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.
Helen Choudhury cooks kid goat at Melplash Show 2019
This year Helen had the first slot of the day at 10.30 am in the Show’s cookery theatre. Many of her audience were comfortably seated waiting for her to appear at 9.30 am.. by 10.15 am the theatre was packed and it was standing room only! As the President of the Society this year is Tim Frost who, with his son run a dairy with Forde Abbey, milking daily 2500 goats, it was fitting that Helen chose to make a goat curry using kid goat sourced from their farm and bought from Balson’s Butchers in Bridport. Although not something in the UK that people regularly eat, it is a meat that is becoming increasingly more available as farmers start to milk more goats. Unlike goat meat eaten around the world which is older and stronger flavour , kid goat is very tender and lamb-like. Helen’s goat curry proved very popular with the audience. The recipe is now available on this website. Alongside she cooked Aloo Jeera (Potatoes with cumin) and Chana Masala (both suitable for vegetarians and vegans).
Aloo Jeera (Potatoes with cumin)
Ingredients
- 10 new potatoes, cooked
- 1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
- 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- 2 tbs vegetable oil
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- Chopped coriander
- Squeeze of lemon (optional)
Method
- Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat
- Add cumin seeds and cook until starting to pop
- Add garlic cook for a few seconds
- Add the potatoes and sauté for 3-4 minutes
- Add the turmeric and salt to taste stir and cook for further 1-2 minutes
- Sprinkle with the chopped coriander and squeeze of lemon if using, and serve
Easy Goat Curry
Serves 3/4
Ingredients
- 1 kg kid goat, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4 tbsp oil
- 3 medium onions, finely chopped
- 8-10 cloves garlic, pureed
- 2 ½ inch ginger, pureed
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1½ tbsp coriander powder
- 1½ tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp paprika (not smoked)
- 1 tsp chilli powder (or to taste)
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1½ salt (or to taste)
- 1 tbsp natural yogurt
- Juice of ¼ lemon
- 2- 2½ cups water
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander to serve
Method
- Marinade the goat with all the ingredients except the oil, water and chopped coriander (can then be kept in the fridge for a few hours or cooked immediately).
- Heat the oil in a saucepan on a medium to high heat and then add the above mixture, cook for 5 minutes stirring continuously. Add one cup of water and stir. Once bubbling, turn down the heat and cover the saucepan with the lid. IMPORTANT: do keep an eye on it and stir occasionally.
- Once the oil starts coming to the top and starts to separate add another cup of water, simmer until the goat is tender. Adding more water if gravy becomes too dry.
- Finish by adding the fresh coriander
NB. This curry can be made using any meat of your choice including chicken and lamb.