Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (61 page)
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
We wanted a complex but not heavy-flavored Indian curry that wouldn’t take all day to prepare. Toasting a combination of whole spices in oil before adding aromatics, jalapeño, and ground spices provided the authentic, intense flavor we were after. Instead of browning the meat, we simply stirred it into the pot along with crushed tomatoes and cooked the mixture until the liquid evaporated and the oil separated. This is a classic Indian technique that allows the spices to further release and develop their flavors in the oil, which is then absorbed by the meat.
We then added water and simmered the mixture until the meat was tender. Adding potatoes lent heartiness and appealing contrasting texture, and a little cilantro provided a fresh finish. We found we could create several variations using chicken, shrimp, or beef, and various vegetables including spinach and peas, as well as yellow split peas. In some cases we swapped the tomatoes for yogurt for a creamier, richer curry.
SERVES 4 TO 6
Gather and prepare all of your ingredients before you begin. Garlic and ginger may be pureed by hand or in a minichop food processor. If using a minichopper, process the garlic and ginger with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water until pureed. You may substitute a scant ¹⁄
2
teaspoon of cayenne pepper for the jalapeño, adding it to the skillet with the other ground dried spices. Feel free to increase the aromatics
(garlic, ginger, jalapeños, and onions) or dry spice quantities. For a creamier curry, use the yogurt rather than the crushed tomatoes. Serve with
BASMATI RICE PILAF
.
WHOLE SPICE BLEND
1¹⁄ | (3-inch-long) cinnamon sticks |
4 | whole cloves |
4 | green cardamom pods |
8 | black peppercorns |
1 | bay leaf |
CURRY
¹⁄ | cup vegetable oil |
1 | onion, sliced thin |
1¹⁄ | pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into ³⁄ |
²⁄ | cup crushed tomatoes |
4 | large garlic cloves, minced |
1 | tablespoon grated fresh ginger |
2 | teaspoons ground cumin |
2 | teaspoons ground coriander |
1 | teaspoon ground turmeric |
Salt | |
2 | cups water |
1 | jalapeño chile, cut in half lengthwise, stemmed and seeded |
4 | medium boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into ³⁄ |
4 | tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro |
1. FOR THE SPICE BLEND:
Combine ingredients in small bowl.
2. FOR THE CURRY:
Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add spice blend and cook, stirring with wooden spoon until cinnamon stick unfurls and cloves pop, about 5 seconds. Add onions and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
3.
Stir in lamb, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and ¹⁄
2
teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid evaporates, oil separates and turns orange, and spices begin to fry, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until spices
are very fragrant,
about 30 seconds longer.
4.
Add water and jalapeño Bring to simmer, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meat is tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
5.
Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro, simmer 3 minutes, season with salt to taste, and serve.
Omit whole spice blend and potatoes. Add ¹⁄
2
teaspoon fenugreek along with cumin, coriander, and turmeric in step 3 and ¹⁄
4
cup dried figs, chopped coarse, along with water in step 4.
In step 2, saute onions until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Substitute 6 skinless chicken thighs for lamb and ¹⁄
2
cup plain whole-milk yogurt for tomatoes. In step 4, add 1 cup chopped cilantro before adding water and cook until chicken is cooked through
,
20 to 30 minutes. Substitute 4 zucchini, cut into ¹⁄
2
-inch cubes, for potatoes. Reduce cilantro stirred into curry in step 5 to 2 tablespoons.
In this variation, the spinach becomes the sauce.
Omit whole spice blend. Add ¹⁄
2
teaspoon fenugreek along with cumin, coriander, and turmeric in step 3 and substitute 6 skinless chicken thighs for lamb. Add 1¹⁄
2
pounds spinach, stemmed and chopped coarse, to pot before adding water in step 4. Once chicken is tender, 20 to 30 minutes, remove and keep warm and continue to cook sauce over high heat until thickened, about 10 minutes.
Omit whole spice blend, lamb, and potatoes and sauté onions in step 2 until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Substitute ¹⁄
2
cup plain whole-milk cup for tomatoes. Add 1 cup chopped cilantro before adding water in step 4 and stir in 1¹⁄
2
pounds extra-large
shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined, and 1 cup frozen peas, thawed, with cilantro in step 5, reducing cilantro to 2 tablespoons.
