Muttar Paneer - Pea and Indian Cheese Curry

A classic vegetarian Indian curry that's not too hot and can be served as a main dish, or a side.

Muttar Paneer is one of my favourite vegetarian Indian dishes. I think it's maybe because it has cheese in it which makes it one of those vegetarian dishes where you really don't miss meat.

You can even make the paneer cheese yourself the night before, if you fancy (see the separate paneer cheese blog here - paneer is a very mild Indian cheese, which is easy to make yourself at home and no special equipment is needed). I think this dish is lovely as part of a variety of Indian dishes to share with friends.

Serves six (or more if served as a side dish), easily halved. Freezes well.

Calories per serving: 248 calories for a full portion (a sixth) of the 'skinny' version where you either grill the cheese, or just add it as it is without frying. If shallow frying the paneer first, you will need to add around 70-100 extra calories a portion.

Easy Pea, Ham (or Feta) and Lettuce Soup (includes Thermomix method)

A twist on classic flavours, with a variety of textures in this delicious soup

I like to use petit pois in this, because I prefer their more tender texture and sweeter flavour, and to make life easy, you can use bought ham (or chicken/vegetable) stock if you like, and pre-shredded / pulled ham, which is also easily available. Otherwise, sear then gently simmer a ham hock in a couple of litres of water for a couple of hours, with a carrot, leek, celery stalk and a few fresh herbs (parsley. thyme, bay) plus some peppercorns and skim off any scum and strain. Then you can shred the meat from the hock to add to the soup.

For vegetarians, use vegetable stock, and substitute crumbled feta cheese and a handful of chopped fresh mint for the ham (as per the ingredients list) for an equally delicious soup.

Serves eight, 121 calories per serving - one of those soups which is delicious in any season!

Prawn and Coconut Curry (includes Thermomix method)

A quick and easy curry with minimal preparation - on the table in under half an hour.

A simple, tasty curry that you've probably got most if not all of the ingredients for already! If you want something quick and mild but still delicious, just leave out the chilli and ginger and other optional items (in italics), leaving you just an onion and a couple of garlic cloves to peel and chop in the preparation.

 

You can use any prawns you like - they don't have to be raw tiger prawns or anything fancy, they can be a packet of ready-cooked and peeled little prawns, or some de-frosted cooked and peeled jumbo prawns. Just reduce the cooking time to heat them through for a minute or so, so you don't over-cook them. If you've got them with head, shell and everything else intact, the lovely Gordon will show you how to deal with them here.

This recipe serves two, and it's easily doubled. Calories from 243 per serving (using light coconut milk - 265 calories including all the options. Serve with 200g cauliflower rice for an extra 70 calories). [Calories in square brackets]