Madras curry is is a hot spicy curry which originated in Madras (now callled Chennai) in South India. This south Indian curry can be made with vegetables or meats and is very popular in the United Kingdom, Middle East and many other countries. The piquant and Spicy Madras curry became a big hit with British colonists in India, who took the curry recipe back to Britain. Madras Curry Powder in dry form or paste form is readily available in grocery stores all over the world. It contains spices like chili pepper,  turmeric, cumin, black pepper, coriander, cloves, cinnamon, fenugreek, bay leaves, and curry leaves.  Madras Lamb Curry, Madras Chicken Curry and Madras Prawn Curry are very popular dishes in the UK.

Basic Madras curry sauce is prepared with a base of garlic, ginder,  fried onions and tomatoes.  Blending with coconut milk makes Madras curry more thicker and milder.  Ingredients like lemon juice or tamarind can be added to the curry to make it more sour and tart. Here we give a simple recipe for Prawn Madras Curry which you can try at home.

Ingredients

750 gms  small  peeled prawns
8 tbsp coconut cream
2 tsp tamarind concentrate
3 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp  coriander seeds
5-6 fenugreek seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 dried red chilies
5 cloves
1 tsp turmeric
3-4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large thinly sliced onion
½ spoon garlic paste
½ spoon ginger paste
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves 
salt
3 tbsp lemon juice

Method

• Mix turmeric powder, ginger paste, garlic paste, salt and lemon juice well and apply to the prawns, keep aside the prawns for 15 to 20 minutes for marinating.
• Grind the coconut cream along with cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds to a paste.
  Prepare tamarind concentrate by adding 4 to 5 tbsp of water to it.
• Pour the oil into a large saucepan bring up to a high heat. Add the mustard seeds when they sizzle and crackle stir in the cloves and dried red chilies.
• Then add the chopped onions, gingler-garlic paste and reduce the heat to low and cook until the onion is browned. Add tomato puree and 1/2 cup water and let it simmer for few minutes till the onion becomes soft.
• Add the coconut paste, tamarind concentrate  and cook this  until the mixture bubbles.  Stir in the prawns and simmer for 10 minutes or until the prawns are pink and cooked through.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve the prawn curry with naan or steamed rice.

To make the recipe simpler, you can use the readymade Madras curry powder or paste.

Technorati Tags: South India, Indian curry, Madras Curry Powder, Prawn Madras Curry

Balti Stir Fry is a delicious curry dish originating from northern India and Pakistan. Balti curry chicken is very popular in many countries. Balti is a Hindustani word meaning a ‘Wok’ or a deep bottomed fry pan for cooking curries. Balti is also known as ‘Karhai in India. There is a definite impact of Chinese cooking on this rich spicy Indian dish. What makes Balti dishes a distinctive gratifying experience is the way in which the meat and vegetables are blended with spices.

Ingredients

• 1 kg diced chicken ( mutton (lamb) beef, or even seafood can be used)
• 200 gm chopped vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, French beans, mushrooms etc)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup chopped fresh coriander
• 2 medium diced tomatoes
• Readymade Balti stir fry sauce (from Penzey or Curry Creation)
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbsp juice of lemon
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

• Lightly cook the vegetables and keep them aside
• Heat oil in a large, deep wok, or karahi over medium heat,
• Add onions and fry them till they become pink in color. Add meat and fry it until the meat is well browned.
• Add the cooked vegetables and further fry for five more minutes.
• Add balti stir fry sauce and water to this mixture and mix well.
• Continue cooking on medium flame until the meat is tender.  Chicken cooks in about 15 minutes, whereas it may take 30 minutes for lamb or beef.
• Add chopped coriander and tomatoes and simmer for five more
minutes.
• Garnish with lemon juice, coriander leaves and serve with naan or roti (flat leavened bread).

