The Big Book of Curry Recipes (75 page)

Ingredients:

1.2kg (3 lb) tuna, cut into small pieces

6 small tomatoes, chopped

6 onions, chopped

6 garlic cloves

1 piece of ginger (about 3cm), peeled and chopped

chillies, to taste (finely chopped)

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp thyme leaves

1 tbsp oyster sauce

salt, to taste

oil for frying

Method:

Crush together the garlic, ginger and chillies in a mortar with a little salt until you have a smooth paste.

Heat 4 tbsp oil in a pan and add the onions. Fry for about 4 minutes, or until soft then stir in the garlic, ginger and chilli mixture. Fry for 1 minute more, stirring constantly, then add the tomatoes, turmeric, oyster sauce and thyme.

Mix thoroughly to combine then add 250ml (1 cup) water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes. Gently stir in the tuna pieces then cover the pan and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.

Serve hot, accompanied by rice.

Le Rougail de Chèvre (Goat Rougail)

Le Rougail de Chèvre (Goat Rougail) is a traditional Réunion recipe for a classic dish of oiled goat meat that’s then pan fried and cooked in a stew of tomatoes, onions and chillies.

Ingredients:

800g (1 2/3 lb) goat meat, cubed

8 tomatoes, chopped

2 large onions, thinly sliced

2 hot chillies, finely chopped

salt to taste

oil for frying

Method:

Add the goat meat to a pan, cover with water then bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 45 minutes. Drain the goat meat and dry thoroughly.

Add a little oil to a pan and use to fry the goat meat until browned then add the onions and chillies. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions are just soft then add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Season to taste with salt then serve on a bed of rice, accompanied by peas.

Caril de Caranguejo (Mozambican Crab Curry)

Caril de Caranguejo (Crab Curry) is a traditional Mozambican recipe for a classic stew of crabs in a lightly-curried coconut milk base with tomatoes and onion.

Ingredients:

500g (1 lb) crabs, washed, boiled until tender, meat extracted and chopped

2 onions, slice into rings

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp yellow curry powder (or 1/2 curry power and 1/2 ground turmeric)

1/2 tsp hot chilli power

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 coconuts, flesh removed and grated

3 tbsp oil

Method:

Grate the coconut flesh into a bowl then pour over 120ml (1/2 cup) cold water and 120ml (1/2 cup) hot water. Stir well with your hands until the liquid becomes creamy the set aside to cool. Strain the coconut flesh through a cloth then wring out to extract all the liquid.

Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and fry gently for about 6 minutes, or until golden brown. Add the crab meat, tomato, chilli powder, garlic and curry powder. Stir to combine then bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes before stirring in the coconut milk, stirring constantly to prevent curdling.

Bring to a boil, still stirring constantly, and cook for 30 minutes. Season with the salt and serve.

Agneau au Cari (Lamb Curry)

Agneau au Cari (Lamb Curry) is a traditional Reunion recipe for a classic curry of lamb with garlic and onions flavoured with curry paste, curry leaves and peppercorns.

Ingredients:

1kg (2 lb, 3 oz) diced lamb

2 large onions, chopped

7 garlic cloves, minced

4 peppercorns, cracked

4 tbsp curry paste

4 curry leaves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

oil to fry

Method:

Wash the lamb then allow to drain. Place the onion, garlic, peppercorns and a little salt in a pestle and mortar and pound to a paste. Fry the lamb in oil until browned then add the onion mixture and the curry paste. Fry for a few minutes then add the curry leaves. Add water to cover and allow to simmer gently until all the water has evaporated.

Place in a bowl, garnish with spring onions and serve with boiled rice.

Cari Poisson (Fish Curry)

Cari Poisson (Fish Curry) is a traditional Réunion recipe for a classic curry of fish steaks in a tomato, onion and garlic base flavoured with ginger, lime zest, turmeric, thyme and chillies.

