Curry

[Tony]

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

 

[jiesu]

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.

 

[jiesu]

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.

 

[manticle]

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.

 

[Tony]

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!

 

[Steve]

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

 

[Tony]

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

 

[Airgead]

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

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

 

[Steve]

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

 

[DKS]

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

 

[bconnery]

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

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.

 

[Fourstar]

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.

 

[DKS]

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

 

[manticle]

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.

 

[Phoney]

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.