Indian Curry Recipes (7 page)
One-pot Pork Balti
Although it isn't an authentic Indian dish, this balti is sure to become a family favourite. Chunks of tender pork are cooked with rice and peas in a rich sauce to make a great all-in-one meal that's full of flavour but not too heavy.
Serves 4
550 g/1¼ lb diced pork shoulder
30 ml/2 tbsp groundnut (peanut) or sunflower oil
1 large onion, sliced, or 60 ml/ 4 tbsp frozen diced onion
60 ml/4 tbsp balti curry paste
400 g/14 oz/large can chopped tomatoes
450 ml/¾ pint/1¾ cups boiling vegetable stock
175 g/6 oz/2/3 cup easy-cook (converted) rice
75 g/3 oz/½ cup frozen peas, thawed
45 ml/3 tbsp chopped fresh or frozen coriander (cilantro)
Salt, to taste
- Pat the pieces of pork dry with kitchen paper (paper towels) to help them brown when added to the pan. Heat 15 ml/ 1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan over a high heat, add the pork and fry for 3-4 minutes until browned all over. Transfer to the ceramic cooking pot with a slotted spoon.
- Add the rest of the oil to the pan and gently fry the onion for 6-7 minutes, until almost soft. Stir in the curry paste and cook for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat and stir in the chopped tomatoes. Pour over the pork, then mix in the stock.
- Cover with the lid and switch on the slow cooker to High. Cook for 2-3 hours, or until the pork is almost tender.
- Stir the rice into the hot mixture and cook for a further 45 minutes. Stir in the peas and cook for a final 10-15 minutes or until the pork is tender and the rice cooked. Stir in the chopped coriander, then taste and season with a little salt, if necessary. Serve with naan breads or popadoms.
VARIATION
This dish can be made with diced chicken breast instead of pork.
Hot and Sour Pork Curry
Vinegar often features in Goan cuisine, giving a sharpness which contrasts with the richness of meats such as belly of pork. Long slow cooking mellows its flavour.
Serves 4
900 g/2 lb belly of pork, skinned and cut into large cubes
90 ml/6 tbsp white wine vinegar
7.5 ml/1½ tsp hot chilli powder
5 ml/1 tsp ground turmeric
10 ml/2 tsp cumin seeds
5 ml/1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
5 ml/1 tsp soft dark brown sugar
1 large onion, finely sliced, or 60 ml/4 tbsp frozen diced onion
3 garlic cloves, crushed, or 15 ml/1 tbsp garlic purée (paste)
10 ml/2 tsp grated fresh or bottled ginger
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
350 ml/12 fl oz/11/3 cups cold water
- Put the meat in a large non-metallic bowl with the vinegar, chilli powder, turmeric, cumin and mustard seeds and sugar. Mix well, cover and chill for 6 hours, or overnight if preferred.
- Add the onion, garlic and ginger to the pork. Season well with salt and pepper, then stir everything until thoroughly mixed. Tip into the ceramic cooking pot.
- Stir in the water, then cover with the lid and cook on Low for 5-7 hours or until the pork is very tender.
- Skim any fat that is floating on the surface, then taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Serve with Bombay Potatoes or Spinach and Potato Curry and chutney.
TIP
If possible, make this dish the day before, chill, then skim off the fat before reheating - the flavours will be even better.
Goan Pork Curry
Like many pork dishes from Goa, this one has a classic slightly sharp flavour from the addition of vinegar, but balsamic vinegar is used for a more subtle and refined flavour and richer colour. Tamarind further intensifies the tangy note, but is balanced by a good spoonful of jaggery or sugar.
Serves 4
2 onions or 90 ml/6 tbsp frozen diced onion
3 garlic cloves, crushed, or 15 ml/1 tbsp garlic purée (paste)
15 ml/1 tbsp grated fresh or bottled ginger
700 g/1½ lb pork shoulder, cut into thick strips
30 ml/2 tbsp groundnut (peanut) or sunflower oil
5 ml/1 tsp mustard seeds
5 ml/1 tsp ground cumin
2.5 ml/½ tsp ground cinnamon
2.5 ml/½ tsp dried chilli flakes
15 ml/1 tbsp jaggery or light muscavado sugar
45 ml/3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
15 ml/1 tbsp tamarind paste
400 ml/14 fl oz/1¾ cups very hot (not boiling) vegetable stock
Salt, to taste
- Roughly chop one of the onions (or use half the frozen diced onion) and put in a food processor with the garlic and ginger. Process until finely chopped, then add 45 ml/3 tbsp cold water and blend to a purée.
