Basic Curry recipe

fontinalis

Had a quick look but couldn't find anything, could someone give me the recipe of a good genereic indian curry please?

Sparks

The basic one I use is from 50 great curries of India by Panjabi and it's described as the basic curry used by Indian families. It works fairly well, I've found.

Chop 1 large onion very fine and saute in oil over medium heat for 20-25 minutes until it's quite brown (the edges may go very brown, but don't burn it). Add 2 cloves of garlic (chopped) and a piece of ginger about the size of your fingertip from the last joint onwards (chopped fine) and fry for another minute. Add a teaspoon of coriander powder (crushed seeds taste better) and stir and cook for another minute, then add a pinch of tumeric, half a teaspoon of cumin powder, half a teaspoon of garam masala powder and a teaspoon of paprika and fry for 20-30 seconds (don't let the spices burn). Then add a cup of water and let it cook for ten minutes. Then add two chopped tomatoes and cook for another five minutes and that's the sauce. Once it's made, you can store it or cook with it right away. Just make sure it's hot, add the meat (chicken, beef, lamb, fish, all good) and add some water so the sauce doesn't overthicken, and cook away.

BTW, that book is probably the best I've found so far on curries.

Minder

I was looking for this recipe on the web - found it here

Mumrez Khan’s Lamb and Spinach Karahi curry

This is the recipe for Mumrez Khan's Lamb and Spinach Karahi curry recipe from Rick Stein's "Food Heroes" series. Mumrez is from the Karachi Restaurant in Neal Street, Bradford, West Yorkshire.

It has been said that "this is the only curry recipe you'll ever need" ...I must say it is the best curry i have ever made at home, so try it yourself! You won't be disappointed.

The Ingredients

- 250g (9oz) Ghee/Clarified Butter
- 65g (2 1/2oz) Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1 tablespoon Ground Cumin
- 1 tablespoon Paprika
- 550g (1 1/4lb) Onions Chopped
- 50g (2oz) Fresh Ginger, peeled and chopped
- 900g (2lb) Boneless leg or shoulder of Lamb (1½ in) cubes
- 120ml (4fl oz) water
- 3 tablespoons Fresh Coriander (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Ground Turmeric
- 350g (12oz) Fresh Spinach washed with large stalks removed
- 4 medium sized Green Chillies with stalks removed
- ½ tablespoon Garam Masala
- 1 x 400g (140z) Can Chopped Toms
- 1 tablespoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Ground Coriander
- A pinch of ground cumin and freshly ground black pepper to serve


Method

1. Heat the ghee in a large, heavy based pan. Add the onions and cook over a medium heat, stirring now and then, for 20 minutes until they are soft and a light brown

2. Put the tomatoes, water, ginger and garlic into a liquidizer and blend until smooth. Remove the fried onions with a slotted spoon, add them to the paste and blend briefly until smooth.

3. Return the puree to the ghee left in the pan and add the lamb and salt. Simmer for 30 minutes, by which time the lamb will be half cooked and the sauce will be well reduced. Stir in the turmeric, chilli powder, cumin, paprika and ground coriander and continue to cook for 30-45 minutes for shoulder or 45-1 hour for leg, until the lamb is tender, adding a little water now and then if the sauce starts to stick.

4. Meanwhile, put 175g (6oz) of the spinach leaves into a large pan and cook until it has wilted down into the bottom of the pan. Cook for 1 minute, then transfer to the rinsed out liquidizer and blend to a smooth puree. Set aside. Rinse out the liquidiser again and add the green chillies and 2-3 tablespoons of water and blend until smooth. Set aside.

5. When the lamb is cooked, there should be a layer of ghee floating on the top of the curry. You can either skim it off or leave it there, whichever you prefer (leave it). Then stir in the spinach puree and the remaining spinach leaves and cook for 2 minutes.

6. Now taste the curry and add as much green chilli puree as you wish, according to how hot you like your curries. Simmer for 2 minutes more.

7. Stir in the fresh coriander and Garam Masala. Transfer the curry to a serving dish and sprinkle with a little more ground cumin and some freshly ground black pepper just before you take it to the table.

Serve with your choice of rice, Naan breads, Poppadoms and whatever else you can cram in.

NotSoDumbBlonde

This has to be the tastiest curry ever - recipe was generously given to me by a friend who is a fantastic cook. I've made it so many times......at the request of others too!! It's 10 times better than the gloop you get in some Indian restaurants. Seriously!!!

Ingredients
4 large chicken fillets
1 large onion
1/2 red chili pepper
1/2 green chili pepper
1 inch fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves
1 (14 ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pinch salt

Directions
1. Finely chop the garlic, chilli's and ginger and fry for approx 1 minute in 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large wok / casserole dish.

2. Finely chop the onion and add to the above, frying for 10 minutes until the onions are transparent. Be sure not to let them brown. Halfway through cooking, add the chilli powder, turmeric and curry powder.

3. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Add the coconut milk and simmer for approx 20 minutes. Carefully season, if required.

5. Slice/chop the chicken and fry in the remaining oil in a separate pan along with the ground coriander. When the meat is sealed, add it to the above sauce and let it cook for a further 30 minutes on a low heat.

