Mehak Kansal's chicken or paneer makhani recipe
Ingredients:
(Serves 4-6)
700g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces, or 600g paneer, cut into cubes
Handful of coriander, chopped, to serve (optional)
Advertisement
For the marinade:
2tbsp Greek-style yoghurt
2tbsp ghee, melted
1tbsp garlic purée
1tbsp ginger purée
1tsp tomato paste (concentrated purée)
1½tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground turmeric
1tsp garam masala
1tbsp chilli powder
1tsp salt
For the makhani sauce:
3–4tbsp ghee
1 onion, finely chopped
2 green bird's-eye chillies, finely chopped
2tbsp garlic purée
2tbsp ginger purée
1½tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground coriander
1½tsp ground turmeric
1tsp chilli powder
1tsp ground green cardamom
1½tsp garam masala
1–2tsp salt, according to taste
200g canned plum tomatoes, puréed
1½tsp caster sugar
300ml double (heavy) cream, plus extra to serve
3tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
Mehak Kansal's chicken or paneer makhani (Sam Folan 2025/PA)
Method:
1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add the chicken or paneer to the marinade and stir to coat. Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours, preferably overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 175°C (330°F/gas mark 3–5). Line a baking tray with foil.
3. Transfer the marinated chicken or paneer to the prepared tray and roast for 25–30 minutes until tender – do not overcook.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the makhani sauce. Heat the ghee in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium–high heat. Add the onion, chillies, and garlic and ginger purées, and cook for five to seven minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is brown and caramelised.
Advertisement
5. Add the ground spices and salt, along with the puréed tomatoes, and reduce the heat to medium–low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, then stir in the sugar and reduce the heat to low. Allow the sauce to gently bubble for two minutes, then take the pan off the heat.
6. Use a hand blender to purée the sauce until nice and smooth, then return it to a medium heat. Cover and cook for five minutes, stirring every minute or so. Once the ghee starts rising to the surface, add in the cream, then crush the kasoori methi in your hands and sprinkle those in too.
7. Once the chicken or paneer is ready, add it to the sauce, along with six to seven tablespoons of the juices from the tray. Cook over a low heat for two minutes to combine, then transfer to a serving dish. Swirl in another tablespoon of cream, sprinkle over the coriander and enjoy.
(Sam Folan 2025/PA)
Bindas: Comfort Food with an Indian Soul by Mehak Kansal is published in hardback by Murdoch Books. Photography by Sam Folan. Available now.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
My Cultural Awakening: Years & Years helped me accept my bisexual identity
I first discovered Olly Alexander, of Years & Years, by accident. I was teaching English as a foreign language in South Korea, and I showed a video of a BBC Glastonbury roundup on the projector as part of the lesson. I remember glimpsing an incredibly cute blond guy on stage, and being transfixed. I knew immediately that he was gay because the way he moved was unashamedly fluid and graceful. He was doing a pirouette. The clip was so short there wasn't even a mention of the name of the band, so I had to do some detective work. I Googled something ridiculous like 'bleached hair gay man Glastonbury 2015' and trawled through hundreds of search results until I found him. I was 24 and out as bisexual, but I had never done more than kiss a man. I grew up on the west coast of Ireland, and while my area was relatively liberal, we still used the F-slur regularly and referred to anything remotely crap or weak as 'gay'. At school, I liked girls enough to distract myself from the fact that I also liked boys – but by the time I was in my final year of university, I wasn't able to ignore my feelings for men any more. I told friends and family I was bisexual, but I did it in an almost aggressive way. My attitude was: 'I'm bisexual and if you have a problem with that, I don't want to hear about it.' Looking back, I think I was being defensive: I didn't want to discuss my sexuality because I wasn't entirely comfortable with it yet. It made me feel vulnerable to accept that I was interested in men because it messed with my sense of masculinity. I am still often perceived by strangers as straight. When I did develop a crush on a boy, growing up, it would be a macho lad who liked football and girls. Discovering Olly Alexander was seismic for me because it was the first time I fancied a man who was openly gay in his presentation. In the weeks after I found Olly online, I listened to Years & Years' debut album, Communion, on repeat. In a few songs, Olly refers to his love interest as 'boy', and I remember listening out for that word and feeling electrified by it. I was taking taekwondo lessons in my spare time, and I suggested to my instructor that we put Communion on in the background while we trained. Because it's a form of combat, taekwondo is a hypermasculine sport, but it is also elegant and feminine in the sense that it is like a dance. Listening to that music while doing those moves made me feel as if I was pulling together the two parts of my own nature, and finding some balance between the masculine and the feminine. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion At the point in the session when we were doing a particularly high-intensity kicking routine, the song King would start playing on the record – which is all about being desired by another man on a night out. My instructor loved the record too, although he was a very traditional South Korean man, and from small comments he had made I could tell he was casually homophobic. He had no idea that he was enjoying an album about gay men in the club. The music unlocked something in me. I began to pursue boys and go to gay first sexual experiences with men happened at precisely the same time as I was discovering Communion. When I listen to Shine now – which is about the magnetic feeling between two men – I still get this feeling in my stomach. It's difficult for me to disentangle the feeling of desire from the excitement I feel when I hear the opening bars. I started dating my first boyfriend around the time Years & Years' second album, Palo Santo, came out, so Olly Alexander's music doesn't just sound like lust to me. It also sounds like love. Anonymous Did a cultural moment prompt you to make a major life change? Email us at You can tell us how a cultural moment has prompted you to make a major life change by filling in the form below or emailing us on Please include as much detail as possible Please note, the maximum file size is 5.7 MB. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. If you include other people's names please ask them first.
