CurriesI recently rediscovered the whole curry thing, and in a moment of temporary insanity decided to make my own curry powder and paste. The results quite amazed me. Although slightly time consuming, the result proved to be worth all the effort. I would recommend these to anyone who has a well stocked spice cupboard, as the number of spices involved is quite substantial, but worth investing in for those who don't. I have also found that the best source of herbs and spices is my local health food store, where the prices are only a fraction of those usually encountered in supermarkets - Paula Curry PowderPreparation time - 15 mins Makes 7oz (200g) approx. Ingredients Whole spices Ground spices 4 tbsp coriander seeds 4 tsp turmeric 2 tbsp cumin seeds 4 tsp garlic powder 3 x 2in pieces cassia bark 2 tsp ginger powder 2 tsp fennel seeds 1½ tsp chilli powder 2 tsp black mustard seeds 2 tsp green cardamon seeds 1 tsp fenugreek seeds Note ½ tsp black onion seeds All spoon measures are 6-8 cloves heaped spoonfuls. 4-6 bay leaves 20-25 dried curry leaves Method Place the whole spices in a saucepan and roast over a medium heat, shaking the pan every 30 sec. The spices should not burn. They will give off a light steam, and will also give off an aroma when done. Allow to cool and then grind in batches. I started using a mortar and pestle for this, but as I had made a double batch I found this too time consuming, so I opted for my coffee grinder instead. Perfect one it was cleaned well before and after use. Once the roasted spices are ground they should be mixed with the dry spices and the mixture is then ready for use, although it is better if left to mature for a month (mine doesn't last that long though). It can be stored in an airtight container, out of the light for up to six months, after which time the powder will lose its flavour and can become bitter. Note The amount of spices can be varied according to personal taste, and the quantities easily scaled up or down according to the amount needed. Typically 2 level tsp of powder per person is sufficient, 1 tsp per person for a milder dish. Curry PastePreparation time - 25 mins Makes 1½lb (675g) approx. Ingredients 1 portion curry powder (see above) 6-8 fl oz (175-250ml) vinegar (any type) 6-8 fl oz (175-250ml) vegetable oil Method Mix the powder and vinegar to give a creamy paste (add some water if necessary) and leave to sit for at least ten minutes. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add paste to the oil, carefully as it will splatter. Stirring constantly cook for 5-10 minutes until all the liquid is cooked out of the paste. You can check this by removing the pan from the heat. After a couple of minutes the spices should sink to the bottom of the pan with a layer of oil on top. Bottle in sterilised jars, and top off with a little warm oil. Store out of the light Green Curry PastePreparation time - 25 mins. plus soaking Makes 1lb (450g) approx. Ingredients 1 tsp fenugreek seeds 6 garlic cloves chopped 2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger 1 ½ oz (40g) fresh mint leaves 1 ½ oz (40g) fresh coriander leaves 3 tsp salt 3 tsp turmeric 2 tsp chilli powder ½ tsp ground cloves 1 tsp green cardamom seeds 4 floz (120ml) vinegar 4 floz (120ml) vegetable oil 2 fl oz (50ml) sesame oil Method Soak the fenugreek seeds in water overnight. Strain, discarding the water. Place the seed with all other ingredients except the oils in a blender and blend till pureed. Leave to stand for at least 10 mins. Heat the oil and proceed to fry and finish off the paste as in the curry paste recipe. Variations on the Curry Theme I find that the powder and pastes above make an ideal base for a wide range of curries - Paula The base for any recipe is as follows: Per portion ½ small onion chopped 1 small clove garlic thinly sliced 1-2 tsp curry powder or 1 tbsp curry paste 2 tsp vegetable oil Method Heat oil over medium heat. Fry the garli for 30 sec, then add the onion and fry for 2 mins. Add curry powder and paste and fry for a further 2 mins. Add the main ingredient (meat and/or vegetable) of choice and stir fry for 5-10 mins in the case of meat, 4-5 mins in the case of vegetables. Curries can then be cooked "dry" until done or one of the following added per portion: 1 ½ tsp tomato purée and juice 1 lemon 3 tbsp single cream 2-3 tbsp Greek yoghurt 2-3 tbsp coconut milk 2-3 tbsp stock/water I find the latter two ingredients best for use in curries where I want to stew meat for a length of time, although in such cases I increase the quantities till the other ingredients are almost totally covered. Although the curry may appear to contain too much liquid at first it will thicken if the lid is removed 15-30 minutes before the end of cooking time. Chicken TikkaThe following is off the top of my head. Vary spices to suit your own tastes; I tend to vary the mix according