The Onion-Garlic-Ginger Panty-Dropping Trifecta

February 22, 2013 — Leave a comment

He said, “simmer sauce” when asked about curry. I felt that if I had fur that would rise when threatened, it would have been locked and loaded. Unaware of my sensitivity to curry, I think I’ve moved beyond M. Patek and his simmer sauce companions. Cheap turmeric with cumin buddies and preservatives are no match for curry made with freshly roasted or ground, or roasted and ground spices. So simple, so available yet passed by, pushed aside by stomaches in search of ready-meals. Look, if you want to sizzle up sex in a pan, it will involve onions, garlic and ginger. Throw this melange at any protein be it beef, pork, tofu or chickpeas, you will arrive at yum. An amazing yum. A yum so strong you might feel like staying a bit longer. Add ground cumin and a bit of ground coriander. Don’t forget the salt. And whoops, there go the panties. Follow up with some cardamom ice cream and you have, well I don’t know what you have, but you’re on your way.

I don’t care if I’ve said this before, but please, friends, don’t let friends use “simmer sauce.” They’ll say they don’t have the time. They’ll say they don’t have the recipe. This is shit. Pull it together, pick up your life and make curry from scratch. Make curry with love. Make curry with the spices they are ready for. This sex is on fire. All you need to do is start with onions, garlic and ginger.

This pork is Delectable Pork in a Mustard Spice Mix. I didn’t even have the mustard seed and it worky so goody.

The Beginnings of a Lovely Beef Curry

November 30, 2012 — Leave a comment

( beef cubed, ginger and perfectly blended Sri Lankan spices )

A friend hand delivered a box full of ingredients that would do me good for a fine beef curry. Alls I have to do is add the beef. Seeing as we are beef farmers, I happen to have a kilo or two of beef in the freezer ( or on the field depending on how you wish to slice it ).

Thus far, I’ve got my meat locked and loaded for a few hours of supermarionation. This will soon be followed with a quick sweat of the onion bits, a browning of the beefy bits followed by some water and tomato purée to bubble away for a couple hours.

I must say, the “curry kit” was an awesome gift. As I know you don’t Patek your curries, that pre-spice blend can take a little time. Having it pre-made was a great gift. A little holiday idea for you. As a recipient, I was most pleased.

Quick! They’re Hungry!

November 16, 2012 — Leave a comment

I have tried a few times to get a plated version of “chicken curry,” by the time we get organized and I get my camera and things are less noisy, it looks like this. “More of everything, please,” they say. Then it is gone.

This is actually not chicken curry, but rather Butter Chicken of some description. Madame Jaffrey calls it “Chicken with tomato sauce and butter.”. I’m guessing there is some shorter, hip cool Bollywood slang for this, but mo matter, it tastes very good.

The heart and soul if this dish is quickly made in the blender using the Indian Food Trifecta: onion, garlic and ginger with a splash of familiar friends cinnamon, cardamom and clove.
The whole thing can be easily done while you work on your cassoulet, play with your kids and have a sip or two of wine. There is nothing hard about this dish. I added a few splashes of cream to give it that Indian Take-Out look we used to enjoy when we lived in a city that had take-out places.

I’m sure there is a Patak equivalent of this dish, but there is no comparison. Donchoo even think of opening a jar when you can spend the same effort on a Madhur Jaffrey recipe and come out miles and miles ahead.