Cook in a Curry

Biryani eating in Hyderabad and Delhi is like no other place with some of the finest plates and the most delectable flavours. Awadhi community has their own unique take on biryani too. More than anything the variety of biryanis in Indian cuisine can be mind boggling. From basic meat/ chicken to kheema, kofta biryanis and even those cooked using game. My preference has always been chicken or mutton biryani as it’s something I grew up eating. I also like it with chunks of potato tossed with the rice and meat which isn’t something I have commonly seen served at restaurants in the UK.

Like most Indian girls who grew up never learning to cook (including myself!); I hadn’t quite mastered the art of making a decent cup of Indian tea so the idea of making biryani seemed like a milestone which I would only cross in my dreams! It was all about the recipe secrets, spicing, slow cooking and layering. Far too daunting if you ask me. But learn I did and after a few attempts on various Indian recipes I can proudly say I cook this dish to rave reviews from clients & friends. The key to cooking good biryani undoubtedly has to be balance of flavour with the meat and the rice but more than anything separated, fluffy rice grains is a must. Getting your rice cooking timings perfect is crucial to make sure it doesn’t overcook which can yield broken & sticky grains. With this recipe below; it is simple to cook and one that would result in a delicious dish that’s a meal in itself.

There are various communities in India that make finger licking biryanis with recipes handed down through generations and are renowned for melt in your mouth slow cooked pots of meat & rice ensuring the juices are soaked in by the rice grains. Sealed pots ensure the moisture is intact and opening dish at your dinner table serving out the biryani with the steam and aromas wafting through make for a delightful meal.

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This is the one dish that I absolutely love. Well you probably think I say that about a lot of the recipes I feature on my blog. But if your memories of eating Kheema Pav were anything like mine you would agree when I say it is THE quintessential dish in Indian cafes and street food stalls all across India.

A no frills cafe would be the best place to sample this delight and as a family we always did. Peeling, chipping paint off the walls, Portuguese inspired furniture with fans dotted along the ceiling that barely moved. The artwork, paintings and photos all resonated the 50’s & 60’s old school lifestyle in India. But we were only there for the food which was always honest, freshly cooked and ever so delicious. Scrolling down the mouth watering menu, debating what I should order so I don’t miss out on any of the dishes. Our order would include Mutton gravy, kebabs, cutlets, some offal dishes cooked in spiced gravies like bheja fry (brain fry), kaleji (liver) masala or gurda (kidney) curry. And of course kheema pav. Kheema or minced lamb slow cooked in spices garnished with fresh coriander was always served with what we called laadi pav. A generously helping of kheema mopped up with pav & squeeze of lemon eaten to my heart’s content. The melt in your mouth spiced kheema with a hint of zingy lemon cutting through the heat and richness of the dish with crispy red onion salad. That’s exactly how I remember it.

Pav or bread roll as it is known were always made fresh using a basic bread recipe. Though, there was something unique about the taste of these pavs; a taste that still lingers for me. My fondest memories have been buying fresh warm pav from bakeries in India smearing them with Amul butter which melted and soaked into the bread instantly. Scoffed in minutes or even better when we had ‘chai’ to dunk the bread in; Life was better with just the first bite.

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“Korma” the word itself sums up very different ideas of what the dish would taste and look like in peoples mind.

I’m a huge fan of Mughlai cooking and there are some brilliant restaurants dotted about across cities in India where you will find kebabs, niharis, rezalas and kheema dishes as part of their delectable mouth watering repertoire on the menu. All typical of mughlai cooking that are wonderful in their own right with layers of flavour, cooked to perfection and definitely worth a try. Though some of these are unheard of in UK restaurants; one thing that I know almost everyone would relate to is kormas. In India korma is associated with being a rich dinner party dish that is an amalgamation of ground spices; typically spices like chilli and turmeric powders would be part of the dish but more luxurious spices are also added to enhance flavour. The use of nutmeg, mace, cardamom and saffron are quite synonymous with kormas adding that delicate fragrance to the dish too; all laced in with yoghurt or ground pastes made from nuts or seed. Depending on regional influences (e.g. South Indians have their own unique take on cooking a korma or kurma as its known which is very delish!) coconut milk or grated coconut is used as well. Fresh green chillies and ground spices along with garam masala add the required heat to the dish.