- Pat the pieces of pork dry with kitchen paper (paper towels) to help them brown more efficiently. Heat 15 ml/1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan over a high heat, add the pork and fry for 3-4 minutes until browned all over. Transfer to the ceramic cooking pot with a slotted spoon.
- Finely slice the second onion. Heat the remaining 15 ml/ 1 tbsp of oil and cook the mustard seeds for a few seconds, until fragrant. Add the onion and cook for 7-8 minutes, until beginning to colour. Add the onion purée, cumin, cinnamon, chilli and jaggery and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, then turn off the heat.
- In a separate bowl, blend the tamarind paste with a few spoonfuls of the stock, then stir in the rest of it. Pour into the pan, stirring, then tip the mixture over the pork. Stir well, cover with the lid and cook on High for 3 hours or Low for 6 until really tender. Serve spooned over Turmeric Rice.
TIP
Sugar will work perfectly well if you cannot obtain jaggery.
Pork Jardaloo
Pork lends itself to fruity sauces with a touch of tartness as they help to balance the richness of the meat. The long, gentle cooking ensures that the pork is really tender and the apricots plump up having soaked up all the delicious meat juices.
Serves 4
550 g/1¼ lb lean pork, trimmed and cut into cubes
30 ml/2 tbsp groundnut (peanut) or sunflower oil
1 large onion, chopped, or 60 ml/4 tbsp frozen diced onions
45 ml/3 tbsp rogan josh curry paste
200 g/7 oz/small can chopped tomatoes
150 g/5 oz dried apricots, halved
450 ml/¾ pint/2 cups boiling vegetable stock
30 ml/2 tbsp double (heavy) cream or Greek-style yoghurt
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh or frozen coriander (cilantro)
Salt, to taste
- Pat the pieces of pork dry with kitchen paper (paper towels) to help them brown more efficiently. Heat 15 ml/1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan over a high heat, add the pork and fry for 3-4 minutes until browned all over. Transfer to the ceramic cooking pot with a slotted spoon.
- Heat the remaining 15 ml/1 tbsp of oil in the pan and fry the onion for 6-7 minutes until almost soft. Stir in the curry paste and cook for a further 30 seconds, stirring continuously.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped tomatoes and dried apricots. Tip over the pork, pour in the stock and stir well. Cover with the lid and cook on Low for 4-6 hours or until the pork is very tender.
- Stir in the cream or yoghurt and chopped coriander. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve with basmati rice and popadoms.
VARIATION
Jardaloo is traditionally made with lamb, but I think it's even better made with pork - you can, of course, easily substitute lamb, if you prefer.
Pork Korma with Spinach
Instead of chunks of meat, this curry is made from minced meat. Like most kormas, the sauce is enriched and thickened with almonds, but this version is less rich and doesn't contain cream or ghee.
Serves 4
15 ml/1 tbsp groundnut (peanut) or sunflower oil
450 g/1 lb lean minced (ground) pork
2 onions, thinly sliced, or 90 ml/6 tbsp frozen diced onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed, or 10 ml/2 tsp garlic purée (paste)
Seeds of 6 green cardamom pods
15 ml/1 tbsp cumin seeds
700 g/1½ lb new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
450 ml/¾ pint/2 cups hot (not boiling) vegetable or chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 ml/2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
300 ml/½ pint/1¼ cups thick plain or Greek-style yoghurt
75 g/3 oz/¾ cup ground almonds
150 g/5 oz bag baby spinach leaves
25 g/1oz/¼ cup flaked (slivered) almonds
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium high heat. Add the pork and fry for 2-3 minutes until no longer pink and all the grains are separate. Add the onions, garlic, cardamom seeds and cumin seeds and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring. Tip the mixture into the ceramic cooking pot.
- Add the potatoes and stock, season with salt and pepper and mix everything together. Cover with the lid and cook on High for 2 hours or Low for 4 hours.
- In a separate bowl, blend the cornflour with 150 ml/¼ pint/ 2/3 cup of the yoghurt and the ground almonds. Stir this mixture into the curry. Add the spinach leaves, pressing down into the hot liquid. Cover and cook for a further 30-45 minutes or until the spinach has wilted.
- Stir the spinach into the curry, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Drizzle with the rest of the yoghurt and sprinkle with the flaked almonds before serving.
VARIATIONS
Minced pork has been used in this kofta dish, but lean beef or lamb would work equally well.
Because Hindus make up the majority of the Indian population and regard the cow as a sacred animal, beef curries are only served in a few parts of India. However, I've included a chapter of interesting and tasty recipes because the slow cooker excels when it comes to cooking beef, making it succulent and delicious.
