Four classic Indian recipes from Dishoom (2024)

Jackfruit biryani (pictured above)

To make this dish vegan, swap the Greek yoghurt for live coconut yoghurt, use extra-virgin coconut oil instead of the butter and omit the cream.

Prep 1 hr 30 min
Cook 40 min
Serves 4

For the rice
300g basmati rice
2 tsp fine sea salt
Juice of ½ lime

For the jackfruit
2 x 400g tins jackfruit (about 450g drained weight)
10g garlic paste
10g ginger paste
½ tsp fine sea salt
¼ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp deggi mirch chilli powder
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

For the biryani base
150g baby new potatoes
250 vegetable oil
2 crispy fried onions, sliced into half-moons (fry in 250ml vegetable oil for 15 minutes)
10g garlic paste
10g ginger paste
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp deggi mirch chilli powder
1½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp garam masala
20ml lime juice
150g full-fat Greek yoghurt
2 green chillies, sliced into strips
3cm fresh root ginger, cut into fine matchsticks
6 mint leaves, roughly chopped
25 coriander leaves

For the topping
30g sultanas
30g butter
3 tbsp double cream
1 large pinch saffron, toasted, cooled, mixed in 2 tbsp boiling water

First, soak the rice. Put the rice into a large bowl and cover generously with water. Using your fingers, gently move the rice around in the water to remove the starch, being careful not to break up the grains. Let the rice settle, then pour off the water. Repeat twice more, each time with fresh water, then cover again with fresh water and leave to soak for 45 minutes.

To prepare the jackfruit, pat dry with kitchen paper and cut the larger pieces in half. In a large bowl, combine the garlic and ginger pastes with the salt, turmeric, chilli powder and a tablespoon of water, then coat the jackfruit in this mixture and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces, add to a pan of boiling, salted water and cook until almost tender. Drain and pat dry, then set aside.

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/gas 6. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or other suitable deep, heavy-based pan to 170C/335F. Deep-fry the marinated jackfruit in the hot oil, in two batches, if necessary, until golden brown and crisp all over – this will take about 10 minutes – then drain on kitchen paper. Add the drained potatoes to the hot oil, fry for five minutes, then drain on kitchen paper.

Combine all of the biryani base ingredients, including the fried potatoes, in a biryani cooking pot, add the jackfruit and stir to combine. Set aside.

Drain the rice when the soaking time is up. Pour two litres of boiling water into a large pan and add the two teaspoons of salt and the lime juice. Tip the rice into the pan and stir well. Boil until it is three-quarters cooked, which should take four minutes from the time the rice went into the pan – you can tell that it’s at this stage by taking a grain between your forefinger and thumb, and pressing down on it with your nail: it should still be slightly firm and break into five or six pieces. Drain the rice; you don’t need to shake it completely dry, because a little extra moisture helps during cooking.

Add the rice to the biryani, spreading it out on top of the jackfruit, and scatter with sultanas.

In a small pan, or very quickly in the microwave, warm the butter and cream until the butter melts, then trickle this and the saffron water on to the rice. Cover tightly with two layers of foil and a lid, put on a high heat for two to three minutes, until you hear the marinade start to sizzle, then transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Leave the biryani to stand, still covered, for 10 minutes before serving.

Dishoom’s house black dal

Prep 30 min
Cook 4 hr +
Serves 8-10

300g urad dal
4 litres cold water
12g garlic paste
10g ginger paste
70g tomato puree
8g fine sea salt
⅔ tsp deggi mirch chilli powder
⅓ tsp garam masala
90g unsalted butter
90ml double cream
Chapatis, to serve

Put the dal into a large bowl, cover with water and whisk for 10 seconds. Let the dal settle, then pour out the water. Repeat three or four times, until the water is clear. Tip the dal into a large saucepan and pour in at least four litres of cold water. Bring to a boil and cook steadily for two to three hours. Skim off any impurities that rise to the surface, and add more boiling water as required to keep the grains well covered. The dal grains need to become completely soft, with the skins coming away from the white grain. When pressed, the white part should be creamy, rather than crumbly. When cooked, turn off the heat and set aside for 15 minutes.

In a bowl, mix the garlic and ginger pastes, tomato puree, salt, chilli powder and garam masala into a paste.

Carefully pour off the dal cooking water, then pour on enough freshly boiled water to cover the dal by 3-4cm. Bring to a boil over a medium-high heat, then add the aromatic paste and butter. Cook rapidly for 30 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent the mixture from sticking.

Lower the heat and simmer for one to one and a half hours more, stirring regularly to prevent it from sticking, and adding a little boiling water if the liquid level gets near the level of the grains. Eventually, the dal will turn thick and creamy. The creaminess must come from the grains disintegrating into the liquid and enriching it, not from the water being allowed to evaporate, leaving only the grains behind.