to mood and I measure by eye, not teaspoon, so what follows is just my best estimate of a typical example. Grinding whole spices (and using fresh garlic, ginger) is usually better because pre-ground stuff doesn't retain its flavour for long. If you're feeling really keen, I'd recommend dry-frying the coriander and cumin until they turn a slightly darker brown, then grinding them. You'd probably want to increase the quantities of coriander cumin and chilli for lamb. The vital parts are: The lemon juice: this basically acts as a flavour enhancer. To allow a reasonable time-scale, a simple rule of thumb is to coat the meat in LJ (and a little salt, if you want) immediately before prepping the marinade. Lime juice works even better. The longer the meat sits in the marinade (up to about 24 hours, at any rate), the better the end product will taste. It'll also taste hotter, so allow for that in your use of hot spices. I reckon that 3-4 hours is the minimum for acceptable results. Chilli, coriander, cumin, ginger. 'Nuff said - Lock Serves:2 Ingredients ~300g Chicken breast, cut into about 12 pieces. 1 large clove garlic, very finely chopped 1cm cube of ginger, grated or finely chopped 4 tbsp full-fat natural yoghurt 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp coriander seeds Chilli [see note below] ½ tsp turmeric (or more if you want a bright colour) The seeds from one cardamom pod 1 clove 3-5 black peppercorns (optional) [variations: use ¼ tsp fennel seeds, or a couple of allspice seeds instead of clove; add a small pinch of asafoetida or ½ a teaspoon of amchur (dried bitter mango)] Note on chilli: chilli powder is OK if it's fresh, but I'd recommend either grinding up whole dried ones or finely chopping fresh ones (ditch the seeds: they add heat but not much flavour, so it's better to use a lot without seeds than a little with seeds). Obviously you'll have to vary quantities according to the individual chillies as well as your personal tastes, so get to know your dried ones, or cut a wee piece from a fresh one and taste it before use. Typically, I might use one or two long thin fresh chillies (of either colour), or a couple of dried 'birds eye' ones. Method Cut up meat and roll in lemon juice (and salt, if used). Set aside for 20 mins. Finely grind up whole spices and chop up garlic, ginger etc. Stir spices, garlic, ginger and chillies into yoghurt. Add meat and residual lemon juice. Stir around, the cover with cling film (unless you want your fridge to stink of chicken tikka) and shove in fridge to marinade. For cooking, since tandoors are hard to come by, the best option is probably just a hot oven (225C is reasonable), although grilling and the BBQ also work. Put the meat onto skewers, leaving 1-2cm gaps between pieces. Pour over a little left-over marinade, and let the oven work its magic until meat is cooked through but still juicy (NB: for lamb you don't need to be so careful; about 20 minutes) Turn 'em once during this process, and spoon over the last of the marinade at this point. Serve with whatever you want, but some kind of chutney, either rice or an Indian bread and something green and refreshing (salad or stir-fried veg with a little ginger and lemon juice) is a good mix. Green Thai Chicken CurryThis is a recipe which I made up at one stage, after Joe telling me about something similar Bu used to make a lot. I have no idea how similar this is to Bu's original recipe, but it's a nice variation on the more common Indian and Chinese style curries you tend to get. There is only one thing to watch out for with this recipe, and that is not to use onions or other pungent veggies, as they completely overpower the other flavours. I never thought it was possible, but this is a curry which is actually very aromatic and full of subtle flavours. Of course, you can always just spice it up to a themo-nuclear curry if that's your thing, but I wouldn't bother normally. I haven't bothered with quantities for the veggies. Use enough for 4 people, based on whether or not they are salad-dodgers. For a vegetarian dish, use more veggies, and no chicken. I think this is a curry which calls for wine rather than beer. A good fruity Chardonnay would go well, but a nice crisp Italian would be equally as palatable - JC Serves:4 Preparation time: 40 mins Ingredients 4 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips 2 tblsp plain white flour 1 tin coconut milk thai green curry paste kaffir lime leaves (optional) 1 stalk lemon grass, finely diced/shredded) Variety of vegetables (mangetout, baby sweetcorn, small asparagus tips, bell peppers, etc.) Method Cut the chicken into thin strips, about 1" to 2" in length, and toss in the flour until lightly coated Cut the veggies to a similar size (half the mangetout and sweetcorn, and use this as a size guide for everything else!) Heat a tablespoon of light cooking oil (rapeseed