I really wanted to make a curry for dinner, but was not enthusiastic about the whole mission of cooking.
I had a mixed mutton pack which I had already taken out a bit earlier to bring to room temperature, so there was no turning back.
Lazy mutton curry.
I took 2 x onions, finely chopped and fried until soft & going golden.
Added a tablespoon of ginger & garlic.
Cos I was feeling lazy and not bothered to temper the masala first, I added the mutton & mixed into the onions and saute’d until the mutton started browning.
Added 6 heaped tablespoons of Durban Curry Lovers, All-in-One Masala and stirred everything up and allowed to sauté until the pot started to go dry at the bottom.
Poured in about a cup of boiling water and, boom, the dish started to come alive.
Added 2 chopped tomatoes mixed up, threw in a handful of curry leaves then covered and let simmer for about 45 mins.
Added about 10 potato halves, poked with a fork to absorb the gravy.
Mixed it all up and then cooked for about 30 mins. I took the lid off for the last 5 mins
Really simple recipe and technique, but the family said that it was one of the best. ANYBODY CAN COOK A GREAT CURRY, USING OUR ALL-IN-ONE.
If you would like to try our Durban Curry Lovers, All-in-One Masala, you can purchase from our online store www.currylovers.co.za We deliver nationwide and internationally. If your country is not on the list, then pls contact me and I will arrange the delivery.
Don’t forget to join our Facebook group, “We are Durban Curry Lovers“, where a group of wonderful people share their tips, tricks & family secrets to help others on their quest on becoming a Master Curry Chef.
|Don’t forget to join our Facebook group, “We are Durban Curry Lovers“, where a group of wonderful people share their tips, tricks & family secrets to help others on their quest on becoming a Master Curry Chef.
After my friend shared some photos on Facebook of an amazing curry, which was cooked with minimal sauce and thickened with coconut milk, I wanted to give it a try.
The last curry which I cooked was a bit oily, so I was intrigued to try cook a curry with less oil and less sauce. As I normally make bunny chows, I always make extra sauce so this was really something different. I also did not put much of the usual seeds and barks etc in, just powdered spices. I added a few green beans, because it tastes incredible and my wife loves it.
The ingredients and techniques are pretty much how everybody in Durban cooks a curry, however I cooked this one in my electric pressure cooker, the Midea Instachef. I absolutely love this incredible appliance, it really has changed my day-to-day cooking routines. I will add the timings which I used, below.
Whether you cook on the stove, or use an appliance like an electric pressure cooker, the method is the same, it will only be the cooking times which will change. This is a very simple recipe.
As always, there is no right or wrong way if it tastes good. There are so many different techniques, tricks & family secrets, there is truly no right or wrong way. Enjoy. (For example, I very often add my tomato before the meat. I am trying to figure out which method works better, but am still undecided. I guess all that is important, is what works on the day)
TIMINGS FOR ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER
Braise spices, onions & garlic – 3-5 mins, lid off – fry function
Braise meat, 5 mins, lid off – fry function
Soften meat, 5-10 mins (depends on type & size of pieces of meat), lid on – stew function
After potatoes have been added, 5 mins, lid on – let pressure naturally release.
After coconut milk has been added, 1-5 mins or as per your preference, lid off – fry function
TIPS
Use a spatula or flat based utensil so that you can scrape the bottom of the pot as you stir.
Add a chunk of fresh ginger to your rice while it is boiling, to give a hint of aromatics.
If you are getting bored with the usual sambals, try cut the carrot and onions differently.
This is my step-by-step recipe to cook a Durban Lamb Curry.
The lamb was really of a fantastic quality and very soft, so I used a slightly different technique to how I normally cook mutton curry and braised & sealed the spiced lamb in oil beforehand. Normally (like for mutton curry), I add the raw meat to braise in the onion and tomato base but some of the meat breaks up like this. For tougher meats like mutton it is fine, but for this super quality lamb I wanted to retain the pieces as best I could.
Ingredients
Sunflower Oil (80ml for every 500g of fatty lamb, 100ml for lean)
Cinnamon Sticks
2 Teaspoons Turmeric
2 Teaspoons Jerra Powder (cumin)
2 Teaspoons Dhania powder (Coriander)
1 Teaspoon Fennel powder
1 Teaspoon Fenugreek powder
Mustard seeds
Grated Onion (3 medium size)
4 Teaspoons Garlic & Ginger
Bay Leaf
Organic Cayenne Pepper (optional & to taste)
Lamb Pieces
4 Tablespoons Mother-in-Law Masala / Curry Powder (Adjust according to your own taste and requirements)
Curry Leaves
Jam tomatoes (3 large)
5 Potatoes (halved and poked with fork)
Salt
Water, if required.
Method
A few hours before cooking, coat your lamb pieces with curry powder / masala
On a medium head, add oil to pot
Gently braise your curry powder coated lamb pieces – and set aside. (retain as much oil and meat juices in the pot as possible. Pour any juices from the bowl into which you set your pieces aside, back into your pot.