Curry: one phrase, large topic! The phrase derives from kari, the Tamil phrase for “sauce”, which clearly covers lots of floor (for these to know extra, Sejal Sukhadwala’s The Philosophy of Curry is a slim however good learn), however, for all my love of the sauce component of a curry, it’s additionally the necessity for one thing with crunch to go together with it, each for steadiness and so as to add some textural distinction, that retains me coming again for extra. That’s why at present’s two recipes are as a lot in regards to the crunchy toppings and fillings, from poppadoms to potato sticks, as they’re in regards to the gravy.
Butternut squash and poppadom curry
I’ve at all times loved consuming poppadoms alongside curries, however it wasn’t till I ate at a Rajasthani restaurant lately that I used to be impressed to make use of them within the precise dish itself. This curry additionally takes some inspiration from Kerala, and the result’s neither distinctly Keralan nor Rajasthani, however slightly a nod to each. Serve with rice.
Prep 15 min
Cook dinner 40 min
Serves 4
1 butternut squash (1kg), halved, seeds eliminated and discarded, then reduce into 4cm skin-on chunks
75ml olive oil
Nice sea salt and black pepper
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 pink onion (150g), peeled and finely chopped
20g ginger, peeled and reduce into skinny matchsticks
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
10 contemporary curry leaves
400g tin coconut milk
¼ tsp floor turmeric
100g child spinach
3 cooked poppadoms, plain or spiced, every damaged into about 8 items
3 plum tomatoes
¼ tsp gentle chilli powder
1 tbsp lime juice
Warmth the oven to 240C (220C fan)/475F/fuel 9. Combine the squash with two tablespoons of oil and a half-teaspoon of salt, then unfold them out on an oven tray lined with greaseproof paper and roast for 25 minutes, till cooked via and calmly charred.
Put two tablespoons of oil in a big saucepan on a medium-high warmth, add the mustard seeds and a very good grind of pepper, and prepare dinner for about three minutes, till the seeds begin to pop.
Stir within the onion, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and a teaspoon of salt, and fry, stirring usually, for 5 minutes, till the onions are comfortable and beginning to tackle some color.
Add the coconut milk, turmeric and 400ml water (use the empty tin of coconut milk to measure that out), then carry to a simmer. Stir within the roast squash, spinach and poppadoms, and simmer for one more 5 minutes, till the spinach has wilted and the poppadoms have softened.
Roughly grate the tomatoes right into a advantageous sieve set over a bowl, then discard the skins. Add the tomato water to the curry, maintaining the pulp for later.
Put the remaining tablespoon of oil in a small saucepan on a medium warmth. As soon as sizzling, add the chilli powder, prepare dinner, stirring, for 30 seconds, then add the tomato pulp and prepare dinner for 3 minutes, till the combination is vibrant pink and barely thickened.
Stir the tomato combination and the lime juice into the squash curry, switch the curry to particular person bowls and serve.
Black chickpea and mango curry with bombay combine
This bombay combine is a tackle the model served at the Regency Membership in Edgware, and it’s so addictive that I now need it alongside nearly each curry. I just like the funk of the asafoetida, however if you happen to don’t, or can’t pay money for any, merely swap it for crushed garlic. There are various kinds of mustard oil on the market – some are for cooking and others for different makes use of – so examine the label. Black chickpeas are very nutty and far firmer than common chickpeas, so take longer to develop into tender; if you happen to can’t pay money for any, use regular chickpeas as a substitute.
Prep 20 min
Cook dinner 50 min
Serves 4
For the curry
100ml edible mustard oil, or sunflower oil
60g coriander, 30g stems finely chopped, 30g leaves finely chopped and reserved for the bombay combine
1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced (160g)
1 pink chilli, break up in half
½ tsp asafoetida, or 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1½ tbsp chickpea (AKA gram) flour
800g (2 tins) black chickpeas, drained
1 tsp jaggery, or palm or demerara sugar
Nice sea salt
1 unripe mango (300g), peeled, stoned and flesh reduce into roughly 2cm items (220g)
1 lime, quartered
For the bombay combine
1 massive onion, peeled and reduce into ½cm cube (200g)
1 pink chilli, finely chopped
2 tsp coriander seeds, roughly crushed
70g ready-salted potato stick crisps, roughly crushed
2 tbsp chaat masala
Put the oil, chopped coriander stems, onion and chilli in a big saute pan for which you’ve gotten a lid, and set it over a medium warmth. Cook dinner, stirring usually, for eight minutes, till the onion is comfortable and barely golden, then stir within the asafoetida, garam masala, turmeric and chickpea flour, and prepare dinner, stirring, for a minute longer, till aromatic.
Add 600ml water, the chickpeas, jaggery and a teaspoon and three-quarters of salt, carry to a simmer, then flip down the warmth to medium. Cowl and go away to prepare dinner for 30-35 minutes, stirring often, till the chickpeas are tender.
Stir within the mango, cowl once more and prepare dinner for one more 10-Quarter-hour, till the fruit is comfortable however nonetheless holds its form. Take off the warmth and go away to relaxation for a couple of minutes when you make the bombay combine.
Put the onion, chilli, coriander seeds, potato sticks and chaat masala in a medium bowl, combine effectively to mix, then add the chopped coriander leaves and toss once more. Scatter a number of spoonfuls of the bombay combine excessive of the curry, and serve with the remainder in a bowl on the aspect, and with the lime wedges alongside.
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