The Big Book of Curry Recipes (26 page)

Heat the groundnut oil in a pan, and when hot add the mustard seeds and the asafoetida. When the mustard seeds begin to pop, pour in 120ml (1/2 cup) water and add the mung bean mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer then cover the pan and cook until the mung beans are soft (about 50 minutes). The final curry should be very dry.

Serve hot with rice and/or flatbreads.

Dhal Curry

Dhal Curry is a traditional Sri Lankan recipe for a classic vegetarian curry of chana dhal (hulled black chickpeas) in an spiced coconut milk base.

Ingredients:

225g (1/2 lb) chana dhal (hulled black chickpeas) [this recipe calls for fresh, if dried pre-boil for 15 minutes before use]

2 medium red onions, sliced lengthways into thin strips

1 tsp (heaped) mustard seeds

1 tsp powdered fish (optional; if not available buy a dried fish in the Oriental supermarket, dry fry and then grind)

3 green chillies

juice 1/2 lime

1 dessertspoon coconut oil or ghee

2cm (1 in) length of cinnamon stick

250ml (1 cup) thin coconut milk

250ml (1 cup) thick coconut milk

1 sprig of curry leaves

1 tsp ground turmeric

3cm (1 in) piece of rampe (this is pandan leaf, if not available substitute a piece of vanilla pod)

salt, to taste

Method:

Wash the chana dhal thoroughly then turn into a pan and pour in the thin coconut milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook, stirring frequently for 3 minutes. Now add the thick coconut milk and season with salt to taste.

Cook for a further 5 minutes, again stirring frequently then take off the heat and stir in the lime juice.

Heat the coconut oil or ghee in a clean pan then add the onions, curry leaves, rampe and mustard seeds. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are golden brown then add the dhal and the remaining spices. Sit a tight-fitting lid on top, bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes.

Serve hot, accompanied by rice and sour pickle.

Cauliflower Curry

Cauliflower Curry is a traditional Indian recipe for a classic vegetarian curry of cauliflower, new potatoes, carrots and broad beans cooked in a spiced tomato gravy base.

Ingredients:

1 large cauliflower, separated into florets

500g (1 lb) tomatoes

500g (1 lb) new potatoes, scraped and cubed

500g (1 lb) carrots, scraped and cubed

125g (5 oz) fresh broad beans, skins removed

4 sprigs of parsley

60g butter or mustard oil

1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp hot chilli powder

1 large lemon, quartered

2 medium onions, very finely chopped

salt, to taste

Method:

In a mortar, grind the coriander, turmeric, cumin, ginger and chilli powder and work with 1 tbsp cold water to form a paste. Gradually add 220ml (1 cup, scant) boiling water, working it into the paste until smooth.

Heat the oil or ghee in a pan, add the onion pieces and fry for about 4 minutes, or until just very lightly browned. Stir in the curry spice paste and the tomato then bring to a boil. As soon as the mixture boils add the broad beans and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the potatoes and carrots. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes, or until the carrots are half done.

At this point add the cauliflower florets then pour in just enough water to cover the ingredients. Add the lemon quarters and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender. During this time, do not stir, but shake the pan occasionally (this will prevent the cauliflower from breaking up)

Turn into a serving dish, garnish with the parsley and serve accompanied by rice and pickles.

Banana-skin Curry

Banana-skin Curry is a traditional Indian recipe for a classic vegetarian curry of green banana skins cooked in a coconut and spice base flavoured with curry leaves.

Ingredients:

200g (7 oz) green banana skins

2 tbsp freshly-grated coconut

3 onions

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 green chilli, finely chopped

1 dessertspoon ghee

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

3 curry leaves, crushed

salt, to taste

Method:

To prepare the banana skins, take unripe bananas and wash well then, using a sharp knife peel off the topmost layer of green skin. Chop this skin then place in a pan, cover with water, season with a little salt, bring to a boil and bring to a boil.

