Curry up!
Eight Indian curries have made it to the top 50 in the TasteAtlas’s October list of 100 best stews from around the world. This week, TNIE curates a few interesting recipes from the list — Shahi Paneer (6), Keema (23), Chingri Malai Curry (38), Rogan Josh (48), Madras Curry (49)
Chingri Malai Curry
Ingredients
Prawns: 30 (cleaned)
Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
Salt: ½ tsp
Onions: 2 (medium)
Tomato: 1 (big)
Mustard oil: 5 tbsp
Ghee: 2 tbsp
Cinnamon: 1
Dried red chilli: 2
Green cardamom: 4
Black cardamom: 1
Cloves: 5
Bay leaf: 2
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder: 1 tsp
Garam Masala: 1 tsp
Salt: To taste
Green chillies: 5 (chopped)
Yoghurt: ¼ cup
Coconut Milk: 400 ml
Method
Marinate prawns with turmeric and salt; keep aside for 15 minutes. Grind the onions and tomatoes into separate pastes. In a pan, add mustard oil and fry the prawns for 2 minutes. Remove the prawns. Add ghee to the pan. Add bay leaves, dried red chillies, cardamoms, cloves, and cinnamon sticks. When heated, add the onion paste and cook for 10 minutes. Add tomato paste, hot water, ginger paste, turmeric powder, Kashmiri chilli, salt, green chillies, garam masala and cook well. Turn off the heat and add yoghurt. Cook for 4 minutes. Add coconut milk and let it simmer on low heat, lid closed. Add the fried prawns and cook for 5-6 minutes.
Keema
Ingredients
Oil: 4-5 tbsp Green cardamom: 5 Cloves: 5 Cinnamon: 2 (small) Cumin seeds: ½ tsp Black cardamoms: 2 Peppercorns: 8 Red chillies: 3 Onions: 2 (chopped) Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tsp Minced meat: 500 gm (goat or lamb) Turmeric powder: ½ tsp Red chilli powder: 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder: 1 tsp Coriander powder: 2 tsp Cumin powder: ½ tsp Garam masala: ¾ tsp Kasuri methi: 1 tsp Tomatoes: 2 (sliced) Green peas: 120
Green chillies: 2
Method
Heat oil in a kadai, add cumin, green and black cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns and red chillies. Stir well and add chopped onions. Cook on medium heat till onions turn light brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add the minced mutton. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, Kashmiri chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and stir for 4 minutes. Cover and cook on low heat for 4 minutes, till keema turns brown. Add the tomato slices, garam masala, kasuri methi and salt. Cook until the tomatoes soften. Now add the peas and stir for a few minutes. Add 250- 300 ml water, cover and cook until the meat turns tender. Add coriander leaves to garnish.
Rogan Josh
Ingredients
Mutton: 500g (chopped into
medium-sized pieces)
Mutton stock: ¼ cup
Mustard oil: ½ cup
Cloves: 3-4
Green cardamom: 1-2
Cinnamon: 1 inch
Curd: ½ cup
Saffron: A few strands
Dried ginger powder: 1 tsp
Fennel powder: 1 tsp
Asafoetida: ¼ tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder: 1 ½ tbsp
Salt: to taste
Ghee: ½ cup
Ratanjot/ Alkanet root: 1-2
Method
Add mustard oil, cloves, green cardamom and cinnamon to a pan. Sauté well. Once the spices are fragrant, add the mutton and sear for 5 minutes, until the meat turns brown. In a bowl, take curd, saffron strands, dried ginger powder, fennel powder, asafoetida, Kashmiri red chilli powder and salt. Mix well. Add it to the meat. Add mutton stock to the mix. Stir every 5 minutes and cook till the meat is tender. In a pan, add ratanjot in ghee. Once it turns lighter, transfer it into the saucepan. Serve hot with naan, rice or roti.
Shahi Paneer
Ingredients
Paneer: 250 g Butter/Ghee: 2 tbsp Oil: 2 tbsp Onion: 2 (chopped) Green chillies: 3 (chopped) Salt: 1 tsp Tomatoes: 2 Shahi cumin: ¼ tsp
Bay leaf: 1 Cinnamon: 2 Cloves: 2 Cardamom: 2 Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder: 1 tsp Coriander powder: ¼ tsp Cashew nuts: 20 or more (soaked and ground) Garam masala: ½ tsp Kasuri methi. Fresh cream: ¼ cup (optional)
Method
Heat oil in a Kadai and add onions and green chillies. Sauté until it gets gently browned. Add salt, tomatoes and cook well. Grind it into a fine paste. In a Kadai, heat ghee and add shahi cumin, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Mix for 3 minutes. On a low flame, mix ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, Kashmiri chilli powder and coriander powder into it. Add the previously made onion-tomato paste and stir well for about 10 minutes. Add the cashew nut paste and a cup of hot water. Bring it to a boil. To this creamy gravy, add garam masala and kasuri methi. Add fresh cream. Add 1 tsp sugar as well. Now, add chopped paneer and cook for 5 minutes on medium flame. Garnish it with chopped green chillies and coriander leaves.
Madras Curry
Ingredients
Chicken: ½ kg (with bone)
Tomatoes: 2
Garlic: 10
Ginger: 1 inch, peeled
Onion: 1 (finely chopped)
Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
Red chilli powder: ½ tbsp
Coriander powder: 1 tbsp
Salt: 1 tsp
Fennel seeds: ½ tbsp
Cloves: 3
Cardamom: 3
Cinnamon: 2-inch
Curry leaves
Green Chillies: 6
Oil: 2 tbsp
Coconut ground paste: 4 tbsp
Method
Grind the tomatoes, ginger and garlic into separate pastes. Add chicken, pastes, masala powders, chopped onion, salt, and 1 cup water in a pressure cooker. Cook for 4 whistles. Set aside. Heat oil in a pan and add fennel seeds, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. Add the chicken from the cooker to the pan with curry leaves, green chillies and coconut paste. Mix for 5 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.