First of all big congratulations to Artie Clifford and all involved in Blas na hÉireann in Dingle. I was delighted to be there and see so many producers that I knew of, and so many new ones that I was pleased to discover. These really are the food Oscars and it was very impressive. Well done all.

Two different curries today. The spices are the key, but don’t put in too much – it is always easy to add, but very difficult to subtract.

This chicken recipe is an aromatic spicy curry. In the restaurant we have been getting spices from the Organic Herb Co (OHCo.) from Athlone and there is no one to touch their spices. This recipe also works well with lamb, pork or beef. And you might like to try the Simply Better Mild Curry Spice, it is very good.

Beef rogan josh is one of those meals that is good to eat at any time. The rump cut is good for the beef. I like to use Killowen unsweetened yoghurt from Wexford. Sometimes I will use monkfish instead of beef in this recipe and it works well. And believe it or not chillies are now being grown in Ireland. I recently visited Taylor’s in Lusk where they have an amazing set up for growing chilli and wet garlic. I love to see the way our farmers are always developing something new.

Happy cooking,

Neven

Sri Lankan chicken curry

Serves four to six

2 tbsp rapeseed oil, plus a little extra

2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 green chillies, deseeded and quartered lengthways

2.5cm (1in) piece of root ginger, peeled and finely grated

1 cinnamon stick, broken in half

4 whole cardamom pods

3 whole cloves

1 tbsp garam masala

2 tbsp curry powder

Chicken thighs cut into bite-sized chunks (two per person)

400g (14oz) coconut milk

150ml (5fl oz) chicken stock

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp soft brown sugar

4 spring onions, very finely sliced

1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

steamed rice, to serve

1 Heat the oil in a large pan set over a medium heat and add the onions, garlic, chillies and ginger. Once they start to colour, add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, garam masala and curry powder and fry for another minute, stirring.

2 Increase the heat and add the chicken, then season with salt and pepper. Add an extra drizzle of oil if you think it needs it. Stir fry for two to three minutes, until golden brown. Stir in the coconut milk, stock, lime juice and sugar, then bring to a gentle simmer and cook for another eight to 10 minutes, until the chicken is completely tender and the sauce has slightly reduced and thickened.

3 Scatter over the spring onions and coriander and serve on warmed plates with the fragrant steamed rice.

Beef rogan josh

Serves four

4 tbsp rapeseed oil

675g (1½lb) stewing beef, well trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

6 whole cloves

1 small cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

2 large onions, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

5cm (2in) root ginger, peeled and finely grated

1 tbsp ground coriander

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp paprika

¼ tsp ground cardamom

15g (½oz) fresh coriander, finely chopped, reserving enough to garnish

200ml (7fl oz) thick Greek yoghurt, plus extra to serve

400g (14oz) tin of chopped tomatoes

100g (4oz) red lentils

300ml (½ pint) chicken stock

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

steamed rice, to serve

1 Heat 2tbsp of the oil in a large pan. Add half of the beef and fry until nicely browned all over. Transfer to a plate and fry the rest of the meat. Set aside.

2 Add the remaining 2tbsp of oil to the pan, then fry the cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaves for a few seconds. Add the onions and fry for six to seven minutes, until nicely browned. Add the garlic, chilli and ginger and fry for two minutes, then add the ground spices with the fresh coriander and fry for another minute. Add the yoghurt a tablespoon at a time, frying for about 30 seconds between each addition.

3 Return the beef to the pan and stir in the tomatoes with the lentils and stock. Season to taste, cover and simmer very gently for about one-and-a-half hours, until the beef is meltingly tender but still holding its shape and the sauce has reduced and thickened.

4 Spoon the beef rogan josh onto warmed plates with the fragrant steamed rice and add a dollop of yogurt to each one, then garnish with the coriander leaves. CL