The Review Geek
12 hours ago
- The Review Geek
Tougen Anki Episode 7 Preview: Release Date, Time & Where To Watch
Tougen Anki The bloodlines of 'Oni' and 'Momotaro' have been passed down among certain humans for generations. Long ago, the Oni were aware of their own ferocity and thus, lived in seclusion. However, their peace was shattered by an invasion led by Momotaro. Over thousands of years, these two factions formed the 'Momotaro Agency' and the 'Oni Agency,', and have been locked in conflict ever since. Step forward our protagonist, Shiki Ichinose, who suddenly learns of his Oni lineage following an unexpected attack by Momotaro. This revelation sets Shiki on a path to discover the destiny that lies within his blood… If you've been following this anime, you may be curious to find out when the next episode is releasing. Well, wonder no more! Here is everything you need to know about episode 7 of Tougen Anki, including the release date, time, and where you can watch this. Where Can I Watch Tougen Anki? Tougen Anki is airing in Japan on NNS (Nippon TV). For everyone else though, this one is also available to stream on Netflix worldwide. Tougen Anki Episode 7 Release Date Tougen Anki Episode 7 will release on Friday 22nd August in Japan at approximately 11pm (JST). Of course, this means that for most of the world, this one will debut at approximately 5pm (GMT) / 10am (PT). Tougen Anki's episodes will drop in the native Japanese language with subtitles. Dubbing may well arrive later on down the line, but will largely be dependent on how popular this anime will be. How Many Episodes Will Tougen Anki Have? It has been officially announced that Tougen Anki will drop with a 24 episode season order, but like other such anime, it will be split into two parts of 12 episodes a piece. One episode will be releasing a week, while each chapter will run for around 23 minutes long. So with that in mind, we've got 16 more episodes left after this week's chapter. Is There A Trailer For Tougen Anki? Yes! You can find a trailer for Tougen Anki below: What do you hope to see as the series progresses? What's been your favourite moment of Tougen Anki so far? Let us know in the comments below!
Telegraph
15 hours ago
- Telegraph
After 80 years, the men who fought finally had the opportunity to tell their stories
It was dubbed the Forgotten War. Fought in Asia and the Pacific, the Far East campaign received little press coverage, its heroic sacrifices and barbaric cruelties going largely unacknowledged. No more. Today's Royal British Legion Commemoration of VJ Day at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire has changed that bitterly unfair legacy forever. Here, at a deeply moving ceremony attended by 33 veterans, 400 invited guests and in the presence of King Charles and Queen Camilla, Britain remembered. And tears were shed. Eighty years is a long time to wait for recognition but by any measure it was a beautifully judged occasion, pomp and ceremony interspersed with moments of heartbreaking poignancy. The King, who earlier in the day had broadcast a message describing how those who lived and died in the Far East 'gave us more than freedom; they left us the example of how it can and must be protected', wore the Stone Field Marshal Number 4 uniform and laid a wreath. As did the Prime Minister. The Queen, who is Colonel in Chief of the Rifles laid a posy. Then, after a solemn two-minute silence followed by Reveille, the carefully choreographed programme got under way. Films from the era played on huge screens along with first-hand testimonies, including two civilian women who had been interned by the Japanese along with their parents. They were aged five and nine respectively. Without a trace of self pity they recalled hunger and blows from rifle butts for not bowing low enough to their captors. Random brutality and systematic starvation were common themes, as a generation broke their silence. And every care had been taken to do them credit. The Band of the HM Royal Marines Portsmouth played the Last Post. The Red Arrows made a flypast, there was a sweetly tuneful reprise of Vera Lynn's When They Sound the Last All Clear. When a single violinist played Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending, a shiver ran through the assembled crowd, even in the heat of the day. A history of the war was narrated by Celia Imrie in dashing turquoise tailoring. Sir Ben Okri read Burma, 1945: Sacrifice, which recounted how Commonwealth soldiers volunteered to fight in modern day Myanmar. After reading out a number of their names, he described them as 'among millions from Britain, Africa and old India, from farms and villages in ancient kingdoms'. 