Technorati Tags: Balti Stir Fry, Indian dish, Balti dishes

Vindaloo is a very popular chilli and vinegar based fiery hot dish from Goa, on the western coast of India.  Goa was occupied by the Portuguese for a number of years and so naturally, the Portuguese style of cooking has a marked influence on the local dishes of Goa.  Vindaloo is one such dish, which is popular not only in India, but also very popular among the Europeans and other westerners.  This curry can be made with any type of meat such as chicken, beef or pork or even with seafood. Some Indian restaurants include ‘aloo’ (Hindi word for potatoes) in this recipe, but the original vindaloo dishes do not have aloo. Here is a simple recipe for Chicken Vindaloo.

Ingredients

1 kg. diced chicken

1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp. cardamom seeds
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
12 nos. whole cloves
1tbsp. chilli powder
4 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp. fenugreek seeds
2 tsp. ginger, fresh, minced
2 tsp. cumin seeds

2 tsp. mustard powder
2 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 cup vinegar, or cooking wine

4-6 tblsp vegetable oil
2 onions medium chopped
4 bay leaves
300 ml. water

Method

Gently roast the dry spices from coriander seeds through to cumin seeds for about 5 minutes in a fry-pan on low heat.

Put these roasted spices in a  blender along with  mustard, turmeric, salt, garlic and the vinegar to form vindaloo sauce. Add little water if necessary.

Marinate the chicken in this vindaloo sauce for over 8 hours in a non-metallic bowl.

Heat oil and saute bay leaves and onions until soft.  Remove and set aside.

Now fry the marinated chicken for a few minutes, adding more oil if necessary
Add the remaining vindaloo sauce, sauted onion, and water.

Simmer till the chicken is tender (stirring well) and the curry is thick. Add salt and chilli to suit your taste if necessary. 

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with steamed Basmati rice.  I hope you will enjoy this delicious curry recipe.

Technorati Tags: Vindaloo, cooking, Goa, curry, Chicken Vindaloo, delicious curry recipe

Kerala is the southernmost state of India famous for its food which is very hot and spicy and is generally fresh, aromatic and flavoured with coconut, chilies, tamarind,  curry leaf, mustard seeds, and asafoetida. Keralites are mostly rice and fish eating people. You can substitute tamarind with vinegar or tomatoes, but there is no real substitute for curry leaf. Malabar chicken is a popular delicacy of Kerala where chicken is cooked in aromatic spices and coconut milk. Here is a simple recipe for Malabar Chicken Curry.

Ingredients:

Boneless Chicken : 750 gms

3-4 onions finely chopped

2-3  chopped tomatoes

2-3 Green chillies slit

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp Garlic paste

1 tsp Ginger paste

1 tsp Chilly powder

1.5 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Garam masala powder

0.5 tsp Turmeric powder

3-4 tsp coconut oil

2 nos cloves

1 cup coconut milk

1 Stalk curry leaves

Salt – As required

Preparation Method

1. Heat  coconut oil in a pan.

2. Splutter mustard seeds.

3. Add ginger and garlic paste till the raw smell disappears

4. Add Green chilly, chopped onion, curry leaves and sauté for some time till the onions turn golden brown

5. Add chopped tomatoes and salt and sauté few minutes till the tomatoes are crushed into a paste

6. Add red chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, Garam masala powder, cloves and stir fry few minutes.

7. Add chicken pieces , mix well and stir for few minutes.

8. Add water as required and salt to taste.

9. After about 15 minutes, when chicken fully cooked  add coconut milk and boil for 1 or 2 minutes.

10. Garnish with curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves – serve with rice or Parathas.

Technorati Tags: Kerala, India, Malabar chicken, recipe, Chicken Curry

We are launching our new blog about Indian Curry Recipes from today. Making Indian curry sauces is an art which has been traditionally passed from one generation to another.  In India we have several states and there is nothing like one standard curry taste.  In this blog we will introduce several popular Indian curry recipes as well as preparation of Indian Spices from different states of India.

We will also discuss articles about theraputic effects of Indian curry on health in this blog. We will also discuss techniques used by master chefs in Indian restaurants for making authentic Indian dishes as well as fusion dishes.

Technorati Tags: Indian Curry Recipes, Indian curry, India, Indian Spices, Indian restaurants, authentic Indian dishes