# Curry



## Tony (26/3/09)

Who likes a good curry?

I do!

I have perfected my indian curry recipe and am now game to post it. You can make it as mild or as hot as you like by adjusting the chilli but the flavour will be the same. Sensational!

I like it fairly warm but not to hot. If you go over board with the chilli..... which i have done and melted SS forks...... it kills your taste buds and you dont enjoy it as much.

I use half a Bhut Jalokia in the recipe that is a good sized meal for 2. It gets the sweat running but my 14 year old step sun hooks into it as well..... with a glass of milk 

Recipe:

The Curry Paste:

1 clove garlic
1 thumb sized piece fresh ginger
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1.5 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
3 whole cloves
8 to 10 black pepper corns
salt to taste
1 teaspoon ground tumeric
1/2 teaspoon praprika..... smoked is best
Chilli to taste, fresh is best.
1 tablespoon olive oil

you will also need:

1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 kilo diced Lamb leg roast (i buy a half leg roast from supermarket)
3 tablespoons plain flour
1 small red onion, finly chopped
3 roma tomatoes, skinned and de seeded
1/3 cup beef stock
10 fresh curry leaves (i got them from Woolworths where they sell the fresh herb bunches. Store them in the freezer and they dry and last for ever)

Method:

Prepare the paste first by grinding all the whole spice in a morter and pestle, add the garlic, chilli and ginger and grind that in too. Add all the pre ground spice and the oil. Mix it up and it chould make a paste like ball of spice.

Next drop the toms in boiling water for 30 seconds or so to loosen up the skin. tip out the hot water and soak them in cool water so you can handle them. Chuck the skin and halve them and roughly de seed......... I just run my finger gently to remove all the watery seed stuff but leave all the flesh inside. chop them up and set aside.

finly chop the onion and set aside

coat the lamb in all the flour and keep tossing it now and then while you do all the rest above to make sure all the flour sticks. This will thicken the sauce.

heat a large pan on medium heat and add the oil. It should just start to smoke a bit...... that kind of heat. If it smokes a lot it is too hot for the next step.

toss the mustard seeds in the pan and get the lid on ASAP as they pop like popcorn and burn like hell if they get you. 10 seconds should see them all popped and get the onions in quick to cool the pan and stop the mustard seeds burning. toss them non stop for 15 seconds or so to just quickly brown the onion.

now in with the meat and the paste. Mix it all up for 30 seconds or so to just brown the meat off ect. You dont need to cook the meat! If the paste starts to burn a bit on the bottom, add a dash of the beef stock to loosen it up.

now add the tomatoe flesh, beef stock and curry leaves, mix it all up and simmer gently on low heat for half an hour to an hour. It should go nice and thick and saucy. the long slow cook will make the meat really tender and help meld all the flavours.

Serve with rice and enjoy an authentic curry!

cheers


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## Polar Beer (26/3/09)

that looks sensational Tony. Nothing I like more then beer, but Indian food is a very very close second. 

When I was in Christchurch last month, I went to a NZ craft brew bar with 80 NZ beers. Good enough, but they also had a curry house upstairs and offered a craft pint + main curry, rice & bread for $25 kiwi. Heaven. 

What beers do you match to your curries? For me it has to be a pilners type lagers earley, followed by ales or good stoutly stouts for afters. Definitely no Weizens or Wits.


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## manticle (26/3/09)

Nice to see someone making their own paste. I used to make all of mine until my spice grinder broke. I bought a new one the other day as a cheap way of cracking grains but it made me think about homemade tasty pastes. I may need a second one (or a grain mill thankyou father christmas who comes several months too early ever year).

Just a tip from me (hope it's not patronising) - a lot of dried spices release a lot of beautiful flavour if toasted first. Cumin and turmeric are two of those - simply heat a dry pan or saucepan (ie no oil) on the stove. When it's hot (but not smoking hot) quickly throw in ground spice, remove immediately from heat and stir through so it doesn't stick or burn. If it does burn you will have a very stinky mess but if it doesn't you will have a lovely fragrance wafting through your kitchen and making all and sundry very, very hungry. As soon as you can smell it, it's ready.

Also if you cut a small cross in the bottom of the romas with a sharp knife before blanching, it makes skin removal super simple.


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## Supra-Jim (27/3/09)

Love a good curry, I have the benefit of an indian father-in-law, so i hit him up for a cooking lesson a couple of times a year. This year they gave me Madhur Jaffrey's Curry Bible for my B'day ( http://www.amazon.com/Madhur-Jaffreys-Ulti...e/dp/0091874157 ). If you like your curries, get a copy. It's like Palmer's How to Brew rolled in with Jamil's Brewing Classic Styles, for curries. Highly recommended. 

Made a fantastic Kenyan chicken curry the other week.

Any you've got to make your pastes from scratch, no jars of goop.

Nothing like a good curry, nice fluffy rice, some warm bread and a few pints of brew!

:icon_cheers: SJ


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## Franko (27/3/09)

Nice recipe there Tony I'll be sure to give it a go


Franko


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## Katherine (27/3/09)

I make my own pastes.... but I do disagree with you there are some really good pastes around. You just need to be creative with them and not rely on them alone.


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## drsmurto (27/3/09)

As always Tony, you have me salivating at work hours before lunch.  

I have spent 5+ years perfecting thai curries from scratch but have only just started to dabble in the indian curries.

I find beating the snot out of fresh herbs and spices in a mortar very therapeutic!

Printed this recipe out and already have all the ingredients at home!


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## Katherine (27/3/09)

Tony you have missed out on one ingredient that is a must in Indian cooking.... 

Add to taste at end... salt...is a flavour enhancer it will bring out the flavours of the curry!

Hey has any body had any luck growing a curry tree?????


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## warra48 (27/3/09)

Thank goodness you lot like curry.

Leaves none for me to endure and suffer.

I do love beer !


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## Katherine (27/3/09)

warra48 said:


> Thank goodness you lot like curry.
> 
> Leaves none for me to endure and suffer.
> 
> I do love beer !



WHAT... they dont have to be hot!


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## raven19 (27/3/09)

DrSmurto said:


> As always Tony, you have me salivating at work hours before lunch.



+1. Recipe looks great, I dont have too many of those ingredients though...


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## Airgead (27/3/09)

Katie said:


> Hey has any body had any luck growing a curry tree?????



Mine grows very nicely in a pot. Apparently they will grow just about anywhere. Diggers had them as seedlings a year or so ago (www.diggers.com.au) and I think they still stock them.

I do a lot of Indian cooking. mostly based on my well thumbed Madhur Jaffrey books and some lessons from Indian neighbours.

I also do S/E Asian curries (thai, vietnamese, malay, etc).

Cheers
Dave


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## Katherine (27/3/09)

Yeah I have had no lucky with curry plants... though as Tony said the leaves keep so well in the freezer.

I love southern Indian cooking the most... Das Sreedharan is my hero. Southern Indian cooking suits our environment with the abundance of fresh herbs. 

Im keen of Burmese Curry's and pretty much any thing from the SE region, espeacially Thai and Vietnamese.


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## Airgead (27/3/09)

Katie said:


> Yeah I have had no lucky with curry plants... though as Tony said the leaves keep so well in the freezer.



According to the diggers climate map there should be nothing climate wise stopping you. They do like a bit of water and some good soil...How are the soild round your way? I've heard they are pretty sandy which may be a problem.

Cheers
Dave


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## Katherine (27/3/09)

Last time I tried it was very sandy.... but I should try were I am know as its old market garden... my whole garden is herbs... Our Lemon Vebena is going very well...


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## Tony (27/3/09)

Wow lots of curry heads out there.

Katie.... i put the salt in the paste...... just the way i do it but yes, salt is an important ingredient.

I have also thought about a curry tree and may look into it. They are best fresh. The leaves are not essential but they make that difference that makes the curry exceptional and taste authentic.

Now that i have my Indian curry sown pay im going to start work on a green and red thai curry as i love these also!

cheers


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## Ducatiboy stu (27/3/09)

Yes..another curry fan

SWMBO allways goes on about how to do decent curry in the wok...hot oil, add chilli for more heat...blah..blah...blah..


I will show her the recipie, and cop months of flack from the " I told you so" book


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## sinkas (28/3/09)

my curry tree is about 6ft tall, and has overgrown my pathetic coffee tree

Its also got seed pod s on it at the moment so If you want seeds KAtie, I'll harvest


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## Ducatiboy stu (28/3/09)

If i send a SAE envelope, con you give me some to..

Should grow well up here on the Nth coast


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## browndog (28/3/09)

I love a good Malaysian red curry. I have a few packets of Alagappa's curry powder at the moment and they make a great curry. The missus lived in Malaysia for 5 years and does a fanstastic laksa.

cheers

Browndog


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## Tony (28/3/09)

Im going to look into a good asian style chilli to grow next season for my thai curry research

I have a couple of good recipes to try out..... just to ge ttime to make them


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## Airgead (29/3/09)

Tony said:


> Wow lots of curry heads out there.



