Its Diwali and another good reason to remember, remember the 5th of November as that is this years festival date.
We love Indian food, both cooked from scratch, I have a large basket jam packed with spices and its regularly used.
I also love the joy of a takeaway every now and then, just so I can try new dishes and then experiment at home.
Patak's is something in between the two of these, at certain times its the best of both worlds. Its got the authentic taste of homemade Indian food without the cost of spices and effort of lengthy cooking and its tastier than a takeaway and has as many dishes as your local favourite.
So this Saturday I was able to make a small banquet that was as tasty as homemade and way cheaper than a takeout.
The best benefit about Patak's for me is the ease in which I can make several dishes for the family and not be in the kitchen slaving all day.
I was sent the new Onion Bhaji Mix (Pictured above) for Two, Easy Korma for two and Easy Balti for Two. I decided to treat everybody and make all three together.
They were a breeze to make, I used both of the Easy pastes for two as I wanted the meal to seem like a takeaway, where a few dishes were available, the portions are extremely generous.
Easy instructions meant there was no faffing and I did not have to keep referring to the packet.
Basically frying onions adding meat, then paste, liquid or tomatoes and simmering.
The bhajis were real fun to make, again very simple, adding water to one paste, mixing with the powder and adding onions. Frying off and done in 3 minutes.
These were the favourite of the evening. They look a bit indistinct here but they were really good looking and so tasty.
The best thing after the taste, was the fact we had a large special occasion meal, with hardly any fuss, quickly done and I was still smiling as I finished. This is not always the case if it takes too long nor did I look frazzled as sometimes is the case cooking a lot of dishes.
With Diwali coming up and any excuse to eat Indian food, we will be stocking up on Patak's and celebrating Bonfire night and The Festival of light.
Our Indian feast Pataks Easy Balti with chicken, Patak's Easy Korma also with chicken, Patak's Onion Bhaji, my channa dhal, rice and chapatis, with sour cream.
Delicious Diwali Recipes from Anjali Pathak
“Diwali, the Indian Festival of Light, is the biggest event on the Hindu calendar and it’s also my favourite time of the year!
“This year’s festivities will be on the November 5th, and on this date, my family and I will come together to enjoy an authentic Indian banquet surrounded by the bright lights and colours of a traditional Diwali celebration.
Yellow Korma Lentils
Serves: 4-6
Preparation time: 40 mins
Cooking time: 60 mins
Ingredients:
350g yellow lentils (can use red lentils)
900ml water
2 medium onions-finely diced
2 tomatoes –de-seeded & finely diced
3-4 fresh or dried curry leaves
1-2 tbsp Patak’s korma curry paste
2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp asafoetida
½ tsp black mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
Juice of half lemon
Salt to taste
Method:
1.Rinse and soak lentils in cold water for 30 minutes
2.Drain the lentils and add to a large pan with water, simmer
gently for 45-50 minutes or until lentils are well cooked. skim off any starch foam that rises to the surface with a ladle.
3.In a separate pan, heat the oil over a gentle heat, add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds. once they start to pop add the curry leaves and asafoetida. Take care not to burn the mixture.
4.Add the diced onions and cook for 4-5 minutes until golden
5.Add Patak’s Korma paste and tomatoes and cook for a further 4-5 minutes.
6. Add cooked lentils and season according to taste
7. Squeeze in the lemon juice.
8. Serve with toasted naan sticks.
“The intensity of the colours and flavours of Diwali also provide us with a fantastic source of inspiration for creating our Patak’s authentic pastes, sauces and pickles. With this in mind, we’ve created a selection of mouth-watering recipes which will hopefully inspire you to host your very own Diwali celebration at home.
“Whether you want to create a modern day Diwali spread or a more traditional Indian banquet, the recipe selection has been designed to feature something for everyone. I’ll be making the trio of starters which includes Jumbo Tandoori Prawns, followed by Lamb Rogan Josh, Yellow Korma Lentils, and Creamy Paneer & Peas Balti which is a family favourite.
“As well as a celebration with food, Diwali is also about spending time with loved ones, so to help you avoid spending hours slaving away in the kitchen, we’ve created our New Easy Onion Bhaji to compliment our range of Easy Side Dishes. The scrumptious spiced and crispy deep-fried onions can now easily be recreated from the comfort of your own kitchen.
”So why not join me, and create a Diwali feast for your friends and family. There really is no better time to start your journey of exploring Indian cuisine. Happy Diwali!”
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