6. If the sauce needs to be thickened, simply add cream or mix a teaspoon of cornflour with a drop of milk and add to the sauce.

ENJOY

(PS i'm having a dinner party tomorrow and i'm looking for a nice gravy to go with stuffed chicken breasts and garlic mash. I know that, traditonally, I should go for a white-wine sauce or something along those lines but I want a nice rich dark gravy to surround the chicken breast which will be served on a bed of mash. Any suggestions greatly appreciated!!)

the beer revolu

Sparks wrote: »

The basic one I use is from 50 great curries of India by Panjabi and it's described as the basic curry used by Indian families. It works fairly well, I've found.

Chop 1 large onion very fine and saute in oil over medium heat for 20-25 minutes until it's quite brown (the edges may go very brown, but don't burn it). Add 2 cloves of garlic (chopped) and a piece of ginger about the size of your fingertip from the last joint onwards (chopped fine) and fry for another minute. Add a teaspoon of coriander powder (crushed seeds taste better) and stir and cook for another minute, then add a pinch of tumeric, half a teaspoon of cumin powder, half a teaspoon of garam masala powder and a teaspoon of paprika and fry for 20-30 seconds (don't let the spices burn). Then add a cup of water and let it cook for ten minutes. Then add two chopped tomatoes and cook for another five minutes and that's the sauce. Once it's made, you can store it or cook with it right away. Just make sure it's hot, add the meat (chicken, beef, lamb, fish, all good) and add some water so the sauce doesn't overthicken, and cook away.

BTW, that book is probably the best I've found so far on curries.

+1 on that book.

The theory is so good in that book that I rarely even use the recipes!
The book has armed me with enough knowledge to make up my own curries.

Tip any meat curry is best made with meat on the bone.
So, no skinless boneless chicken breasts, please - and certainly no round steak!!:eek:

fontinalis

Thanks all, going to give them a go.

frag420

sorry to hijack the thread but was wondering if there is a good alternative to using coconut milk in curries. I have recently started cooking for myself to try and get somewhat healthy but was told that coconut milk is very fattening?? CAn anyone shed any light on this for me.

cheers

frAg

Beruthiel

It is possible to buy low fat coconut milk.

Sparks

Yoghurt is a better substitute. Just get the non-flavoured 'natural' kind (and a large tub thereof if you do a lot of indian cooking). Low-fat yoghurt is only so-so though.

Mind you, if you ate enough coconut, the problem becomes self-rectifying

Tiriel

Sparks wrote: »

Yoghurt is a better substitute. Just get the non-flavoured 'natural' kind (and a large tub thereof if you do a lot of indian cooking). Low-fat yoghurt is only so-so though.

Mind you, if you ate enough coconut, the problem becomes self-rectifying

Is there a particular way of adding the yoghurt and ensuring it doesn't curdle? Do you have to make sure temperature doesn't go to high?

frag420

I will have to go with the low fat option as i like the taste of the coconut in my curries. thanks all for the the replies

frAg

olaola

Even low fat coconut milk still is quite fattening. I use low/non fat natural yoghurt with success. It never curdles - unlike the coconut milk.

Sparks

Cork_girl wrote: »

Is there a particular way of adding the yoghurt and ensuring it doesn't curdle? Do you have to make sure temperature doesn't go to high?

I haven't had it curdle yet. But (a) I make sure to use natural yoghurt rather than anything processed or 'creamy' or whatever, and (b) a lot of indian dishes only add it at the end, right before serving (like monte a burre in french cooking) and it doesn't have time to split.

Alun

Sparks wrote: »

I haven't had it curdle yet. But (a) I make sure to use natural yoghurt rather than anything processed or 'creamy' or whatever, and (b) a lot of indian dishes only add it at the end, right before serving (like monte a burre in french cooking) and it doesn't have time to split.

Many Indian recipes I have call for it to be added at the beginning just after frying the onion, spices and re-adding the browned meat ... for example, Madhur Jaffrey's recipes for Rogan Gosht and Saag Gosht start just like that. The trick in that case, is to add it only a small amount at a time, and make sure each bit is completely incorporated before adding the next bit.

Sparks

I've not come across anything like that where it's added at the start before any other liquid (like tomatoes or whatever) go in -- there's more than enough range in Indian cooking for a dozen different styles to have almost nothing in common -- but going slow should do the trick there.

Alun

Sparks wrote: »

I've not come across anything like that where it's added at the start before any other liquid (like tomatoes or whatever) go in -- there's more than enough range in Indian cooking for a dozen different styles to have almost nothing in common -- but going slow should do the trick there.

In the recipes I mentioned, I think it's it's more of a thickening process going on rather than trying to make a light curry where you'd add it, or coconut milk, at the end. For both those recipes, you'd really not know there was any yoghurt in there at all once cooked. Also the quantities are quite small, only 3tbsps or so.

Sparks

That'd explain it - most of the recipes I have are for light curries, the onions acting as thickeners.

Tiriel

Sorry.. another quick question as ye seem to be so knowledgable!! Does the yoghurt impact on the heat of the curry? Would coconut have less calming effect?

Sparks

Yoghurt (or any dairy) definitely calms it down, but I've never tested coconut-vs-yoghurt to see which works better.

del88

Coconut milk is the king when it comes to curry...mmmm....my favorite