Yep

My great dream is to be able to cook at least one authentic dish from every country on earth. So far I have covered Western Europe, North and South America and SE Asia. I'm working in India and the whole eastern European region (including all the Stans - Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan etc). I'm treating each region in India as a separate country for culinary purposes. Once I've finished Asia I'll move on to Africa. I've made a quick African detour already to work on Moroccan as that's one of my favourites.

Lots of lovely spicy food from all round the globe.

Cheers
Dave


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## Steve (30/3/09)

I cook indian at least 2-3 times a week. All from scratch of course. Made a saag beef yesterday with parathas, turmeric/garam masala flavoured rice, raita and kachumber! Delicious. Sinkas i'd be keen to grab some seeds also if possible?
Cheers
Steve

Edit: If you havent seen this before im making my own tandoor oven:

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...&hl=tandoor


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## drsmurto (30/3/09)

Tony said:


> Now that i have my Indian curry sown pay im going to start work on a green and red thai curry as i love these also!
> 
> cheers




Thai red or birds eye chillies (i pick half of them while still green for green and jungle curries) work the best for me in thai curries. 

i actually perfected my thai curries while living in the UK as it no-one had all the ingredients to make thai. Where i lived (Durham) there was a dozen indian restaurants and 1 over priced thai place whose curries were watered down and westernised. 

I love spending an hour with the mortar and pestle and usually crank out 2 pastes in one sitting. Also got a mean laksa paste in my armoury but i love the red/green/jungle and massamam (left over roast lamb....) the best

As with indian and fresh curry leaves, fresh kaffir lime leaves are crucial in thai curries. They also freeze well but my tree is almost ready to be able to supply me permanently.

Inspired by this thread i raided the local asian grocery store which has a decent spice range to top up on a few things ready for some indian curry experiments. Found fresh curry leaves too! 

Next we need a thread on chilli con carne.......


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## sinkas (30/3/09)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> If i send a SAE envelope, con you give me some to..
> 
> Should grow well up here on the Nth coast




yep, Ill let you know when its harvest time


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## Katherine (30/3/09)

sinkas said:


> my curry tree is about 6ft tall, and has overgrown my pathetic coffee tree
> 
> Its also got seed pod s on it at the moment so If you want seeds KAtie, I'll harvest



Case...

I would appreciate that very much. Even though I have hundreds in the freezer I would love a tree. I have heard of those huge curry trees mine and others I have seen are like twigs... 

Dr Smurto.... Kaffir Lime leaves are amazing.... Have you looked in to Peranakan cuisine... mixture of Chinese and Malay.. I can forward you a fantastic dish (Kaffir Lime Leaf Chicken)....

Dont forget to add chocolate to your chilli con carne!


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## Tony (30/3/09)

DrSmurto said:


> Next we need a thread on chilli con carne.......



I have a great Chili con carne recipe i have made for years........ another time though 

cheers


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## Steve (31/3/09)

DrSmurto said:


> Next we need a thread on chilli con carne.......



:icon_offtopic: ...but here is Barack Obamas Chilli con carne recipe (apparently) from www.chillies-down-under.com.au website.

Barack Obama's Chilli Recipe 

Chilli wisdom from the man who has been dumped with the task of cleaning up after Bush. 


1 large onion, chopped 
1 green pepper, chopped 
Several cloves of garlic, chopped 
1 tablsp olive oil 
500g (1 pound) minced (ground) turkey or beef 
teasp ground cumin 
teasp ground oregano 
teasp ground turmeric 
teasp ground basil 
1 tablsp chilli powder 
3 tablsp red wine vinegar 
Several tomatoes, depending on size, chopped 
1 can red kidney beans

Saute onions, green pepper and garlic in olive oil until soft. 

Add ground meat and brown. 

Combine spices together into a mixture, then add to ground meat. 

Add red wine vinegar. 

Add tomatoes and let simmer, until tomatoes cook down. 

Add kidney beans and cook for a few more minutes. 

Serve over white or brown rice. 

Garnish with grated cheddar cheese, onions and sour cream 


Sounds good!
Cheers
Steve


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## Airgead (31/3/09)

Steve said:


> :icon_offtopic: ...but here is Barack Obamas Chilli con carne recipe (apparently) from www.chillies-down-under.com.au website.
> 
> Barack Obama's Chilli Recipe



I wouldn't have picked obama as a tex-mex kind of guy but there you are.

My preference for a Con-carne is an authentic mexican Mole Con carne which is completely different to the Tex-Mex version. I'll have to dig up the recipe but it uses 4 different types of mexican chilli and uses chunks of steak rather than mince. its fantastic.


Tony - While we're talking South American, have you ever used any of your uber hot chilli in a ceviche?

Cheers
Dave


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## Katherine (31/3/09)

I think we need photos for this thread... Im making my favourite curry on Thursday which is a Burmese Chicken Curry so look out for photos on Friday... yumbo!


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## jeremy (31/3/09)

I love curries in all shapes an sizes, and highly recommend the following recipe for Chicken Balti. Its the first hit for "balti recipe" on google, hence I found it by fluke, but I have made it a couple of times now and it comes up great! Even better, do this recipe, and once its ready get some chips from your local fish and chips shop, and serve it over half rice, half chips!

http://www.curryhouse.co.uk/rsc/balti.htm


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## Katherine (31/3/09)

jeremy said:


> I love curries in all shapes an sizes, and highly recommend the following recipe for Chicken Balti. Its the first hit for "balti recipe" on google, hence I found it by fluke, but I have made it a couple of times now and it comes up great! Even better, do this recipe, and once its ready get some chips from your local fish and chips shop, and serve it over half rice, half chips!
> 
> http://www.curryhouse.co.uk/rsc/balti.htm



LOL chips and curry that is such a UK/Ireland thing


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## Steve (31/3/09)

jeremy said:


> I love curries in all shapes an sizes, and highly recommend the following recipe for Chicken Balti. Its the first hit for "balti recipe" on google, hence I found it by fluke, but I have made it a couple of times now and it comes up great! Even better, do this recipe, and once its ready get some chips from your local fish and chips shop, and serve it over half rice, half chips!
> 
> http://www.curryhouse.co.uk/rsc/balti.htm




 hot chips n curry? - you heathen you. You arent English by any chance are you?


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## jeremy (31/3/09)

Steve said:


> hot chips n curry? - you heathen you. You arent English by any chance are you?



Not actually, learnt the trick from a Welshman!

Chips and anything is good...


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## Steve (31/3/09)

Ive made this a few times and is great.

Potato Curry, with Onion Free Gravy, North Indian
(Aloo Rasedar, Bina Pyaz ke)

Ingredients
•	500 gm. potatoes
•	150 gm. approximately, tinned or fresh chopped tomatoes
•	1 tbs. oil or ghee
•	1 tsp. cumin seeds or Nigella/kalaunji seeds or mustard seed/rai
•	A large pinch of asafoetida powder
•	1/2 inch piece of ginger, grated (optional)
•	1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
•	1 tsp. coriander powder
•	1/4 tsp. chilli powder or to taste
•	2 tbs. dry methi leaves (kasoori methi) (optional)
•	Salt to taste
•	1 1/2- 2 cups boiling water
•	1/2 tsp. Garam Masala
•	A handful of chopped coriander leaves.


Instructions
1. Boil or microwave potatoes in their skin.
2. Cool, peel and break or chop into bite size pieces. If you are looking for a thick gravy, mash the potatoes lightly with your hand, without breaking them completely. Or, mash a few pieces completely.
3. Heat oil in a pan.
4. Add cumin seeds and asafoetida. When seeds splutter, add ginger and fry for a few seconds.
5. Add tomatoes, all the spices (you can use curry powder instead of all these spices) and salt. If using methi leaves, add them now.
6. Fry until oil separates.
7. Add potatoes and stir gently.
8. Add water and bring to boil. Amount of water depends upon how thick you like your curry gravy to be. Some people like this dish with a thick gravy that can be served on the dinner plate directly. Others want/like quite a runny gravy, which has to be served in small bowls (Indian katori). Start by adding less and increase it to what is right for you. The choice is yours.
9. Simmer for a few minutes.
10. Turn heat off and add garam masala and coriander leaves.
11. Serve hot with Chapatties or Plain Parathas or Poories.

Last time I made it I added some corn, peas and spinach from memory.





Cheers
Steve

P.S. Yes I do take pics of my curries as I frequent an Indian food website (where I got this recipe from)


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## Tony (31/3/09)

Potatoes and other carbs make me fat............. look what the beer does!

I prefer dead animal! Looks great though mate. I think one of the most mis understood facts about indian food is a lot of it does not have meat in it.

Planning to get my coriander for seeds planted soon. Got a great crop off last year



Tony - While we're talking South American, have you ever used any of your uber hot chilli in a ceviche?

Mate i honestly have never heard of it........ ive spent most of ly life working myself to death so have missed out on a lot. Im going to have a great supply of heat soon so please share 

cheers


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## Steve (1/4/09)

Tony said:


> I prefer dead animal!



