Serves: 4

Preparation:  30 minutes for casserole

Cooking Time: 20 minutes - 2 hours depending which protein used



Category: Vegan / Flexitarian

Plan:  Prepare in advance and re-heat for convenience

Difficulty:  Easy

Course: Main

Cuisine: English

Spicy Curry

I love making curries and the special bits for me are all the added extras - so if we have family or friends, then lots of side dishes, poppadoms, chapattis, yogurt, mango chutney,  desiccated coconut, sliced tomatoes and thinly sliced onion and perhaps other chutneys as well as the side of basmati rice.

I usually make my curries in a wok but sometimes I also use a flat casserole pan with a lid which can either be cooked on the top of the hob or baked in the oven.   I cook on gas and so both ways work for me.

This curry can be made with Quorn or Tofu for vegans but require minimal cooking time, or you could use lamb which would need about one to one and a half hours cooking time to be completely tender, or if you prefer to use beef, then this needs to cook slowly for two hours.

The great thing about this curry is that unlike other recipes that I use to make curries where I usually add Garam Masala,

Ready Made Curry Powder like Mild Madras, this is only made using whole spices, which are briefly

roasted in the pan before adding to the other ingredients - the flavour is incredible.

We don't eat chilli in our household but for those who like extra heat could add

fresh chopped chillies.

With the current challenges of "shrinkflation" it is hard to gauge exact quantities when buying

packs of meat or alternatives, so currently a pack usually feeds two people!

Utensils

• One Wok or 24" Casserole pan with lid
• Chopping board
• Sharp knife
• Bowl to store cooked meat
• Small bowl for prepared garlic and ginger
• Pestle and Mortar for grinding whole spices (or electric spice grinder)
• Frying pan to gently roast ground spices

Ingredients

• 2 packs Quorn or Tofu (vegan option)
• 2 packs lamb or beef (packs may weight 500g each)
• Olive oil
• 3 large Spanish Onions (peeled and sliced)
• 4 - 6 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 2 or 5 cm inches of freshly grated ginger including skins
• 2 tablespoons ground turmeric
• 1-2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 6 -8 Cardamom pods, crush in pestle and mortar and remove the husks
• One beef stock cube dissolved in half a pint (250 ml) of boiling water (use Vegetable stock cube if Vegan)
• 2 - 3" (7 cm) of solid creamed coconut, chop into chunks
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Sea salt

To Serve

• 250g basmati rice, cook in boiling salted water according to pack instructions
• Large carton of Greek style Natural Yogurt
• Mango chutney (we love Greta's Mango Chutney)
• One cup of dessicated coconut
• Poppadums
• Chapattis (sprinkled with water and warmed in the oven) brushed with Ghee
• 3 x tomatoes, finely sliced with 1 x red onion, finely sliced served together in a separate dish
• 1 - 2 ripe bananas, sliced and marinated in fresh lemon juice
• Garnish with sprigs of fresh Coriander

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C unless you are doing the vegan version, in which case, cook on top of the hob.
   
   
2. Take a pan and add some olive oil with a splash of water and add the meat (lamb or beef) and sauté until cooked through and with a gentle golden colour, then using a slotted spoon remove the meat from the pan and place in a bowl and set aside.
   
   
3. Using the same pan, add a little more oil , then gently sauté the onion with the lid on to allow it to steam/fry until softened.
   
   
4. Meanwhile, crush the cumin, coriander and cardamom seeds in a pestle and mortar, then transfer to a dry frying pan and heat for about five minutes until you have a strong smell of the spices gently roasting.   Remove from the heat and set aside.
   
   
5. Now return the meat to the pan with the onions and add the garlic, ginger, the roasted spices and the turmeric and stir well.
   
   
6. Add the beef stock and keep stirring over a low heat.
   
   
7. Now add the chunks of creamed coconut, dispersing them evenly around the casserole, stirring constantly, they will dissolve quite quickly.
   
   
8. Now cover with a lid and gently simmer on the lowest heat on top of the hob, or in the oven at 180C, either for about 20 minutes for Tofu and Quorn, one and a half hours for lamb or two hours for beef.
   
   
9. Remove from the oven, adjust seasoning to taste and serve with basmati rice and any side dishes that you would like.

Cook's Tip

It is advisable to keep fresh ginger in the freezer.   It lasts longer and is easier for grating straight from the freezer.

You can substitute the creamed coconut, which comes in a solid block, for a tin of coconut cream.    If neither are available, then you can use a tin of coconut milk, then use less of the water to make up stock and, if necessary, you might then want to thicken your curry with some thickening granules or a little cornflour which you need to mix into a paste with some water before adding to your curry.