I often recommend people try the korma I cook with a reassurance that there are more variations than just the mild variety commonly served. In UK a korma is usually something that is recommended for anyone who prefers a mild curry. It is usual white or pale in colour with little spicing and topped with raisins and almonds to bring out the richness of the dish.

My recipe below is based around my influence eating it whilst visiting traditional homes and restaurants serving some of the best ‘Nalli Korma’ in a rich gravy, slow cooked goat shanks with the meat falling off the bone all mopped up with soft roomali rotis and red onion salad. My memories of eating it are of pure pleasure and the best part is they come flooding back when I cook it. I have used lamb leg shanks which are readily available. You can opt for shoulder shanks too though goat shanks would be ideal as they are smaller in size.

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Just for a while I’m going to steer away from writing about bog standard curries and introduce you to a part of my world which was full of flavour, enticing; using ingredients that you probably wouldn’t associate with Indian food.

But for me growing up; eating this delectable variety as part of our diet almost felt so normal that I assumed everyone ate Liver Masala (kaleji), Paya Nihari (goat’s trotters in a curry) or Sorpotel (popular Goan dish cooked in spices, vinegar, meat & offal) and even pan fried spiced Fish Roe. The dishes I have mentioned are those I have relished at home, in restaurants and also with family & friends. Most of these have Mughlai, Portuguese and rural Indian influences. But more importantly all delicious and most definitely not something for the faint hearted Indian food lover. These are robust flavours; one that call for full-on spice to bring out the best in them. Rich, exotic, gutsy & earthy are all the things that come to mind with these dishes

Paya are trotters/ feet of goat or lamb. Soups, stews & curries made from paya are usually consumed in India during winter months. With Persian influences this dish was adapted to what it’s known today by Mughlai cooks all over the country primarily in Delhi, Lucknow & Hyderabad. They also believed it to have medicinal properties and are regularly recommended for nutritional purposes.

Mughlai restaurants and small age old cafes serve this dish regularly but depending on where you visit there are quite a few preparations for Paya. A must do if your ever visiting India is to get to these cafe’s as early as possible. Once it’s cooked & served; they are sold out in no time! Traditional paya cooking is a long and slow process, letting the meat cook through; fall off the bone and almost melt in your mouth. Enhancing the flavours further is the gelatinous fat, juicy bones and marrow melting through to form the base for a delicious stock giving a distinct taste and rich meaty gravy to the dish.

Though I have Niamh from Eat like a girl to thank for persuading me to blog this recipe. I know it’s taken me ages. For all those who have requested recipes they’d like to see on Cook in a curry – I’m getting through the list slowly but surely!

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If you’re like me and yearn to cook hearty, homemade and comforting food with the thought of eating something to warm up your senses in this bone chilling wintery weather then this is just the excuse to stroke that indulgence.

Kheema (Minced Lamb) is used so often in Indian food not just as part of a main course but also in breads and starters. I remember my mother cooked kheema mutter (minced lamb with green peas & potatoes) so often for meals when I was young that now I find there is nothing really more satisfying then eating kheema cooked the Indian way. Made so often all over the Indian sub continent; each region has its own unique way of cooking minced lamb. 

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Eating Rogan Josh as a 9yr old in a typical Kashmiri household with Indian bread on the side to scoop out the thick gravy has been one of my fondest food memories. The host for the meal (Mr Mamoon was the manager of the hotel we stayed at) invited my parent over to sample a traditional kashmiri meal at his family home in Pahalgam. ‘Zafrani Rogan Josh’ – as I happily tucked into it; little did I realise that even today the flavours would linger on my taste buds.

It’s a dish I know most people living in India & UK absolutely love and one I can assure you gets ordered time and time again in your local Indian. But I think after sampling various different versions of it, it’s fair to say nothing comes close to what I ate in Kashmir. But then again I wouldn’t expect it to, some food memories are better left untouched for it’s those that you remember dearly.

