Tikka Masala with Chick Peas and Fruit

I find it hard to believe that there was a time when I didn't like curry, or meals with Indian flavors, but it's true.

Everyone in Yorkshire - where I come from - was curry-crazy and it often seemed that I was the only person not to be besotted with this food. I didn't eat meat and the thought of a combination of chick peas and curry sounded pretty revolting to me.

When it came to takeout meals, I'd stick to pizza. Oh boy, was I missing out!

Today, we have an Indian-inspired meal about once a week on average and over the years, I've decided to make the most of convenience foods - especially ready made curry sauces. It's not just that they are a quick and easy way to make a delicious dinner, they are actually far tastier than the sauces I make myself.

This particular recipe takes about ten minutes to make from start to finish and, excluding the bread, which is an optional extra, this is made in one pot. This is great if you're cooking in a tiny space or if you hate doing the dishes.

I always keep ready-to-heat sauces and a can of chickpeas in stock so that I can make this meal in minutes. This serves two.

• 1 jar Tikka Masala sauce
• 1 can chick peas
• 1 small summer squash
• 1 tomato
• 1 mango
• 1 apricot
• A few raspberries
• Fresh cilantro
• Tortillas and salad leaves to serve

SAUCE

Place a medium sized pan on the hob and turn the heat to a high temperature. Pour in the sauce. When the sauce starts to bubble, turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. (I always wash and keep the jars. The Sharwoods in particular are a pretty shape and I use them for multiple purposes).

CHICKPEAS

Place the chickpeas in a sieve or colander and rinse them thoroughly under running water. I do this primarily to remove any salt that might have been used in the canning process and I tend to do this with any canned vegetables. The sauce is already seasoned and I don't think that we need extra salt in our bodies. You might also find when you're rinsing that a few have loose skins, If so, I remove them. Shake the sieve well to remove extra water and add the chickpeas to the pot.

SQUASH

The squash doesn't have to be peeled. Slice it in half and remove the seeds. I use a teaspoon and they come out straight away. Chop the squash into dice and stir into the pan.

TOMATO

Chop the tomato. If I have a tomato that has a lot of seeds, I'll discard some of them. Likewise, if it has a spongy area or a hard core, I trim those too. Otherwise just chop it into cubes and slide into the pan, giving the contents a good stir.

BREAD

I don't make chapattis from scratch these days. That's because to make them perfectly - and I was taught by a young Indian girl in the UK many years ago - they need to be finished by putting them directly onto a gas flame for a second to really puff them up. Here in Florida I have an electric cooker. But I do like to have some sort of flat bread with Indian-inspired dishes so I use commercially-made tortillas.

Heat a skillet or frying pan to a high heat. No oil or butter is required. Add a tortilla and press down with a spatula. After a few seconds flip it and do the same. Repeat with them all. The best way to keep them warm and pliable is to keep them between dampened paper towel sheets while you finalize the dish.

FRUIT

Peel the mango and chop into cubes. Chop the apricot also - there's no need to peel. Halve the raspberries. Leave these on the chopping board together and let their juices mingle while you quickly chop the cilantro and add it to the pan. Add the fruit and stir well. The fruit only needs to cook for a minute or so until it's heated through. It's important that it remains firm. The raspberries not only add a delicious flavor, they also make the sauce turn into a lovely golden red color.

SERVE

Ladle the curry into bowls and serve with the chapattis on the side garnished with salad leaves. Enjoy!

I love experimenting with different recipes - and himself loves eating them! He often asks me where I got a particular idea and it's no secret. There are books available about almost every subject under the sun these days and vegetarian eating is no exception. If you're considering adopting a vegetarian diet, or simply want to cut down on meat consumption, you won't find anything better than these books.

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• Try a Salad Saturday
• Have a meat free Irish themed dinner party