Curry Archives - Page 4 of 8

Indian Green Pork Curry with green beans

This curry is inspired by Lamb and Spinach – another “green” curry that is a family favourite.

The mint and coriander meld with the pork and other spices to create a deliciously fragrant curry. I add green beans for additional “greenness” and serve sprinkled with shards of fresh ginger for added zing, with basmati rice and sweet mango chutney.

Prep time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 1 hr 10 minutes
Ingredients:
500g pork shoulder diced (with or without bones)
2-3 handfuls green beans
1/2 cup white vinegar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion diced
5 cloves garlic and equal amount ginger
2 fresh red chillies
Handful of curry leaves
2 sticks cinnamon (preferably bark)
3 cardamom pods
3 dried red chillies
1 teaspoon panch phoran (Indian Five Spice Mix)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cummin powder
1 bunch coriander
1 bunch mint
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 cups water or chicken stock
Extra ginger cut into fine strips and coriander leaves for garnish

Method:
1. Place pork in a bowl and pour over vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt, set aside while you prepare other ingredients.

2. Crush ginger, garlic and fresh red chillies with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a mortar and pestle.

2. Chop coriander and mint together – I use a Mezzaluna – then add the ginger, garlic and chilli paste and continue to chop together to meld herbs with the paste.

3. Heat vegetable oil in heavy bottom casserole pot, add cinnamon sticks, curry leaves, panch porum, dried red chillies and cardamom and heat until fragrant taking care not to burn the spices.

4. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent.

5. Add cummin, turmeric to onion mixture and stir through cooking out spices for a minute.

6. Add pork, coriander and mint paste to the onion mixture and cook until pork is “sealed” stirring to avoid pork mixture sticking to bottom of the pot.

7. Add enough water or stock to cover pork and bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer and cover the pot with a lid. Cook slowly for an hour, until the pork is tender, adding more water from time to time if the mixture starts to stick.

8. Add green beans and cook for 10 minutes.

9. Check consistency to reduce liquid if required. Taste to see if extra salt required.

9. Garnish with shard of ginger and additional fresh coriander. Serve with basmati rice and sweet mango chutney and Indian pickles.

August 18, 2018June 20, 2022

Shanthini1 Comment

Durban-style Lamb and Cabbage Curry

This is another favourite amongst South African Indian families. It’s a great dish for a wintry Sunday like it is here in Sydney today.

The sweetness of the cabbage permeates this dish and the resulting curry is somehow more fragrant and lighter than most lamb curries. Flavouring the oil through the gentle frying of the fenugreek, cummin and nigella seeds along with the cinnamon and curry leaves provides the basis for this.

The addition of fresh and dried chillies add an extra warming spicy element but by no means is this required if you prefer a milder sweeter curry.

The curry sauce is thinner than usual as well so rice is the best accompaniment, and Mint and Peanut Chutney is a delicious alongside it. I suppose this is the Indian version of Norwegian Farikal or Irish Lamb and Cabbage stew.

Prep time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients:

750g lamb cut into chunks, or for best results lamb chump chops with fat removed and diced keeping bones in
1 large onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
2 dried chillies and/or 2 fresh red chillies left whole(optional)
5 cloves garlic and equal amount peeled ginger, crushed into a paste
3 tablespoons vegetable or coconut oil
2 sticks cinnamon bark
1 teaspoon cummin seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
Handful of fresh curry leaves (optional)
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon cummin powder
1/2 teaspoon fennel powder
1 teaspoon salt or salt to your taste
1/2 a whole cabbage sliced finely
2 cups chicken stock or water
Coriander chopped for garnish

Method:

1. Heat vegetable oil over medium heat in heavy based casserole pot.

2. Add cinnamon sticks, cummin and nigella seeds and curry leaves and heat through until fragrant, taking care not to burn spices. (This process flavours the oil)

3. Add onions and cook slowly over medium heat until transparent.

4. Add ginger and garlic paste and cook for 1 minute,stirring through onions.

5, Add turmeric, chilli, cummin and fennel powder, as well as salt, and stir briskly to mix well into onion mixture heating spices but once again taking care not to burn.