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10 months on and I’m loving it even more! Welcome to the new avatar of Cook in Curry. For the last couple of months, I have been looking forward and been super excited to make the changes and put it out there for you to read, try the recipes and share my joy of cooking. I hope you continue to stay with me through this journey of delectable food one dish at a time.

End of last year I wanted a medium where I could put my thoughts, ideas, recipes and share memories from childhood. Cook in a Curry took shape. I cooked, ate, prepped, wrote and cooked some more all from my kitchen which I still do and can’t think of a more satisfying experience or platform than to put together every dish step by step. Revelling in every outcome (the good and the not so good too!). When the idea of moving onto new software came up a few months ago, it also gave me some time to redo a few features on the blog and like me it will continue to evolve. I’m sure there will always be things that I will look to add and take away. All the recipes from the start are still there and I can’t wait to get things going again with lots more recipes, ideas, updates and regional Indian food.

To mark the new Cook in a Curry I wanted to do a post which reflected part of my all time favourite foods & desserts.  Meat Masala is something that I make very often. Its a recipe I acquired from my mother and the best part is that apart from turmeric there aren’t any other spiced powders used. For the flavour and heat whole spices are ground down to a fine powder. I am a carnivore through and through. As a young girl though we ate our fair share of vegetarian food on offer, meat & fish were always a staple in my household. It’s almost like I felt this emptiness if I missed my intake of meat for the day. That also had a lot to do with the quality of mutton (goat meat) in India which is absolutely fab. I would highly recommend trying out mutton and is available in the UK too.

In keeping with common usage I have used boneless leg of lamb but if you prefer keeping the meat on the bone; shoulder of lamb would be ideal because it is interlaced with layers of fat keeping the meat moist while cooking. Marinated and cooked in all its juices; the meat is succulent and tastes even better the following day. Served with chapattis and some kachumbar raita to accompany. I honestly can’t think of a better combination than having soft Indian bread to go with a spiced dry lamb dish.

I did mention desserts! Merely for my love of sweets in all forms. I have actually made this at home a few times and it’s turned out so well I thought it would be worth sharing on the blog for you to try out. Kulfi or Indian Ice cream. Go on give them both a go!

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Thai Mussaman Beef Curry

I love my curries and that goes without saying. But if there was one particular food that really does it for me apart from Indian it would have to be Thai.

I got gifted Thai Food by David Thompson for Christmas, which actually made me fall in love all over again with the food from the region. Apart from the book truly being a collector’s item, it makes you want to cook all the delicious dishes. It gives an insight into flavours, techniques and dishes which I haven’t tried before. Its also covers Thai culture, society and regional cuisine as it has come to evolve today within the country.

When put together typical Thai flavours like lemongrass, palm sugar and the fiery chillies is a combination that is bursting with excitement. The result is delectable dishes that we yearn for- a spiced red curry, green papaya salad, the jungle curry or the moreish pad thai noodles. Thai cuisine gets it perfect with their balance of salty, sweet, sour and spicy in each dish.

Mussaman Beef Curry is the Thai version of the Muslim curries from northern India. What make this curry more unique are their use of fish sauce, lemon grass and palm sugar. Using black cardamom really imparted that intense smoky flavour which came through in the curry. The most common versions of this dish use chicken or beef with potatoes and whole shallots.

My choice of Thai curry in this post is actually is a personal favourite. Sometimes we all crave that richness and depth in a curry. It’s the kind I relish during my trips to India from authentic Mughlai street food places like a local greasy spoon. I remember going out with friends for dinner and ordering massive amounts of dishes, not just because it was a cheap eat but more so because we were genuinely hunger and the food was always enjoyable and tasted exactly same every time we visited. Scoffing through all the kebabs, curries and rotis feeling satisfied at the end of it all washed down with something ice cold to drink. Heaven! Chilled Thumbs up usually did it for me!

Note: I know it seems like a longer winded process but I assure it’s a complete labour of love. The end result is lip smacking! Tastes even better if you have any leftover curry the following day to eat with some steamed rice.

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