Food / 14 October, 2017 / My Baba

Delicious Curries To Celebrate World Curry Week

Keralan Chicken Curry with Chillies and Coconut Milk

Ingredients:

• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp Greek yogurt, lightly whisked
• 800g chicken on the bone, skinned and jointed
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 green birds eye chillies, slit lengthways
• 170g large white onion, thinly sliced
• 140g tomatoes, pureed to a smooth paste
• 100ml water
• 100ml thick coconut milk
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp freshly chopped coriander, to garnish

For the paste:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2.5cm piece ginger, roughly chopped
• 8 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 4 dried whole kashmiri red chillies (or any dried mild chillies)
• 2 heaped tsp fennel seeds
• ½ tsp black peppercorn
• 4cm piece cassia bark
• 5 green cardamom pods, seeds only

Method:

• Put the turmeric, yogurt and a pinch of salt in a bowl and mix well. Add the chicken pieces and leave to marinate for an hour or so.
• Meanwhile, make the paste. Place a frying pan over a low heat and add oil, followed by ginger and garlic. Fry for about a minute, then add all the paste ingredients and fry for 5-6 minutes until lightly coloured. Leave to cool, then put the mixture in a blender, add 50-70ml water and blitz to a fine paste. Set aside.
• Place a heavy-bottomed non-stick pan heat and add the 3 tbsp of oil. When hot add the birds eye chillies, letting them sizzle for about 10 seconds. Tip in the onion and a pinch of salt and fry for 10-12 minutes or until browned.
• Add the pureed tomatoes and stir well, cooking for 3 minutes. Now add the spice paste and fry for a 4-5 minutes, stirring well, until the sauce thickens slightly and the oil leaving the sides of the pan.
• Now turn the heat up slightly and add the marinated chicken pieces, stirring well to coat them with the spice paste. Fry for 4 minutes until lightly coloured. Add the water and season to taste. Simmer, covered, for 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
• Add the coconut milk, stir well and simmer for a further 5-7 minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened.
• Garnish with chilli flakes or coriander and serve with Apple and fennel raita and parathas.

Goan Prawn Curry with Coconut, Chilli and Coriander

Ingredients:

• 400g raw king prawns, deveined, with tails on
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp Goan vinegar or malt vinegar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 90g onion, finely chopped
• 80g tomato, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, pounded to a paste
• 2.5cm piece of fresh root ginger, pounded to a paste
• 400ml coconut milk
• 80ml water
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 3 green chillies, slit lengthwise
• Pinch of sugar
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves, to garnish

For the powdered spices:

• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 15-18 black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds

Method:

• In a bowl add the prawns and sprinkle over the turmeric powder, vinegar and salt. Mix and set aside for 15-20 minutes while you get the curry ready.
• In a coffee grinder tip in the cumin seeds, peppercorns and coriander seeds. Blitz to a fine powder and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat and add the onions and fry for 5-7 minutes until they start to change colour to a light brown. Add the chopped tomato and fry for 5 minutes. As they begin to soften add the garlic and ginger paste and fry for a further minute.
• Now add the powdered spices and mix it all together.
• Fry for 2 minutes and add the marinated prawns. Stir, coating them in the spiced sauce for a 20-30 seconds, then add the coconut milk, water and tamarind paste.
• Cover and simmer gently for no more than 4-5 minutes until the prawns turn pink.
• Add the green chillies and sugar.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and check seasoning. Serve with lime and coriander rice.

Lamb Curry with Tomatoes, Garlic and Garam Masala

Ingredients:

• 1 kg leg of lamb on the bone, cut to bite-sized pieces
• 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 3.5cm piece ginger, roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 500g tomato, thinly sliced
• 200g onions, thinly sliced
• 1 heaped tsp kashmiri chilli powder (or mild paprika)
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• Pinch turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, coarsely crushed
• ½ tsp black pepper, coarsely crushed
• Pinch garam masala powder
• 2 green chillies, slit lengthwise (optional)
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp chopped mint leaves
• ginger slivers for garnish

Method:

• Place the lamb in a mixing bowl. Crush the garlic and ginger to a coarse paste and add to the lamb. Stir well and set aside for an hour or overnight if you have time.
• In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or kadhai heat the oil on a medium heat. Add the marinated lamb chunks and fry for 5-6 minutes stirring well to seal.
• Add the sliced tomatoes and cook for a further 8 minutes. The tomatoes will begin to break down and soften.
• Add the onions and chilli powder and stir well cooking for a further 3 minutes. Season to taste. Now lower the heat and simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes stirring half way through the cooking process.
• Add the Greek yogurt to a small bowl and mix in the ground spices: coriander, turmeric, cumin and black pepper. Add this to the karahi gosht and stir well, making sure the yogurt does not split.
• Continue simmering on a low heat and with the lid half over the pan, cook the lamb for 45-50 minutes, stirring half way through cooking, making sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Turn the heat off and while it’s still warm add the garam masala, chillies if using, coriander, mint and ginger slivers.

