THIS is probably the best foodie news you're going to hear all year. For not only is it National Curry Week on Monday, but it's also National Chocolate Week too.

Talk about a match in gastronomic heaven. And now the Echo's Taste columnist Sarah Ali Choudhury, has taken the concept one step further and created chocolate samosas as part of her bid to win the International Indian Chef of the Year competition.

The award-winning cook is one of only seven finalists selected out of a total of 10,000 entries in the worldwide competition.

Sarah who lives with her husband Ramjan and their four children in Bournemouth said: "Curry and chocolate are two of my favourite things so I thought I would try and come up with a recipe that would combine the two.

"Indian desserts aren't always very special but I think this one is a winner!"

As part of her bid to win the International Indian Chef of the Year title, she had to prepare a three course meal and present her banquet before a panel of judges.

Sarah will be attending an awards ceremony on Monday in London with special guest Princess Anne where the overall champion will be revealed.

But no matter what the outcome, it has certainly been quite a year for Sarah who launched Easy Curry in 2016.

She was nominated for The Rising Star Award in this year's Bournemouth Tourism Awards and won an appearance on national television after recording videos on YouTube.

Earlier this year, she won the New Kid on the Block trophy at the Small Awards in London and is also a finalist in two categories of the Dorset Venus Awards for women in business.

This summer she launched a British Raj-inspired catering business and her latest venture is a Wine, Dine and Demo night with her husband Ramjan. See below for more details.

SARAH'S TOP TIPS:

"When you are making curry, it's important not to rush it. People often chuck everything in the pan and hope for the best - but it's important to take your time. "Make sure you soften the onions first otherwise they don't cook properly.

"You should never use cornflour to thicken a sauce. The secret is to use less water, more onions and cook slowly on a low heat."

Although her chocolate samosas recipe is a closely guarded secret for now, here is her recipe for her Spinach, Red Pepper and Aubergine Bhaji.

RECIPE:

Ingredients

4 tbsp oil

2 tsp panch phoran

1 medium onion peeled and chopped 1 inch ginger peeled and grated

5 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 tsp salt or to taste

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 potatoes peeled and cut into 3?4 inch cubes

1 aubergine cut into 1?4 inch cubes

2 peppers green and/or red, cut into 1 inch pieces 2 cups (500ml) water

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Method:

Heat oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. When hot, add the panch phoran and cook until sizzling then add

the onion, ginger and salt, stirring occasionally.

When the onion softens, add the coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric and tomato puree and continue stir

frying until the oil comes to the top of the mixture.

Add the potatoes and stir fry for about 2 minutes. Add the aubergine and peppers, stirring for another 2

minutes.

Pour in the water, cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Garnish with

fresh coriander.

You can use other seasonal vegetables such as courgettes and tomatoes.

You can see Sarah in action at her next Wine, Dine and Demo evening at Tiger Bay in Bournemouth on Tuesday, October 10 at 7pm. For more details, visit her website sarahalieasycurry.com or find her on Facebook.