Read 1,000 Indian Recipes Online
Authors: Neelam Batra
1,000 Indian Recipes (253 page)
3.
Add the yogurt, a little at a time, stirring constantly to prevent it from curdling, then add the fenugreek leaves and continue to cook until the meat is fork-tender and the sauce thick, about 20 minutes. (If the meat is not soft, add up to 1 cup water,
1
⁄
2
cup at a time, and cook.) Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the garam masala and cilantro on top, and serve.
Mughlai Lamb Curry with Cashews and Coconut Milk
Kaaju Korma Gosht
Makes 4 to 6 servings
A curry is a
korma
(sometimes spelled with a Q) when whatever liquids that are used in cooking are cooked off completely and the foods remain smothered in a thick, paste-like sauce with traces of oil floating on the sides and the top. Most
korma
curries are enriched with a nut paste—in this case, cashews.
1
⁄
2
cup
Basic Cashew Paste
2 teaspoons cumin seeds,
dry-roasted
and coarsely ground
1 cup
Coconut Milk
(or store-bought)
3 tablespoons peanut oil
2 bay leaves
4 whole dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol
1
1
⁄
2
teaspoons cumin seeds
1 large onion, finely chopped
1
1
⁄
2
to 2 pounds boneless leg of lamb (
Buying Leg of Lamb
) or beef (rump, brisket, or sirloin), all visible fat trimmed, cut into 1
1
⁄
2
-inch pieces
2 tablespoons peeled minced fresh ginger
2 large cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1
1
⁄
2
teaspoons garam masala, some reserved for garnish
1
⁄
4
teaspoon ground nutmeg
1
⁄
8
teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground green cardamom seeds
3 cups water
1.
Prepare the cashew paste, cumin seeds, and coconut milk. Then, heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the bay leaves and red chile peppers, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the cumin seeds, they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly, add the onion and cook over medium heat until well-browned, about 10 minutes.
2.
Add the meat, ginger, garlic, coriander, dry-roasted cumin, garam masala nutmeg, mace, and salt, and cook the meat, stirring, over medium-high heat the first 2 to 3 minutes and then over medium heat until browned, about 10 minutes.
3.
Mix in the cashew paste and cardamom seeds and stir another 5 minutes. Then add half the coconut milk and the water and simmer until the meat is fork-tender, the sauce is thick and the oil separates to the sides, 50 to 60 minutes. Mix in the remaining
1
⁄
2
cup coconut milk during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the reserved garam masala on top, and serve.
Mughlai Pot-Roasted Lamb with Almonds and Poppy Seeds
Gosht Dum-Pukht
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Dum-pukht
is a popular cooking procedure in India. Authentic
dum-pukht
dishes are cooked in a
pateela
, a deep, tin-plated copper or brass saucepan with a
1
⁄
2
-inch lip all around.
Once all the ingredients are added to the pan, the lip is sealed with a firm whole-wheat flour dough and the pan is then placed over low heat with a piece of hot charcoal on the lid, so the food inside cooks from the top and bottom simultaneously (almost like baking). The food simmers over low heat until the dough ring hardens and cracks—a sign that the dish is ready. No moisture escapes, so the spicy aromas stay contained, and the foods absorb all possible flavors. In my recipe, I seal in the flavors with aluminum foil and then cook the dish, long and slow.
2 tablespoons
Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste
(or store-bought)
1
⁄
4
cup
Almond and Poppy Seed Paste
1
1
⁄
2
teaspoons
Mughlai Garam Masala with Nutmeg and Mace
2 pounds lamb loin chops, all visible fat trimmed
1
⁄
4
cup coarsely chopped raw cashews
1
⁄
4
cup raisins
1
1
⁄
2
cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1
⁄
2
teaspoon saffron threads soaked in
1
⁄
4
cup heavy cream about 30 minutes
1
⁄
2
teaspoon ground green cardamom seeds
1
⁄
4
cup sliced raw almonds
1.
Prepare the 2 pastes and the masala. Then, place the lamb in a large nonstick saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and mix in all the ingredients except the saffron, cardamom seeds, and almonds. Marinate at room temperature about 30 minutes.
2.
Cover the pan first with aluminum foil and then with the lid (no steam should be allowed to escape). Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, about 1 hour. Do not uncover or stir at any time. Pick up the pan with pot holders and shake it a few times, but do not stir.
3.
After about an hour, check to see if the meat is tender; if not, cook another 10 minutes, or longer, until meat is tender. Mix in the saffron-cream and cardamom seeds and cook about 5 minutes to blend the flavors.
4.
Transfer to a serving dish, dry-roast the almonds by stirring over medium heat until golden, scatter them over the lamb, and serve.
Sunil's Kashmiri Pot-Roasted Lamb with Dried Ginger
Sunil ka Dum-Pukht Gosht
Makes 4 to 6 servings
My friend Sunil Vora grew up with this dish made with equal proportions of meat and onion, and he loves it to this day. It is flavored with fennel seeds, ground ginger, and asafoetida, the standard Kashmiri seasonings, rather than the Mughlai lavishness of nuts and cream.
1 teaspoon
Kashmiri Garam Masala
2 pounds boneless leg of lamb (
Buying Leg of Lamb
) or beef (rump, brisket, or sirloin), all visible fat trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 to 8 small red onions (about 2 pounds), cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground fennel seeds
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1
⁄
2
teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1
⁄
8
teaspoon ground asafoetida
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1
⁄
4
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
1.
Prepare the garam masala. Then, place everything except the garam masala and cilantro in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Cover the pan first with aluminum foil and then with the lid. (No steam should be allowed to escape.)
2.
Cook over low heat about 1 hour. Do not uncover or stir at any time. Pick up the pan with pot holders and shake it a few times, but do not stir. Check to see if the meat is tender; if not, cook another 10 minutes, or longer, until the meat is soft. Transfer to a serving dish, mix in the garam masala, garnish with cilantro, and serve.
Lamb and Grain Curries
Parsi Lamb Curry
Gosht Dhansak
Makes 40 6 servings
Dhansak
(meaning
dal
or legumes, and vegetables), is an authentic Parsi dish from the Mumbai (formerly Bombay) area. It can be cooked vegetarian-style, as in
Parsi Mixed Lentils, Beans, and Vegetables
, or it may contain some lamb, beef, pork, or chicken, as in this recipe from my Parsi sister-in law, Khushnoor Chugh, in India. Precise chopping of the greens and vegetables is not crucial, because eventually, all will be puréed to make a smooth sauce.