridge, I had coconut milk, chicken and spinach to use up, so a wee light curry it was. Perfect with a light beer too!

Beer & Curry

Serves 2

2 small or 1.5 large chicken breasts – chopped into bitesize pieces

1 jar roasted red peppers

1 can coconut milk (full fat for more flavour)

1 tbsp harissa paste

Spray oil

1 red onion chopped

1 tsp curry powder

100g Spinach – I chopped finely

Seasoning (salt & pepper)

  1. Using a food processor, blend the roasted red peppers with the harissa paste and coconut milk until smooth.
Sauce blend in KitchenAid processor

2. In a pan heat a little oil, season the chicken and fry until browned. Then add the onion and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the curry powder and mix.

3. Pour in the Sauce mix and cook for about 10 minutes on a medium to high heat.

4. Add in the chopped spinach and mix through cooking for about 2 minutes.

5. If the sauce is still to thin, bring heat up to a slight boil to help thicken the sauce.

6. Serve with some brown rice or naan bread. I cooked some rice and added it to the pan mixture and mixed though.

This dish could be made vegan and gluten free by adding chickpeas instead of chicken and serving on its own.

Plate of Curry & Beer

Chicken Dopiaza (lower calorie option)

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I recently purchased a new cookbook by Pinch of Nom, I loved their last one so had to get their new one. This is a recipe from their Fakeaway options and at under 400 calories per serving it is definitely my new takeaway at home. Super tasty no compromise on flavour at all. I served with a little Basmati and Wild Rice along with my homemade Sweet Potato Roti, a perfect Saturday night home takeaway.

 

Makes 2 Servings

2 Chicken Breasts – cut into small chunks

1 red onion – diced

1 garlic clove – grated

1 cm piece of ginger – grated

1 tsp chilli flakes or 1 red chilli- diced

1 tsp curry powder**

1 tsp mixed spice**

**(I used this as an alternative to gram masala as I didn’t have any)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 x 400g tin tomatoes

100ml chicken stock – 1 stock cube

1 red pepper – diced

1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander to serve.

 

  1. Heat a little low fat spray oil in a fry pan on medium heat
  2. Brown the onion, garlic, chilli and ginger together for a few minutes
  3. Add the chicken and brown all over.
  4. Next add in the curry powder, cumin, mixed spice, ground coriander and mix through until coated.
  5. Add in the tin tomatoes, red pepper and stock and bring to the boil then reduce and cook on a low heat for about 15 minutes lid on, then 15 minutes with lid off to help thicken the sauce slightly.
  6. Serve a sprinkle with some fresh coriander…..YUM!

Filipino Chicken Curry

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I recently purchased the new High Protein Handbook No. 5 from Scott Baptie, and this little recipe was my first one I tried, I have to say it was super tasty and very nutritious too.

 

Serves 2

1 tsp coconut oil

2 Chicken Breasts – chopped into chunks

1 sweet potato – chopped into chunks

1 onion – chopped

1 tsp dried garlic granules

1 tsp ginger

1 red pepper, chopped into chunks

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tbsp fish sauce

200ml coconut milk

1 tsp chilli powder

Salt & pepper to taste

 

  1. Melt the coconut oil in a pan, season the chicken and add to the pan to brown then removed with a slotted spoon.
  2. Add the onion, pepper, sweet potato, garlic and ginger and brown.
  3. Add the chicken back to the pan and add the fish sauce, paprika, curry powder, chilli and coconut milk, reduce to a low simmer and cook covered for about 1-2 hours.
  4. Remove lid, turn heat up slightly and allow to cook uncovered for about 20-30 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
  5. Serve on its own or with some steamed wholemeal rice.

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Chicken, Chickpea and Spinach Curry

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I am always looking to make me meals healthier. By adding Chickpeas this dish certainly fills you up. Chickpeas are rich source of vitamins, minerals and fiber, they may offer a variety of health benefits, such as improving digestion, aiding weight management and reducing the risk of several diseases. Additionally, chickpeas are high in protein and make an excellent replacement for meat in vegetarian and vegan diets.

Serves 2

1 400g can of chickpeas

1 chicken breast – cubed

1 white onion – finely chopped

1 red pepper – roasted and chopped

100ml passata

100ml Chicken Stock

1-2 tbsp curry powder (depending on flavour of your choice) I used 2, we like it spicy.

1 level tbsp cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pepper taste

1 tbsp olive oil

2 handfuls of spinach

 

1. Brown the chicken in the olive oil for 5 mins

2. Add in the chopped onion and fry until brown, then add in chopped pepper

3. Add in the curry powder, cumin. cinnamon and pepper to taste, mix through

4. Add in tomato passata and chicken stock, bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 mins.

5. Throw in the spinach and allow to wilt stirring through, cook for a further 5 mins.

Serve on it’s own or with some rice of your choice. Yum!

 

Low Calorie Chicken Bhuna

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Chicken Buana

Alternative to one of my favourites from my Local Indian Takeaway. Full of flavour, lower in calories.

 

Serves 2 – 305 calories per portion (add 180 calories for 50g rice)

2 chicken breasts – cubed

1 red, yellow and green pepper – chunks

20g root ginger – cut into small pieces

1 medium onion – quartered

2 garlic cloves – peeled, cut into small pieces

1 tbsp mild curry powder

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp hot chilli powder

1 tbsp olive oil

200 g can chopped tomatoes

300ml chicken stock (1 cube)

1 tsp caster sugar

1 tbsp cornflour or plain flour

fresh coriander to garnish (optional)

salt, pepper (seasoning)

 

Put ginger, onion, garlic, curry powder, garam masala and chilli powder into a food processor and whizz up until blended finely.

Heat oil in a pan, add the spiced mixture and cook on medium heat for 10 mins.

Pour in chopped tomatoes and cook for further 5 mins, stirring regularly

Add chicken and peppers and mix through for 2 mins

Add chicken stock and sugar, bring to gentle simmer and cook for 20 mins.

Mix cornflour with 1 tbsp water and mix into sauce to help thicken, season with salt and pepper

Garnish with some coriander.

Cook chosen rice as per packet instructions…..serve. Yummy.