The Big Book of Curry Recipes (58 page)

Ingredients:

450ml (1 4/5 cups) Plain Yoghurt

2 Green Chillies

2 tsp Fresh Ginger, grated

2 Garlic cloves

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp hot chilli powder

1 tsp Black Cumin

1 1/2 tsp Garam Masala (see the spice blends chapter for the recipe)

2 tsp Vinegar

2 tsp Cooking oil

2 tsp Paprika (for colour)

1/2 tsp ground Turmeric

Method:

Add the yoghurt, ginger, chillies and garlic to a blender and blend until they form a smooth paste. Empty into a bowl and add all the remaining ingredients. Beat until smooth and glossy

Seychelles Curry Paste

Origin:
Seychelles
       Period:
Traditional

This is a traditional Seychellois recipe for a classic local curry paste used in many of the Seychelles’ local dishes.

Ingredients

10 curry leaves

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp finely-chopped chillies

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp ground coriander seeds

1 chilli

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp grated nutmeg

Method:

Add all the ingredients to a pestle and mortar and pound together. Add a little water to form a paste and store in an air-tight jar in the fridge.

Tamarind Paste

Origin:
Indonesia
       Period:
Traditional

This is a traditional Indonesian recipe for making a tamarind paste from pulped tamarind pods.

Ingredients

100g (3 1/2 oz) tamarind pulp

20ml (4 tsp) Lime Juice

Sea Salt, to taste

1 tsp Arrowroot

Method:

Crush the tamarind and salt in a pestle and mortar. Transfer to a blender, add the remaining ingredients and blitz until a smooth paste. Transfer to an airtight jar and gently warm to activate the arrowroot.

Thai Green Curry Paste

Origin:
Thailand
       Period:
Traditional

This is a traditional Thai recipe for a classic green-coloured curry paste made from a blend of chillies, coriander, garlic, shallots, galangal and groundnut oil with lime zest and spices.

Ingredients

2 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp black peppercorns

4 large green chillies, de-seeded

2 shallots, quartered

2 garlic cloves, peeled

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (including roots and stalks)

freshly-grated zest of 1 lime

1 tsp roughly-chopped galangal

1 tsp ground turmeric

salt, to taste

2 tbsp groundnut oil

Method:

Lightly toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and black peppercorns in a dry frying pan until aromatic then add to a coffee grinder and render to a powder. Transfer to a food processor and blend along with the remaining ingredients to a smooth paste. This will store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or can be frozen until needed.

Thai Red Curry Paste

Origin:
Thailand
       Period:
Traditional

This is a traditional Thai recipe for a classic hot curry paste that forms the base for Thai red curries.

Ingredients

8 fresh red chillies

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds

2.5cm (1 in) piece ginger, peeled and chopped

1/2 stalk lemongrass chopped

1 tsp salt

grated rind of 1 lime

4 garlic cloves, chopped

3 shallots, chopped

2 shredded Kaffir lime leaves (with mid-rib removed)

1 tbsp olive oil

2–3 tbsp shrimp paste

1 tbsp
Tamarind Paste

2 tbsp paprika

1/8 tsp ground turmeric

Method:

A very easy sauce to prepare, simply mince all the ingredients together in a blender until it forms a smooth paste. Once made it will keep for about two days in the fridge.

Thai Yellow Curry Paste

Origin:
Thailand
       Period:
Traditional

This is a traditional Thai recipe for a classic curry sauce that is coloured yellow with turmeric. This is a lighter curry paste than the more familiar red and green curry pastes and this goes particularly well with fish dishes.

Ingredients

1 stalk of lemongrass, minced

2 yellow chillies, sliced

2 shallots, sliced

1 thumb-sized piece of galangal, peeled and sliced

4 garlic cloves

1 tsp ground coriander seeds

2 tsp ground cumin seeds

1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp fish sauce

1/2 tsp shrimp paste

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp ground white pepper

2 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp tomato purée

1/2 tsp palm sugar (or golden caster sugar)

up to 80ml (1/3 cup) coconut milk

Method:

Combine all the ingredients (except the coconut milk) in a blender or food processor. Pulse to chop then add half the coconut milk. Pulse to combine then continue adding the coconut milk as you process until the blades just move freely.

Process until smooth and use immediately. Alternatively you can freeze to use later.

Vindaloo Curry Paste

Origin:
India
       Period:
Traditional

This is a traditional Indian recipe for a classic curry sauce of the type typically used by Indian restaurants. Blend of hot spices, garlic, chillies and ginger with tamarind pulp and vinegar that is used in the making of vindaloo-type curries.

Ingredients

5 tbsp cumin seeds

4 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp fenugreek seeds

1 cinnamon stick (about 5cm [2 in] long), broken into pieces

1 1/2 tbsp black peppercorns

1 1/2 tbsp green cardamom pods, lightly crushed

1 1/2 tbsp whole cloves

2 tbsp black mustard seeds

2 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp ground ginger

3 tbsp hot chilli powder

4 tsp hot paprika

1 tbsp salt

30 garlic cloves, peeled

4 thumb-sized pieces of ginger, peeled

8 fresh red chillies

180ml (2/3 cup) tamarind pulp

250ml (1 cup) white wine vinegar

Method:

Separately toast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, cinnamon, black peppercorns, cardamom pods, cloves and black mustard seeds in a dry pan until aromatic. Combine these toasted spices in a coffee grinder with the turmeric, ginger, chilli powder, paprika and salt. Render to a fine powder.

