Hi All
I thought I would blog my recent indian dinner for 9 people. It was my turn for bookclub dinner this month and after someone (not mentioning any names) decided to mention my Masterchef experience to the whole group, I felt under pressure to live up to some fairly high expectations of my abilities.
Anyway, after a successful attempt a while ago at a Balinese Lamb Curry, I decided to go with that as an option and also do a milder/creamier chicken curry along with this fantastic spiced yellow rice. As it turns out it was all in the theme of our book, 'Eat Pray Love'. If you haven't read the book, the author is writing about her travels to Italy, India and Indonesia....Indian chicken curry, indonesian lamb curry and italian desert (see previous post of choc hazelnut cake)...total coincidence I promise!
Now, I am by no means an indian food expert, so I didn't worry about indian themed entrees or deserts. However, I did feel that the heavily spiced curries needed something green to cut through them. After some research on traditional Indian vegetable/salad accompaniments (and no inspiration) I decided to go with a large bowl of freshly steamed green beans dressed lightly with a tiny splash of oil, lemon juice and black pepper.
All went down really well with some good reviews. Personally I was a bit disappointed with the rice (a little gluggy) but that was probably because I doubled the recipe (4 cups uncooked rice).
Now for the recipes, the Lamb Curry and Rice came from the March Australian Good Taste, so I have included it here along with my tips. The Chicken one is a Nigella recipe which I have made at least 4 times and absolutely love. To give her proper credit, I have included the link to her website along with my hints and tips.
I truly hope you next indian dinner is fantastic!
Love
Toni
Kari kambing (Balinese Lamb Curry)
2 Tblspns oil
1 kg boneless leg of lamb
2 -3 tomatoes depending on size (finely chopped)
1 ½ cups chicken stock
1 cinnamon stick
6 cardamom pods
400mls coconut milk (1 can) (I use low fat)
2 tspns tamarind puree
2 Tblspns oil
1 kg boneless leg of lamb
2 -3 tomatoes depending on size (finely chopped)
1 ½ cups chicken stock
1 cinnamon stick
6 cardamom pods
400mls coconut milk (1 can) (I use low fat)
2 tspns tamarind puree
Spice Paste
2 tspns coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
5 whole cloves
½ tspn peppercorns
1 large brown onion (roughly chopped)
6 macadamia nuts
2.5cm piece fresh ginger (roughly chopped)
2 garlic cloves
1 small fresh red chilli (roughly chopped)
3 tsp water
½ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- Dice the lamb into cubes about 4cm or so. I also try and remove as much of the fat as I can from the outside of the lamb. If you leave too much of the outside on, the curry will be really oily at the end. Leave a little though for flavour. Don’t worry too much about trimming up the meat, it will cook really slowly to it will all be really tender regardless of what you do at the beginning.
2 tspns coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
5 whole cloves
½ tspn peppercorns
1 large brown onion (roughly chopped)
6 macadamia nuts
2.5cm piece fresh ginger (roughly chopped)
2 garlic cloves
1 small fresh red chilli (roughly chopped)
3 tsp water
½ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- Dice the lamb into cubes about 4cm or so. I also try and remove as much of the fat as I can from the outside of the lamb. If you leave too much of the outside on, the curry will be really oily at the end. Leave a little though for flavour. Don’t worry too much about trimming up the meat, it will cook really slowly to it will all be really tender regardless of what you do at the beginning.
- Make the spice paste by firstly dry frying the coriander seeds (I use coriander powder if I can’t get the seeds), cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cloves and peppercorns in a small pan over medium heat. Cook for about 3-4 mins stirring occasionally and making sure not to burn. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor (I use my trusty bowl attachment for the stab blender, but you could go old school and use a mortar and pestle..if you had all day). Add the onion, macadamias, ginger, garlic, chilli, water, turmeric and nutmeg. Process until you get a smooth paste.
