As most curry aficionados are aware, favourites such as Butter Chicken, Lamb Madras, Chicken Tikka Masala were actually invented in Birmingham or Glasgow. Curry became the national dish of the UK as a result of mostly Bangladeshi (not Indian) immigrants who set up restaurants, initially in working class areas where sit down restaurants were either very posh or incredibly basic (fish and chips) so they filled a void in the market at a time when the workers were getting some real disposable income. Here in Australia, because many of these migrants, and their families, have re-migrated here via their UK citizenship and set up restaurants, the fare is very much the same as in the UK - Chicken Tikka, Lamb Biryani, Goat Vindaloo............... you know the score. However it only bears passing resemblance to what is actually eaten in India. Their bad luck in India.
The core of the "system" is a basic sauce that is prepared in bulk and can be added to the base ingredients (goat, chicken, eggplant) etc, which enables them to cook up your menu choice in around 15 minutes while you sit impatiently in the waiting area at the takeaway, or get drunk on Kingfisher at your table.
You can't really get that authentic Pom Oz curry experience without the basic sauce. There are a number of quite authentic sources (pun?) on the web:
Here's my version:
Don't' worry about the "higher" spices like Cumin etc, they come later.
Chop medium fine and saute slowly in a chef's spoon of oil until soft
Add a good spoon of turmeric and paprika, and a pinch of hing if you like (asafoetida)
Stir then add the tomatoes and half a cup of water.
Cover and simmer slowly for about an hour.
Stick blend until silky smooth.
This is your base sauce.
Now let's attack some dead sheep and do a sort of Lamb Madrassy Vindalooish thing. Start all over again. In an Indian Restaurant the lamb would have been precooked in its own sauce ready to just throw in the appropriate spices and reheat for about 15 mins in the base sauce, here we can be a bit more leisurely.
In large heavy based covered frying pan, fry lamb chops till browned, remove to plate
wash out pan and fry garlic ginger onion until soft in a chefs spoon of oil
Add spices (enhancement: use the whole spices, grind in mortar and toast in pan first)
Add lamb pieces and turn in the spices until covered.
Start adding the base sauce a chef's spoon at a time, turning as you go. This might start to spit
Add half a cup of water, lid the pan and cook on very low for around 90 mins, check occasionally, maybe adding water sparingly if it starts to stick.
When cooked, stir through half a tin of coconut cream then rest for ten minutes.
Garnish with chopped Coriander leaves if desired and serve with Basmati rice and a Raita.
For more of a vindaloo style add some rice wine vinegar half way through the simmer.
Smelling great already, I'll post later when it's served :icon_drool2:
The core of the "system" is a basic sauce that is prepared in bulk and can be added to the base ingredients (goat, chicken, eggplant) etc, which enables them to cook up your menu choice in around 15 minutes while you sit impatiently in the waiting area at the takeaway, or get drunk on Kingfisher at your table.
You can't really get that authentic Pom Oz curry experience without the basic sauce. There are a number of quite authentic sources (pun?) on the web:
Here's my version:
- Onions (red preferably, here I've had a fridge cleanout so a bit of an assortment)
- Garlic at least 4 cloves
- Ginger (stick, washed but unpeeled, or heaped teaspoon out of a jar as in this case)
- Oil - a good oil like Peanut or Rice Bran
- Tinned tomatoes
- Paprika heaped dessertspoon
- Turmeric heaped dessertspoon
Don't' worry about the "higher" spices like Cumin etc, they come later.
Chop medium fine and saute slowly in a chef's spoon of oil until soft
Add a good spoon of turmeric and paprika, and a pinch of hing if you like (asafoetida)
Stir then add the tomatoes and half a cup of water.
Cover and simmer slowly for about an hour.
Stick blend until silky smooth.
This is your base sauce.
Now let's attack some dead sheep and do a sort of Lamb Madrassy Vindalooish thing. Start all over again. In an Indian Restaurant the lamb would have been precooked in its own sauce ready to just throw in the appropriate spices and reheat for about 15 mins in the base sauce, here we can be a bit more leisurely.
- Kilo Lamb chops cut into curry 'joints'
- one onion, 4 garlic, ginger again
- oil
- Coriander 2 heaped tsp
- Cumin 2 heaped tsp
- Chilli powder well heaped tsp or fresh chopped
- Cardamom heaped tsp
- Brown Sugar round dessertspoon and salt to taste.
- Fennel Seeds 2 heaped tsp
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- some tamarind paste if desired
- a half handful of methi leaves (fenugreek) if desired
- a bit of what you fancy, garam masala, cardmom pods whatever
In large heavy based covered frying pan, fry lamb chops till browned, remove to plate
wash out pan and fry garlic ginger onion until soft in a chefs spoon of oil
Add spices (enhancement: use the whole spices, grind in mortar and toast in pan first)
Add lamb pieces and turn in the spices until covered.
Start adding the base sauce a chef's spoon at a time, turning as you go. This might start to spit
Add half a cup of water, lid the pan and cook on very low for around 90 mins, check occasionally, maybe adding water sparingly if it starts to stick.
When cooked, stir through half a tin of coconut cream then rest for ten minutes.
Garnish with chopped Coriander leaves if desired and serve with Basmati rice and a Raita.
For more of a vindaloo style add some rice wine vinegar half way through the simmer.
Smelling great already, I'll post later when it's served :icon_drool2:
