Sunday Curry

We recently had an old favourite curry with some new additions.  I may have mentioned it before but I am going to tell you again.  This has been a family favourite since 2001.  It is known as Malcolm's Curry and is named after the person who first  made it in our kitchen. 
You first need to make a garam masala mix. Take 1 tbsp black peppercorns, 6 cloves, 2 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds, 1 tsp black mustard seeds.  Heat a heavy based frying pan over a medium flame.  Put the peppercorns in first.  After a couple of minutes add the cloves.  After another 2 minutes add the coriander seeds.  Shake the pan gently as the spices roast.  After a couple more minutes a fragrant smell will waft into the kitchen.  Add the cumin & fenugreek seeds.  When the mustard seeds start to pop remove from the heat & pour into a bowl to cool.  Grind with a pestle & mortar.  You can store in an airtight jar for several weeks.  I always keep a quantity on hand.
Now you are ready to make the curry.  Do a good quantity.  You can always freeze or reheat later in the week. For 1 kg meat, in a food processor blend 2 roughly chopped onions, 4 cloves garlic,1 inch piece of ginger until you have a smooth paste.  Add 2 tbsp of the garam masala, 1/2 tsp turmeric & 1 tsp paprika & mix well.
In a heavy based pan add a little vegetable oil and add the spice paste.  It will sizzle & smell quite strong.  Malcolm recommends changing into your gardening clothes and his wife suggests you remove all laundry, coats & bags from the kitchen at this stage, unless you want to smell like a curry house.  I also recommend opening windows because the smell is lovely while cooking but not so much 3 days later. After a couple of minutes add the meat.  You can use any meat you like including chicken, on the bone or off.  On this occasion I used lamb shoulder cut into largish chunks.  This cooks beautifully.  Brown the meat on a high heat and add just enough water to cover.  When the water is simmering, cover and cook until tender.  We cooked the lamb for about two hours. It might take longer if your meat is on the bone.  Less for chicken.  Add water during cooking if it looks dry.  Serve with rice and dhal plus vegetables.
Malcolm also provided a dhal recipe but I prefer mine. Melt ghee or vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add 1 finely chopped onion with 3 cloves crushed garlic.  Sautee until onion is soft then add 2 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp chili powder, pinch of salt & a few grinds of black pepper. and sautee 1-2 minutes.  Add 1 cup red lentils. juice of half a lemon & 3 cups water.  Bring to the boil & simmer uncovered until lentils are cooked - about 15-20 minutes.
I served this Nigella Tomato Curry sans coconut rice, because it looks so pretty in the picture.  It tastes as good as it looks.  Nigella is a fan of English mustard powder and it really is a good addition to many things.  I always put a pinch in the cheese sauce for cauliflower cheese.  Do you?
 I wanted an Indian type pudding and I had eaten a yoghurty thing at Moore Wilson's producer day a few weeks ago but couldn't buy it.  Jack Santa Maria came to the rescue.  It's called Shrikand.  Take 600ml thick yoghurt - you could strain it overnight, but it's fine without.  Dissolve a pinch of saffron in 1 dsp rosewater, then whisk into the yoghurt. Mix in about 1 tsp ground cardamom and chill.  Jack noted that in Nepal, cloves, cinnamon & pepper are added with the cardamom so I did that.  He didn't say how much so I did similar quantities.  Adjust to your taste.  Jack mixes though chopped almonds & pistachios before chilling but I added them just before serving with a tsp rose petals.

