Forget ringing for a takeaway or grabbing a jar of ready-made sauce. Cooking Indian food from scratch is easier than you think. Here is an easy recipe for you to try.

Ingredients:

Serves Five to Six

Softened butter, for the tin

2tbsp olive oil

1½tsp cumin seeds

1 largish onion, finely chopped

5 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

150g chard, coarsely shredded

½tsp garam masala

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 egg, lightly beaten

500g ricotta cheese

Handful of pine nuts

Method:

Heat the oven to 190C/gas mark 5 and place a baking tray on the middle shelf. Butter a 20cm round cake tin with a removable base. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick saute pan. Add the cumin seeds and, once browned, add the onion and cook until golden on the edges. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or so. Stir in the chard, garam masala and some salt and cook for eight to ten minutes, or until the chard has wilted. Remove from the heat.

Beat the egg into the ricotta until well blended, then stir in the vegetable mix. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding half a teaspoon of black pepper, or to taste. Pour the ricotta mixture into the tin, sprinkle over the pine nuts and place on the hot baking tray. Cook for 35 minutes, or until golden and set.