MasterChef: The Professionals finalist and former chef at Cinnamon Club, Santosh Shah has released his debut cookbook.

Ayla: A Feast of Nepali Dishes from Terai, Hills and the Himalayas is a celebration of Nepali food, and offers more than 60 flavourful recipes that cover snacks, street and festival foods, mains, sweets and drinks all inspired by the produce of Nepal’s rivers and mountains.

If a trip to Nepal isn’t on the cards any time soon, now you can experience the county’s delicious, rich and diverse dishes in the comfort of your own kitchen using Shah’s inspired and easy-to-follow recipes. 

Ayla: A Feast of Nepali Dishes from Terai, Hills and the Himalayas by Santosh Shah (£20, DK).

Swadilo piro tareko valeko masu

Swadilo piro tareko valeko masu – crispy chilli chicken 

Serves 4

One of our most popular street foods in Nepal is a direct influence from our Indo-Chinese borders: crispy chilli chicken. It is found everywhere, usually served with soup and chow mein. The success of this dish is all in the technique. First, the chicken cubes are coated and deep-fried until golden and beautifully crispy. Then the sauce, prepared in an extremely hot wok, wraps the crispy chicken in a caramelised, charred, umami seal.

It is traditionally served with amilo piro tato kukhura ko jhol (hot and sour soup).

For the chicken

2 tablespoons cornflour

2 tablespoons plain flour

¼ teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder, or medium hot chilli powder

¼ teaspoon salt

400g (14oz) skinless, free-range chicken breasts, cut into 2.5cm (1-in) cubes

500ml (2 cups) vegetable oil, for deep-frying

For the sauce

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

15g (½oz) fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 fresh green chillies, finely chopped

100g (1 cup) chopped onion

150g (1⅓ cup) diced mixed bell peppers

½ chicken stock cube

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons cornflour mixed with 2 tablespoons water

1 large pinch of timmur peppercorns, or Sichuan peppercorns

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon luiche masala (see recipe below)

4 tablespoons finely sliced spring onions 

2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped

Equipment

A kitchen thermometer

Method 

First, marinate the chicken. Place the cornflour, plain flour, chilli powder and salt into a mixing bowl. Add 4 tablespoons of water and mix until well blended. Add the chicken cubes and toss until well coated.

Heat the 500ml (2 cups) of oil in a large wok until it reaches 180°C (350°F). Deep-fry the coated chicken cubes, in batches, for approximately 7–8 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Discard the oil.

To make the sauce, heat the 3 tablespoons of oil in the wok over high heat. Stir-fry the ginger, garlic and chillies for 1 minute, until golden. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook over high heat for about 5 minutes until charred, stirring frequently. Add about 200ml (scant 1 cup) water and the ½ chicken stock cube and cook for about 3 minutes, until reduced by three quarters. Add the fried chicken pieces, soy sauce and vinegar, and stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the cornflour mix and cook for 1 minute until the mixture is thick enough to coat the chicken and the mixture is well caramelised. Finish by adding the timur peppercorns, cumin and garam masala. Adjust the seasoning and add salt if needed, then add the coriander.

Serve the chicken hot and crispy, topped with the sliced spring onions. Offer a bowl of hot and sour soup, if you like. 

Badam ko chutney – Coriander & peanut chutney

Badam ko chutney – coriander and peanut chutney

Makes 4-6 servings

The freshness of this chutney is perfect to accompany Sherpa roti (Sherpa fried bread) and pyaj ke kachari (crispy onion beignets). To keep the colour a vibrant green, prepare it at the last minute.

Ingredients

150g (5½oz) fresh coriander

50g (⅓ cup) blanched peanuts

15g (½oz) fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

3 green chillies, tailed and chopped

75ml (⅓ cup) vegetable oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon caster sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Equipment

An airtight container, for storing

Method 

Wash the coriander and pat dry with paper towels. Chop roughly.

Combine all the ingredients in a large pestle and mortar and crush to obtain a thick paste. Alternatively, blend all the ingredients in a small food processor.

Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more sugar, salt or lemon juice as needed.