'It is in a stellar light that we remember their underrated sacrifice.' Later, Robert Lindsay conveyed the recollections of two Chindits, members of the British and Indian special forces unit. By way of tribute some 400 modern personnel evenly split across the army, navy and air force were on duty at the Arboretum. But for all the military brass – literally and figuratively – on display, it was the men themselves who were the undoubted stars of the show. Now aged between 96 and 105, they sat ramrod-straight, even in wheelchairs, formally dressed in suits, service medals glittering across their chests in the August sunshine. Here at this most sombre – yet paradoxically uplifting – occasion, the men who fought, the men who survived finally had an opportunity to tell their stories, 80 years on. It did not always make for easy listening. Death came from the air, the sea and land, frenzied attacks from an enemy ready – happy – to die for their country and so would fight to the death. But the Far East was as much an endurance trial as a battleground. In the gruelling 35-degree heat with near 100 per cent humidity, malaria, dysentery, cholera and dengue fever were very often a greater threat than bullets. The dangers presented by snakes, disease-carrying mosquitoes and armies of biting ants had to be overcome long before Japanese bayonets. And then, having somehow survived disease-ridden jungles and swamp ambushes, they were crestfallen by the lack of official fanfare when they came home. A euphoric Britain had brought out the bunting and danced in the streets to celebrate Victory in Europe on 8 May 1945, yet the Victory in Japan, five weeks later on August 15, passed by virtually unmarked. The dropping of atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki brought about a Japanese surrender, but tens of thousands of civilians died instantly – with more succumbing to burns and radiation in the days and weeks that followed. There was a feeling of disquiet about laying on VE-style celebrations – and a lack of imagination as to an appropriate alternative. As a result, the courage and resilience of some 1.8 million British and Commonwealth troops who had faced atrocious combat conditions, barely registered. And then, as the injured, broken prisoners of war slowly returned home and word trickled out of the appalling, gratuitous torture dispensed by the Japanese, the Ministry of Defence deemed it a narrative too shocking to be shared. Returning heroes were explicitly ordered on no account to talk about the torment they had endured and the trauma they had witnessed, lest they affect morale. Forgetting was deemed preferable. Never again. As these dignified veterans took to the stage and their voices rang out, it was nothing short of humbling. More than that, it was a reproach, to those who silenced them. Ronald Gumbley, 101, who served with the RAF read from Binyan's poem For the Fallen. 'They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old / Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn / At the going down of the sun and in the morning / We will remember them.' Owen Filer, 105, who was called up to join the army just four months after the start of WWII, recited the Kohima Epitaph: 'When you go home tell them of us and say / For your tomorrow we face our today'. Applause broke out when 105-year-old Yavar Abbas, who was due to read from his diaries, decided, in his own words, to 'go off script to salute my brave King who is here with his beloved Queen despite the fact that he is under treatment for cancer.' Mr Abbas disclosed it was an illness that he shared with the monarch, adding: 'And if it provides any comfort… I've been rid of it for the past 25 years and counting.' But throughout the ceremony tears were never far. How could there not be? Some 90,000 British troops were casualties of the war, 30,000 of whom perished. A further 37,500 became prisoners of war and found themselves subjected to inhuman privation and savagery. More than 12,000 lost their lives; the death rate in Japanese camps was between seven and eight times higher than in their Nazi equivalents. Veteran John Harlow, 100, whose tribute was read out by actor Anton Lesser, could be seen breaking down in the stands. 'War doesn't grant you the luxury of goodbyes,' Lesser quoted, going on to describe how Harlow, who served on a minelaying submarine, thinks of a friend each VJ Day who was killed on HMS Porpoise. 'I wish today for us to remember all the crew of HMS Porpoise, Mark, and all lost at sea,' was Harlow's wish. 'For in remembering, they live on.' Later George Durrant, 100, who served in the intelligence corps, appeared on stage with his great-granddaughter as he urged people to remember – and keep remembering what the British and Commonwealth forces endured. 'I speak to you not as a hero, but someone who witnessed the price of freedom,' he said. Shortly after, the event concluded with a flypast by historic World War Two-era aircraft; a Spitfire, a Hurricane and a Lancaster bomber. The throng below watched in awe and as the veterans were slowly wheeled away it was hard not to feel a sense of melancholy. In 2015, 3,000 veterans took part in a parade to mark the 70th anniversary of VJ Day. A decade on, the number had dwindled to 33. How many of these men will be alive for the next milestone commemoration of 90 years? Perhaps none.