is good) in a wok until very hot (just beginning to smoke, but no more). Add the chicken and fry quickly to seal it. (At this high heat, if you stop stirring, stuff will burn. You have been warned.) Add the vegetables and lemon grass, and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring and tossing continuously Add green curry paste, and quickly stir in to coat the meat and vegetables. (Start with about 3 tsp. You can add more later if its not hot enough.) Reduce the heat, and add the coconut milk and 3 or 4 kaffir lime leaves. Allow the whole lot to simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste after about 15 minutes, and stir in more green curry paste if you feel it is necessary. Serve with perfumed or sticky Thai rice. Chicken Tikka II - Paula Serves: 4 Preparation time: 30 minutes plus marinading Ingredients 1 lb chicken cubed 1tsp ginger pulp (i.e. finely chopped) 1sp garlic pulp (1-2 cloves crushed) ¼ tsp tumeric 1tsp chilli powder ¼ pt natural yoghurt (5fl oz) 4 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander 1 tbsp oil Method Mix all ingredients except the oil together and leave the chicken to marinade for a minimum of 1-2 hours. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place the chicken on a tin-foil covered grill pan. Baste with 1 tbsp oil. Preheat grill to a medium high heat. Grill the chicken for 15-20 min, basting and turning 2-3 times. Chicken CurryThis is a recipe which has evolved over the years. After leaving college, my spice collection grew, 'cause I wasn't a poor student any more, and consequentially, I have ended up with something approaching the "traditional" spice mix, but you can omit any of the spices if you don't have them close to hand. If you want to make a beef curry out of this, half the turmeric quantity and add in some tomato puree (a dessert spoon or two) instead. Greek yoghurt is slightly more flavourful than natural, and tends to give a creamier sauce. A really rich alternative is to use ½ yoghurt and ½ cream - my current fave. If you like fruit in your curry, you can add some raisins or even banana about 10 mins from the end, or when you add the yoghurt/cream if you want the fruit flavours to be more dominant. The most important thing about this recipe is to never leave Bob near it unattended while you are cooking, unless you intend to try killing or seriously maiming someone from a chilli overdose - especially if their name is James. This curry goes great with your lager of choice, or with a good fruity white wine. And always remember: drinking water does not make the heat go away - it makes it worse. Alcoholic beverages or milk are your best bets - JC Serves: 4 Preparation time: 45 mins Ingredients 4 chicken breasts 4 medium or 2 large onions (mild Spanish or white onions work best) 1 or 2 fresh red chillis (deseeded and diced) ½ tspn caradmon powder ½ tspn cumin (ground, or seeds) 1 tspn ground coriander 1 tspn salt 3-4 tspn turmeric 500 ml natural or Greek yoghurt (or 250 ml yoghurt, 250ml cream) Method Cut the chicken and onions into squares, about ½" on a side. Mix all the spices and the chilli in a mortar, and crush into a paste. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, then just don't use cumin seeds (use powder) and dice the chilli as finely as possible. Heat some oil in a pan, add the chicken, and fry quickly to seal. Add the onions and reduce the heat, until the onions are sautéing Add the spice-mix and stir in, until everything is well coated. Add a dash of water (about a tablespoon) - this will prevent the yoghurt/cream from curdling when you add it. Add the yoghurt (and cream if you're using it), and stir in to let the turmeric colour everything nicely Allow to simmer for about 20-25 minutes. If the sauce is getting too thick, then add a small quantity of water. About 5 mins from the end, the flavours will have developed more or less fully. At this point, it is safe to taste and see if anything is missing/overpowering. If there is too much chilli, consider adding some powdered coconut (if you have it handy). Balti Lamb Tikka- Paula Serves: 4 Preparation time: 30 minutes plus marinading Ingredients 1 lb lamb 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp salt 1 tsp garlic pulp 1 tsp garam masala 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander 2 tbsp lemon juice 6fl oz natural yoghurt. 2 tbsp oil 1 tbsp tomato puree 1 pepper seeded and sliced 3 large chillies left whole Method Mix the lamb, cumin, coriander, chilli powder, salt, garlic pulp, garam masala, fresh coriander, lemon juice and yoghurt together and leave to marinade for a minimum of 1-2 hours. In pan heat the oil. Add the tomato puree, fry for a few seconds and then add the lamb (leaving excess marinade out). Cook for 7-10 minutes till lamb is browned, and cooked. Add the pepper and chillies and heat through. Serve. | |||||||