6. Add chopped tomatoes, died and fresh chillies if using, and lamb, stirring to coat lamb well in spices and to brown/seal the meat, before adding enough chicken stock or water to cover lamb.

7. Bring to the boil, the lower heat and simmer gently for 35-40 minutes until lamb is almost tender.

8. Add sliced cabbage and cook for 10-15 minutes until cabbage is tender and sauce reduces. (If you do want to thicken sauce you can add 2 teaspoons of cornflour mixed into a smooth paste with some water and simmer for 3-4 minutes stirring well)

9. Taste to see if additional salt is required.

10. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with basmati rice.

June 2, 2018June 20, 2022

Shanthini6 Comments

Sri Lankan Chicken Curry

My friend Jennifer recently went to Sri Lanka and came back bearing gifts of Sri Lankan spices…a roasted fenugreek and mustard seed mix and a meat (Masala) spice mix. Looking for inspiration to use these spices I found a chicken curry recipe in Australian chef Peter Kuruvita’s recipe book, Serendip. This recipe is based on his with a few tweaks, it is really a 4 step process beginning with making the thickening mixture, marinating the chicken, getting the ingredients for the braising prepared and then actually cooking the curry. The result is a creamy curry with well balanced spice. Thanks Peter!

Prep time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

1. Thickening Mixture:
1 tablespoon long grain rice
2 tablespoons dessicated coconut
2 red chillies, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 green cardamom pods
2 cloves

2. Marinating mixture
1.5 kg chicken thigh fillets, fat removed and cut into medium size chunks
2 teaspoons cumin powder
3 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon roasted fenugreek and mustard seed mix
1 stick cinnamon bark or stick
2 teaspoons Sri Lankan meat curry powder (or South Indian Meat masala mix)
Thickening mixture paste (see above)

3. Braising ingredients
1/3 cup vegetable or coconut oil
1 onion finely diced
2 sprigs curry leaves
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1.5 cups hot water

4. Garnish
Chopped coriander

Method

1. Make thickening mixture by putting rice and desiccated coconut in a small heavy based pan over low heat, stirring constantly to avoid burning until coconut is browned. Place the rice and coconut in a mortar and pestle with cardamom pods, 1/2 teaspoon salt and red chillies, cloves and a tablespoon of water into a mortar and pestle, then grind until a smoothish paste forms.

2. Place chicken in a bowl, add all marinating ingredients including thickening mixture paste, toss to coat and leave to stand aside while you prepare the braising ingredients.

3. Chop onions, pound garlic, remove curry leaves from sprig, and gather together oil, water and spice ingredients for braising.

4. Heat oil in a casserole pot over medium heat, add curry leaves and heat until leaves stop spluttering, add onions and cook gently until transparent, add garlic and heat through. Add the chicken and salt, and mix through until chicken is sealed, then add 1 cup of hot water or enough to just cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low-medium heat for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked and sauce is reduced to a creamy consistency.

5. Garnish with coriander before serving with rice and salad/veggies of your choice. This is delicious with dhal as well.

April 2, 2018

Shanthini4 Comments

Indian Five Spice: Panch Phoran

Panch Phoran is an Indian whole spice blend used mostly in eastern part of India like, Odisha,West Bengal etc. It is also called as Pancha Phutana (In Odisha), pach phoran (In West Bengal), paanch phorana. Panch phoran means mixture of five spices. The spices used in panch phoran are whole seeds and each in equal […]

via Panch Phoran — Food Express odisha

February 25, 2018February 25, 2018

Shanthini5 Comments

Prawn Curry with Fennel Seeds

I recently went to make this traditional family curry and realised I haven’t previously posted the recipe. So here it is, a quick and delicious curry that is perfect for weeknight dinners with rice and salad or as part of a bigger Indian spread.

Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
500g green prawns (shelled and deveined)
2 ripe tomatoes diced finely
1 large onion diced finely
4 cloves garlic and equal amount of ginger, pounded to a paste
1/2 tspoon salt
1/2 tspoon sugar
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon fennel powder
1/2 teaspoon cummin powder
2 teaspoons tamarind concentrate
1.5-2 cups water
2 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Handful of fresh curry leaves(optional)
1/2 bunch corinader – stems chopped, leaves retained for garnish
coriander leaves to garnish

Method:
Heat oil in pan over medium heat.
Add fennel seeds and curry leaves and stir until fragrant, taking care not to burn.
Add onions and cook gently until almost transparent.
Add garlic and ginger paste and mix through onions until heated.

Add cummin powder, turmeric, chilli powder and fennel powder and stir through onion mixture until just heated.

Add tomatoes, chopped coriander stems, salt, sugar and tamarind and 1.5cups water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes until tomatoes breakdown creating a chutney like sauce. Add more water if necessary along the way, stirring regularly to ensure mixture doesn’t stick or burn.

Add prawns and simmer for 5 minutes and until prawns are cooked. Taste to see if extra salt is needed.

Garnish with coriander and serve with rice and salad.

February 24, 2018

Shanthini3 Comments

Lamb Xacuti – Goan curry

Cooking this recipe was inspired by the beautiful story and recipe posted by The Storyteller’s Kitchen Chicken Xacuti but I made it tonight using lamb. It was certainly very delicious and is easy to make but does involve quite a number of steps for the three seperate spice mixes involved.

I didn’t have any mace so just gave it a miss but the original recipe calls for it to be included in the masala (dry spice mix).

I have added extra coriander and curry leaves and was pleased with the result.

I have also divided the recipe up into the different components into groups to help follow the recipe. Hope it helps!

This is almost like an Indian version of Indonesian rendang except sharper tasting through the use of green chillies and lots of fresh coriander. We had a tangy cucumber, tomato, carrot and spinach salad with it and plain basmati rice. A very More-ish dish!

Prep time: 35 minutes Cooking time: 60 minutes Resting time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Coriander Spice Marinade:
8 garlic cloves
1.5 cm piece of ginger
6 small green chilies
1/2 bunch of coriander
1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate mixed with 1 tablespoon of water
1 teaspoon turmeric

Coconut and onion paste:
1/3 cup of desiccated coconut
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil

Spice Masala:
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
7-8 cloves
7-8 black peppercorns
1 star anise
7-8 dried red chillies
2 small pieces cinnamon bark broken into bits
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder

Meat:
1kg lamb on the bone – I use 5-6 lamb chump chops with the fat removed and diced into small chunks with the bone left in

Braising mixture:
3 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil
Handful curry leaves
1 large onion finely diced
1 tomato roughly chopped
2-3 cups water
1 cup coriander leaves ground to paste

Garnish:
Coriander chopped
2-3 small Green chillies chopped

Method:

1. Chop all ingredients for marinade, then grind ingredients into a paste, chop meat, add marinade to meat and marinate for 30-45 minutes

2. Dry roast dry spices for Masala in a small non-stick pan over medium heat until fragrant, allow to cool then grind to a fine powder in spice blender or coffee grinder – set aside

3. In the same pan, dry fry desiccated coconut over gentle heat, stirring constantly to avoid burning, until golden brown. Then add 2 tablespoons oil and fry 1 diced onion until browned. Allow onion and coconut to cool, then grind together in mortar and pestle until onion is melted into coconut into a thick paste. Set aside

4. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a heavy bottom casserole pot with a lid, then add curry leaves and fry until just fragrant, then add diced onion and fry until golden brown stirring to ensure onion doesn’t burn. Add tomato and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until tomatoes have disintegrated and oil reappears.