Boat Curries
In which, having moved into my boat, I concoct a number of curries make myself feel at home.
Following on from Flora's leftover Venison Curry I made a rather tasty Spicy Tomato Sauce to go with some frozen pork chops, again courtesy of Flora's (and Pete's) freezer. Thanks Pete!
To soak up all the lovely spiced chop oil I made a Dal which can't go wrong
Rubbed Pork with Spicy Tomato Sauce
curry meat
As I'm sure do you, I keep a jar of mystery rubbing spice mixture.
Every time I have some leftover salt and peppery rub from a cure or seasoning I chuck it in the jar.
So just use some of that in place of the salt & pepper below.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Meat Rub:- 4 pork chops
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 4 tsp garam masala
- 4 tsps salt & pepper
- 1 tsp chilli powder optional
Sauce:- oil or ghee
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar with:
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- dozen small tomatoes, cut into eighths
- large glass red wine
- water
- 2 tbsps coconut powder
- rapeseed oil
Mix up salt, pepper, garam masala and turmeric and rub into pork chops or medallions
I had supremes - whatever they are!.
You could also add chilli powder if you like.
Leave to marinate for an hour or two.
Heat oil and add the onion and fry until nicely caramelising.
Add the garlic and fry briefly.
Meanwhile make a paste of the chilli powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric and salt with a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Add to the pan and cook until the raw flavour is gone, then add the red wine and bubble to reduce. Add the tomatoes, cover, and cook gently until the tomatoes are collapsing. Add water if necessary.
Towards the end add a tablespoon or two of coconut powder and stir through.
Fry the chops in a generous amount of rapeseed oil until they crisp beautifully at the edges. Serve the chops dressed with the tomato sauce.
Leave to marinate for an hour or two.
Heat oil and add the onion and fry until nicely caramelising.
Add the garlic and fry briefly.
Meanwhile make a paste of the chilli powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric and salt with a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Add to the pan and cook until the raw flavour is gone, then add the red wine and bubble to reduce. Add the tomatoes, cover, and cook gently until the tomatoes are collapsing. Add water if necessary.
Towards the end add a tablespoon or two of coconut powder and stir through.
Fry the chops in a generous amount of rapeseed oil until they crisp beautifully at the edges. Serve the chops dressed with the tomato sauce.
Delicious! Be sure to use the spare chop oil to dress your dal, if serving.
Can't Go Wrong Dal
curry side veg
It seems quite hard to go badly wrong with making a Dal.
Here's another one with some oranges which turned out just excellently.
Serves 2-4
Ingredients
- oil or ghee
- 1 tsp panch poran
- 2" ginger, minced
- 2 satsumas, juiced and skin grated
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- a mushroom, chunked randomly, and an effective addition
- ½ cup lentils
- ½ tsp salt
- 3-4 tablespoons yoghurt
Grate the orange peel and set aside. Juice the oranges and set aside.
Heat the oil or ghee and fry the panch poran seeds until they release their aroma. Add the minced ginger and fry until it begins to crisp, then add the orange peel, stir through, then the onions. Fry gently until the onions are transparent.
Add the mushroom if, like me, you have a spare one to get rid of :) and the lentils. Add salt and water and simmer until the lentils soften.
Test the seasoning, then stir in the orange juice and yoghurt and cook a little longer before serving.
Heat the oil or ghee and fry the panch poran seeds until they release their aroma. Add the minced ginger and fry until it begins to crisp, then add the orange peel, stir through, then the onions. Fry gently until the onions are transparent.
Add the mushroom if, like me, you have a spare one to get rid of :) and the lentils. Add salt and water and simmer until the lentils soften.
Test the seasoning, then stir in the orange juice and yoghurt and cook a little longer before serving.
Very good. Serve dressed with any oil you have from frying, say, rubbed pork chops, or just make a tarka from some fried spices.
Pork and Tomato Curry
main meat curry
A bit like a pork vindaloo, what with the vinegar and the garlic. But more tomato-based.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1kg pork, cubed
- 1½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1½ tsp mustard seeds
- 3 black cardamoms, seeds only
- 2" cassia
- 6 cloves
- 1½ tsp fenugreek
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 head garlic
- 2" ginger
- 2 onions
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 400g tin tomatoes
- 6 fresh green chillies, chopped
Roast whole spices and grind to powder. Make a paste with vinegar and the rest of the powders.
Cut the pork into cubes, mix with the paste and set aside to marinate for an hour or more.
Add browned ginger & garlic to the paste?
Fry onions until golden. Add ginger/garlic paste and fry until the raw aroma has gone and the oil separates.
Scoop out the mixture with a slotted spoon, add more oil if necessary, and add the marinated meat to the pan to cook until the spice coating no longer smells raw and the oil separates. Do this in batches so as not overload the pan, scooping out the fried meat to add to the onion.
Add the tomato purée to the last meat batch and fry until the oil separates. Add all the reserved meat and onion/garlic/ginger mixture. Fry together to blend, then loosen with a little stock and add the tinned tomatoes. Add chopped fresh green chillies.
Bring to a simmer and cook gently uncovered, stirring, until the sauce reduces and thickens. Then and cook in a low oven, or over a low heat, for 1-2 hours.
Cut the pork into cubes, mix with the paste and set aside to marinate for an hour or more.
Add browned ginger & garlic to the paste?
Fry onions until golden. Add ginger/garlic paste and fry until the raw aroma has gone and the oil separates.
Scoop out the mixture with a slotted spoon, add more oil if necessary, and add the marinated meat to the pan to cook until the spice coating no longer smells raw and the oil separates. Do this in batches so as not overload the pan, scooping out the fried meat to add to the onion.
Add the tomato purée to the last meat batch and fry until the oil separates. Add all the reserved meat and onion/garlic/ginger mixture. Fry together to blend, then loosen with a little stock and add the tinned tomatoes. Add chopped fresh green chillies.
Bring to a simmer and cook gently uncovered, stirring, until the sauce reduces and thickens. Then and cook in a low oven, or over a low heat, for 1-2 hours.
Really rather good.
I considered browning the ginger/garlic paste and adding it to the marinade, rather than frying it later after the onions. Perhaps you can let me know if you try that and it's better?
I considered browning the ginger/garlic paste and adding it to the marinade, rather than frying it later after the onions. Perhaps you can let me know if you try that and it's better?