The Big Book of Curry Recipes (18 page)

Ingredient:

500g (1 lb) firm sea fish (any kind)

2 large onions, minced

3 onions, sliced

1 tsp butter

5cm (2 in) piece of fresh ginger

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

12 black peppercorns, cracked in a mortar

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp chilli powder

2 eggs

salt, to taste

1 dessertspoon marjoram, copped

oil for deep frying

Method:

Bring a pan of water to a boil, add a little salt then add the fish pieces and cook for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain the fish and set aside to cool.

Heat the butter in a pan, add the onion and fry for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown in colour. Turn into a bowl and set aside. Finely chop the parsley and marjoram then mix in a bowl with the ginger, cumin seeds, black peppercorns and chilli powder. Beat the eggs thoroughly in another bowl.

Flake the fish and mix with the beaten egg then add the fried onion and herb and spice mix. Bring the ingredients together and form into 5cm diameter balls.

Heat oil in a deep fryer to 180ºC (360ºF). Add the fish balls and deep fry for about 8 minutes, or until golden brown and heated through. Remove from the oil, drain on kitchen paper then thread onto skewers with a slice of onion between each fish ball.

Serve hot, accompanied by rice and chutney.

Coconut Prawn Curry

Coconut Prawn Curry is a traditional Indian recipe (from South India) for a classic curry of prawns served in a pounded coconut, chilli, garlic and onion paste mixed with tamarind juice and curry leaves.

Ingredients:

1 coconut, finely grated

400g (1 lb, scant) prepared prawns

12 green chillies

1 tsp ground cumin seeds

8 garlic cloves

8 small onions, chopped

2 tsp oil

4 tbsp tamarind pulp

10 curry leaves

salt, to taste

Method:

Finely shred the curry leaves and mix with the coconut, chillies, cumin, onions and garlic. Place in a mortar and pound to a smooth paste with the oil.

Mix the tamarind pulp in 100ml (2/5 cup) hot water. Mash to form a juice then strain to remove any shells and stringy pieces. Add the tamarind water to the coconut mixture and make up to 1.2l (5 cups) with warm water.

Pour this mixture into a pan, add the prawns and season to taste with salt. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for about 10 minutes, or until heated through and the prawns are pink and cooked.

Serve hot with plain rice.

Young Milk Shark Curry

Young Milk Shark Curry is a traditional Sri Lankan recipe for a classic curry of baby shark cooked in a herbed and spiced coconut milk base with saffron.

I often go fishing near my parents’ home in North Wales. There are a large number of fish species to be caught, but the one you tend to catch most often, particularly in late summer is the dogfish, which is sold in fish and chip shops as ‘rock salmon’. Now, the dogfish is a species of small shark with sandpaper-like skin and I often have had problems with how to cook it. Then, whilst perusing an old recipe book, I came across this recipe from Sri Lanka for cooking young milk shark (about 30cm [12 in] long). This was about the same size as the dogfish I was catching, and, because a dogfish is a shark I decided to try this recipe... and it really worked. So, if you have ever caught dogfish and thrown it back, rather than trying to cook it, then this just could be the recipe for you.

Ingredients:

1 baby milk shark (about 30cm [12 in] long), or a dogfish of similar size

For every 1kg of fish add:

4 garlic cloves, chopped

3 slices of fresh ginger, chopped

5cm (2 in) length of pandan (rampe) leaf

2cm (1 in) length of lemongrass, hard outer layers removed

1 sprig of curry leaves

3cm (1 in) length of cinnamon stick

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp white cumin seeds

1/2 tsp sweet cumin seeds.

60ml (1/4 cup) oil or ghee, for frying

For the curry:

2 garlic cloves

2 pieces of ginger (each 3cm [1 in] thick)

3cm (1 in) length of cinnamon stick

6 curry leaves

10 cardamom pods, ground to a powder

juice of 2 limes

1 dessertspoon ghee or cooking oil

2 pieces of fresh ginger (each 2cm long)

1/2 tsp fresh fennel leaves, finely chopped

400ml (1 2/3 cups) coconut milk

1/2 tsp saffron, crumbled to a powder

20 dried red chillies, toasted until aromatic and ground

1 dessertspoon tamarind juice (dissolve tamarind paste in boiling water)

salt, to taste

1 tbsp arrack or rum

Method:

You could use a whole, firm, white fish for this instead of shark. But, if using shark clean and then skin the fish before cooking.

Heat the 60g ghee or oil in a heavy-based pan then add all the ingredients from the first batch of spices and fry until coloured dark brown. Turn into a bowl and set aside.

Add the 1 dessertspoon ghee or oil from the second batch to the pan. Mix all the ingredients from the curry batch of spices (except the tamarind juice and coconut milk) with the fish. Add to the pan and fry until the fish is lightly browned all over. When fried, add the coconut milk and tamarind juice then mix the fried spices and bring to a simmer. Season to taste with salt, cover the pan and cook gently for about 40 minutes, or until the fish is tender (the flesh should flake easily with a fork).

Remove the fish and set aside on a warmed serving dish. Stir the arrack or rum into the sauce, simmer for 2 minutes more, pour over the fish and serve.

Sri Lankan Crab Curry

Sri Lankan Crab Curry is a traditional Sri Lankan recipe for a classic curry of crabs cooked with drumstick tree leaves and chillies in a coconut milk base.

Ingredients:

5 large cooked crabs

750ml (3 cups) thin coconut milk

500ml (2 cups) thick coconut milk

2 handfuls moringa (drumstick tree) leaves

6 red onions, sliced

juice of 1 lemon

6 green chillies, sliced

2 dessertspoons ground chillies

1 sprig curry leaves

1 dessertspoon coconut oil or ghee

salt, to taste

Method:

Wash the crabs thoroughly, then remove the top shells and take out the brown and white meats (also remove the meats from the claws).

Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions and fry for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned then stir in the crab meat, the coconut milks, lemon juice, drumstick tree leaves, chillies, ground chillies and curry leaves.

Season to taste with salt, bring to simmer and cook, uncovered, until the sauce has reduced down to about 1l. Serve hot, accompanied by rice.

Cuttlefish and Moringa Leaf Curry

Cuttlefish and Moringa Leaf Curry is a traditional Sri Lankan recipe for a classic curry of cuttlefish cooked with drumstick tree leaves in a spiced coconut milk base.

Ingredients:

1 cuttlefish (about 250g [9 oz]), cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 small onion, finely minced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 green chillies, halved lengthways

sprig of curry leaves

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp hot chilli powder

1/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper

1/2 tsp curry powder, toasted in a dry pan until aromatic

1 tomato, quartered

1/2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)

400ml (14 1/2 oz) tin of coconut milk

1 bunch of moringa (drumstick tree) leaves

2 tbsp groundnut oil

salt, to taste

Method:

In a bowl, combine the cuttlefish pieces with the turmeric, chilli powder, cornflour, black pepper and a pinch of salt. Toss to coat and set aside.

Heat the oil in a pan and when hot use to fry the onions, curry leaves, garlic and green chillies for about 6 minutes, or until the onions are golden brown.

Add the cuttlefish (and their spices) and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Now pour in the coconut milk and add the fenugreek seeds, curry powder and tomato. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the cuttlefish pieces are tender.

Take off the heat and stir in the moringa leaves. Serve immediately, accompanied by rice.

Stuffed Bell Pepper Curry

Stuffed Bell Pepper Curry is a traditional Indian recipe for a classic curry of bell peppers stuffed with an onion and Bombay duck mix that’s cooked in a coconut milk base flavoured with onion, Bombay duck and curry leaves.

Ingredients:

6 large green bell peppers

115g (1/4 lb) red onions, finely sliced

60g (2 oz) smoked and dried fish (or Bombay duck), flesh removed and pounded to a paste

1/4 tsp hot chilli powder

2 tbsp coconut oil

butter or oil for frying

1 dessertspoon lime juice

salt, to taste

For the curry:

250ml (1 cup) thick coconut milk

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp smoked and dried fish (or Bombay duck), flesh removed and flaked

4 red onions, thinly sliced

1 sprig curry leaves

pinch of saffron

2 tsp lemon juice

salt, to taste

1 tsp curry powder

Method:

Slit the bell peppers lengthways along one side and about 5cm (2 in) from the ends. Remove the membranes and seeds with a small spoon.

In a bowl, mix the onions with the fish, chilli powder, coconut oil and lime juice. Season to taste with salt then use this mixture to stuff the bell peppers.

Heat butter or oil in a frying pan, add the stuffed bell peppers and fry for about 12 minutes, or until browned all over and cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Mix the red onions with the chilli powder, dried fish, curry leaves, saffron, lemon juice and salt. Put the mixture in a pan and pour over the coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 12 minutes.

Arrange the stuffed bell peppers on a serving dish. Sprinkle the curry powder over the curry sauce, pour over the curry sauce and serve.

Khichiri Prawn Sauce

Khichiri Prawn Sauce is a classic Indian recipe (from Bengal) for a classic dish of prawns in a tomato and onion base. This can be served as a sauce in its own right, but is typically mixed with cooked basmati rice and moong dhal (hulled black chickpeas) before serving.

Ingredients:

15 medium-sized prawns, peeled and de-veined

1 tsp ground turmeric

3 tomatoes, chopped

2 onions, thinly sliced

2 tbsp ginger, finely chopped

1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped

5 green chillies, a lengthways slit cut in the slides

2 tsp garam masala

2 tbsp ground coriander seeds

4 tbsp ghee

salt, to taste

6 whole green chillies, to garnish

2 tbsp freshly-grated coconut (optional)

For a Substantial dish:

150g cooked rice

75g cooked moong dhal (hulled black chickpeas)

100g cooked fresh garden peas

Method:

Mix the prawns with the ground turmeric in a bowl and set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp of the ghee in a wok, add the prawn and season with a little salt. Fry until pink and just cooked through then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the remainder of the ghee to the wok and when hot scatter over the garam masala. Fry for 20 seconds then add the onion slices and fry for about 6 minutes, or until golden brown. Now add the ginger, garlic and the slit green chillies. Scatter over the ground coriander seeds and fry, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes and fry for about 5 minutes, or until they begin to break down. Return the prawns to the pan and allow to heat through. Serve garnished with the grated coconut and whole green chillies.

To make this into a more substantial dish to serve on its, own, prepare the sauce as above and, just before serving stir in 150g cooked rice, 75g cooked moong dhal and the garden peas.

Vegetarian Curries.

Vegetarian dishes, particularly those based on pulses and beans of various kind are an important and integral part of Indian cuisine. Partly this is due to the absence of meat in the Hindu diet, but it’s also due to the fertility of the Indus valley where a number of the pulses, vegetable and spices used internationally today originate. It is also the case that a mix of pulses and rice (dhal, rice and wheat-based bread in the Indian context) provides all the amino acids that humans need, so a combination of these and dietary fat can sustain a large population.

Parthade Curry

Parthade Curry is a traditional Indian recipe for a classic curry of parthade (steamed vegetarian dish of greens and chillies in a ground rice dough).

Ingredients:

10 dried chillies

1 small piece turmeric root

2 tbsp coriander seeds

5 peppercorns

2 tsp cumin seed (jeera)