Add the cream and cook for a further 15 minutes. Serve with chapatis or other Indian breads. When reheating any leftover dal, you may need to add a little more liquid; use cream or cream and water, rather than just water alone.

Chana chaat salad

Prep 25 min
Cook 10 min
Serves 6 as a side

40g couscous
1 tsp olive oil
100g mixed sprouted grains
20g pumpkin seeds
2 tsp sesame seeds
1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 medium tomato, deseeded and finely diced
40g raisins
70g pomegranate seeds (about ½ pomegranate)
Flaked sea salt
1 small handful coriander leaves, finely chopped

For the dressing
½ tsp cumin seeds
20g coriander leaves and stems
20g mint leaves
15g granulated sugar
25g pickled jalapeños (drained weight)
25g sunflower seeds
¼ tsp ground turmeric
50ml lime juice
1 small ripe avocado, halved, stoned and peeled

Put the couscous into a microwavable container (a large mug is ideal). Add 60ml boiling water and the olive oil, and microwave on high for one minute. Leave to stand for five minutes, then fluff up with a fork. (The couscous can be cooked in a small pan over a medium heat, but it’s just a very small quantity.) Once forked through, leave the couscous to cool.

Put the sprouted grains into a bowl and pour on boiling water to cover. Tip straight into a sieve to drain, and refresh under cold running water. Shake dry and set aside.

Warm a dry frying pan over a high heat and add the pumpkin seeds. Toast for two minutes, or until golden brown, shaking the pan to keep the seeds moving so they don’t burn. Add the sesame seeds and toast for a further minute, then remove from the pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the couscous, chickpeas, diced tomato, sprouted grains, raisins and pomegranate seeds. Season generously with sea salt.

To make the dressing, warm a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds, toast for two to three minutes, then tip on to a plate and leave to cool. Using a mini food processor or stick blender, blitz the first seven ingredients with half the lime juice and 25ml water until smooth. Add the rest of the lime juice and avocado, and blitz again to a smooth paste.

Add the dressing to the bowl, along with the chopped coriander and three-quarters of the toasted seeds. Mix well, then taste for seasoning, adding more salt if you wish. Garnish with the remaining toasted seeds to serve.

Chicken ruby curry

Prep 15 min
Marinate 6 hr+
Cook 20 min
Serves 4

700g skinless, boneless chicken thighs
20g unsalted butter, melted
50ml double cream

For the makhani sauce
35g garlic (7–8 cloves)
175ml vegetable oil
20g fresh root ginger
800g chopped tomatoes (fresh or good-quality tinned)
2 bay leaves
6 green cardamom pods
2 black cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp fine sea salt
1½ tsp deggi mirch chilli powder
30g butter
1 tsp garam masala
20g granulated sugar
1 tbsp runny honey
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp kasoori methi powder, crushed to a powder between your fingers
½ tsp fresh dill fronds
80ml double cream

First make the makhani sauce. Peel and finely dice 15g of the garlic. Warm a large saucepan over a medium-high heat and add the oil. Toss in the chopped garlic and fry until light golden brown and slightly crisp – about seven to eight minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Grate the remaining garlic and the ginger to a fine paste on a microplane (or grind in a mortar). Using a blender, blitz the chopped tomatoes to a fine consistency.

Put the saucepan containing the oil back on a medium-high heat and add the bay leaves, green and black cardamom pods, and the cinnamon sticks. Let them crackle for one minute, stirring regularly, then turn down the heat and add the garlic and ginger paste. Cook for five minutes, allowing the paste to brown but not burn.

Add the tomatoes, salt and chilli powder to the pan. Bring to a rapid simmer and cook until reduced by half, stirring regularly so it doesn’t catch –this should take about 30 minutes. Add the butter and simmer for a further five minutes. Add the garam masala, sugar, honey, cumin, crisp garlic, kasoori methi powder and dill fronds, and cook for a further 15 minutes. Add the cream and simmer gently for five minutes. The sauce is now ready to use.

For the marinade, blitz all the ingredients to a smooth paste, then transfer to a bowl. Cut the chicken into 4cm chunks, add to the marinade and turn to coat. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for six to 24 hours.

Heat the grill to medium-high. Put the marinated chicken on a rack in the grill pan, brush with the melted butter and grill for eight to 10 minutes, until cooked through and nicely charred.

To finish, warm a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the makhani sauce, cream and grilled chicken, and simmer very gently for 10 minutes. Serve the curry garnished with ginger matchsticks, chopped coriander and pomegranate seeds, with a bowl of steamed rice on the side.