Category: Curry

Pork with shredded kale and Fenugreek leaves(#methi) vindaloo

Made one of our favourite pork curries Pork VIndaloo, added 2 handfuls of shredded kale, as well as about 300g of frozen fenugreek leaves (bought at an Indian grocery store) ….right at the end to simmer with pork for last 10 minutes or so, then garnished with chopped coriander.

Pork Vindaloo with Fenugreek seeds and leaves

Whilst the bitter leaves of fenugreek are acclaimed by many Indians as an antioxidant with excellent healing powers for every thing from liver dis disfunction, to lowering cholesterol, I just love the bittery, earthy flavours that fenugreek leaves bring to spaces and Dhals. Find it, buy it and try it out?

Adding in shredded Kale to add more texture to the dish.

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Mixed #Seafood #Curry #Durbanstyle

I looked everywhere on the internet for mixed seafood curry recipe but could not find one. So I just made up a version with a few ideas I saw along the way and the type of flavours I was in the mood for!

We rarely eat crab curry because it’s too messy and sometimes not substantial enough on its own because it’s all shell and gravy? You know what I mean? But we do love the flavours. This curry is the best of a “number of worlds” as the prawns, scallop and squid are easy to eat, are delicious and much more substantial….and really benefit from the crab flavoured sauce that is created.

We ate the prawns, squid and scallops first and then the the crab with our hands and. Finger bowl at the end!

The addition of tamarind pulp and classic South Indian spices adds the zingy tartness melding together into a really delicious curry that is. I think this dish is about to be known as Amazing Seafood and bound to be a favourite in our house.

If you want to make this without the crab, best to put shellfish first and add after quicker cooking fish etc later. Good luck ..easy to experiment and it will still be delicious!

Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes

Perfect for dinner for 2 with salad.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 blue swimmer crab cleaned and cut into pieces, legs pulled off
  • 6-8 green prawns shelled and deveined
  • 8-10 scallops
  • 3 baby squid/calamari
  • 2 ripe tomatoes
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 2 pieces cinammon bark/ half a quill
  • 1/2 teaspoon cummin seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • Large handful of fresh curry leaves (or 2 bay leaves)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon cummin powder
  • 4-5 cloves of garlic
  • Equal amount of fresh ginger to garlic
  • 1-2 red chillies
  • 1,5 teaspoons tamarind puree
  • 1-1.5cups water
  • Salt
  • 3tablespoons Vegetable oil
  • Coriander to garnish

Method:

1. Clean crab and cut into pieces, peel and devein prawns.

2. Cuts a baby squid into strips, place in bowl with 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon of cumin powder, 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder and 1/2 tablespoon oil, mix and leave to marinate as you prepare other ingredients.

3. Crush ginger, garlic and red chillies into a paste.

4. Peel onion and dice finely. Dice tomatoes.

5. Heat oil in heavy based pan (use a pan or pot with a lid) over medium heat, Add cinnamon bark, 2/3 of the curry leaves, cummin seeds and fennel seeds and heat gently until fragrant.

6. Add onions and cook slowly until translucent.

7.Add 3/4 teaspoon each of cummin powder, turmeric and chilli powder and mix through onions to heat through, then add fenugreek seeds if using, add in tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt.

8. Cook tomatoes for about 5 minutes until they begin to break down, add 1/4 cup of water and tamarind purée. Bring mixture back to simmer.

9. Add the crab to the tomato mixture and coat the crab in the sauce. Place lid on the pot and allow crabs to simmer for 10 minutes or so, add another 1/4 cup of water to stop mixture sticking.

10. Heat grill in oven, place squid on a oven tray covered in baking paper and grill squid for 5-8 minutes, turning over once until browned and cooked. Remove from oven and reserve.

11. Add prawns to carb mixture, checking to make sure sauce isn’t sticking but not adding too much more water unless needed. Allow prawns to cook for about 3 minutes, then add scallops and allow to simmer for another 3-4 minutes. The sauce should be saucy but not too watery. Add another 1/4-1/2 cup water if needed though. Taste to see if additional salt needed.

12. Scatter over squid and put lid back on for a minute or two to allow squid to just heat up.s

13. Garnish curry with another hand of fresh curry leaves , chopped coriander. Serve with rice, roti and salad.

Mixed seafood curry #durbanstyle

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Cauliflower, eggplant and green bean #curry #mixedveg

A nice vegetable curry is delicious just with some dhal and rice or alongside other curries or grilled meat.

The combination of cauliflower, eggplant and green beans with the warmth of mild Indian spices is a tenure winner. I love eggplant and in this recipe I use the long, skinny variety cut in discs.

The onion mixture with dried red chillies, mustard seeds and curry leaves is a classic base for many a South Indian curry and you really can’t go wrong with any vegetable combination you add.

Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 onion finely diced
  • Handful fresh curry leaves (optional)
  • 1/2 piece cinammon bark or quill
  • 1 teaspoon cummin seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • 2 dried chillies
  • 1 tablespoon ginger and garlic pounded to a paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 tomato diced finely
  • 2 Thai long eggplants
  • 1.5 cups cauliflower florets
  • Greens beans, top and tailed chopped into small pieces (about a cup’s worth)
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Method:

1. Heat oil in a flat, heavy based pan which has a lid, add cinammon, cummin seeds , fenugreek seeds, dried chillies and curry leaves and heat over medium heat until fragrant.

2. Add onions and simmer gently until onions are transparent then add turmeric, cummin powder, mustard seeds and mix through.

3. Add ginger and garlic paste, tomatoes and mix through, stir fry until tomatoes just start breaking down, add 1/2 cup of water to stop mixture from sticking.