Eat your greens

We went straight from the simple cazuela to the grand sounding Arroz de Mar y Montana - sea & mountain rice - with chicken, pork, prawns & squid.  You want to make this for 4 or 6.  For 6, season about 300g diced pork and 6 chicken thighs then brown in a cazuela or casserole.  Transfer to a plate.  Take 4 good pork sausages & squeeze them out of their casings and form into  small balls.  Brown them all over then remove.  Add 250g squid cut into smallish pieces & 1 finely chopped onion.  Cook until the onion is soft then add a tin of chopped tomatoes & cook 15 mins.  Return the other meats to the pan along with any juices on the plate and add 1 tsp smoked paprika.  Add 6 cups water & simmer gently 1/2 an hour.  Make a picada which is usually a mix of herbs and nuts - maybe a Spanish pesto.  Perhaps one of you Spanish cooking experts can enlighten us here.  In this case 2 cloves garlic, 10 skinless hazelnuts (roast in the oven a few minutes and the skins will rub off) & 1 tsp flat leaf parsley.  Pound in a mortar & pestle, or blend, with a little of the simmering liquid until you have a smooth paste.  Sprinkle some saffron threads into the cazuela, bring the liquid to a boil & add 2 cups rice, the picada, & a handful of shelled prawns.  If you have ones with the shell on give them a quick turn first back with the sausage balls.  Make sure the rice is evenly distributed then cook uncovered on a medium boil for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Reduce the heat & cook until the liquid is nearly absorbed & the rice is al punto.
Now that the cold weather is closing in, try a spicy winter stir fry.  For 4, cut 2 carrots into thin batons, 2 parsnips into thin disks, 200g mushrooms finely sliced & 200g finely shredded Brussels sprouts.  Heat some sunflower oil in a wok or pan over a high heat & stir fry 6 finely sliced shallots & 1 hot finely chopped chilli for a few minutes.  Add the carrot & parsnip & cook 2 minutes.  Then add the mushrooms & 2 cloves finely chopped garlic & fry another couple of minutes.  Finally add the sprouts & cook another couple of minutes.  Season & add a pinch of sugar.  Scoop everything out of the wok, reduce the heat.  Add 4 tbsp soy sauce, 4 tbsp rice wine, 1 tsp Chinese five spice, a good squeeze lime juice and 4 nests of cooked drained egg noodles.  Cook a couple of minutes, then return the vegetables to the pan & toss through.  Serve with another good squeeze of lime juice.
One of my other favourite meals of the moment is chard & potato curry.  We have some rainbow chard growing in the garden and Wairarapa Eco Farms is now at the market every week.  Between us we produce a wealth of leafy greens for this dish.  You could use any waxy potato but I have been using Eco Farms Kowiniwini potatoes.  For 4, take about 500g rainbow chard, beetroot leaves, spinach, curly kale - whatever you have to hand.  Separate the leaves from the stalks.  Cut the stalks into 2-3 cm pieces & roughly chop the leaves.  Fry 1 finely sliced onion in a pan with sunflower oil until golden. Pound 3 cloves garlic with 1 finely chopped green chilli & a knob of chopped ginger with a pinch of salt, to a fine paste.  Add to the onion with 1 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 tsp turmeric & 3 cardamom pods.  Stir through, then add about 350g small waxy potatoes, quartered and the chopped stalks.   Fry a few minutes then add 400ml water, bring to a boil & simmer 12 minutes until the potatoes are tender.  Add the leaves & stir until wilted.
In a bowl mix 250g thick yoghurt, 1 1/2 tbsp tomato puree & a little curry liquid.  Stir this back into the curry & warm through gently.  Scatter over toasted mixed chopped nuts - almonds, cashew, pistachios and serve with rice or naan bread.
Try this Tunisian breakfast soup which I actually made for Saturday lunch.  Soften a finely chopped onion then add 2 cloves crushed garlic, 1 tbsp cumin & a finely chopped red capsicum.  Add a tin of chickpeas, a tin of tomatoes & 750ml chicken stock.  Simmer gently for 10 minutes.  Add 500g roughly chopped greens - the ones you didn't use in the curry.  Stir through 2 tbsp harissa paste. Grill a slice of sourdough bread per person & lay in the bottom of a bowl then pour over a ladleful of the soup.  Top with hard boiled egg, capers & a little more chopped capsicum with a drop of harissa.
I have often thought of making corn bread but never done so.  This week Hugh inspired me to have a go and it was a huge success.  His recipe include pumpkin and chillies both of which were lurking in the fridge looking for something to do.  I added a tin of creamed sweetcorn.  I think I have mentioned before this is a weakness of mine.  We couldn't eat it all so I divided into batches for the freezer & we will reheat for lunches from time to time. 
Finally I ordered some dumplings from Vicky Ha at the market and served them for Sunday dinner with my version of Alan Fong's greens.  I emailed Vicky & she put the dumplings aside for me with the dipping sauces and emailed me instructions on how to cook them.  They were truly wonderful.