Add all the remaining ingredients (except the mustard and curry leaves). Mix all the ingredients together, cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for 10 minutes.

At this point, heat the ghee in a pan, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the banana leaf and spice mix (they should be completely dry by this point). Stir-fry the resultant mixture for two or three minutes then turn onto a serving dish and serve piping hot.

(The left-over bananas will ripen as normal and can be cooked in the usual way, or you can use them whilst green in place of plantains.)

Khuttah Karee (Acid Vegetable Curry)

Khuttah Karee (Acid Vegetable Curry) is a traditional Indian recipe (from Bengal) for a mixed vegetable curry cooked in a spiced tamarind juice base.

The name here is Bengali and the original recipe comes from an Anglo-Indian cookbook of the 1900s,
The People’s Indian Cookery Book; New and Popular Culinary and Household Recipes
, Olivia C. Fitzgerald, 1900, Calcutta.

Ingredients:

500g (1 oz) potatoes (scrubbed if new potatoes, pared if old potatoes), cut into large chunks

125g (5 oz) Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed clean and cut into large chunks

125g (5 oz) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

125g (5 oz) carrots, scraped and cut into large chunks

125g (5 oz) pumpkin or squash, peeled and cut into large chunks

125g (5 oz) tomatoes, chopped

1 onion, chopped into small pieces

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp chilli powder

2 garlic cloves

1 tsp ground coriander seeds

60ml (2 oz) mustard oil

15g (1/2 oz) tamarind pulp

1 dessertspoon Demerara sugar

1 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji, onion seeds)

salt, to taste

Method:

Mash the tamarind then mix to a paste with a little hot water. Now add enough boiling water to make it up to 500ml (2 cups) then strain to remove any bits of pod or shell. Mix in the sugar then add the spices and garlic.

Add the vegetables to a pan, pour over the liquid and bring to a boil. In the meantime, heat the mustard oil in a pan, add bring just to a boil. Take off the heat and pour into the vegetable mix. Cover the pan tightly, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Take off the heat and set aside to cool. This dish is typically eaten cold and tastes better that way.

Aloo Dum (New Potato Curry)

Aloo Dum (New Potato Curry) is a traditional Indian recipe (from Bengal) for a classic curry of new potatoes in a lightly-spiced gravy with sour milk.

Ingredients:

500g (1 lb) small new potatoes, scrubbed clean

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds

1/4 tsp chilli powder

1/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper

pinch of dried ginger

3 cassia leaves (or a piece of cassia bark)

60ml (1/4 cup) sour milk (or buttermilk)

120g (4 oz) ghee, butter or cooking oil

1/2 tsp ground cumin seeds

pinch of ground aniseeds

salt, to taste

Method:

Bring a pan of lightly-salted water to a boil, add the potatoes and boil for about 20 minutes, or until cooked through but still firm. Mix the turmeric, coriander seeds, black pepper, chilli powder and ginger in a bowl. Add enough water to bring them together as a paste then combine with the sour milk or buttermilk.

Drain the potatoes then smear over the spice mixture and set aside.

Melt the ghee or butter in a pan, add the cassia leaves, aniseed, cumin and garam masala and stir until aromatic. Add the potatoes to this mix and fry for 1 minute then add 2 tbsp water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, or until dry.

Turn the potatoes into a dish and serve.

Bhoonee Khichiri (Rice and Lentil Kedgeree)

Bhoonee Khichiri (Rice and Lentil Kedgeree) is a traditional Indian recipe for a classic vegetarian dish of mixed rice and lentils.

Ingredients:

225g (1/2 lb) basmati rice, washed

115g (1/4 lb) lentils, washed and soaked in water for 1 hour before cooking

6 onions, sliced lengthways into thin slivers

120g (4 oz) butter

3cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

12 black peppercorns

salt, to taste

6 cloves

seeds from 2 cardamom pods

4 bayleaves

4 small cinnamon sticks (about 2cm [3/4 in] long, each)

Method:

Melt the butter in a pan. When bubbling, add the sliced onions and cook for about 5 minutes, or until nicely browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Drain the lentils, mix with the rice and add to the butter remaining in the pan. Fry until the butter has been absorbed, then add the ginger slices and all the remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly to combine then pour in enough water to just cover all the ingredients.

Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer gently until all the liquid has been absorbed (about 30 minutes). During the cooking time, do not stir the ingredients, but shake the pan from time to time to prevent the rice and lentils from sticking to the base.

When the rice is dry, turn the contents of the pan into a warmed dish, top with the fried onions and serve.

Egg Curry

Egg Curry is a traditional Anglo-Indian recipe for a classic vegetarian curry of a spiced onion and tamarind blend in which eggs are fried.

Ingredients:

8 eggs

2 onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 green chillies

1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds

1/2 tsp ground cumin seeds

1/2 tsp hot chilli powder

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

2 tbsp tamarind pulp

4 tomatoes, sliced

60g (2 oz) ghee or butter

Method:

Heat the ghee or butter in a pan. When hot add the onions and fry for about 6 minutes, or until golden brown. Add the tomatoes, garlic and chillies at this point, along with the spices (but not the tamarind paste). Stir in 250ml (1 cup) water then bring to a simmer.

Reduce the heat to low and continue coking gently for about 8 minutes. In the meantime, mix the tamarind pulp with 120ml (1/2 cup) boiling water in a small bowl. Allow to cook enough to handle then squeeze the tamarind pulp to extract as much of the flavour as possible. Pass through a fine-meshed sieve and reserve the liquid.

Add the tamarind juice to the gravy and season to taste with salt. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes then turn the gravy into a wide frying pan. Bring back to a simmer then form eight depressions in the gravy and crack an egg into each one. Continue simmering (without stirring) for about 3 minutes more, or until the eggs are set.

Serve hot, accompanied by rice.

Aloo Anda (Eggs on Potatoes)

Aloo Anda (Eggs on Potatoes) is a traditional Indian recipe for a classic vegetarian dish of fried eggs blended with eggs.

Ingredients:

8 eggs

1kg (2 lb) potatoes, peeled and finely diced

4 onions, finely chopped

100g (3 1/2 oz) oil or ghee for cooking

1 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

salt, to taste

Method:

Heat the oil or ghee in a large pan, add the onions and fry for 4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the potatoes then stir in the turmeric and chilli powder. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes, or until the potato pieces are completely tender.

Break the eggs into a bowl and beat them together well. Add the eggs to the potatoes and cook, stirring constantly, until the eggs are cooked.

Season to taste with salt and serve.

Aloo Mutter (Potatoes with Peas)

Aloo Mutter (Potatoes with Peas) is a traditional Indian recipe for a classic vegetarian curry of green peas and potatoes cooked in a spiced onion and tomato gravy base.

Ingredients:

500g (1 lb) green peas (fresh or frozen)

225g (1/2 lb) potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

2 onions, thinly sliced

2 tomatoes, chopped

60g (2 oz) ghee or oil for frying

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp ground coriander seeds

1/4 tsp ground cumin seeds

2 tsp salt (or to taste)

Method:

Heat ghee or oil in a pan. When hot, add the onions and fry for 2 minutes. Now add the tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes more before adding the potatoes, peas and the spices. Season with the salt and fold to combine. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the peas and potatoes are tender.

Serve hot, accompanied by chapattis or
parrattas
.

Vadis

Vadis is a traditional Indian recipe for a classic vegetarian dish of a cooked lentil, onion and chilli blend bound with egg and fried as patties to cook.

Ingredients:

250g (9 oz) red lentils

1 tsp sea salt, to taste

4 large onions, finely sliced

1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

8 green chillies, chopped

2 eggs

oil or ghee for frying

Method:

Bring a pan half-full of water to a boil (about 500ml [2 cups]). Add the lentils and the turmeric and bring back to a boil. Continue boiling for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are soft and almost all the liquid has evaporated away.