I thought I would add curry to the mix, as we experience the last of the cooler weather, before we get out the BBQ and start feasting on all of the summer salads and luscious fruit just around the corner. Or for my readers in the northern hemisphere here is a fabulous recipe to add to your cooler weather favourites.
This is not a Robyn’s Seasonal Kitchen original it is attributed to Rick Stein from his ‘India’ cook book. Rick is one of my favourite ‘celebrity chef’s’ or simple cook as he likes to call himself, I find his recipes are very true to explanation not all cookbooks are, there are no surprises with Rick’s recipes. As an avid fan of his TV shows, I know he doesn’t particularly enjoy over spicy (hot) dishes. Unfortunately I’m in the same boat I just can’t take too much heat in the chilies. I found this to be a very tasty and enjoyable option. My friend’s in India can attest to my limitations with extra spicy foods, as much as I want to experiment more, it always ends in tears, literally.
There is quite a lot of ingredients and a bit of preparation, I put off making a curry from scratch for years but now I know just how delicious it can be, it has become a regular menu homemade menu item for me I think the sense of accomplishment, and amazing smells emanating from your kitchen will make it all worthwhile. This recipe freezes really well, so why not make a bit extra for another day. The flatbread recipe is available here.
I have added a few extra options here such as cooking time etc, please note these are my opinions only and not in the original recipe. The flavours etc will not be as strong. there is nothing nicer then a full flavoured, long, slow cooked curry but I know we are all stretched for time especially during the week.
Serves: 6
Preparation Time: 15 mins plus marinate overnight if possible
Cooking Time: Minimum 2 hrs
Ingredients:
Marinade:
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp cloves
- 1 tsp cummin seeds
- 1 tsp cloves
- 12 cardamom seeds
- 1 small onion roughly chopped
- 8 cloves peeled garlic
- 5cm ginger, peeled chopped
- 2 tbsp tamarind liquid – Tamarind is usually bought as a paste, add this to warm water and soak and strain, using just the liquid (it is a souring agent)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder (very easy to find in your supermarket)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder or about 2 cm if using fresh
- 5 tsp white wine vinegar
- 750g Beef (I used skirt steak), boneless shin, any casserole cuts will work well due to the long cooking time
To Cook the Vindaloo:
- 2 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 medium ripe tomatoes chopped or a of tomatoes
- 3 fresh green chillies seeds removed halved lengthways ( I added red as well as I had them on hand, they were not hot ones)
- 100ml water
Method:
Grind the cinnamon, peppercorns, cloves, cummin seeds and cardamom to a powder. I have an old coffee grinder I use for this purpose, buying whole spices and grinding as you need them are much fresher, however if your new to some of these spices do buy already ground if you find it easier.
Put the onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric and vinegar and all the ground spices into a food processor and blend to make a paste.
Mix the beef and paste together in a large bowl, coat well, cover and place in the fridge overnight, or at least 4 hours. I always do this in advance usually on a Sunday and leave even a couple of days to cook during the week, not the quickest cooking time. If you prefer to eat earlier you can cut the cooking to about an hour.
Cooking:
Heat the ghee or oil in a large, sturdy pan/casserole over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry until golden. Turn the heat up and add the beef and all of the marinade paste, fry for 5 minutes, stirring. Stir in the tomatoes, chillies and water.
Cover with a lid and cook for around 2 hours on a low heat or until the meat is tender. If it sticks during the cooking time add a little water.
Serve with, rice, flatbread and any condiments you enjoy.
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