4. Add cauliflower florets and cook for 10 minutes with the lid on.

5. While cauliflower is cooking, cut eggplant into discs and then add with green bean pieces to cauliflower mixture. After 5/minutes, Add in peas and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add 1/2 cup of water to stop mixture sticking. Simmer for 5 minutes until eggplant is tender and going transparent but not mushy.

6. Taste to see if additional salt required. Garnish with coriander and serve with fluffy white rice or naan, or just as a delicious side dish with other dishes.

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#Keralan #Pork Curry with Coconut Milk and Green Beans

The addition of coconut milk in this curry gives the sauce a creamy texture and a delicious soft spiciness quite different to the sharper “zinginess” of the Indian Green Pork Curry recipe, although there are similarities to marinating the pork in vinegar.

Traditionally it a dish that the Syrian Christians, who eat pork, serve at special occasions. The history of the ongoing “survival” of this group of Christians thought to date back to AD52 in Kerala is interesting. Here’s a bit of background Syrian Christians in Kerala

My version is adapted to use leaner pork shoulder instead of pork belly and only involves cooking for about an hour.

Kerala is also famed for it’s spices including black pepper and tamarind which are widely used in Keralan cooking and I have added to this recipe. If you haven’t used tamarind before here’s a good how to guide Cooking with Tamarind

Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time:1 hour

Ingredients:
  • 500g pork shoulder cut into medium sized cubes
  • 2-3 handfuls of green beans
  • 3 cloves of garlic and equal amount of peeled ginger
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 1/4 cup of white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup of tomato passata or diced tinned tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon of cracked black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder or cayenne
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (coconut oil would be most authentic)
  • 3 dried chillies (exclude these for a milder version)
  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • Large handful of curry leaves(optional)
  • 4 green cardamom pods
  • 1 stick of cinnamon bark (1/2 small quill)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds(optional)
  • 25g tamarind pulp soaked in 1/2 cup of warm water until dissolved or 1 teaspoon of tamarind concentrate dissolved in half a cup of warm water
  • 1/2 cup of coconut milk
  • Coriander to garnish

1. Put pork into bowl and add black pepper, salt, cummin powder(not seeds), turmeric powder and chilli powder. Add vinegar and tomato, mis thoroughly and set aside for at least 25 minutes.

Marinate pork in spices, salt, vinegar and tomato which help the meat to tenderise.

2. Chop onion finely.

3. Peel garlic and ginger and pound into a paste in a mortar and pestle.

4. Top and tail green beans and slice very finely on an angle.

5. Heat oil in a casserole pot over medium heat, add cummin seeds, dried chillies, cardamom pods, curry leaves and heat until fragrant.

6. Add onions and cook gently until transparent then add fenugreek seeds if using, ginger and garlic paste and mix through onion mixture.

Cooking the spices and onions in oil creates a fragrant base for the curry.

7. Add pork to onion mixture and cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring regularly until pork is sealed – without allowing to burn or stick to the pot, add some after if needed.

8. Add tamarind water, and 1/2 cup or more of boiling water to just cover the pork mixture and simmer for 40 minutes. Keep an eye on the curry to make sure it isn’t sticking at the bottom and add a little additional water if needed along the way.

9. after 40 minutes, then add coconut milk and cook for a further 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened to a creamy consistency. The pork should be tender and cooked by now. Taste to check if additional salt is needed.

Cook the pork simmering in tamarind water and plain water, then add coconut milk after 40 minutes and green beans at 55 minutes.

10. Add the finely sliced green beans and cook for 5-10 minutes until tender.

11. garnish with chopped coriander and serve with white basmati rice, dhal, mango chutney and salads.

Delicious Keralan Pork Curry with Coconut milk and Green Beans

Shanthini2 Comments

#Homestyle #Pork #Vindaloo

This is what we’re having for dinner tonight! It’s not as fiery as it sounds and is downright delicious.

The vinegar tenderises the pork and it cooks to a beautiful texture without drying up. It”s not one of my family recipes but it is a favourite now in our home.

Here’s the link to my original post from 3 years ago when I had a lot fewer than 3,395 followers. Hope you try and enjoy!

https://atomic-temporary-94611410.wpcomstaging.com/2017/06/11/pork-vindaloo-with-dried-and-fresh-chillies/

Shanthini1 Comment

Benares on a budget #michelin #indianfood #london

I had read about Benares’ reputation for the best Indian food in London, laying claim to having been the first Indian restaurant in London to receive a Michelin star and it has retained this star in 2019.

Having looked at the a la carte and tasting menu prices which are whopping by Australian dollar prices, we decided the lunchtime thali menu at £33 would be a great way to taste a range of their dishes and fit into our schedule nicely.

So after visiting the special Leonardo Da Vinci Life In Drawings exhibition, commemorating 500 years since his death, at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace we sauntered through Green Park, across Picadilly to Berkeley Square were Benares occupies a prominent position between the Rolls Royce and Bentley showrooms.

Our meal started with a traditional serving of papadums and chutneys and yoghurt. The papads had obviously been made at the restaurant were a tasty, crispy nibble to begin with.

The thali came with naan and turmeric spiced rice, a crunchy quinoa salad, a fabulous piece of lightly spiced sea bass, a delicious lamb Rohan Josh, a smokey Chicken tikka Masala, very interesting spinach and baby corn curry, dhal and yoghurt. It was all more than enough for one very hungry person and certainly too much for me.

The Thali was followed by a serving of Indian steamed yoghurt pudding with rhubarb and jelly and a sprinkling of nuts, followed by a special birthday platter of petit fours.

A great way to sample the renowned Indian food from Benares on a budget.

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