Bridport Food Festival 2020 in Lockdown
Usually in June, Helen is busy preparing for her very popular, always oversubscribed, annual Indian Masterclass. Sadly due to coronovirus and lockdown it will not be happening this year. Helen is now supporting the Bridport Local Food Group team and their Bridport Food Festival in
Lockdown by providing them with her recipe for making garam masala and chicken dhal curry. She will also be available throughout (June 14-June 30) to answer any questions that people may have.
To find all the details pop over to the Bridport Food Festival website If you do make Helen’s recipe it would be great to hear. Please could you take a photo and add to our facebook page @tajmahalbridport also @bridportfoodfestival #bfflockdown
Take care everyone and stay safe!
Our kitchen will be open for FREE home deliveries & collections on Thursdays, Friday, Saturdays and Sundays
After announcing that we were closing the kitchen completely after service on Sunday 29th March, we received so many requests from our loyal regular customers to re-consider, that we have now decided to continue to offer take aways aways on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from 6pm.
Recognising that many of you will not be able or willing to leave your home we shall be continuing to offer a FREE home delivery service for orders over £20 within a 3 mile radius, along side a collection service. As well as our usual take-away menu we are will have 2 special menus based upon the popular choices eaten in the restaurant. Each are for 2 people and will cost £20. As all our food is cooked freshly for each order the recipe can be adjusted at time of order to suit your personal tastes.
Menu A for 2 people £20
Starter:
- Onion Bhajee
Main:
- Garlic Chilli Chicken
- Lamb Rogan
- Pilau Rice
- Nan
Menu B Vegetarian for 2 people £20
Starter:
- Onion Bhajee
Main
- Vegetable Dhansak
- Saag Aloo (spinach & potato)
- Tarka Dal (side dish)
- Plain Rice
Ring 01308 424956 or 01308 421000 to place your order. Payment will be taken at time of order.
Taj Mahal kitchen is now closed
It with great sadness that we have had to make the decision today (30 March) to close the kitchen completely until further notice. We tried to continue by providing a home delivery service (which was extremely busy – thank you) but it has become too difficult to continue trading and keep everyone safe. Keeping our customers and our staff safe during Covid-19 remains our priority.
We would like to thank all our customers for their loyal support. We’re going to miss your company but hope to see you all again before too long in better times.
Stay Safe!
Best wishes from us all – Helen, Rafique, Sanjay, Cliff and all the team
FREE Home Delivery Service during Coronovirus crisis
Keeping both our loyal customers and our team safe is our priority during these difficult times.
Although the restaurant is closed we shall be continuing to offer our normal take-ways. We do recognise that many of you will not be able to leave your home so will not feel comfortable coming to collect so we have decided to offer a FREE home delivery service for orders over £20 within a 3 mile radius. As well as our usual take-away menu we are introducing 2 special menus based upon the popular choices eaten in the restaurant. Each are for 2 people and will cost £20. As all our food is cooked freshly for each order the recipe can be adjusted at time of order to suit your personal tastes.
Menu A for 2 people £20
Starter:
- Onion Bhajee
Main:
- Garlic Chilli Chicken
- Lamb Rogan
- Pilau Rice
- Nan
Menu B Vegetarian for 2 people £20
Starter:
- Onion Bhajee
Main
- Vegetable Dhansak
- Saag Aloo (spinach & potato)
- Tarka Dal (side dish)
- Plain Rice
Ring 01308 424956 or 01308 421000 to place your order. Payment will be taken at time of order.
Taj Mahal in Bridport Times November 2019
Helen Choudhury is showing you how to make Garam Masala and Chicken & Dhal Curry in the November issue of the Bridport Times. You can find the recipes and others on this website.
Sarah Ali-Choudhury appears on BBC Inside Out
Last night Helen and Rafique’s daughter, Sarah Ali -Choudhury, appeared on BBC Inside Out as part of her mission to encourage more women to work in the British Asian Restaurant industry. According to the Office of National Statistics, less than one in five chef positions in the UK are held by women. Sarah believes strongly that women could be the answer to the Indian chef shortage within restaurants in the UK, and sees her mother as her inspiration.
The programme was presented by Sarah and included a visit to the Taj Mahal to find out how her mother Helen has been successfully, for over 30 years, cooking in the restaurant. During the programme Sarah also visited the Indian Restaurant Chillies in Weymouth, a husband and wife team who are sadly struggling to find staff to work in the kitchen, and also Manjus in Brighton. This is a small restaurant where the kitchen is run by all women – Manju who is 82 years old, with her two daughter in laws.
Chicken & Dhal Curry
This is a dish that is not too difficult to prepare but one that all the family will enjoy.
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken breast diced (or for better flavour use chicken on the bone eg chicken thighs)
- 2 medium or 1 large onion chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic and 1-inch fresh ginger pureed together in a blender or grated
- 75 g Masoor Dhal Indian Lentils, washed and soaked in cold water for 10 mins
- 1 level tbsp coriander powder
- 1 level tsp chilli powder (or to taste)
- 1 heaped tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 level tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 3 tbsp oil (vegetable or olive oil)
- 550 ml boiling water
- 1 tsp garam masala (homemade or bought)
- Handful of chopped coriander
Method
Heat the oil in pan and add onions, once start cooking add salt to taste. Keep cooking and stirring until onion is translucent.
Add garlic and ginger mixture and cook, continuing to stir, for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken and cook together for 2-3 minutes
Add all the spices except garam masala. Stir and cook for 3-4 mins. Add tomato puree with 50 ml water, cook over a medium to high heat and stir for 2-3 minutes until oil loosens from the side of pan.
Add the dhal, lower heat and cook stirring occasionally to avoid sticking.
Add 500 ml of boiling water and stir in, once bubbling add the garam masala.
Stir the curry and cover the saucepan with a lid.
Cook on a low heat stirring occasionally until the dhal is soft or cooked to your liking.
Sprinkle over the chopped coriander and serve
Alternatives:
For Chicken Dhansak: Before adding the chopped coriander to serve, add the juice of ½ lemon, 1 tsp sugar, more chilli powder (to taste) and cook for 2 minutes.
For a vegetarian or vegan option: Replace the chicken with chickpeas and add spinach at the end. NB less cooking time will be required.
The chicken can also be replaced with lamb (more cooking time needed), or with prawns (less cooking time needed).
Serving suggestions:
Serve with boiled or pilau rice, chapati, paratha or nan bread and a side dish like Saag Bhaji
Homemade Garam Masala
This is very quick and simple Garam Masala to make. Although bought garam masala can successfully be used in dishes you will find that homemade garam masala will enhance any dish.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- ½ tbsp cumin seeds
- 4 cardamom pods
- 2 bay leaves
- 1-inch cinnamon stick
Method
- Toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry pan until they are aromatic (about 1 minute) being careful not to burn.
- Tip into a coffee/spice grinder and add the rest of the ingredients. Grind until a fine powder.
Store in an airtight jar for 3-6 months for using in recipes.