The Big Book of Curry Recipes (83 page)

Ingredients:

500ml (2 cups) double cream

50g (1/4 cup) sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 eggs, well beaten

1/2 tbsp
Jamaican curry powder

freshly-grated zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1 lemon

Method:

Combine the sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest in a bowl and beat with a whisk until smooth. Whisk in the curry powder then add the cream and eggs and beat until frothy.

Transfer to a large pan and slowly bring to a boil. Immediately take off the heat, allow to cool to room temperature then chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

Trinidadian Roti

Trinidadian Roti is a traditional Trinidadian recipe for a local version of the Indian roti puffed bread that’s become a Trinidadian staple.

Rotis are classic puffed Indian flatbreads. They were introduced to Trinidad by the large Indian population there and have become a traditional and staple part of the Trinidadian diet. Indeed the combination of roti with curried goat must rank as one of the contenders for Trinidad’s national dish.

Ingredients:

280g (2 cups) plain flour

2 tbsp plain flour

1 tsp salt

35g (1 1/4 oz) powdered milk

2 tbsp baking powder

110g (1/2 cup) butter, chilled and sliced

2 tsp canola oil

Method:

In a bowl, combine the 280g (2 cups) flour, salt, powdered milk and baking powder. Stir with a fork to combine then add just enough water to bring the mixture into a soft but pliable dough. Knead in the bowl until smooth and elastic then cut into four equal pieces, shape these into balls then cover with a tea towel and set aside to rest for 15 minutes.

At the end of this time gently flatten each ball then roll out into circles about 3mm (1/8 in) thick. Spread a quarter of the sliced butter on top of each disk then sprinkle 1/2 tsp of the remaining flour over each. Gather the edges of each circle and bring together as a pouch. Pinch closed then flatten and roll out once more to form a circle 3mm (1/8 in) thick.

Now heat your cast iron griddle or non-stick frying pan. Continue heating until a few drops of water splashed on the surface sizzles. Lightly brush the surface of one roti with oil then place on your pan (oiled side down) then oil the other side. As soon as the roti puffs up turn it over and cook the other side (do not allow to brown). Remove from the pan and set aside to cool for 15 minutes, whilst you prepare the remaining roti in the same fashion.

Serve with a curry or stew (the classic combination would be roti with Curried Goat).

Trinidad Rice with Curried Vegetables

Trinidad Rice with Curried Vegetables is a traditional Trinidadian recipe for a classic dish of boiled rice served with curried bell pepper, onion and pineapple chunks.

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil

150g (1/3 lb) red bell pepper, diced

80g (2 1/2 oz) spring onions, sliced

2 tbsp
Jamaican curry powder

450g (1 lb) long-grain rice, washed

2 tbsp lime juice

1/2 tsp salt

150g (1/3 lb) pineapple chunks (fresh or tinned, drained)

Method:

Bring a pan of lightly-salted water to a boil then add the rice and cook for about 20 minutes, or until tender.

When the rice is almost ready add the oil to a pan and use to fry the spring onions and bell peppers for about 3 minutes. Add the curry powder and fry for 30 seconds then add the pineapple and fry for 2 minutes more.

Drain the rice, place in a bowl then stir in the lime juice, salt and the vegetable mix. Serve hot.

Trinidadian Chicken Curry

Trinidadian Chicken Curry is a traditional Trinidadian recipe for a classic curry of chicken with green seasoning and West Indian curry powder.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (about 1.5kg [3 1/3 lb])

juice of half a lime

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp celery salt

1 tsp freshly-ground black pepper

1 Scotch bonnet chilli, very finely chopped

2 tbsp vegetable oil

4 tbsp
Jamaican curry powder

1 tbsp
Garam Masala
(optional)

250ml (1 cup) water

2 tbsp
green seasoning

Method:

Wash the chicken, dry and cut into serving portions. Add the lime juice and rub into the chicken pieces. Set aside for 10 minutes then wash and dry once more. Dry the chicken then rub in the green seasoning, salt, black pepper and chilli. Cover and refrigerate over night.

Add the oil to a heavy pot and fry the garlic until nicely aromatic. Meanwhile whisk the curry powder into the water until you have a smooth paste and add to the pan. Cook briskly until all the water has evaporated away (make certain you stir constantly) then add the chicken and stir well to ensure all the pieces are coated in the curry paste.

Add enough water (about 200ml [4/5 cup]) so the chicken is just covered then bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and the volume has reduced by a third.

Stir-in the garam masala, cook for 5 minutes more then adjust the salt and hot pepper. Serve with rice and/or roti.

Trini Plantain Curry

Trini Plantain Curry is a traditional Trinidadian recipe for a classic curry of deep-fried plantains in chicken stock.

Ingredients:

5 ripe plantains

pinch of salt

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

150ml (1/3 lb) chicken stock

3 tsp
Jamaican curry powder

Method:

Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a small pan, add the garlic then take off the heat and set aside.

Peel the plantains and cut into 12mm thick slices. Add oil to a depth of 5cm (2 in) in a wok or deep pan then stir-in 2 tsp of the curry powder and add the plantain slices at a time and fry until lightly golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on kitchen paper to drain.

Allow the plantain slices to cool until they can be handled then flatten by rolling with a glass or rolling pin.

Return the chicken stock to the heat, add the remaining curry powder then bring to a boil and add the fried plantains. Cook for about 10 minutes and serve with roti.

West Indian Pumpkin Curry

West Indian Pumpkin Curry is a traditional West Indian recipe for a classic stew of pumpkin and vegetables in strong vegetable stock flavoured with ginger, chillies and curry powder.