Sri Lankan-Style Monkfish Curry

Ingredients:

• 500 g monkfish , skinned and deboned (ask your fishmonger can do this for you), from sustainable sources
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 limes
• 200 g brown rice
• 1 x 400 ml tin of light coconut milk
• SAUCE
• 2 onions
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 5cm piece of ginger
• 2 fresh green chillies
• 10 ripe medium tomatoes, on the vine
• groundnut oil
• 1 small handful of fresh curry leaves
• 3 cardamom pods
• 2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 knob of tamarind paste or 1 teaspoon tamarind syrup

Method:

Spiced Aubergine & Coconut Curry

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons groundnut oil
• 6 Asian round aubergines
• 3cm piece of ginger
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 white onion
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
• 12 fresh curry leaves
• 2 dried red chillies
• 1 tablespoon tomato purée
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 x 400 g tin of coconut milk
• 1 red onion
• ½ a bunch of fresh coriander

Method:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat.
• Quarter and add the aubergines and fry for 6 to 8 minutes, or until tender, tossing well to colour them all over. Set aside.
• Peel and finely grate the ginger and garlic, then peel and very finely slice the white onion (use a mandolin if you have one).
• Add the rest of the oil to the pan, tip in the cumin and mustard seeds and fry until they begin to pop.
• Lower the heat slightly, add the curry leaves and dried chillies and continue to cook until the leaves are crisp and translucent. Stir in the ginger and garlic and fry for 1 minute.
• Add the sliced onion along with ½ teaspoon of sea salt, lower the heat and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onion is soft.
• Stir in the tomato purée, garam masala and coconut milk. Bring it to a simmer, return the aubergine to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, or until it’s soft but still firm to the bite.
• Finely slice the red onion, pick and chop the coriander leaves, then combine in a small serving dish. Divide the curry between bowls and serve with the red onion salad and poppadoms, if you like.

Mushroom Curry

Ingredients:

• 500 g mixed mushrooms (portobello, chestnut etc)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 5 cm piece of ginger
• 1 onion
• ½-1 fresh red chilli
• 500 g ripe mixed-colour tomatoes
• groundnut oil
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek
• 1 heaped teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 1 heaped teaspoon medium curry powder
• 1 tablespoon mango chutney
• 1 x 400 ml tin of coconut milk
• 30 g paneer
• 2 limes
• 400 g brown basmati rice
• 1 bunch of fresh coriander

Method:

Lamb & Chickpea Curry

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 300 g diced lean lamb shoulder
• 1 tesapoon mustard seeds
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
• 5cm piece of ginger
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 3 onions
• 10 curry leaves
• 2 x 400 g tins of chickpeas
• 1 organic vegetable stock cube
• 1 x 400 g tin of plum tomatoes
• ½ x 400 g tin of light coconut milk
• 200 g baby spinach
• 1 bunch of fresh coriander

Method:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large, deep pan over a medium heat, then add the lamb, spices and curry powder.
• Cook gently for 15 minutes, or until browned all over, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, peel and finely slice the ginger, garlic and onions.
• Add the sliced ingredients and curry leaves to the pan, then cook for a further 10 to 15 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.
• Tip in the chickpeas (and their juice), then crumble in the stock cube. Pour in the tomatoes and 1 tin’s worth of hot water.
• Season lightly with sea salt and black pepper, then slowly bring to the boil, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon.
• Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the lamb is tender and the sauce has thickened and reduced, occasionally stirring and scraping any bits from the
  bottom of the pan.
• Add the coconut milk and spinach to the pan, stir well, then bring just back to the boil.
• Have a taste and season to perfection, then tear the coriander leaves over the top. Delicious served with brown basmati rice.

Rendang Fish Curry

Ingredients:

• 2 x 250g packs lightly dusted yellow fin sole fillets, defrosted
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 peppers, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp Rendang curry paste
• 2 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 x 400ml tin light coconut milk
• 200ml (1/3pt) hot fish stock
• 2 x 250g packs microwave basmati rice

Method:

• Put the fish in a bowl and squeeze over the lemon juice. Set aside for 5 minutes to marinate.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the curry paste, then add the lime leaves and continue cooking for 2 minutes more, or until fragrant.
• Pour in the coconut milk and fish stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and add the fish. Cook for 4 minutes, or until the fish is flaky and cooked through. Serve the fish curry with the microwaved rice.