A mini feast created yesterday - Beef Vindaloo; Ferar bataka, Vagareli makai, Lila dhania baath, pickled onion and green chilli salad, Phudino dai!
The Beef Vindaloo comes from Rick Stein India, as does the pickled Onion and green chilli salad, recipe for which can be found on the blog with the Kati Rolls.
The Ferar bataka, Vagareli makai and Lila dhania baath comes, as always, from Kaushy Patel's Prashad recipe book which I always recommend as an essential volume for anyone attempting to explore eastern cuisine.
If you are doing this menu, note that the order of battle is to get the beef in the marinade the day before/ 12 hours or at least 6 hours prior to cooking (variance is due to what type of beef you have selected - see below). Next, get the pickled onion and green chilli salad done.
Assuming you have pre-made your masala for the rice, then you are ready to go on the day, although note that the beef wants to be cooked for 2 hours or so unless you use a pressure cooker.
So, to the Beef Vindaloo. Note this is the proper stuff, and doesn't taste anything like a vindaloo you might get in many Indian restaurants in the UK!
Ingredients:
750g beef - (boneless shin of beef cut into 3cm medallions) - although I simply used diced stewing steak
Marinade:
5cm cinnamon stick
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds (my addition)
1 tsp fennel seeds (my addition)
seeds from circa 12 green cardamom pods
1 onion, roughly chopped
8 cloves garlic, peeled
5 cm root ginger, roughly chopped
2tbsp tamarind liquid
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp palm sugar/ jaggery/ brown sugar
2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric
5 tbsp white wine vinegar
To cook the vindaloo:
2 tbsp(30g) ghee or vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, sliced
3 fresh green chillies, halved lengthways
100ml water
Method:
For the mariande, grind the cinnamon, black peppercorns, cloves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cardamom to a powder. Put the onion, garlic, ginger, tamarind, salt, sugar, chilli powder, turmeric and vinegar, and all the ground spices into a food processor and blend to a paste. Mix in thoroughly with the beef in a bowl, cover with clingfilm and put in the fridge for the prescribed time above.
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 10 mins or so until golden. Increase heat to medium high and add the beef and all the marinade. Fry for 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomatoes, green chillies and water, cover with lid and cook for around 2 hours until the meat is tender, stirring occasionally to check it isn't sticking or going dry - add a splash of water if so.
Sprinkle with some chopped coriander to serve.
Ferar Bataka
This, I loved. Delicious!
Ingredients:
4 medium red-skinned potatoes
5cm root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped, then pulped
6-8 fresh green chillies, sliced into fine rings
100g unsalted butter
80g red skinned, unroasted, unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 lemon quartered, to serve (I forgot this but hey ho!)
Method:
Cut potatoes into 1.5cm cubes, and boil until just cooked.
Melt butter in large pan, reduce heat to low and stir in the ginger and chilli rings. Continue to stir for a minute or so whilst the ginger and chilli infuse the butter. Stir in the peanuts. Increase the heat slightly. Stir in the sugar and salt.
Gently stir in the potatoes so they don't break up, making sure you coat them all in the spiced butter. Cover the pan and cook for 2 mins or so until heated through.
One from the Prashad book here. I made it along with the Chicken Chettinad and Lila Dhania Baath, both found elsewhere on this blog.
Ingredients then:
3x 400g tins chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Sunflower oil
15g Coriander seeds
8cm cinnamon stick
6 dried kashmiri chillies
8 cloves
1 tsp black peppercorns
6 dried Indian bay leaves
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4cm root ginger, finely chopped, then pulped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped, then pulped
2 tsp salt
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp sugar (I used palm sugar but jaggery or dark brown sugar also fine)
2 handfuls freshly chopped coriander
Method:
Place the chickpeas along with 500ml water in a pan over a high heat, bring to the boil for 5 mins, then remove from heat and set aside (do not drain)
heat 4 tsp oil in a pan over a low heat, add coriander seeds, cinnamon, dried Kashmiri chillies, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves and 1 tsp of the cumin seeds. Fry for 5 mins or so, stirring continuously. Set aside to cool.
Heat about 75ml oil in a large pan over a medium heat, add the other tsp cumin seeds and fry until they start to go brown (about a minute tops - make sure you don't let them burn)
Stir in the onions and fry until dark brown, stirring every minute or so.
Stir in the tomatoes, ginger and garlic, salt, chilli powder, turmeric and sugar and increase the heat to high.
Immediately stir in the chickpeas along with their cooking water and an additional 300ml warm water. Cover the pan and leave to simmer for 5 mins, stirring occasionally.
While this is going on, finely grind the cooled roasted spices. Note well: ensure you do not scrimp on this process unless you like pieces of cinnamon bark!
Add to the chickpeas, stir, then remove the pan from the heat.
Sprinkle with chopped coriander then cover the pan and leave to rest for around 10 mins.
Reheat over a medium heat to serve.
Well, this is supposed to be Keema dhai vada...except I had no Lamb at the time and didn't see any reason why it wouldn't work with some pork I had instead.
On balance: it works fine so give it a go!
Ingredients:
For the Koftas
500g pack minced pork/ lamb etc
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garam masala - Garam Masala
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
2 cloves garlic, chopped
handful mint leaves
handful coriander leaves
1 tsp salt
Oil, for frying
For the yoghurt
400ml natural yoghurt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra for sprinkling
Pinch Kashmiri chilli powder, plus extra for sprinkling
Parathas or chapatis to serve.
Method:
Put all the Kofta ingredients except the oil into a food processor and blend until smooth. Get a bowl of water to hand and a platter, and using wet hands each time, take a golf ball sized amount of the mixture and roll to a ball. place on platter.
Heat oil and fry the koftas (in batches if necessary) for 7-10 mins until browned on the outside and cooked through. (be especially careful if using pork)
Yoghurt: mix the whole lot in a bowl! If too thick add some water. Note that my wife and I think that the minted yoghurt sauce elsewhere on this blog works with this equally as well.
Fry up some parathas and server the koftas on top, drizzled with the yoghurt. Sprinkle with extra chilli powder, cinnamon (or my preference.....some chat masala) to taste.
Another from the Rick Stein India book.....with some adaptations.....
Its a delicious sour soup which goes very well as a side dish. It is also extremely easy to make!
Ingredients:
1 tbsp ghee (or 25g unsalted butter and 1tbsp sunflower oil)
1 tsp black/ brown/ red mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 dried kashmiri chilli, broken/ ripped into pieces
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp asafoetida
1 tsp curry leaf powder or small handful fresh curry leaves
4 large tomatoes, chopped (or can of quality plum tomatoes with some chopped baby plum fresh tomatoes)
3 green chillies chopped
3cm root ginger, very finely chopped
3 tbsp red lentils
50 ml tamarind liquid
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
500ml water
Handful coriander chopped to garnish
Method:
Heat ghee/ oil over medium heat. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and Kashmiri chillies - fry until the mustard seeds pop.
Stir in the black pepper and asafoetida, fry for 30 secs, then add the curry leaf powder/ curry leaves, tomatoes, green chillies, ginger, red lentils, tamarind, turmeric, salt and water and simmer for 20-25mins or until lentils are tender.
Garnish with chopped coriander. Serve.
