Ditch the takeaways and spice up autumn evenings with these lighter-style, comforting curries instead
CHANA PORK
Ready in 45 minutes
SERVES: 4
• Low-calorie cooking spray • 600g pork fillet (also known as tenderloin), all visible fat removed, cut into small chunks • 1 large onion, finely chopped • 3cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated • 2 garlic cloves, crushed • 1 tbsp curry powder • 1 tsp ground cumin • 400ml boiling chicken stock • 400g can chopped tomatoes • 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed • A large bag of baby spinach, roughly chopped • Boiled dried rice, to serve
• Boiled or steamed green beans, to serve
1 Spray a large non-stick saucepan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Working in batches, brown the pork for a few minutes, then tip on to a plate and cover to keep warm. Drain off any fat.
2 Add the onion, ginger and garlic to the pan and cook for five minutes or until the onion softens, stirring often.
3 Stir in the curry powder and cumin and cook until fragrant – about 30 seconds – then add the stock, tomatoes and chickpeas and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly.
4 Add the spinach and cook for a few minutes to wilt it down. Return the pork to the pan and cook for five minutes or until the pork is cooked through. Serve with the rice and green beans.
AUBERGINE AND PEPPER BALTI
Ready in 30 minutes
SERVES: 4
• 2 large aubergines, cut into bite-size chunks • 3 large peppers (any colours), deseeded and thickly sliced • Lowcalorie cooking spray • 3 large red onions, roughly chopped • 227g can chopped tomatoes • 2 tbsp curry powder • 2 tbsp fat-free natural Greek yoghurt, mixed with a splash of water • 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint • Kachumber, to serve (see below)
1 Preheat your oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Put the aubergines and peppers on a non-stick baking tray and spray with low-calorie cooking spray. Toss well and roast for 15 minutes or until the veg is soft.
2 Meanwhile, spray a non-stick saucepan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Cook the onions for about 10 minutes, then add the chopped tomatoes and curry powder and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
3 Add the aubergines and peppers to the tomatoes and stir to combine. Drizzle over the yoghurt, scatter with the mint and serve with the kachumber.
To make the kachumber finely chop 1 small red onion, ½ cucumber and 3 tomatoes and put them all in a large bowl. Stir in some salt and lemon or lime juice to taste. For a her