Add the garlic, ginger, chillies and vinegar to a food processor or blender and render to a smooth paste. Mix with the ground spices then work in the tamarind pulp until smooth.

Turn the mixture into a sterilized glass jar. Secure with a vinegar-proof lid and sore in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 3 months.

Historic Curries.

The first curry recipe recorded in English is by Hannah Glasse in her 1747 cookery book,
The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy
The first edition of her book used only black pepper and coriander seeds for seasoning of ‘currey’. By the fourth edition of the book (from which the recipe below is given), other ingredients such as turmeric and ginger were called for.

This seems unusual to us, as there are no chillies mentioned (they are a feature of Victorian curry powders). However, the Portuguese only introduced chillies to their colony of Goa in South India in the 1600s. By the mid 18th century, though chillies were common in south Indian cookery they had not spread to the remainder of India. Indeed, it was the British themselves, who took Goan cooks with them that helped spread chillies through the sub-continent.

By the time Eliza Acton had published her book (
Modern Cookery
) in 1845 commercial curry powders and pastes were available and the familiar turmeric-based curry powders we know today were in favour. This is when the modern curry has its inception.

Most of the recipes given here are for Anglo-Indian curries and come  from 19th century books published in English. There is one book from the 1890s (the Indian Cookery Book) by an unknown author that gives a more traditional Indian set of curries (amongst the usual Anglo-Indian and Victorian fare) and a number of recipes from that volume are reproduced here as well.

All the recipes given below are in historic order, beginning with Hannah Glasse’s recipe.

To Make Currey the Indian Way

This is a traditional recipe from Britain, based on Hannah Glasse’s recipe of 1747 (from her
The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy
), for a classic dish of blanched chickens that are finished by frying in butter with eggs, turmeric, black pepper and ginger before being finished with chicken stock and cream; a recipe that is the oldest version of an Indian-style curry in the English language.

Original Recipe:

To make a currey the Indian way.

Take two ſmall chickens, ſkin them and cut them as for a fricaſey, waſh them clean, and ſtew them in about a quart of water, for about five minutes, then ſtrain off the liquor and put the chickens in a clean diſh ; take three large onions, chop them ſmall, and fry them in about two ounces of butter, then put in the chickens and fry them together till they are brown, take a quarter of an ounce of turmerick, a large ſpoonful of ginger and beaten pepper together, and a little ſalt to your palate : ſtrew all theſe ingredients over the chickens whilſt it is frying, then pour in the liquor, and let it ſtew about half an hour, then put in a quarter of a pint of cream, and the juice of two lemons, and ſerve it up. The ginger, pepper, and turmerick muſt be beat very fine.

Modern Redaction

This is a truly important recipe, as it represents the first recipe we have for an Indian-style curry. It includes two classic curry ingredients, turmeric and ginger, but there are no cardamoms or cumin and no chillies. It’s also finished with cream and this could be the true antecedent of that most British of curries, the Tikka Masala.

Ingredients:

1 chicken, skinned and jointed into serving pieces

2 large onions, finely chopped

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp freshly-ground black pepper

2 tsp dried ginger

400ml (1 2/3 cups) chicken stock

100ml (2/5 cup) double cream

juice of 1 lemon

Method:

Prepare and joint the chicken, then place in a large pan and pour over 1l water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Strain off the liquid (reserve 400ml) then set the chicken pieces aside.

Melt the butter in a large pan, add the onions and fry for about 5 minutes, or until translucent then add the chicken pieces and fry until beginning to brown. Scatter the spices over the top, stir to combine and cook for a few minutes more.

Now add the 400ml (1 2/3 cups) reserved chicken stock, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken pieces are tender. Reduce the heat then stir in the cream and lemon juice. Bring just to a simmer (do not allow to boil) then take off the heat and serve accompanied by boiled rice.

Vinthaleaux

Vinthaleaux is a traditional Indian recipe (from Goa) for a classic Vindaloo-style dish of mutton cooked in a meat stock and vinegar base with spices, onion and garlic.

This is actually a variant of Vindaloo, and is a product of the late 1800s, where the Goan cooks of the British Raj Frenchified the name of Vindaloo to make it sound more ‘posh’. However, it’s still basically meat cooked in a spiced garlic and vinegar sauce. Though it’s closer to the Goan version than the Anglo-Indian variety, which is much more highly-spiced with chillies.

Ingredients:

500g (1 lb 1 oz) mutton, cut into small pieces

1 tbsp ghee, butter or mustard oil

1 large onion, sliced

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tsp ground cumin seeds

1 tsp ground mustard seeds

1/2 tsp hot chilli powder

200ml (4/5 cup) meat stock

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp brown sugar

2 dessert spoons vinegar

3/4 tsp ground turmeric

Method:

Heat the ghee, butter or mustard oil in a pan. Add the onion and fry for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Add spices, garlic and fry for 2 minutes then add the mutton and fry until browned all over. Pour in the stock then stir in the salt and sugar.

Bring to a boil, cover the pan and cook for 25 minutes, or until the mutton is tender. Just before serving add the vinegar. Serve hot, accompanied by rice.

A Bengal Currie

A Bengal Currie is a traditional British recipe, based on Eliza Acton’s recipe of 1845, for a classic Victorian curry, styled on those of Bengal for an onion and garlic base flavoured with ginger, turmeric and cayenne pepper in which mutton or beef is cooked.