Me too but the freezer was bare and I was hungry - so I made a vegie curry for the first time. Should try it...its very nice. After a couple of days if there is any left over and dried up a bit you can use the leftovers to make samosas!. Cut long sheets of puff pastry about 30cm long x 10cm wide, add a big tablespoon at one end. Fold the pastry over from one corner, then do the same from the other corner, keep going and you will make a big fat triangle. Brush all over with egg and bake in oven until golden brown! Yum!
Cheers
Steve


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## Airgead (1/4/09)

Tony said:


> Tony - While we're talking South American, have you ever used any of your uber hot chilli in a ceviche?
> 
> Mate i honestly have never heard of it........ ive spent most of ly life working myself to death so have missed out on a lot. Im going to have a great supply of heat soon so please share
> 
> cheers



OK.. ceviche is a South American speciality. Originated apparently in Peru though its claimed by most countries round there. They all have their various regional diferences but the basic premise is the same - 

Take chunks of firm white fleshed fish (I've done it using barra and its lovely). Other countries use prawns or scallops.
Slice a red onion thinly and mix with the fish
Slice chillies very fine and mix in (in Peru they would use Aji Limon or Roccoto) Habs would work well.
Cover in lime juice
Leave to marinate for an hour or two
During this time the lime juice cooks the fish (you'll see it going opaque)
Eat. The Peruvian server it with chunks of yellow and white potato and BBQ corn.

Its hot and sour and fishy. Absolutely beautiful.

Cheers
Dave


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## Katherine (1/4/09)

Airgead said:


> OK.. ceviche is a South American speciality. Originated apparently in Peru though its claimed by most countries round there. They all have their various regional diferences but the basic premise is the same -
> 
> Take chunks of firm white fleshed fish (I've done it using barra and its lovely). Other countries use prawns or scallops.
> Slice a red onion thinly and mix with the fish
> ...



I love that stuff, I have had it Fijian style though and they also had coconut juice... its devine...


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## Airgead (1/4/09)

Katie said:


> I love that stuff, I have had it Fijian style though and they also had coconut juice... its devine...



That sounds good. I think they also do something similar in the carribian with squid & octopus rather than fish. Maybe some of Tony's 7 pots or scorpions would be the go there...

Cheers
Dave


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## Katherine (1/4/09)

something like this I found on the net... Fijian ceviche
[size=-1]
[*]1 pound freshly caught firm white fish, such as halibut, mahi, wahoo or walu
[*]1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
[*]1/4 cup lolo, we know as coconut cream (available at Asian markets)
[*]2 TBSP very finely chopped green onions
[*]2 TBSP finely chopped tomatoes
[*]Red pepper flakes to taste
[*]Salt to taste[/size]
 [size=-1]Cut the fish into cubes. Marinate in lime juice overnight or for at least two hours. Drain the juice and set aside. Add the coconut cream, tomatoes, red pepper flakes and salt, and some of the lime juice you set aside to taste (it should be tangy). Serve chilled and garnished with spring onions and a wedge of lime, ideally in a half coconut or clam shell. This makes a good appetizer and a good entre. [/size]


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## Tony (1/4/09)

Airgead said:


> That sounds good. I think they also do something similar in the carribian with squid & octopus rather than fish. Maybe some of Tony's 7 pots or scorpions would be the go there...
> 
> Cheers
> Dave



Mate......... if you can add a 7 to that and finnish it i will be amazed. a single slice of one put me well and truly out of action for anything other than pannic and swearing for about 15 minuites.

The goatsweeds i grow are a native from peru. Would work well. They are about as hot as a habanero.

might try this some time

cheers


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## Steve (5/4/09)

Just put a Chicken Vindaloo in the fridge to marinate:


This is one of the most loved Indian curries in the UK. All Indian restaurants have it on their menu. It is a Portuguese influenced dish from Goa, in India. Traditionally, it was not meant to be hot. It originally contained pork, potatoes, (aloo) and vinegar (Vin), hence the name. However, as most curry house chefs in UK were Muslims, mainly Bangladeshis, they did not eat pork. They replaced the pork with beef and/or chicken. These days, you dont see pork Vindaloo at all in UK. Present day UK Vindaloo contains beef or chicken and it sometimes has chopped potatoes.

Another story about its name, which seems more feasible to me, is that vin stands for vinegar and alho is garlic in Portuguese. So, it is a pork dish made with vinegar and lots of garlic. The term Vindaloo in present day Indian restaurants in UK simply means a very hot curry that brings tears to your eyes! Hotter the better for some! Serves 4

Ingredients
500 gm. pork or beef or lamb
1 tsp. cardamom seeds*
3-4 cloves*
3-4 peppercorns* (If you want it really hot, add 8-10 pepper corns)
1 inch piece cinnamon stick*
1 tbs. coriander seeds*
1 tsp. cumin seeds*
1/2 tsp. fenugreek or methi seeds*
3-4 dry red chillies
2 heaped tablespoons shredded garlic
1 tablespoon shreddedginger
1 large onion, peeled, sliced
2 tbs. oil
1 1/2 inch piece root ginger, peeled
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 heaped tsp. chilli powder
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tbs. cider or wine vinegar
3-4 curry leaves (not bay leaves)
2-3 tbs. vegetable oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
50 ml. Water


Instructions
1. Dry roast ingredients marked * in a wok or in a microwave, adding chillies only towards the end. Chillies burn quickly and become bitter.
2. Heat oil in a pan and fry onion slices, until deep deep brown. Take out onto a greased paper. Leave oil in the pan.
3. Place ginger, garlic, fried onions, chilli powder, turmeric, salt, roasted whole spices * and vinegar in a blender and make a fine puree. If necessary, add a little water or more vinegar to make a paste.
4. Place chicken in a bowl, add the spice paste and mix thoroughly.
5. Keep in the fridge for a few hours, preferable overnight, in a covered container (otherwise, everything else in the fridge will smell).
6. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan or wok.
7. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves.
8. When seeds splutter, add meat in its marinade, stir well and cook covered until meat is tender. (about 2hrs)
9. You will need to stir it from time to time and add water if it becomes too dry.
10. Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves.
11. Serve with Boiled Rice and natural yoghurt. Yoghurt is to cool down your mouth!

Notes
You can add diced potatoes halfway through cooking.
If you want it fiery hot, add more chillies and black pepper than given in this recipe.

I usually use about 10-15 black peppercorns and about 10-12 dry red chillies

Cheers
Steve


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## sijani (5/4/09)

Hmmm slow cooked for 2 hours...tender :icon_drool2: 

I like to add a little coriander or mint to the yoghurt with a pinch of cracked black pepper.

Freshly baked naans for dipping and you're in flavour country!

What are you drinking with it Steve?


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## Steve (5/4/09)

sijani said:


> Hmmm slow cooked for 2 hours...tender :icon_drool2:
> 
> I like to add a little coriander or mint to the yoghurt with a pinch of cracked black pepper.
> 
> ...




havent done my own naans at home. I usually make roties n parathas...but ive been out to a very pissy family lunch and cant be stuffed so im just going the shop bought ones

Drinking:

a beer kegged last night

9kg BB Galaxy
1kg Light Crystal

Superpride for bittering and nothing else US05 for yeast. A nice quoffer...cant type! going now!


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## Tony (5/4/09)

Steve said:


> If you want it fiery hot, add more chillies and black pepper than given in this recipe.
> 
> I usually use about 10-15 black peppercorns and about 10-12 dry red chillies



Sounds great Steve.

And you recon i use to many ingredients :blink: I love curry with lots of complexity and this looks fantastic!

Let me know your Address a per the PM i sent you and i will cut that chilli usage back to a pinch :super: 


On another note............ i just ordered a Curry plant. My brother sent me a link to a mob in QLD that post small plants. 

I will report back on how it goes....... im a bit sceptical but he had a miricle fruit plant sent with no harm done.

cheers

PS....... Steve..... im going to make this through the week to take for lunches at work. I have hundreds of Indian Jalokia PC1's dry and hung i n my garage. Perfect for this..... and not being muslem..... im using dead pig!

Edit: Quick tought............ do you use the cinnimon stich whole and remove it or crush it and leave it in?


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## Steve (6/4/09)

Tony said:


> Edit: Quick tought............ do you use the cinnimon stich whole and remove it or crush it and leave it in?



dry roast it with the rest of the spices and then chuck them all in your coffee grinder and grind to a powder.

Edit....the vindaloo was sensational - nice and hot. Loads left over for lunch today. Also really cook the onions until they are very brown. This gives the brown colour to the curry.


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## Gulpa (6/4/09)

Recipes look good. We love our curries here. The frozen paratha/roti chani you get from asian supermarkets are great if you can be bothered making your own bread.

cheers
Andrew.