-Heat the oil in a large wok or heavy based pan. Cook the spice paste in the oil for 3 mins or so. Add the lamb and cook for another couple of minutes until browned all over. Add the tomatoes, stock, cinnamon stick and lightly bruised cardamom pods. Reduce heat to very low and simmer, uncovered for 1 hour.
- Add the coconut milk and cook for 1 ½ hours or until lamb is tender.
-Stir in the tamarind paste and season with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle with fried shallots (if you have them) before serving.
Notes:
You can’t substitute the cinnamon sticks for cinnamon powder, it’s just not the same, please buy the sticks.
You can’t substitute the cinnamon sticks for cinnamon powder, it’s just not the same, please buy the sticks.
Also, you really need to go out and buy the tamarind paste. Before adding the paste you would be forgiven for thinking it was a nice, but fairly boring lamb curry. The tamarind paste makes it. You could maybe get away with adding lime juice…but no.. I really don’t think so, please buy the paste, you can get it from the supermarket in the Asian section.
Once it has cooked for the first hour taste for heat and if you want to spice it up a bit, add some ground dried chillies until you think it’s hot enough. The recipe itself will be a fairly subtle heat.
Spiced Yellow Rice
2 tsp peanut oil
1 brown onion finely chopped
2 cups medium grain rice, rinsed
½ tsp turmeric
400ml can coconut milk (use light here)
500mls chicken stock
½ cinnamon stick
10 cardamom pods bruised
6 whole cloves
2 dried bay leaves
1 lemon grass stem (either tied in a not or cut into chunks)
- Heat oil in saucepan and cook the onion stirring until golden brown (but not burnt). Sir in the rice and turmeric and stir a little.
- Add the coconut milk, stock and rest of the spices. Bring to the boil and then cover tightly with a lid and cook for about 15 mins (I usually check after 12) or until rice is just tender. Take off the heat and let stand for 5 mins with the lid on. Fluff lightly with a fork before serving.
2 tsp peanut oil
1 brown onion finely chopped
2 cups medium grain rice, rinsed
½ tsp turmeric
400ml can coconut milk (use light here)
500mls chicken stock
½ cinnamon stick
10 cardamom pods bruised
6 whole cloves
2 dried bay leaves
1 lemon grass stem (either tied in a not or cut into chunks)
- Heat oil in saucepan and cook the onion stirring until golden brown (but not burnt). Sir in the rice and turmeric and stir a little.
- Add the coconut milk, stock and rest of the spices. Bring to the boil and then cover tightly with a lid and cook for about 15 mins (I usually check after 12) or until rice is just tender. Take off the heat and let stand for 5 mins with the lid on. Fluff lightly with a fork before serving.
If cooking for a crowd, I chop up the thigh fillets into 4-5 pieces, just to make it go further and be easier to eat.
Make sure you buy runny cream (i.e. pure cream) not thickened cream. Also, don’t buy low fat cream as it might split the sauce.
Don’t scrimp on the spices here. The garam masala really makes it.
At step 4 – I like to cook the onions for a bit first until they change colour before I add the whole spices (cardamom pods, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves). Again at this step, when you add the blended spice paste make sure you do cook it out a bit. At least 3-4 mins, but making sure the temperature doesn’t cause it to stick and burn.
I really believe Nigella when she says this curry is best if you leave it overnight and serve the next day. Somehow the flavours are just so much better. So plan in advance and make it the day before.
Make sure you buy runny cream (i.e. pure cream) not thickened cream. Also, don’t buy low fat cream as it might split the sauce.
Don’t scrimp on the spices here. The garam masala really makes it.
At step 4 – I like to cook the onions for a bit first until they change colour before I add the whole spices (cardamom pods, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves). Again at this step, when you add the blended spice paste make sure you do cook it out a bit. At least 3-4 mins, but making sure the temperature doesn’t cause it to stick and burn.
I really believe Nigella when she says this curry is best if you leave it overnight and serve the next day. Somehow the flavours are just so much better. So plan in advance and make it the day before.
I also add chopped coriander to the flaked almonds for the sprinkle at the end.