This is a classic West Indian dish of curried pumpkin flavoured with Scotch Bonnet chillies

Ingredients:

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1kg (2 lb, 3 oz) pumpkin, peeled, de-seeded and sliced into large chunks

1 large onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, de-seeded and roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

5cm (2 in) length root ginger, chopped

2 whole Scotch Bonnet chillies

Jamaican curry powder
, to taste

salt and freshly-ground black pepper

250ml (1 cup) strong vegetable stock

Method:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan then add the onion, red bell pepper, garlic and ginger. Cook over medium heat, stirring all the while, until the onion is golden brown in colour (about 10 minutes).

Increase the heat then add the curry powder and salt and cook for 1 minute before adding the stock, pumpkin and whole Scotch bonnets. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Serve on a bed of rice. The Scotch Bonnets can be removed or your guests can cut off pieces with a spoon and mash these into the rice.

Caribbean Cook-up

Caribbean Cook-up is a traditional Jamaican recipe for a classic one-pot dish of minced meat, vegetables, pineapple and rice with jerk seasonings that’s typically served with an avocado salad. In essence, this is a Caribbean take on the pilau dishes of North India.

Ingredients:

225g (1/2 lb) minced beef, lamb or pork

1 medium onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 celery sticks, chopped

1 green bell pepper, de-seeded and chopped

225g (1/2 lb) tinned pineapple chunks, drained

1 tbsp Jerk Bar-B-Q Sauce (see below)

2 tsp
Jerk seasoning
(dry spice blend)

100g (3 1/2 oz) long-grain rice, well washed

300ml (1 1/4 cup) stock

salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

2 spring onions, finely chopped, to garnish

Method:

Add the mince, onion, garlic, celery and bell pepper to a pan and dry fry for about 8 minutes, or until browned. Add the barbecue sauce and the jerk seasoning and cook, stirring frequently, for a further 2 minutes.

Now add all the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the spring onions and serve immediately, accompanied by an avocado salad.

Jerk Bar-B-Q Sauce

Jerk Bar-B-Q Sauce is a traditional Jamaican recipe for a classic barbecue sauce made from a chicken stock and beer base flavoured with chillies, onions, tamarind, treacle and jerk seasonings that’s cooked slowly in a crockpot.

Ingredients:

300ml (1 1/4 cups) chicken stock

720ml (3 cups) dark beer

1 large onion, chopped

1 large red onion, chopped

2 green chillies, roasted and chopped

2 bunches spring onions, chopped

2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

90g (3 oz) fresh green chillies, chopped

4 tbsp tamarind concentrate

160ml (2/3 cup) black treacle (molasses)

4 tbsp dark brown sugar

15 tbsp
Jerk seasoning
(dry spice blend)

3 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

Method:

Add all the ingredients to a crockpot (slow cooker). Cook on low for about 10 hours, or until the sauce thickens and reduces. Bottle and store in the refrigerator. Serve warm with barbecued meat or as a sauce for burgers.

Restaurant and British Curries.

Restaurant and Takeaway curries have become a part of British culture and the curry is now accepted as part of British cuisine. I was lucky, whilst doing my degree that I had a fried whose uncle ran a Malay-style restaurant in London. Of course, many of the dishes were the standard ‘Indian’ fare of the day and the basic principles I learnt there are applicable to all kinds of curries. By combining these recipes with a range of other sources I was able to re-create a whole range of restaurant-style curries that people could produce for themselves at home. These are reproduced here.

Ever since Hannah Glasse published the first curry recipe in 1747, curries (or at least the British version of them, using a gravy flavoured with turmeric-based curry powder or paste) have become a feature of the British culinary landscape. Many people find this surprising, as British cookery often brings up the idea of ‘bland’. However, though spices have, historically, been expensive in Britain, they have always been used liberally by those who could afford them. Indeed, since the middle ages at least, the British have had a taste for highly-spiced dishes. What seems to have happened is that curries displaced the traditional spiced dishes of the past.

The first curry house, the
Hindoostanee Coffee House
, was opened in London in 1810 by the British Bengali entrepreneur Sake Dean Mahomed. However, the first modern ‘upscale’ Indian restaurant in Britain is believed to have been
Veeraswamy,
founded in London’s Regent Street in 1926.

From about the 1850s, the majority of immigrants to Britain from the Indian sub-Continent came from the region of Bengal. Indeed, up to the early 1970s, more than three quarters of Indian restaurants in Britain were identified as being owned and run by people of Bengali origin. And up until 1998, 85% of curry restaurants were actually Bengali restaurants, though the recipes and dishes served were influenced by the wider Indian sub-Continent. Today, however, the Bengali dominance of the restaurant scene is declining and there are increasing numbers of Punjabi restaurants and Pakistani restaurants (especially the further north one travels in Britain). So successful have curry restaurants become in Britain that curries invented in Britain (such as the Chicken Tikka Masala are now being exported to India.

There is also the ‘Balti’, a style of curry served in a steel dish that is thought to have been developed in Birmingham, England. This style has spread to other western countries and are traditionally cooked and served in the same, typically cast iron pot, based on the traditional Pakistani karahi. It is believed that dishes’ origins lie in the Pakistani region of Baltistan, from where they were brought and pioneered by South Asian migrants to Britain.

Restaurant-style Curry Sauce

Restaurant Curry Sauce is a traditional Indian recipe for a classic curry sauce of the type typically used by Indian restaurants.

Rather than being an ‘authentic’ traditional sauce this is the curry sauce actually used in restaurants. This version is derived from a Malaysian-style restaurant, the basic recipe is the same all the way around the world. If you want to make a restaurant-like curry at home, rather than one of the more authentic curries also featured in this book then this is the recipe for you.