Goal: To create a master recipe and cooking method for easily adaptable, deeply flavored curries at home.

Solution: Treat the whole spices properly (fry or roast) for authentic, intense flavor, then add the aromatic ginger and garlic with the meat and liquid ingredients. When the meat is fully cooked, add the vegetables, and cook until all the ingredients are melded and tender.

Note: The ingredients in the Master Recipes are completely interchangeable, depending on what result you're looking for. The whole spice combination (cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, peppercorns, and bay leaf) can be abbreviated to cinnamon and cloves or to cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom, if you like. The cumin and coriander can also be used crushed, as in the Beef Curry with Crushed Spices and Channa Dal variation.

MASTER RECIPE FOR CURRY

Serves 4 to 6

Gather and prepare all of your ingredients before you begin. Garlic and ginger may be pureed by hand or in a minichop food processor. If pureeing by hand, follow the Quick Tip linked below. If using a minichopper, process the garlic and ginger with one to two tablespoons of water until pureed. You may substitute a scant half teaspoon of cayenne pepper for the jalapeño, adding it to the skillet with the other ground dried spices. Feel free to increase the wet (garlic, ginger, jalapeños, and onions) or dry spice quantities. Serve the curry with basmati rice (link below).

Whole Spice Blend (Optional)
1 1/2 3-inch cinnamon sticks
4 cloves
4 green cardamom pods
8 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup flavorless (vegetable or canola) oil
1 medium onion, sliced thin
4 large garlic cloves, pureed
1 chunk (1 1/2-inches) fresh gingerroot, peeled and pureed
1 1/2 pounds top sirloin or boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch cubes, or 6 chicken thighs, skinned, or 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
3 whole plum tomatoes, chopped, plus
1 tablespoon juice, or 2/3 cup crushed tomato, or 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 bunches (1 1/2 pounds) spinach, stemmed, thoroughly washed,and chopped coarse (optional)
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed and cut in half through the stem end
1/2 cup Indian split peas (channa dal), or 4 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes, or 4 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, or 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen green peas
2-4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves (use the lesser amount if youchr(39)ve already added the optional cilantro)

1. Heat oil in large deep skillet or soup kettle, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. If using whole spice blend, add to oil and cook, stirring with wooden spoon until cinnamon stick unfurls and cloves pop, about 5 seconds. If omitting whole spice blend, simply add onion to skillet; sauté until softened, 3 to 4 minutes, or browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

2. Stir in garlic, ginger, selected meat (except shrimp), ground spices, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and tomatoes or yogurt; cook, stirring almost constantly, until liquid evaporates, oil separates and turns orange, and spices begin to fry, 5 to 7 minutes, depending on skillet or kettle size. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until spices smell cooked, about 30 seconds longer.

3. Stir in optional spinach and/or cilantro. Add 2 cups water and jalapeño and season with salt; bring to simmer. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until meat is tender, 20 to 30 minutes for chicken, 30 to 40 minutes for beef or lamb.

4. Add selected vegetable (except green peas); cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Add shrimp and/or peas if using. Simmer 3 minutes longer and serve.

Until you get comfortable with the recipe, you may need help with meat and vegetable combinations. The following recipes are a few of my favorites.

CHICKEN CURRY WITH YOGURT, CILANTRO, AND ZUCCHINI

Follow Master Recipe for Curry, choosing optional whole spice blend, chicken, yogurt, optional 1 cup chopped cilantro, and zucchini and omitting optional spinach. Sauté onion until golden brown.

LAMB CURRY WITH WHOLE SPICES

Follow Master Recipe for Curry, choosing optional whole spice blend, lamb, tomatoes, and potatoes and omitting optional spinach and optional 1 cup chopped cilantro. Sauté onion until softened.

SHRIMP CURRY WITH YOGURT AND PEAS

Follow Master Recipe for Curry, choosing shrimp, yogurt, optional cilantro, peas, and omitting optional whole spice blend and optional spinach. Sauté onion until golden brown.

LAMB CURRY WITH FIGS AND FENUGREEK

Follow Master Recipe for Curry, choosing lamb and tomatoes and omitting optional whole spice blend and optional spinach and cilantro. Sauté onion until softened. Add 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek along with cumin and coriander and 1/4 cup dried figs, chopped coarse, along with water. Omit the optional vegetable.

BEEF CURRY WITH CRUSHED SPICES AND CHANNA DAL

Channa dal is the name for yellow Indian split peas, available at Indian specialty food shops. Potatoes or regular green split peas may be substituted for the channa dal.

Follow Master Recipe for Curry, choosing beef, tomatoes, and channa dal and omitting optional spinach and cilantro. Rather than grind cumin and coriander, crush 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds and 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds in mortar and pestle, adding them to skillet in place of optional whole spice blend. Rather than puree garlic and ginger, simply crush them, along with pinch of kosher salt, in mortar and pestle. Add onion almost immediately to ensure cumin and coriander do not burn; sauté onion until softened.

January, 1997
Original article and recipes by Stephanie Lyness

 
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