This should be eaten on the day it is made, and stored in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Aloo ko tarkari and, right, chef Santosh Shah

Aloo ko tarkari – potato curry

Serves 4

Aloo ko tarkari (potato curry) is so often eaten with puri that I have combined the two recipes for you here. Puri are also served alongside other dishes, such as chana ko dal (spicy chickpeas). The puri here are vegan-friendly.

For the puri (makes 20)

500g (3¾ cups) plain flour or roti (chapati) flour, or an equal mixture of both

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, for working into the dough

1 litre (4 cups) vegetable oil, for deep-frying

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for rolling

For the potato curry

2½ tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon nigella seeds

½ teaspoon garlic paste

½ teaspoon ginger paste

500g (18oz) red-skinned waxy potatoes, unpeeled and diced

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 dried hot red chillies, crushed

¼ teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder, or medium hot chilli powder

½ teaspoon sakahar barha masala (see recipe below)

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

500ml (2 cups) vegetable stock, or water

A kitchen thermometer

Method

First, make the puri dough. Combine the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the 1 tablespoon of oil and, using your fingers, work the oil into the flour until well incorporated. Make a well in the flour and measure out 250ml (1 cup) of water. Add some of the water into the well and start mixing the dough, gradually adding the remaining water, a little at a time, until a firm dough forms. Knead the dough well with your hands for about 10 minutes until soft and elastic. Cover with a clean damp cloth and set aside for 15 minutes. Divide the dough into 20 pieces and keep them covered.

Make the potato curry. Heat the oil in a medium non-stick frying pan. Add the fenugreek seeds and let them crackle until they turn dark brown.

Add the cumin and nigella seeds. Cook them for a few seconds just until they crackle. Add the garlic and ginger pastes, potato cubes, salt, crushed red chillies and all the ground spices. Sauté for a couple of minutes, until the potatoes are well coated with oil and spices. Add the vegetable stock or water, bring the mixture to the boil, and then turn down the heat to low.

Simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the potatoes are soft. When the potatoes are soft enough, start stirring them while lightly crushing them with a spatula. You want the potatoes to absorb all the liquid and to have some chunkiness and texture. When they are thick and glossy from the juices, they are ready.

While the potatoes are cooking, fry the puri. Heat the oil in a deep sauté pan until it reaches 190°C (375°F). Roll one of the dough pieces in your hand to make a smooth ball. Apply a little oil on the dough ball and roll it out on an oiled surface with a rolling pin to obtain a 10-cm (4-in) disc. Repeat with the other dough balls. Keep the discs covered with a wet cloth. Place a puri in the hot oil. When it rises to the surface, press it down very gently into the oil with a skimmer. The puri will start puffing up. Flip it over and cook for a few seconds. When the puri are crisp and golden brown – this should take a couple of minutes on each side – remove from the oil and place on paper towels to drain.

Serve the potato curry hot with the crisp puri on the side.

The masala recipes*

For the luiche masala (chicken garam masala)

Makes approximately 7 tablespoons

Ingredients:

For the whole spices

1 tablespoon dried garlic flakes

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

1 teaspoon timmur peppercorns or Sichuan peppercorns

5 dried red chillies, crushed

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

2 teaspoons green cardamoms

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

7cm cinnamon stick, broken into shards

For the ground spices

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

You will need a screw-top jar or airtight container for storage. For best results, use within two weeks

Method:

Heat a non-stick frying pan. Add all the whole spices and dry roast over medium heat until they colour, puff up and start releasing their aroma. 

Transfer to a plate and leave to cool.

Using a spice grinder or coffee grinder, grind the toasted and cooled whole spices in batches until finely powdered. 

Mix in the ground spices until well blended.

Transer to a screw-top jar or other airtight container.

For the sakahar barha masala (vegetable garam masala)

Makes approximately 7 tablespoons

Ingredients:

For the whole spices

1 tablespoon dried garlic flakes

5 dried red chillies, crushed

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

1 1/4 teaspoons black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon timmur peppercorns or Sichuan peppercorns

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

4 black cardamoms

5 tejpaat (Nepali bay leaves), crushed

For the ground spices

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon hing (asafoetida)

You will need a screw-top jar or airtight container for storage. For best results, use within two weeks

To make, repeat the method for the luiche masala above.