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## Steve (9/4/09)

Having this for dinner. Its beautiful:

Chicken Curry from Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan Murga Curry

Srilankan curries vary from house to house, just like Indian curries. It is difficult to generalise a curry recipe, but here is my version of cooking spicy chicken in coconut milk. the list of ingredients looks long but the recipe is not difficult to make. Serves 6-7

Ingredients

1 kg. chicken thigh pieces. 
1 1/2 tbs. oil 
1 tsp. mustard seeds 
4-5 curry leaves 
3 cardamoms* (large ones) 
2 inch piece cinnamon stick* 
1 stick of lemon grass (if you don't have it, use peel of 1/2 lemon or lime or use 1 big tbspon shredded)
2 medium onions (300 gm), peeled and finely chopped 
2 medium tomatoes, chopped or equivalent amount of tinned tomatoes 
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed 
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated 
2 tsp. coriander powder* 
1 level tsp. turmeric powder* 
1 tsp. chilli powder* (adjust to taste) 
1 tsp. fennel powder* 
2 tsp. sweet paprika powder* for colour (optional) 
2 tsp. salt, adjust to taste 
2 tbs. malt vinegar 
1 1/2 cup coconut milk, un-sweetened 


Instructions

1. Wash and drain chicken pieces. 
2. Heat oil in a heavy pan and add mustard seeds, cardamoms, cinnamon, curry leaves and allow seeds to splutter. 
3. Add onion ginger and garlic and fry until browned. 
4. Add all spices, salt and vinegar and stir for a few seconds. 
5. Add chicken and stir until well sealed and covered in spices. 
6. Add tomatoes and lemon grass and cook on medium heat, covered, until chicken is tender. 
7. Add coconut milk and adjust seasoning. 
8. Let it reats for a few minutes and spoon of excessive fat, if necessary. 
9. Serve with Boiled Rice. 

Notes

You can garnish with chopped coriander leaves. 

Cheers
Steve


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## browndog (9/4/09)

I reckon we should all go to Steve's place for dinner folks! I'll bring the IPA.

cheers

Browndog


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## NRB (10/4/09)

Tony said:


> My brother sent me a link to a mob in QLD that post small plants.
> 
> I will report back on how it goes....... im a bit sceptical but he had a miricle fruit plant sent with no harm done.



Got the details Tony? I'd love to try this miracle fruit that's meant to be an incredible experience.


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## Tony (10/4/09)

http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/?PHPSESSID=5...c6833bfab6d7404

Cooking a curry now.... Steves Vindalo 

Used a pork leg that was on special for $5.95/kg...... cant beat that 

pics to come 

cheers


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## Tony (10/4/09)

De boned the pork leg and diced it up. Doubled the recipe as i had 1kg of meat and the leftovers wont go astray!

Added 5 dry chillis and a teaspoon of dry ground Bhut Jalokia to the paste.

It was hot enough to render my taste buds useless and made my nose run 

cheers







Tops recipe mate... very nice.


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## SDJ (18/4/09)

Tony said:


> De boned the pork leg and diced it up. Doubled the recipe as i had 1kg of meat and the leftovers wont go astray!
> 
> Added 5 dry chillis and a teaspoon of dry ground Bhut Jalokia to the paste.
> 
> ...




Damm that looks tasty!! I just gotta make me a curry, wonder if I can slow smoke one in a casserole dish in the smoker??


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## elec (18/4/09)

Tony said:


> http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/?PHPSESSID=5...c6833bfab6d7404
> 
> Cooking a curry now.... Steves Vindalo
> 
> ...



Tony, I have bought a curry plant from Daley's, and had it sent with some other exotics, by barge to Weipa, Cape York, without too many dramas. The service from Kathy was very good.
6 or 8 leaves in any style of curry really adds to the overall flavour.

Regards


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## THE DRUNK ARAB (18/4/09)

Tonights dinner :icon_drool2: !

Cumin Lamb, Potato and Pea curry, Chango Mutney and Pickled Vegies all with some nice jasmine rice and Roti bread(not in the pic)

Reckon I'll give your Vindy recipe a go soon Steve, sounds delish!

C&B
TDA


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## Ducatiboy stu (18/4/09)

Tony said:


> http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/?PHPSESSID=5...c6833bfab6d7404
> 
> Daleys ae just up the road from me ( 130k's...SFA of a drive for a country bloke )...I have bought from them...they have a good rep..
> 
> ...


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## troopa (19/4/09)

Tony tried your curry the other night 
And it was certainly a winner, Even the the next day for lunch 

woulda liked it hotter but out red chilli plant hasnt done too well this year
But the Habeneros have done amazing and are still going nuts with dozens of new chillies forming up on it. So i think ill be adding a couple of those to spice up the heat a bit :icon_drool2: 

Although I would love to try your jalokias or 7s if your willing to trade.. im sure ive got something i could offer 

Tom


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## Steve (19/4/09)

Tony said:


> De boned the pork leg and diced it up. Doubled the recipe as i had 1kg of meat and the leftovers wont go astray!
> 
> Added 5 dry chillis and a teaspoon of dry ground Bhut Jalokia to the paste.
> 
> ...




No worries - glad it came out nice :beer: 

Cheers
Steve


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## Steve (19/4/09)

Had this for dinner last night (my wifes favourite):

Chicken Tikka (for starters), Raita and Murgh Mahkani (butter chicken)

Raita

This is perhaps the most common raita served in Indian restaurants and a very popular one during summer months in India. You can use Kakri, instead of cucumber, if you wish. Kakri is a light green, ridged Indian cucumber. Serves 4-6

Ingredients
• 2 cups natural yoghurt or dahi
• 1 cup grated or chopped cucumber
• 1 green chilli-finely chopped (optional
• 1/t tsp. salt,adjust to taste (black rock salt is good, buy from Indian grocers)
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. roast cumin seeds, coarsely ground (dry roast in microwave or in a wok or frying pan)*

Instructions
1. Beat yoghurt, salt, black pepper and cumin together.
2. Add cucumber and green chillies and mix well. Adjust salt. Serve chilled.
3. To garnish, you can sprinkle a bit of roast cumin and chilli powder on top.

*To roast cumin seeds in microwave, place 2 tbs. seeds on a suitable dish. Microwave on full for 3 minutes, stir them up, roast for a minute at a time until a nice aroma of 'roast' cumin arises. To roast in a wok or on a griddle, simple heat a griddle and dry roast until the correct aroma rises. It is very distinctive, you won't miss it! Cool and coarsely grind.


Chicken Tikka

• 3-4 Chicken thighs cut into halves
• 1.5 tbspns Tandoori Masala* (see below)
• 2 tbspns plain yoghurt or the already prepared raita
• 3-4 drop of Red food colouring (if you want to make it look like what you get in an indian restaurant) Looks great when cooked!

Instructions

1. Place chicken in an oven dish.
2. Coat chicken in yoghurt or raita
3. Sprinkle on tandoori masala and stir again to mix it all in.
4. Place on pre soaked wooden skewers
5. Let marinade in the fridge for a while
6. Take out of the fridge, turn the oven on to its highest setting 200-250 and let it preheat for 15 mins
7. Cook chicken in the oven for 20 mins, turn over and brush with any marinade left over, cook for a furher 20 mins until bright and and slighly blackened/charred.

* Tandoori Masala

This makes enough for a small jars worth which can last weeks in an airtight jar.

Ingredients
• 8 tsp. coriander powder
• 4 tsp. cumin seed powder
• 4 tsp. sweet paprika powder (for colour)
• 2 tsp. red chilli powder
• 2 tsp. garlic powder*
• 2 tsp. ginger powder*
• 2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 3 tsp. dry mango powder (amchoor). If you do not have mango powder, either use anardana (pomegranate seeds) powder or add lemon juice to the dish where you are using tandoori masala.
• 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions
1. Mix all ingredients together in a dry bowl, transfer to a dry, screw-top jar and store.
2. *You can omit garlic and ginger powder and add fresh, when ready to use this mix.
3. ~ If you do not have either of these, add lemon juice when ready to use this mix.

Murgh Mahkani (Butter chicken)

This dish has chicken in a thick, creamy sauce, hence the name. It is not very highly spiced and has delicious, gentle flavour. Makhani means 'buttery' or 'creamy'. Serves 4

Ingredients
• 700 gm. to 1 kg. chicken pieces of your choice, skin removed
• 2 tbs. (30 gm.) butter
• 2 tbs. oil
• 2-3 bay leaves 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
• 1 level tbs. ginger, finely grated or ground into paste*
• 1 level tbs. garlic, finely grated or paste*
• 1 medium or 150 gm onion, peeled and ground to a paste*
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 500 gm. tomatoes, pureed in a blender (can use 350 gm. tinned, but taste is better with fresh)
• 1 tsp. chilli powder, adjust to taste
• 2 tsp. paprika powder for colour
• 1 1/2 tsp. Tandoori Masala (see above).
• Salt to taste, about 1 tsp.
• 2-3 tbs. cashew nuts, soaked for 1 hour and ground to a paste
• 1 cup or 250 ml. milk
• 1/2 cup or 125 ml. water (less if frozen chicken is used)
• 3 tbs. or 60 ml. double cream. Sour cream can be used
• 1 tsp. Garam Masala
• *Ginger, garlic and onions can be ground all together to a paste in a blender.

