Cook in a Curry

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!

Read more »

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.

Read more »

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!

Read more »