Channa dal is the name for yellow Indian split peas, available at Indian specialty food shops. Four red potatoes, peeled and cut into ³⁄
4
-inch pieces, or regular green split peas may be substituted for the channa dal. Gather and prepare all of your ingredients before you begin. You may substitute a scant ¹⁄
2
teaspoon of cayenne pepper for the jalapeño, adding it to the skillet with the other ground dried spices. Feel free to increase the aromatics (garlic, ginger, jalapeños, and onions) or dry spice quantities. Serve the curry with
BASMATI RICE PILAF
.
¹⁄ | cup vegetable oil |
1 | teaspoon cumin seeds |
2 | teaspoons coriander seeds |
1 | onion, sliced thin |
4 | large garlic cloves, minced |
1 | tablespoon grated fresh ginger |
1¹⁄ | pounds top sirloin, trimmed and cut into ³⁄ |
²⁄ | cup crushed tomatoes |
1 | teaspoon ground turmeric |
Salt | |
2 | cups water |
1 | jalapeño chile, cut in half lengthwise, stemmed, and seeded |
¹⁄ | cup channa dal (Indian split peas) |
2–4 | tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro |
1.
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Crush cumin and coriander seeds in mortar and pestle and add to skillet. Add onion to skillet and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
2.
Crush garlic and ginger along with pinch salt in mortar and pestle. Stir crushed garlic-ginger mixture, beef, tomatoes, turmeric, and ¹⁄
2
teaspoon salt into pot and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid evaporates, oil separates and turns orange, and spices begin to fry, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until spices are very fragrant, about 30 seconds longer.
3.
Add water and jalapeño. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meat is tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
4.
Add channa dal and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro, simmer 3 minutes, season with salt to taste, and serve.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Vegetable curries can be complicated affairs, with lengthy ingredient lists and fussy techniques meant to compensate for the lack of meat. We wanted a curry we could make on a weeknight in less than an hour—without sacrificing flavor or overloading the dish with spices. Toasting store-bought curry powder in a skillet turned it into a flavor powerhouse and adding a few pinches of garam masala added even more spice flavor. To build the rest of our flavor base we started with a generous amount of sautéed onion, vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, fresh chile, and tomato paste for sweetness. When we chose our vegetables (chickpeas and potatoes for heartiness and cauliflower and peas for texture and color), we found that sautéing the spices and main ingredients together enhanced and melded the flavors. Finally, we rounded out our sauce with a combination of water, pureed canned tomatoes, and a splash of cream or coconut milk.
SERVES 4 TO 6
This curry is moderately spicy when made with one chile. For more heat, use an additional half chile. For a mild curry, remove the chile’s ribs and seeds before mincing. The onions can be pulsed in a food processor. You can substitute 2 teaspoons ground coriander, ¹⁄
2
teaspoon ground black pepper, ¹⁄
4
teaspoon ground cardamom, and ¹⁄
4
teaspoon ground cinnamon for the garam masala. In addition to the suggested condiments, serve with
BASMATI RICE PILAF
and plain whole-milk yogurt.
2 | tablespoons sweet or mild curry powder |
1¹⁄ | teaspoons garam masala |
1 | (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes |
¹⁄ | cup vegetable oil |
2 | onions, chopped fine |
12 | ounces red potatoes, cut into ¹⁄ |
3 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | tablespoon grated fresh ginger |
1–1¹⁄ | serrano chiles, minced |
1 | tablespoon tomato paste |
¹⁄ | head cauliflower (1 pound), cored and cut into 1-inch florets |
1 | (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed |
1¹⁄ | cups water |
Salt | |
1¹⁄ | cups frozen peas |
¹⁄ | cup heavy cream or coconut milk |
CONDIMENTS
ONION RELISH |
CILANTRO-MINT CHUTNEY |
1.
Toast curry powder and garam masala in small skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until spices darken slightly and become fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to small bowl and set aside. Pulse tomatoes in food processor until coarsely chopped, 3 to 4 pulses.
2.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized and potatoes are golden brown on edges, about 10 minutes. (Reduce heat to medium if onions darken too quickly.)
3.
Reduce heat to medium. Clear center of pot and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, ginger, serrano, and tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add reserved toasted spices and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add cauliflower and cook, stirring constantly, until spices coat florets, about 2 minutes longer.
4.
Add tomatoes, chickpeas, water, and 1 teaspoon salt. Increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to boil, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer briskly, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
5.
Stir in peas and cream and continue to cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt to taste and serve immediately, passing condiments separately.
Substitute 12 ounces sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¹⁄
2
-inch dice, for red potatoes. Substitute 1¹⁄
2
cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces, and 1 eggplant, cut into ¹⁄
2
-inch pieces (3 cups), for cauliflower. Omit peas.