What a beautiful ditty Phil and most perfect voice - I must buy the album in readiness for my next cook up. Thankyou.

Bon bon

Hi Fishy, Nice to hear from someone else with a Nipoori Tandoor but beware you will be no doubt falsely be accused of being some sort of collaborator and "sleeping with the enemy" if you dare to say anything even remotely positive about the product.

Good picture the tandoori chicken looks superb. Did you find the vegetables were cooked before the chicken? I always do my veg on a separate skewer as I find that they only take about 3 mins. Very interested to hear how you get on with the naan my old model does not have a grill that fits inside to try it out. Also interested in what sort of results the hickory wood produces I have not tried that out either. I do use my oven indoors but I have it right by the open front door to my kitchen and have not suffered any problems. Anyway you will find that you can use it in any outside conditions rain, wind, hail or snow does not affect its performance once it is fired up.

I agree they do produce the moistest kebabs that you will get anywhere. You just cannot replicate TA/BIR's tikka/tandoori dishes without having a tandoor probably explaining why all TA/BIR's have one or two rather then using conventional grills or gas barbecues - obvious really.

George, Are you sure. For your sake I went to great lengths to carry out and document a heat test on my oven to clearly prove that it reached and maintained temperatures way in excess of 400 centigrade. Doubting Thomas would be proud of you. Why can you not just accept the fact that the Nipoori does work and actually does what is says it can achieve on the box for once - thankfully. It will most probably be the best bit of kit to come our way ever to help us all fulfill our currying desires. Wake up! Now I know what Columbus must have gone through!

Bon God.
 

Saag Chana

This makes enough for 8 good size portions for two as side dishes or 8 wholesome lunches for one served with a couple of chapatti. Also very tasty with some strong English Cheddar cheese melted in when reheated from frozen - if the calories are not an issue.

Ingredients

For the Saag

2 Kilos fresh spinach
3 fresh chillies
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp sugar
Half tsp salt

For the Chana

4 x 400g tins chickpea drained
10 tbsp oil
3 tbsp panch puren
3 medium onions peeled and chopped
2 inch ginger peeled and grated
4 cloves garlic peeled and grated
2 x 500g cartons tomato passata
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp black cumin seeds
Handful freshly chopped coriander
Salt

Spice mix
3 tbsp chana masala
1 tbsp chat masala
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
Half tsp cayenne

Method

Wash spinach in very hot water - helps it start to wilt - heat in a large pan and when fully shrunk down drain of excess water, add all the saag ingredients and simmer for ten mins. Then drain and chop finely and reserve.
.
Heat oil in pan until smoking hot add the panch puren for 8 seconds then the onions and fry for about 8 mins until well browned then add the garlic and ginger and fry on for 2 mins. Add spice mix and bhuna for 30 seconds then gradually add all the passata and cook on for ten mins. Add the chickpeas, black pepper and black cumin seeds - cook on for another five mins. Then mix in the chopped spinach, garam masala, fresh coriander, salt to taste and cook on for another 5 mins then portion up and serve garnished with fresh coriander and tomato wedges or freeze.

Coogan 2011

Yep! Ok jealous. But hope you all have a real ball men. Must admit wish I was going now especially as I have just finished knocking up a large batch of madras sauce - would have been ideal for your tikka and other kebabs. Oh well bung it in the freezer. Might just have to have an event down here in the sticks next year.

Bon time

Great stuff! Matt a non-biased fair comparison of the two bases. So following the test do you think that the use of whole onions and the longer cooking time in the CT base produced a better 'sweeter' tasting sauce then the CA base or not. And what sauce out of preference would you make next time and for what reasons. Sorry to harp on about this and the questions but I really want to get to the bottom of this - Just about to make a new batch up myself.

Bon jovi