peachykeen
bootie shaker
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2002
- Posts
- 9,194
I made an amazing curry tonight - I've had it in my mind to do it for a while but never got round to making sure I had all of the ingredients til now. It was superb. I made it with chicken, but if you want to try it veg/vegan, I'll provide suggestions for that as well. I was kind of making it up as I go along so the amounts are approximate (it ain't rocket science).
Patience is a virtue - this is not a complicated recipe, but it isn't a wuick one either. The way to get the most flavour here is slow cooking over a relatively low heat. Also it tastes better if you let it 'sit' a while before serving, as the various spices mingle in, so take your time!
2 diced chicken breasts (or, firm smoked tofu if that's your thing)
1 can pinepple chunks in juice
1 large onion (I used a giant sweet Vidalia) cut into thick slivers
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons butter (veg oil, if you prefer)
2 heaping tablespoons curry spice mix* (see below)
grated fresh ginger to taste (I used about a tablespoon)
half cup of raisins (or figs, or dates, or apricots, or any combination of dried fruits really)
1 or 2 chili peppers or a spoonful of dried chopped ones, whatever your preference - I had some nice dried chipotles but fresh would of course work as well
1 red pepper, diced large
1 green pepper, diced large
2 bananas, just barely under-ripe
1 cup plain yogurt
chopped cilantro leaves
1. Chop or press garlic and add to butter/oil in a large pot. Add onions and turn to make sure they are all coated with butter/oil and cover - leave over low to medium heat (on my stove, for example, I did this whole recipe on the "3" out of 6 setting) to soften, stirring once or twice, which should take about 10 minutes.
2. Add your spice mixture and stir thoroughly to coat onions. Cook one or two minutes more. (As the spices absorb the moisture, the mixture may seem very dry at this point but that's OK.) Add the grated ginger and stir well.
3. Add the diced chicken and stir well to coat with onion and spices. Cover and cook for 3 mintues, then stir and allow to cook, covered, for another 3 minutes.note - if you are using tofu - DO NOT add it at this point; skip this step and go on to step 4.
4. Drain the juice from the can of pineapple chunks into the pot - in other words, let the juice go into the pot, and keep the chunks aside for the moment. Add chilis and the raisins/dried fruits. Also add 3/4 cup of water. Leave this to simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes (if you are cooking the chicken. If you are not using chicken, simmer for 5-10 minutes.)
5. Add the pineapple chunks and diced peppers. Simmer a further 10 minutes. (If you are using tofu, this would be the time to put it in as well!)
6. Slice the bananas into the pot in fairly big chunks, like 2 cm. (If you slice them too thin they will just sort of 'melt' into the mix, which is kind of OK because you will still have the flavour, but you'll lose the texture.) Add the yogurt, stir through and simmer another 5 minutes.
7. Add the chopped cilantro leaves and stir through, but turn the heat off under the pot and leave it to sit, covered, for oh, however long it is until dinnertime. Heat through again before serving.
Serve over rice and sprinkle a little more cilantro on top for garnish. I served this dish with a side salad of thick-sliced cucumbers tosed with yogurt, a good handful of fresh chopped mint, and salt & pepper.
*about that spice mixture: you can buy decent curry pastes/powders I guess, but I prefer to make my own. I try to buy many things as 'whole' seeds and then grind them with the mortar and pestle, but some stuff I just have the pre-ground, so however you do it, the whole point is it is your unique mix. In no particular order, here is the combination I used, with again totally approximated amounts - make it up as you go along, eh?
1 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp mustard seed
1.5 tsp cumin seed
1.5 coriander seed
@12 cardamom pods (open the pod and take out the seed bits)
.5 tsp paprika
pinch of cayenne
2 heaping tsp ground cinnamon
1 heaping tsp ground nutmeg
.5 tsp ground clove
1 tsp ground turmeric
Patience is a virtue - this is not a complicated recipe, but it isn't a wuick one either. The way to get the most flavour here is slow cooking over a relatively low heat. Also it tastes better if you let it 'sit' a while before serving, as the various spices mingle in, so take your time!
2 diced chicken breasts (or, firm smoked tofu if that's your thing)
1 can pinepple chunks in juice
1 large onion (I used a giant sweet Vidalia) cut into thick slivers
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons butter (veg oil, if you prefer)
2 heaping tablespoons curry spice mix* (see below)
grated fresh ginger to taste (I used about a tablespoon)
half cup of raisins (or figs, or dates, or apricots, or any combination of dried fruits really)
1 or 2 chili peppers or a spoonful of dried chopped ones, whatever your preference - I had some nice dried chipotles but fresh would of course work as well
1 red pepper, diced large
1 green pepper, diced large
2 bananas, just barely under-ripe
1 cup plain yogurt
chopped cilantro leaves
1. Chop or press garlic and add to butter/oil in a large pot. Add onions and turn to make sure they are all coated with butter/oil and cover - leave over low to medium heat (on my stove, for example, I did this whole recipe on the "3" out of 6 setting) to soften, stirring once or twice, which should take about 10 minutes.
2. Add your spice mixture and stir thoroughly to coat onions. Cook one or two minutes more. (As the spices absorb the moisture, the mixture may seem very dry at this point but that's OK.) Add the grated ginger and stir well.
3. Add the diced chicken and stir well to coat with onion and spices. Cover and cook for 3 mintues, then stir and allow to cook, covered, for another 3 minutes.note - if you are using tofu - DO NOT add it at this point; skip this step and go on to step 4.
4. Drain the juice from the can of pineapple chunks into the pot - in other words, let the juice go into the pot, and keep the chunks aside for the moment. Add chilis and the raisins/dried fruits. Also add 3/4 cup of water. Leave this to simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes (if you are cooking the chicken. If you are not using chicken, simmer for 5-10 minutes.)
5. Add the pineapple chunks and diced peppers. Simmer a further 10 minutes. (If you are using tofu, this would be the time to put it in as well!)
6. Slice the bananas into the pot in fairly big chunks, like 2 cm. (If you slice them too thin they will just sort of 'melt' into the mix, which is kind of OK because you will still have the flavour, but you'll lose the texture.) Add the yogurt, stir through and simmer another 5 minutes.
7. Add the chopped cilantro leaves and stir through, but turn the heat off under the pot and leave it to sit, covered, for oh, however long it is until dinnertime. Heat through again before serving.
Serve over rice and sprinkle a little more cilantro on top for garnish. I served this dish with a side salad of thick-sliced cucumbers tosed with yogurt, a good handful of fresh chopped mint, and salt & pepper.
*about that spice mixture: you can buy decent curry pastes/powders I guess, but I prefer to make my own. I try to buy many things as 'whole' seeds and then grind them with the mortar and pestle, but some stuff I just have the pre-ground, so however you do it, the whole point is it is your unique mix. In no particular order, here is the combination I used, with again totally approximated amounts - make it up as you go along, eh?
1 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp mustard seed
1.5 tsp cumin seed
1.5 coriander seed
@12 cardamom pods (open the pod and take out the seed bits)
.5 tsp paprika
pinch of cayenne
2 heaping tsp ground cinnamon
1 heaping tsp ground nutmeg
.5 tsp ground clove
1 tsp ground turmeric
. I love curry! Looks yummy 