Don't go for the most expensive cuts of beef believing that they will produce a better curry. Ideal beef cuts for slow cooking are generally the cheaper ones such as brisket and chuck steak as they have a looser texture. During cooking the fibres open up and allow moisture and spices to penetrate, creating a delicious, rich, tasty sauce.
More expensive cuts, such as fine-grained and densely textured sirloin (porterhouse) steak, are less suitable for slow cooking because the tightness of the fibres prevents them from absorbing the liquid around them. This means that although they become tender when cooked in a slow cooker, the curry will lack succulence and flavour.
Beef Biryani
Introduced to central India by the Moghuls, this meat and rice dish is usually layered and baked. In this simplified version, they are cooked separately to allow the beef to benefit from lengthy slow cooking until meltingly tender, before stirring the rice in at the end.
Serves 4
30 ml/2 tbsp ghee or unsalted (sweet) butter
2 onions, thinly sliced, or 90 ml/ 6 tbsp frozen diced onions
15 ml/1 tbsp groundnut (peanut) or sunflower oil
700 g/1½ lb lean braising or chuck steak, diced
5 ml/1 tsp ground ginger
5 ml/1 tsp garam masala
2.5 ml/½ tsp ground cinnamon
2.5 ml/½ tsp chilli powder
2.5 ml/½ tsp caraway seeds
100 ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup very hot (not boiling) beef stock
2 green cardamom pods, split
1 bay leaf
150 ml/¼ pint/2/3 cup thick plain or Greek-style yoghurt
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
350 g/12 oz/1½ cups basmati rice
75 g/3 oz/½ cup frozen peas
45 ml/3 tbsp desiccated (shredded) coconut, to garnish
- Heat the ghee or butter in a large frying pan. Add the onions and fry, stirring for about 10 minutes, until golden. Transfer to the ceramic cooking pot with a slotted spoon.
- Heat the oil in the same pan and fry the beef until brown on all sides. Sprinkle over the ginger, garam masala, cinnamon, chilli and caraway seeds. Cook for a further minute.
- Stir in the beef stock, then tip the mixture into the cooking pot.
Add the cardamom pods and bay leaf to the pot, then stir in the yoghurt. Season with salt and pepper, cover with the lid and cook on High for 3-4 hours or Low for 6-8 hours. - Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the packet instructions, adding the peas for the last 5 minutes. Drain well.
- Gently stir the rice into the beef mixture. Spoon on to warmed plates and serve with popadoms and mango chutney.
VARIATION
This biryani can be made with lamb instead of beef, although I suggest you reduce the cooking time by 30 minutes if cooking on High, 1 hour if cooking on Low.
Bangladeshi Beef Curry
Known as rezala, this is a thick spicy curry with the chunks of beef so tender they can be cut with a spoon. Here the meat is moistened with just enough stock and yoghurt for it to be coated in sauce, although some traditional versions are much drier. Serve this with a moist accompaniment - a dhal or a juicy Mushroom Pilau would be ideal.
Serves 4
60 ml/4 tbsp ghee or unsalted (sweet) butter
700 g/1½ lb braising or chuck steak, cut into 4 cm/1½ in cubes
2 onions, sliced, or 90 ml/6 tbsp frozen diced onions
1 garlic clove, crushed, or 5 ml/ 1 tsp garlic purée (paste)
1 green chilli, seeded and finely chopped, or 5 ml/1 tsp green chilli paste
4 green cardamom pods, split
4 whole cloves
5 ml/1 tsp ground cumin
5 ml/1 tsp ground coriander
5 ml/1 tsp ground turmeric
2.5 ml/½ tsp cayenne pepper
2.5 ml/½ tsp caster (superfine) sugar
2.5 ml/½ tsp salt
100 ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup beef stock or water
300 ml/½ pint/1¼ cups thick plain yoghurt
- Heat half the ghee or butter in a large frying pan and cook the beef in batches until browned all over. Transfer to the ceramic cooking pot with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat and juices behind.
- Add the rest of the ghee or butter to the pan and cook the onions for 7-8 minutes until beginning to colour. Add the garlic, chilli, cardamom pods, cloves, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper and sugar and stir for a further 1-2 minutes. Stir in the salt and stock or water. Turn off the heat and tip the mixture into the ceramic cooking pot.
- Stir the yoghurt into the curry a little at a time. Cover with the lid and cook on High for 3-4 hours or on Low for 6-8 hours, or until the meat is really tender and the sauce very thick.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve with Lentil Dhal with Toasted Almonds.