Instructions
1. Making gravy:
2. Heat butter and oil in a heavy bottomed pan or karahi.
3. Add bay leaves, cinnamon, ginger-garlic-onion paste and fry. Add sugar when it is beginning to look transparent. Sugar helps to calamalise the onions. Cook until it turns brownish and all the water is gone.
4. Add pureed tomato, chilli powder, salt, tandoori/chaat masala and fry until water is evaporated and oil separates at the edges of the mass.
5. Add cashew paste and fry for a further 10-15 seconds.
6. Add milk and water and bring to boil, stirring all the time. The gravy should be of custard consistency. It is better to add less water to start with and adjust later if the dish is looking too dry.
7. Cooking the Chicken:
8. Add chicken pieces, stir fry for a couple of minutes and cook covered until chicken is tender. At this stage, it can be transferred to a slow cooker. When the dish is ready, the gravy turns to a brighter colour and the fat separates.
9. Turn the heat to minimum, add half the cream and garam masala and half the coriander leaves. Stir well.
10. Adjust salt/chillies/tandoori masala to taste and turn the heat off.
11. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and 1 tbs. fresh cream.

I cook this for about 2 hours

You can cook this dish in an oven too:
Prepare gravy/sauce as above. Place chicken pieces in an oven-proof dish and pour over the gravy. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 180 C or 350 F or Gas mark 4, for approximately 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Oven temperatures and times vary. Add cream and garam masala and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add and mix cream, garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with fragrant Jasmine or Basmati rice*, poppodoms, naan bread, parathas or rotis.

*Add half a tspns turmeric, 4-5 green whole cardamon pods, 3-4 cloves to the rice before it starts to cook.

Cheers
Steve


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## Adamt (11/5/09)

Beef Vindaloo

1kg Chuck steak or other stewing steak
Butter/oil
500mL beef stock

Spice Paste
-3Tbsp coriander seeds
-1Tbsp cumin
-6 cloves
-1tsp cinnamon
-1tsp fennel
-1tsp black pepper
-1tsp brown sugar
-1/3 cup white vinegar

Chilli Paste
-4 medium chillis (I used shitty supermarket ones, all I had on hand)
-8 cloves garlic
-1 large onion

Chop meat into cubes, throw in a non-metallic bowl.

Grind together spice paste in mortar and pestle, rub into meat.

Leave meat for up to 24 hours, I left it 3.

Saute onion in some oil or butter until nearly black, remove from pan (leaving as much oil behind as possible), grind in mortar and pestle with other chilli paste ingredients. (I didn't do this, but meh)

Fry off meat (in batches if need be) in butter/oil until well coloured.

Throw all meat back in the pan, add chilli/onion/garlic, any leftover paste and beef stock.

Bring to boil, lower the heat and simmer 'til thick.

Before simmer and after simmer.





Serve with rice/potatoes/whatever! Needs way more chilli but the sourness is bewwwwdiful. :icon_drool2: 

:icon_cheers:

Edit: Oh, apparently it'll get better over the next few days... which is good as I have it for lunch all week


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## Steve (12/5/09)

Adamt said:


> Beef Vindaloo
> 
> 1kg Chuck steak or other stewing steak
> Butter/oil
> ...



Why is it purple?


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## Adamt (12/5/09)

Because my phone camera is a piece of shit. 

Just eating some for lunch now!


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## Phoney (22/5/09)

If you love your curry, you seriously need to try this. It's puri (an Northern Indian style bread), but it's better than any puri or Naan that you'll get at an Indian restaurant. And it's quite simple to make, beautiful just on it's own but freakin awesome for mopping up curry on your plate!

ingredients

600ml buttermilk
self raising flour

method

1. Take buttermilk out of fridge for a couple of hours and allow to warm up to room temperature.
2. Put 5 cups of SRF into a mixing bowl, make a well in the middle and pour the buttermilk in.
3. mix it with a spoon until it becomes a thick creamy sauce.
4. cover with a teatowel and let it sit for at about 2 hours. If you're doing this in winter particularly in the southern states, you may need to gently warm it by placing the mixing bowl into a larger bowl with hot water. (this is important)
5. add more handfulls of flour until it becomes a dough that you can pick up and knead.
6. take it out of the bowl and onto the bench and knead it for about 20 mins, adding more flour to make sure the dough is fairly dry but still nice & soft.
7. Now what I do at this point is split it up into 4 or 5 chunks about the size of my fist
8. take one of those chunks and roll it out about as thick as thick sausages, then tare off into smaller chunks about 2 - 3 inches long
9. Roll this out fairly thin, it should roll out to the size of a small dinner plate.
10. heat up sunflower or canola oil in a fry pan until it just begins to smoke.
11. roll out the bit of dough from step 9 again to regain it's shape and then throw it down onto the hot oil.
12. it will immediately start to expand and sizzle. give it about 5 - 10 seconds, then using a pair tongs, flip it over and pat it down, give it another 5 - 10 seconds (before it starts to burn), then remove and place on paper towel.
13. repeat steps 8 - 12 until you've got enough, adding more oil when it runs out.

A chunk of dough the size of a fist makes enough for two people. Then once you've had enough, you can freeze these chunks, and then the next time you make a curry, simply thaw it out, roll it out, fry it up, and eat eat eat!


I dont have any pictures... But I guarantee you, you wont be disappointed


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## Scruffy (25/5/09)

Ahh, curry.

Now I feel qualified to type :icon_cheers: 

Tandoori Haloumi on Peshwari naan with Raita and Pistachio Panch Phoran and Tarka Dahl with stuff in it...




Love curry... and Beer.


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## Tony (26/5/09)

Holy shit that looks great.

Must be great, i cant pronounce the words


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## Scruffy (28/5/09)

Tony said:


> Holy shit that looks great.
> Must be great, i cant pronounce the words



Cheers Tony, maybe I should've said; bread, jam and cheese and lentil soup: contains nuts.

Just between you and me... there's a secret to a good old English takeaway curry...


Wanna know the AG version...?


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## bradmcm (30/5/09)

Yes, I know the secret of BIR (British Indian Restaurant) curries. ^_^ 
I managed to find a copy of a good book on them, and then found a fantastic forum www.cr0.co.uk that opened up my eyes.

Tell you what, it makes life so much easier!!

For the uninitiated - the key is the 'base sauce'. It's a thick soup mixture of tomato, onion, garlic, ginger, oil and basic curry spices. This sauce goes into every curry in the restaurant - and the main difference between the curries is the spices added in the initial fry and other ingredients at the end. Of course for things like jalfrezi you add capsicum etc. as well..
The meat is pre-prepared too, I usually parboil it but sometimes do a pseudo - tandoori or tikka.

It means you can get a beautiful tender and fresh curry to the table in 10 minutes after deciding what curry you want to make!


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## JaffaMan (20/6/09)

Awsome so many recipes, lucky me and the misses just purchased a wicked slow-cooker from big w for $38.

Also scored a small freezer yesterday to store "The Big Cook" in.


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## Fourstar (22/6/09)

Well today is the day for some rendang. SWMBO'd and i picked up a whole bunch of sachet curry sauces at the local asian grocer. We both usually make everything from scratch but decided we would give these a go for when we are short on time aka weekdays. This is the "brahims" rendang. Slowly simmered for 3 hours until it dried out and fried off (the danger zone). The frying takes the meat from being moist and loose to fall apart butter meat. :icon_drool2: 

The little red swab on the side is some killer Singaporean Ikan Billis (Dried Anchovy) Sambal. It's hotter than the rendang itself. The right side of my tongue is on fire! Dont worry, Ive got a trial bottle of my VIC case swap AIPA on hand! which is also :icon_drool2: 

Lots of C hop aroma, lots of C hop flavour and a balanced amount of crystal and munich sweetness on the finish... awesome!

Beers (and curries!) :icon_cheers:


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## Katherine (23/6/09)

> Singaporean Ikan Billis



I love that stuff, Great snack food when drinking beer... but also great along side a curry... Nasi Lemak is the bomb.

Another great packet curry paste is from a brand May Ploy comes in a bucket... Sometimes a little on the salty side so cut down on the fish sauce. Dont forget the palm sugar and kaffir lime leaves.

I also enjoy making Indian Curries from scatch! 

Why am I always hungry and thirsty????


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## Fourstar (23/6/09)

Katie said:


> I love that stuff, Great snack food when drinking beer... but also great along side a curry... Nasi Lemak is the bomb.
> Another great packet curry paste is from a brand May Ploy comes in a bucket... Sometimes a little on the salty side so cut down on the fish sauce. Dont forget the palm sugar and kaffir lime leaves.



