Ingredients

• 250g/9oz black gram urad lentils
• soaked in lukewarm water overnight
• 2½ litres/4½ pints water
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp salt
• 1½ tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 150g/5oz slightly salted butter
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground dried fenugreek leaves
• ½ tsp sugar
• 50ml/2fl oz single cream
• 35g/1¼oz sugar
• 2 free-range eggs
• 400ml/14fl oz full-fat milk
• 750g/1lb 11oz plain flour
• 1 tbsp salt
• 50ml/2fl oz vegetable oil
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander and garlic
• 2 tbsp black onion seeds
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• 2 pigeon breasts
• de-boned and skinned
• 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• ½ lemon
• juice only
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 4 cloves
• 1 tbsp yoghurt
• 1 pinch sugar
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 15cm/6in piece cucumber
• finely diced
• 1 tomato
• seeds removed
• chopped
• 1 red onion
• finely diced
• ½ lemon
• juice only
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch sugar

Directions

• For the black lentils
• boil the soaked lentils in the water in a large saucepan until the lentils are thoroughly cooked but are not completely mashed – about one hour.
• Add the ginger
• garlic
• salt and red chilli powder and simmer for another 10 minutes.
• Add the tomato purée and butter and cook for further 15 minutes
• or until the lentils are thick. Take care that the butter does not separate from the lentils.
• Add the garam masala
• dried fenugreek leaves and sugar. Taste and add salt and freshly ground black pepper if necessary
• then whisk in the cream. Keep warm.
• For the naan bread
• preheat the oven to 225C/450F/Gas 8 and place a thick baking tray into the oven to heat.
• Whisk together the sugar
• eggs and milk in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl
• combine the flour
• baking powder and salt.
• Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and knead lightly to make a soft dough - take care not to work the dough too much or it will become too stretchy.
• When all the ingredients are mixed thoroughly
• cover with a damp cloth and leave to rest
• in a warm place
• for 15 minutes.
• Once rested
• pour over the oil and knock the air out of the dough.
• Divide the dough into 16 equal-sized balls and roll out into a circle of approximately 10cm/4in diameter.
• Spread the circles on the hot tray in the oven
• scatter the onion and coriander over half of the naan and the black onion seeds over the other half. Bake for 4-5 minutes - you might need to turn the bread to ensure it is all cooked. You will also most likely need to cook the bread in batches. Brush with melted butter.
• Marinade the squab pigeon while the dough is resting: pat the pigeon breasts dry with kitchen paper
• then place them in a bowl with the ginger-garlic paste
• salt
• chilli powder and lemon juice.
• Dry fry the cumin and cloves lightly in a hot frying pan and crush coarsely using a mortar and pestle.
• Mix the cumin and clove mixture with the yoghurt
• sugar
• garam masala and oil to make a second marinade.
• Add the yoghurt marinade to the breasts and set aside for 10-15 minutes. Heat a tandoor to 250-300C/480F-570F (or alternatively preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6).
• Thread the meat onto skewers and cook in the tandoor for 4-5 minutes. Alternatively
• fry the breasts in a very hot pan for about one minute each side and then place in the oven to cook for five minutes.
• Remove the meat from the skewers
• leave to rest for a couple of minutes and serve immediately.
• For the kachumber salad
• mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
• To serve
• cut the breasts into two lengthways. Spoon the black lentils onto a plate and arrange the pigeon breasts on top. Place the salad and naan bread alongside.