Ingredients:

1.5kg (2 1/3 lb) fish steaks (about 3cm thick)

8 small tomatoes

6 small onions, finely chopped

8 garlic cloves

3cm (1 in) length of ginger, peeled and chopped

2 tsp lime zest (kaffir lime zest, for preference)

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 sprig of thyme

chillies (optional)

salt, to taste

oil for frying

Method:

In a mortar, pound together the ginger, garlic, kaffir lime zest and chillies to a paste.

Heat about 60ml oil in a pan, add the fish pieces and fry for about 15 minutes, or until nicely browned on the outside and just cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the onions to the oil remaining in the pan and fry for 3 minutes then add the garlic, ginger and chilli paste. Fry for 1 minute further then add the tomatoes, turmeric and thyme. Cook for 2 minutes then return the fish pieces to the pan. Pour over 200ml (4/5 cup) of water and cook, covered, for 5 minutes.

Serve hot, accompanied by white rice and chutney or mango rougail.

Grima Fish Curry

Grima Fish Curry is a traditional Kenyan recipe for a classic curry of fish cooked in coconut milk flavoured with garlic, spring onions and curry spices.

Ingredients:

6 garlic cloves, chopped

4 spring onions, chopped

1 tsp saffron threads

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground turmeric

4 tbsp butter

4 sea bass fillets (about 250g [1/2 lb] each)

salt

freshly-ground black pepper

4 tomatoes, chopped

700ml (3 cups) coconut milk

Method:

Add the garlic onion and spices to a large pan and stir-fry in the butter for about 5 minutes. Add the fish pieces and season with salt and black pepper. Cook for about 12 minutes (begin skin-side down and turn after 7 minutes) then add the tomatoes and cook or a further 10 minutes. Finally add the coconut milk and allow to simmer gently for about 15 minutes .

Serve on a bed of rice.

M’Chuzi wa Nyama (Curried Beef)

M’Chuzi wa Nyama (Curried Beef) is a traditional Tanzanian recipe (from Zanzibar) for a classic curried stew of beef and onions flavoured with lemon juice.

Nyama is the Swahili word for ‘meat’, though it’s used interchangeably with ‘beef’. This Tanzanian dish is a very delicious beef curry that shows the influence of Indian traders on West Africa.

Ingredients:

200g (7 oz) onions, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp salt

1 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp curry powder

4 tbsp oil

900g (2 lb) beef cut into 2cm (1 in) dice

500ml (2 cups) water

4 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

Fry the onions, garlic, salt, turmeric, chilli powder and curry powder in the oil until the onions are soft. Add the beef and fry lightly (but do not allow the meat to brown). Now add the water and lemon juice, cover tightly and simmer for 1 hour.

If the sauce appears a little thin at this stage dissolve 2 tbsp cornflour in 2 tbsp water and add to the pot. Serve in a large bowl, accompanied by rice that’s been cooked in beef stock.

This dish is traditionally accompanied by fried onion slices, mango chutney, shredded coconut, orange segments and diced cucumber.

Maharagwe (Spiced Red Beans in Coconut Milk)

Maharagwe (Spiced Red Beans in Coconut Milk) is a traditional Kenyan recipe for a classic stew of red kidney beans in a tomato and coconut milk stock flavoured with turmeric and hot chillies.

Ingredients:

200g (7 oz) dried red kidney beans

2 medium-sized onions, chopped

2 tbsp oil

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp salt

2 tsp turmeric

3 hot chillies, pounded to a paste

500ml (2 cups) coconut milk

Method:

Wash the beans and allow to soak in plenty of water over night. Drain the beans and wash under cold running water. Place in a large pot, cover the beans with plenty of water, bring to a boil and cook rapidly for 30 minutes. Drain the beans, discard the water and replace the beans in the pot. Cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook the beans until they are just tender (about 90 minutes).

When the beans are almost done, drain the cooking water, and add about 250ml (1 cup) fresh water. Bring to a boil. Fry the onions in the oil until golden brown. Add these, along with the remaining ingredients to the pot. Return to a simmer and cook for several minutes, or until the beans are very tender and the tomatoes are cooked through and have broken down into a sauce.

Serve over a bed of rice or a very stiff pap (porridge).

