Great Britain 2020: CTM with Tarka Dal, Saag Bhaji, and Naan

If you Google ‘Britain’s National Dish’, you will inevitably come across Chicken Tikka Masala also known as the shorthand acronym CTM. There is even an acronym for British Indian Restaurant (BIR), and recipes abound on the internet for BIR curries and CTM. I, however, have yet to find one that mimics the restaurant staple I have come to love. This is my 4th iteration of it, and as you will see from the pictures, it is far from BIR quality. I’m not giving up yet! You will have a CTM recipe I approve of… some day. In the meantime I did find an excellent Tarka Dal recipe, as well as a yummy and quick Saag Bhaji (Spinach Curry) side dish. We served all this with a side of fluffy naan and my Mom’s Tomato Chutney.

Now that I really think about it, I have the feeling it would have been a more authentic experience to just order in our favorite Indian take-out! But that just wouldn’t be my style. If you are curious about this recipe, I worked from Felicity Cloake’s article in the Guardian on How to Make the Perfect Chicken Tikka Masala. The most helpful part for me turned out to be her advice on how to serve it, “a sprinkle of garam masala and a scattering of fresh coriander leaves is all you need – plus the obligatory naan, rice, saag bhaji and tarka daal, of course.” That put me on a hunt for recipes to serve along with the CTM, and they all turned out fantastic. I’ve included all the recipes below.

This race was definitely a race of two halves, or should I say the first 40+ laps and the last two laps! Crazy tire failures and strategies came into play at the very end mixing up the final standings and somehow Lewis still won the race. He is running away with this championship quicker than I think even he expected, but he is still stellar to watch, especially on Saturdays when he shows his qualifying qualities. Onward to the next race at Silverstone — the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix!

Tarka dal

Adapted from BBC Food

Serves 6-8

9oz chana dal (orange lentils), rinsed until the water runs clear
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
1 small onion, chopped
3–4 whole green chillies, pricked with a knife
¾in piece fresh root ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips
3 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
3 tomatoes
¾ tsp ground turmeric
¾ tsp garam masala
1½ tsp ground coriander
salt, to taste
handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1. Place the rinsed lentils and 3 ¾ cups of water into a saucepan, stir well and bring to the boil. Skim off any froth that forms on the surface of the water with a spoon. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer, stirring regularly, for 35–40 minutes, or until the lentils are tender, adding more water if necessary.

2. When the lentils have cooked through, set aside to thicken and cool.

3. Meanwhile, heat the 3 Tbsp oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and fry for 20–30 seconds, or until fragrant.

4. Add the onion, chillies, and ginger and fry for 4–5 minutes, or until golden brown.

5. Blend the garlic and tomatoes to a purée in a food processor. Add the purée to the pan and stir well to combine.

6. Add the ground spices and a scant ½ cup of water to the pan and stir well to combine. Season, to taste, with salt and simmer over a medium heat for 15–20 minutes, or until the oil from the sauce has risen to the surface of the sauce.

7. Add the cooked lentils to the sauce and stir well, adding more water as necessary to loosen the mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil and season, to taste, with plenty of salt. Stir in the chopped cilantro just before serving.

Saag Bhaji (Spinach Curry)

 Adapted from Erren’s Kitchen

Serves 6

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp garam masala
1 Tbsp tomato paste
¼ cup vegetable stock or water
a handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
16 oz fresh spinach, washed and lightly chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat the oil on medium-high heat in a large, nonstick frying pan. Add the chopped onion and sauté until it starts to brown.

2. Add the minced garlic and ginger, cook 1-2 more minutes, until fragrant.  

3. Add the cumin, turmeric, garam masala, and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Slowly stir in the stock or water. Then add the cilantro, stir once more until well combined.

4. Add the spinach, let it wilt for a minute or two and then stir it in to cook evenly. Once all the spinach is wilted, taste for seasoning and season with salt and pepper to finish.

Fluffy Naan

From Gimme Some Oven

Makes 8-10

1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons honey
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, smashed

1. Stir together warm water and honey until the honey has dissolved.

2. Add the water mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough attachment, and sprinkle the yeast on top of the water.  Give the yeast a quick stir to mix it in with the water.  Then let it sit for 5-10 minute until the yeast is foamy.

3. Turn the mixer onto low speed, and add yogurt, salt, baking powder, and egg until just combined, then gradually add the flour.  Increase speed to medium-low, and continue mixing the dough for 2-3 minutes, or until the dough is smooth.  (The dough will still be slightly sticky, but should form into a ball that pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl.)

4. Remove dough from the mixing bowl, and use your hands to shape it into a ball.  Grease the mixing bowl (or a separate bowl) with olive oil or cooking spray, then place the dough ball back in the bowl and cover it with a damp towel.  Place in a warm location and let it rise for 1 hour until the dough has nearly doubled in size.

5. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat until melted.  Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.  Then remove butter from heat, remove the garlic, leaving the infused melted butter behind.  Set aside.

6. Once the dough is ready, transfer it to a floured work surface.  Then cut the dough into 8-10 pieces. Roll each into a ball with your hands, then place on the floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a large oval (an uneven shape is just fine) until the dough is a little less than 1/4-inch thick.  Brush dough lightly with the garlic-infused butter on both sides.

7. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add a piece of the rolled-out dough to the pan and cook for 1 minute, or until the dough begins to bubble and the bottom turns lightly golden.  Flip the dough and cook on the second side for 30-60 seconds, or until the bottom is golden.  Then transfer the naan to a separate plate, and cover with a clean kitchen towel.  Repeat with remaining dough until all of the naan pieces are cooked.

8. Keep the naan covered with the towel until ready to serve.