Yeah Ikan Billis with peanuts is awesome. this was in a sambal. made it crunchy and salty! *drool*. Just polished off the leftovers for lunch. The Mae Ploy Thai Pastes are really good. Im a big fan of the Penang Curry.... niiiiice.


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## Steve (27/6/09)

Cooking Saag lamb tonight, raita, kuchumber, parathas, poppodoms for dinner

Saag Lamb

500-1kg good diced lamb
250-300gms spinach leaves (finely chopped frozen spinach is good)
2 tbspn methi leaves (fenugreek leaves) If using dry methi soak them in a cup of cold water for 10 mins before adding. Scoop them out of the cup when you need to add them.
2 medium onions
2 tspns of minced ginger
2 tspns of minced garlic
4-5 curry leaves
2-3 brown cardamon pods (with one end only just chopped off)
2 green chillies
3 tbsons oil or ghee
1 tspn tumeric
1.5 tspns coriander powder
Salt to taste
2 heaped tbspons tomato puree or half a tin on diced tomatoes
1 tspn garam masala
cup of thick cream

Instructions

Put lamb in a bowl with tumeric and tspn of salt and mix.
Leave lamb to sit for half an hour.
Heat oil in a pan, add the onions, garlic, ginger, brown cardamon, curry leaves and fry until onions are nicely browned.
Add lamb and stir fry on high until its nicely sealed
Add the green chillies and coriander and a dash more tumeric.
Add tomatoes and fry again until nicely browned and mixed
Add a cup of water and bring to the boil. Cover and cook the lamb for as long as you want so that the meat is tender. I usually do mine for 1.5-2 hours!
Add the spinach and methi leaves and cook for another 5-10 mins
Add the cream and stir and cook for another 5 mins

Yum!

Cheers
Steve


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## Katherine (29/6/09)

The perfect accompliment (is that the word) to a hot curry..... :icon_drool2: 

Bhindi Kichadi

200g okra
5 tbsp oil
200g plain yoghurt
tsp mustard seeds
10 curry leaves
Salt

For the spice paste

100g freshly grated or desiccated coconut
1 green chilli
1 clove garlic
1 tsp mustard power

Serves 4

Cut the okra into 1cm pieces and set aside . Place the ingredients for the spice paste into a grinder and process them for 1 minute or until roughly ground. Set aside.

Heat the oil in large frying pan and fry the okra until brown. Remove the okra from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Set aside.

Place the yogurt in a mixing bowl and beat with a fork. Add the cooked okra, spice paste a little salt and mix well.

Reheat the oil remaining in the pan. Add the mustard seeds and , as they begin to pop add the curry leaves. Cook for 1 minute then pour the mixture over the okra. Stir well and serve at room temperature.


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## Steve (11/7/09)

Doing my wifes favourite for dinner tonight, Butter Chicken (Marga Makhani)

1kg Chicken thighs chops into BIG chunks
2tbs butter
2tbs oil
2-3 bay leaves
1 inch piece of cinnamon
1 tbs shredded ginger*
1 tbs shredded garlic*
1 onion*
1 tspn suger
350 gm tinned chopped tomatoes (pureed in a blender)
1 tspn chilli powder
1.5 tspns tandoor masala
Salt to taste
2-3 tbs cashew nuts soacked for 1 hour and ground to a paste
1 cup of milk
Half cup of water
3 tbs double cream
1 tspn garam masala
* Blend together in a blender to make a paste

Instructions
Heat butter and oil
Add bay leaves, cinnamon, ginger/garlic/onion paste.
Add sugar when onions are becoming transparent (helps to caralmise onions). Cook until it turns brownish and all water is gone.
Add tomatoes, chilli powder, sale, tandoor masala and fry until oil separates
Add cashew paste and fry for 20 seconds
Add milk and water and bring to boil, stirring all the time. The gravy should be like custard
Add chicken and fry for a few minutes, then cover and cook on low until its tender. I usually do it for about an hour.
Add double cream and garam masala
Cook for 5 mins
Serve with rice and garnish with coriander leaves.

P.S. You can also add a couple of drops of red/orange food colouring before adding the chicken to make it look like the stuff from a restaurant.

Cheers
Steve


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## Spartan 117 (11/7/09)

Sounds nice Steve. Will have to give that a go. Thanks for posting it.

Aaron


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## Bribie G (11/7/09)

Great thread.
So far I have fed two brew days with my Pork Vindaloo including today with my Bribie BIAB demo brew day. I use a slow cooker.

Basis is a good *Sri Lankan* Paste for Pork or Chicken, good ones in the jar are Larich, MD or Agra brands from Indian grocers but avoid the UK or Australian ones.

1.5 kg diced pork from a Chinatown butcher
2 large onions diced
head garlic chopped
good piece ginger grated

2 large potatoes diced and parboiled

third of a jar curry paste
can coconut cream
jar passata style tomato puree

large tsp tamarind paste
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
tablespoon sugar

1tsp each turmeric, coriander, cumin, garam masala. 

some white flour.
Ghee or peanut oil or olive oil to fry


Toss pork cubes in flour and fry in batches in oil and put aside

Fry onion, garlic, ginger till transparent. Add dry spices and fry. Add paste and fry for a minute. Layer pork, potatoes and fried veg in slow cooker.

Blend jar of passata and coconut cream in large bowl and blend well the tamarind, sugar and vinegar. Drizzle over the pork and veg in the slow cooker until all covered and the sauce has completely submerged the solid items. Slow cook for 8 hours. Serve with heaps of basmatti.

Serves 6 to 8


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## Steve (12/7/09)

Sounds very nice Bribie


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## Bribie G (12/7/09)

Steve said:


> Sounds very nice Bribie



I'm not usually a lunch person and was full from the Vindaloo, so when the troops went home last night from the brewday SWMBO and I just got in some fish and chips from the takeaway up the street. The brewboys had left a good layer of gravy on the bottom of the slow cooker so I just dipped chip after chip in the vindaloo gravy. :icon_drool2: :icon_drool2: :icon_drool2: Bugger the fish, went to my mate's dog.


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## Steve (14/8/09)

Cooked a very nice Chicken Madras the other night.

The word ‘Madras’ is often added to the name of an Indian dish in UK simply because it is very hot. South Indian dishes tend to be hotter than North and Central Indian dishes and this may be the reason for it. Perhaps such dishes should now be called ‘Chennai’ Curries, as Madras has now been renamed as Chennai. The recipe can be used to make beef, pork and lamb curries too, cooking times will vary. Serves 6

Ingredients
•	1 kg. good quality lean chicken thighs, cut into BIG chunks.
•	2-3 tbsp. cooking oil
•	1 tsp. black mustard seeds
•	8-10 curry leaves
•	150 gm. or 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped finely
•	1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated/chopped
•	1 inch piece root ginger, peeled and grated
•	2 tsp. coriander powder
•	2 tsp. ground cumin powder
•	1 level tsp. turmeric powder
•	1 level tsp. chilli powder (more if you like it hotter), I used 2
•	1 1/2 tsp. salt (adjust to taste)
•	2-3 tbsp. white vinegar
•	2 tbs. tomato puree, I used a tbs of tomato sauce
•	1 cup beef stock or water
•	A handful of chopped coriander leaves (optional)

Instructions
1.	Place chicken in a bowl.
2.	Add coriander, cumin, salt, turmeric, chilli powder and vinegar and mix well. Keep aside to marinate.
3.	Heat oil in a pan.
4.	Add mustard seeds. As the seeds start to splutter, add curry leaves, stir quickly and add onions, garlic and ginger. Fry until onions are golden-dark brown.
5.	Add chicken and spice mix and stir fry until it is well sealed.
6.	Add tomato puree and stock/water. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer on low heat, until chicken is tender.
7.	Turn heat off, add coriander leaves and stir.
8.	Serve with Plain Pulao Rice.

Notes
•	You can use tamarind sauce, instead of vinegar and tomato puree. I used all three!
• I only used 500gms of chicken as it was just for me but kept all the other ingredients the same.
• I ALSO USED HALF A TEASTPOON OF TONYS 7 POT CHILLI POWDER (Cheers Tony!)

It was bloody beautiful. As soon as I put in Tonys chilli powder the smell hit me and I got a bit scared. The taste though was something else. It didnt seem to add that much more heat than the chilli powder I added...it just added another taste of some kind of fruit. Very hard to describe.

Cheers
Steve


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## bconnery (24/9/09)

A nice alternative for a curry is to get all your heat from large amounts of pepper. Just crush the peppercorns in your mortar and pestle so they are still fairly big. 
Spices as you prefer for your curry...

I do this sometimes when I don't have chillies around, or just for a change...

I make quite a few curries but none that would be termed a vindaloo, madras etc. I just call them curries...
They all have tumeric, cumin and coriander, and then whatever takes my fancy from the spice drawer that day...