Mchuzi wa Biringani (Aubergine Curry)

Mchuzi wa Biringani (Aubergine Curry) is a traditional Tanzanian recipe for a classic vegetarian curry of aubergines (eggplants), potatoes and onion cooked in a tomato base flavoured with curry powder.

Ingredients:

3 medium-sized aubergines (eggplants), thinly sliced

3 medium-sized tomatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

2 medium-sized potatoes, thinly sliced

1 onion, thinly sliced

3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp salt, or to taste

Method:

Melt the ghee in a large frying pan. Add the aubergine, potato, onion and tomato slices and fry until the potatoes and aubergines are golden brown. Scatter over the curry powder then pour in about 300ml water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces to a thick paste.

Season to taste with salt and serve hot either with boiled rice or with bread.

Mchuzi wa Kamba (Zanzibar Prawn Curry)

Mchuzi wa Kamba (Prawn Curry) is a traditional Zanzibar (Tanzanian) recipe for a stew of curried prawns (shrimp) in a coconut milk and tomato sauce favoured with tamarind.

This is a traditional Swahili dish from the island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean.

Ingredients:

1.5kg (3 1/3 lb) shelled king prawns

450ml (1 4/5 cups) coconut milk

1 large onion, chopped

3 ripe tomatoes, chopped

2 green bell peppers, de-seeded and chopped

10 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp
Garam Masala

tamarind paste, to taste

salt to taste

Method:

Place the prawns in a saucepan cover with the coconut milk and add the tamarind paste to taste then set aside.

Stir together the onion, tomatoes, green pepper, garlic and spices and add to the fish and coconut milk. Place on low heat and simmer slowly until the prawns are fully cooked and the sauce has thickened. Serve immediately with Chapati or Rice.

Mtuza wa Samaki (Baked Curried Fish)

Mtuza wa Samaki (Baked Curried Fish) is a traditional Kenyan recipe for a classic curried stew of fish and onions in a tomato and white wine vinegar sauce flavoured with chillies and curry spices.

Ingredients:

450g (1 lb) white fish (with bones removed)

3 large onions, sliced

2 tbsp oil

2 hot chilli peppers, pounded to a paste

3 garlic cloves

4 medium tomatoes, chopped

120ml (1/2 cup) white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Method:

Lay the fish in a baking pan. Fry the onions until they are just transparent then arrange them over the fish. Combine the remaining ingredients in a pestle and mortar or a blender and render to a paste. Pour over the fish, cover the pot and place in an oven pre-heated to 180ºC (360ºF) and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked.

Vegetable Curry

Vegetable Curry is a traditional Kenyan recipe for a classic curry of mixed vegetables, greens and pulses in a tomato-based stock flavoured with hot chillies and a range of curry spices.

Ingredients:

2 large onions, finely chopped

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp black mustard seeds

8 medium potatoes, quartered

2 tsp freshly-grated ginger

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp crushed coriander seeds

2 hot chilli peppers

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp salt

4 whole cinnamon sticks

6 cloves

120g (4 1/2 oz) tomato paste

450g (1 lb) green beans, trimmed

1/2 small cauliflower, cut into florets

1 medium aubergine (eggplant), cubed

225g (1/2 lb) fresh green peas (or frozen)

1 large bunch of fresh greens (kale, collard greens, sweet potato greens, kale etc), shredded

150g (1/3 lb) cooked chickpeas

Method:

Brown the onions in a large pan or wok along with the cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Add the potato pieces and stir so that each one is coated in the spices. Add the remaining spices and continue stir-frying for several minutes, until they release their spicy aroma.

Combine the tomato paste with 150ml (3/5 cup) water and stir this into the pot. Add the vegetables one at a time and stir-in to combine before adding the next. If the pot you have used is not oven-proof transfer to another dish then cover with a lid (or foil), place in an oven pre-heated to 180ºC (360ºF) and cook for about 45 minutes. Check the dish half-way through to make sure there is enough liquid.

You are aiming for a thick sauce that will sit well on top of a bed of rice when you come to serve. Accompany with a
naan bread
.

Kenyan Chicken Tikka