Wednesday 3 November 2010

Veggie Curry

Don't be put off. It's not really veggie.

You will NEED, in the way of ingredients:

Spuds. Not too floury. Maris piper or summat.
Onions (because everything needs onions).
Mustard seed (black).
Chillis (because it's a curry).
Garlic.
Peppers (red/green/yellow etc.)
Coriander (a shedload), but not dried.
Cumin.
Anything else beginning with "C", to be truthful.
Other veg. Rooty stuff, such as parsnips, swede, carrot, yams.
Okra, aka Ladies' Fingers.
Salt.
Oil (could be olive but it tends to brown). Ghee would be nice. Groundnut will do.
A lamb bone. Beef will do but lamb's better. Marrow, you know. Butcher's will give you this.
White wine.
Gin and either tonic water or good quality lemonade like Gini.

Optional:

Celery.
Beetroot (not pickled).

Equipment:


A Le Crueset (shameless plug) or similar cooking pot suitable for hob AND oven. A lid is essential.

Now.


Put some oil in the pan. About a spoonful. Heat it until it is smoking hot. Now, holding the lid with one hand, and a pile of mustard seeds in the other, in one deft movement throw in the seeds and whack on the lid IN THAT ORDER. This is an acquired art.

Wait until the dust settles and the noise stops. Put burnt hand under cold running water until the pain subsides.

Turn down heat to as low as possible.

Put in salt. Lots of salt.

Chop up onions and garlic and chillis and peppers and sling them in.

Let them all go soft, whilst drinking gin.

Sling in coriander (take out of the bag first and remove any elastic bands etc). Don't cut it up or anything silly.

Put in spuds, chopped up. Heat on low for 10 more minutes, give it a stir. Drink gin.

Add all the spice and any other spices etc you feel appropriate. Slosh in wine.

Taste.

Repeat.

When happy, put in oven on 101 Celsius (no more) for about half an hour. Drink gin and/or wine. It will go disturbingly dry.

Pull it out. If the coriander hasn't wilted somewhat, put it in again for ten minutes or so.

Now add all other veg (BUT NOT OKRA), chopped up, and the lamb bone. Cover with water and/or wine and/or stock such as Bisto, Oxo, that posh Swiss stuff etc.

Cook for anything between half and six hours. I prefer six. Look every now and again, if it's dry add more liquid. Not gin.

Add Okra. Cook for another 20 minutes or so.

Eat. Drink remaining gin/wine/cider/wine/more wine.

Can be served with rice.

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