Ayam brand curry powder is a favourite too. Lots of star anise in it :icon_drool2:


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## 3GumsBrewing (24/9/09)

As a massive fan of the British curry variations I was always on the lookout for recipes. I stumbled upon this a few months ago, and when they say the Holy Grail they mean it! 
Pretty simple to follow, makes heaps and stores well. 
Our favourites are Veg Korma for SWMBO and Chicken Vindaloo for me! All washed down with a bitter of course.
Enjoy - Holy Grail

DK


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## Katherine (24/9/09)

I prefer the cuisine from Southern India! Rarely found in Indian resturants in Perth.

So i have to cook it! 

This guy is fantastic (Das Sreedharan's)


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## Supra-Jim (24/9/09)

We're lucky here, good mix of southern and northern Indian take-away :icon_drool2: 

(an Indian FIL is also another very good resource for recipe/cooking lessons and feeback on my curries!)

Cheers SJ


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## Airgead (25/9/09)

Katie said:


> I prefer the cuisine from Southern India!



Goa. If you want the best southern Indian food, Goa.

Nothing beats Goan cooking.

Goan fish curry with coconut. :icon_drool2: I had yum cha for lunch and a lemon chicken risotto for dinner but the thought of a goan fish curry is making me hungry.

Cheers
Dave


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## Tony (25/9/09)

I have 4 varieties of thai chillis growing now.

Going to experiment with thai cooking....... especially the green and rad curry, this summer.

cheers


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## Ducatiboy stu (26/9/09)

Laksa :icon_drool2: 

Made using Tony's chillies..... :super:


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## Tony (4/10/09)

Just simmering a Madras Curry now as the NRL GF is starting. Used lamb and an aray or spices, Bhut Jalokia, fresh cury leaves, fresh tomatoes etc etc.

Will be making a yoghurt/cucumber side and going to try cooking the rice in the rice cooker with Coconut milk instead of water for something different. I read it somewhere...........

Pics later.

Cheers


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## Tony (4/10/09)

Oh here it is.

I cooked the rice in half Coconut milk, half water in the rice cooker and it was wonderful. Went really well with the heat of the curry. I added some fresh chopped coriander to the Yoghurt and cucumber side dish which also was an excelent mix.

If i had it at a restraunt i would have thanked the Chef 

cheers


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## bconnery (5/10/09)

Coconut Rice. .I've got a recipe somewhere but I think it uses even more coconut milk...Beautiful. 
Used to order every time from the Thai place up the road, back when it was run by the old man and his Thai wife who lived in caravan at the back and only took cash...
Horrible decor, great food. 
Place isn't the same any more...


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## The Big Burper (26/10/09)

Hello dere,

Here is a good site for Indian spices:-

http://www.noworriescurries.com.au/products.aspx

No Worries Curries  , even has carom seeds, which is an essential in South Indian
Cookery.


Saambhar Masala. - This spice powder is used mainly in making saambhar sauce, it is also used in the preparation of some other South Indian dishes. It can be made and stored in advance, and can last several weeks. Store in a dark, airtight container (small coffee tin). Dry roast all the ingredients in a cast iron pan for around 5 minutes. Grind into a powder.

2 T green lentils 2 t each of black peppercorns,
1 t each of cumin, cardamom and carom seeds
mustard, coriander t asafetida powder
and fenugreek seeds 1 T each of dried red chilies
2 T turmeric powder and curry leaves


enjoy

Saambhar Sauce.

Saambhar Sauce. - A good sauce for vegetables such as potato and cauliflower. Soak the brown lentils in water to cover overnight, then drain and coarsely grind them. Place the dhal mixture in a deep saucepan and add 2 cups water together with 1 t salt and the turmeric, and boil for 30 to 40 minutes until the dhal is tender. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the asafoetida, chilli, onion until deep golden. Stir in the saambhar powder, and cook for another minute. Add the ground brown lentils and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the frying mixture to the cooked dhal, pour in another 600ml water together with more salt to taste, add the vegetables and cook over medium heat until the vegies are tender (about 10 - 15 minutes). Add the coconut and lemon juice, blend well, and remove pan from heat. Garnish with green coriander and serve piping hot.

2 T brown lentils 1 green chilli, chopped
water as needed 1 T grated onion
250g mixed dhals 1 T saambhar powder (see
salt to taste recipe above)
pinch turmeric 250 g mixed vegies, chopped
1 T mustard oil 1 T desiccated coconut
pinch asafoetida powder 1 T lemon juice
1 T green coriander, chopped


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## Steve (6/1/10)

Steve said:


> Having this for dinner. Its beautiful:
> 
> Chicken Curry from Sri Lanka
> 
> ...



Making this again for dinner! Raita and Kachumber on the side, rotis and saffron/cumin/cloves/turmeric flavoured rice! Yum.....cant wait!
Cheers
Steve


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## Tony (6/4/10)

quick update on my curry plant

This thing is great! It really adds that special something to my currys. Highly recomend anyone getting one. 

I do think they can grow huge if put in the ground too so mine is in a pot. May put it in the ground when i do the garden out the front.

cheers


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## Steve (6/4/10)

Tony said:


> quick update on my curry plant
> 
> This thing is great! It really adds that special something to my currys. Highly recomend anyone getting one.
> 
> ...




very jealous!


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## Cube (6/4/10)

Steve said:


> very jealous!




Of the curry plant or the awesome plumbing job? :lol: 

I think I better pop over to a plant place and grab me a curry plant as well. I have read they are fantastic.


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## Tony (6/4/10)

yeah the plumbing job is great hey  Was like that when i bought the place and has never leaked a drop...... and will run like that till it does leak 

How does it go..... Silicon, hammer, duct tape and cable ties!


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## Howlingdog (7/4/10)

Tony, don't put the curry plant in the ground. They sucker up everywhere. My neighbour put one in two years ago right next to my vege garden. It is now four metres highand suckers coming up all through my asparagus and has killed basil and mint.

HD


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## Cube (7/4/10)

I do believe that if you spray the suckers it goes directly to the mother tree ie: kills it too 

Spray your heart out!


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## Airgead (7/4/10)

HowlingDog said:


> Tony, don't put the curry plant in the ground. They sucker up everywhere. My neighbour put one in two years ago right next to my vege garden. It is now four metres highand suckers coming up all through my asparagus and has killed basil and mint.
> 
> HD



You should also cut the flower heads off before the seeds form. The birds love the seeds and spread them far and wide. They can be very invasive.

Ours is kept in a pot. Has been for years. Its about 1.5m tall (we keep it well trimmed) and produces more leaves that we will ever need. Pretty much provides for the whole street. Including my next door neighbour from Mauritius who pops round every day or two to grab some more.

Cheers
Dave

Edit: oh yeah.. if you do plant it in the ground, they will grow up to 5m tall and about 4-5 m wide.... They grow really quickly too. Apparently given the right conditions they will get even bigger than that.


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## jiesu (7/4/10)

Well I am Just about to do a Batch of Tony's Curry On page one and I'll be adding a Mint yogurt as a dip  
I am thinking I might take some Photos as I haven't used my stupidly expensive camera in about 2 months Stay Posted!


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## Tony (7/4/10)

Airgead said:


> You should also cut the flower heads off before the seeds form. The birds love the seeds and spread them far and wide. They can be very invasive.
> 
> Ours is kept in a pot. Has been for years. Its about 1.5m tall (we keep it well trimmed) and produces more leaves that we will ever need. Pretty much provides for the whole street. Including my next door neighbour from Mauritius who pops round every day or two to grab some more.



Yeah i cut off the flowers quick smart.

How much and ween do you trimm the plant Dave? It certanly produces more leaves than i will ever use at 1.5 meters tall.... thats for sure.

There is nothing like picking them fresh and dropping them strait in the oil with some mustard seeds just a few seconds later  Oh the smell!

cheers


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## jiesu (7/4/10)

So here is this evenings curry dish  Courtesy of Tony, Thanks mate!

I used all the same ingredients as the original recipe (page 1 of this thread) except The mustard seeds as i only had the normal black variety, I also 
substituted the Lamb for Beef as that is what I had on hand and my coriander seeds were powdered not whole. 

All the ingredients displayed and ready for preparation.






Before adding to the mortar and pestle I quickly heated the fengreek peppercorns and cumin seeds together in a dry pan. 
I then fried the garlic, oil and ginger together and added that to the mortar. 





After the Grind.




Chopping a cup and a half (pre chop) of mint and 10-12 leaves of coriander into a mince. 




Add the juice of half a Lemon and three or four large pinches of sugar along with some natural yogurt to the mint/coriander mix and you have an Indian mint yogurt.




Silence of the calves. (topside for those playing at home, chuck steak is probably a better cut for curry though)




The Floured beef and blanched/de-seeded tomatoes.


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## jiesu (7/4/10)

The simmering Curry. (It is worth mentioning I have about 3x the original quantity of liquid/stock in the pan at this point, There was almost no sauce without tripling it.
This mixture also has a tendency to burn uber quick so make sure you stir lots. 




Frying up some Roti in garlic and Butter. 





And the Completed dish ready for consumption! 






All up it was pretty damn tasty but I would change a few things about the recipe next time. 

