Mash must be the best thing ever to happen to potatoes. Perhaps it’s some subconscious reminder of childhood, but I cannot think of anything else that brings so much warmth to my heart. On a drizzly day like today, a big dollop of mash makes it all seem better. If you can face the rain, come and see us for some homemade pork and date sausages with coriander mash. If not try this recipe out – guaranteed to make you fall in love staying in.

Masala Mashed Potatoes
Serves 4
500g of floury potatoes such as Desiree
2 tbsps of ghee or clarified butter
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 red onion finely chopped
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1cm finely chopped ginger
2 green chillies finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp of chopped fresh coriander
1  diced tomato
20g butter

Cook the potaotes in boiling salted water until tender, then drain. Mash thoroughly and set aside.
Heat the ghee or butter in a large saucepan, then add the cumin seeds. When they start to crackle, add the onion and cook until it colours slightly. Now add the turmetric, ginger and chillies and saute for 30 seconds. Add the salt and potatoes and mix over a low heat until the potatoes are heated through and coloured evenly by the turmeric. Add the coriander and tomato and mix well for a couple more minutes. Stir in the butter to give extra shine and richness, then serve immediately in a big bowl wearing pyjamas and snuggled up on the sofa. Delicious.
(You can find this recipe in Vivek Singh’s first book The Cinnamon Club Cookbook).

Tags: comfort food, masala mashed potatoes, The Cinnamon Club Cook Books 
Author: Alison

The name of this dish means’red meat’ in Hindi, indicating the liberal use of dried red chillies that make this dish intensely hot, with robust, smoky flavours. You could use lamb or goat – they are interchangeable here.

This curry is one of those dishes that contains heat in every sense – it’s both ‘chilli hot’ and ’spice hot’. Cloves and cardamom are effective heat-inducing spices, perfect for cold winter evenings.

Serves 4

5 tbsp of ghee or vegetable oil
1 tsp of cloves
25 dried red chillies, stalks removed, broken into 2-3 pieces each and soaked in warm water for 30 mins
2 bay leaves
6 green cardamom pods
4 black cardamom pods
6 1/2 tbsps finely chopped garlic
2 large onions, finely chopped
750g lamb diced (1 12 inch pieces)
600ml of water or lamb stock
30g fresh corriander, chopped
juice of 1 lemon

For yoghurt mixture
250g yoghurt, whisked until smooth
2 tsps cumin seeds roasted in deep frying pan
4 tsps ground coriander
2 tsps red chilli powder
2 tsps salt

Mix yoghurt with cumin seeds, ground coriander, chilli powder and salt, then set aside. Heat 3 tbsps of ghee or oil in a large heavy-based pan. Add the cloves, setting 4-6 aside for later, then add 3-4 soaked chillies, saving the rest for later. Add the bay leaves and the green and black cardamom. When they begin to crackle and change colour, add the garlic and saute until it starts to turn golden. Add the onions, stirring constantly, until light brown. Now add the meat and cook, stirring over a high heat for 3-5 minutes. Again, save 3-4 red chillies for later and add the rest to the pan. Cook for 10-12 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated and the meat starts to brown. Add the yoghurt mixture and cook over a medium heat for 15-18 minutes, until the yoghurt has dried up. Pour in the water or lamb stock, then cover the pan and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes or until the meat is tender. Check the seasoning, remove from the heat and keep warm.
To finish, heat the remaining ghee or oil in a small pan, add the remaining cloves and red chillies and, as they change colour and release their flavours into the fat, pour the mixture over the lamb. Finish with chopped coriander and lemon juice.

This recipe was taken from Vivek Singh’s Curry, Classic and Contemporary cook book and you can try this dish now in the restaurant as it’s on our set menu (better be quick though, the set menu will change again on 30th November).

Tags: curry, fiery, indian recipe, ingredients, lamb, rajasthani 
Author: Alison

Books always make a fabulous gift, whatever the occasion. Executive Chef Vivek Singh has written three fabulous books over the past 8 years and you can buy all of them from the restaurant (signed of course!) at a discounted price. So save your pennies this Christmas when buying your books, then stay for a warming cocktail in our cosy Library bar – now you can’t get that on Amazon can you?

Tags: Curry Classic and Contemporary, Seafood by Vivek Singh, The Cinnamon Club Cook Books 
Author: Alison

Congratulations to the team at Cinnamon Kitchen and Anise, this year’s winners at the British Curry Awards for Best Newcomer of the Year – the restaurant industry Oscars!

Tags: British Curry Awards 
Author: Alison

Congratulations to The Cinnamon Club are in order, we won the Restaurant of the Year Award at the World Food Awards this weekend! Well done to all those involved! Read more about it here: www.worldfoodawards.com.

Tags: World Food Awards 
Author: Alison