Firstly,
I put two bullet chillies into the paste and three or four large pinches of dried chilli flakes into the sauce, however It was probably way too little for our houses tastes. Next time I'll put four 
bullets into the paste then add flakes to taste while it is simmering. 

Secondly, 
I am hard pressed to notice the difference between supermarket bought tomatoes that have been blanched and de-seeded (yes I know they are practically flavorless) and a can of imported Italian tomatoes. In fact the canned tomatoes are probably better. Next time I'll save myself 10 minutes and just open two tins of canned tomatoes. 

Thirdly, 
I will not flour the meat next time, Lamb may be different then beef but I found the flour only contributed to the final dish being too 'gluggy', I prefer my curries to be rather runny/saucy. I will probably aim to 
cook the dish on a low simmer for a bit under 2 hours as the meat was still fairly solid, not tough but it didn't 'melt in my mouth'. 

and Finally,
The rotis became too stiff when I left them to sit after frying for a few minutes while I plated up. So I think I will switch back to the traditional and more bready Naan next time. 


Fantastic meal  Give it a try.


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## manticle (7/4/10)

You can and probably should cook curry really slowly beyond two hours (4+ if you have the patience and time) to both tenderise the meat and to extract the optimum flavour level. This will also extract a hotter spice level from your chilli additions (nothing to say you can't add more though). The only thing to watch with long, slow cooking (besides sticking so add stock or liquid where necessary - don't overdo it and hot liquid/stock is better than cold) is that it will concentrate any salt additions so err on the side of caution and adjust towards the end if need be.

Need to get some good curry recipes going for winter especially as I can get goat and myriad middle eastern spices cheaply and locally.


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## Tony (7/4/10)

I have moved to cracking a can of tomatoes but i buy Australian ones  agreed......... much easier!

I also like to simmer it lid on for about 2 hours so it goes super tender.

And yeah..... if you like it runny, leave the flour out, i like it thicker. 

Grow some Bhut jalokia's next summer and freeze them... they last for years in the freezer and one in a curry like this will render your taste buds in pain for a good while 

cheers

Edit: My mum and dad have plates like that too...... been using them since i was a kid........ they are great!


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## Steve (8/4/10)

Airgead said:


> The birds love the seeds and spread them far and wide.



Feel free to spread them far and wide in an envelope to me :lol: 
Got some off sinkas last year (or the year before?) but they didnt germinate. They just rotted in the potting mix  

Cheers
Steve


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## Tony (8/4/10)

easier to just order a plant like i did mate. Its a rippa!


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## Airgead (8/4/10)

Tony said:


> Yeah i cut off the flowers quick smart.
> 
> How much and ween do you trimm the plant Dave? It certanly produces more leaves than i will ever use at 1.5 meters tall.... thats for sure.
> 
> ...



I try to trim it back to about 1m high at the end of winter before the spring growth starts. Mostly though I'm not that organised and just hack at it whenever I notice its getting too big...

Cheers
Dave


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## Steve (15/4/10)

Saag lamb for dinner tonight with parathas, raita, poppodoms, rice etc.

http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/recipe_display.php?id=10479

Mamtas is my one stop shop for indian recipes.

Cheers
Steve


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## DKS (7/5/10)

Noob to Indian curry , questions.

I have 2 large cuts of venison ( and several available) which I will cut to schnitzel and the rest for a slow cooked curry.
Being new to, from scratch recipes ( usually use out of a jar) I have a few questions about amounts and quality

I was going to start with Tony's recipe and work from there. So...

How will venison go? Usually a bit more bloody and deep rich game type character about it than say beef and certainly lamb but its wild straight from the hills, fresh, no chemical, taste the real deal meat. Everyone asks for more when used as schnitzel, stew or beef strog as used lately, so figure its good stuff.Hence I want to start making real, fresh type curries from scratch.

If a said quantity of seed is called for, can I sub a store bought ground ingredient and what amount of ground as to seed? A tsp of seed is not equal a tsp of powder yes? Is it gram for gram or does a ground product loose character and have to have extra to make up the dif? as compared to seed. etc etc ( thinking stale as in cracked grain)


Has anyone tried venison this way? I would suspect South Australians would be into it?

Also looking for simple recipes, not out of a jar, to add variety over winter. Staying with Indian ATM.
Many more Questions but small steps at a time.
Any additional info for a new cook welcomed. :icon_cheers: 
Daz


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## bconnery (7/5/10)

DKS said:


> Noob to Indian curry , questions.
> 
> I have 2 large cuts of venison ( and several available) which I will cut to schnitzel and the rest for a slow cooked curry.
> Being new to, from scratch recipes ( usually use out of a jar) I have a few questions about amounts and quality
> ...



Daz.
Ground and seed are not the same. If you aren't sure about the recipes and how things might work it might be worth seeking out a good Indian shop or asian shop and getting some good spice mixes. Plenty of them are very good quality and take the worry out of mixing of spices etc. 
Then again, if you have a good Indian shop then grains vs ground isn't an issue probably as you can get either. 
Not sure where you are based but I know a few good places in Brisbane for spices and pastes / blends so drop me an email if you want. 
Alternatively I can try and tell you some recipe but I don't really write mine down so they'd only be approximates.


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## Fourstar (7/5/10)

its always best to use fresh seed and grind it yourself *after* toasting it. if you have to resort to preground well use it, but i'd use a little more as it stales faster.


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## DKS (8/5/10)

bconnery said:


> Daz.
> Ground and seed are not the same. If you aren't sure about the recipes and how things might work it might be worth seeking out a good Indian shop or asian shop and getting some good spice mixes. Plenty of them are very good quality and take the worry out of mixing of spices etc.
> Then again, if you have a good Indian shop then grains vs ground isn't an issue probably as you can get either.
> Not sure where you are based but I know a few good places in Brisbane for spices and pastes / blends so drop me an email if you want.
> Alternatively I can try and tell you some recipe but I don't really write mine down so they'd only be approximates.


 
Ive had an idea to sus the curry experts here in Bris. 
I'll offer the venison to attendees of Winkles xmas in July swap who do curries. Challenge to make a superb curry dish and supply to the swap for all to sample. Get feed back.Good or not so.
I provide the meat they, provide a recipe voila! Everybody happy, drink beer, eat curry, happy, happy.
What do you reckon? A good place to start?
Daz


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## manticle (8/5/10)

You have fresh venison?

Damn. Make sure you save some for steaks and quick cooked type dishes too.

As for the spices - All I can suggest is learning how to blend until you hit the flavour you want. Better to do this in the long run anyway - dry toast a bit of each spice and get an understanding of the aroma and flavour. Gradually blend a bit of this and a bit of that until you hit the balance you're chasing.

The other way to do it would be to take Tony's recipe and break it down into percentages/proportions like you might when up or downscaling a beer recipe. That way you can make up the spice mix and store it if you make extra. Cooking is a bit easier than beer because you can usually taste and adjust as you go, rather than waiting for weeks.

Obviously with beer you can taste and adjust slightly when you know what you are doing and obviously with cookig there are some dishes that need to be spot on the first time but generally speaking..............

As for how it will go - I reckon if you have made it into stroganoff then you can make it into a curry. Goat (less gamey than venison but more gamey than beef or lamb) works beautifully in curry so maybe venison will too. You've made me hungry and jealous.


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## Phoney (13/12/10)

Ive started working with a Sri Lankan woman, ive picked up some awesome curry making tips from her.

Basically Sri Lankan curries are almost like a cross between southern Indian & Thai. In that they use a lot of coconut and fresh, aromatic herbs, and of course they're big on seafood.

Essential spices for a traditional sri lankan Curry:

Always start with fresh curry leaves, straight onto hot coconut oil or ghee for 20 - 30 seconds before you put down anything else. Then to make up your curry use cumin seed / powder, corriander seed / powder, fenugreek seeds, a cinnamon stick, black mustard seeds, black peppercorns, star anise, chili powder, clove, cardamon either pod or seeds, turmeric... The fresher the better, if you cant buy the seeds & grind them up yourself, buy powders in small amounts and use them before they go stale (2 - 3 months).

Put your curry spices on the oil and cook it for 2 - 3 mins to make a paste, then add your meat & other ingredients, followed by coconut milk. At the end of your cook, whether that be 45 mins or 4 hours, grind up half a cinammon stick, some more cumin and a star anise and throw it in. Cook for another 5 - 10 mins and serve, this freshens up the spice kick.

Try throwing in one or two dried Goraka for a nice fruity /spicy addition. 

Rice: Forget Basmati - use Samba. Try mix some dried maldive fish flakes through it.

Coconut milk - dont use the stuff in tins. Use coconut milk powder and rehydrate it with water. Supposed to be better flavour.

Instead of using flour to thicken up your curry, get an equal portion of samba rice and dessicated coconut, say a handful, throw it onto a hot pan without oil and toast it. Then, take it out and blend it into almost a powder, then throw it into your curry and cook for at least half an hour.


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