Sunday Dining: Curry night

The first affair was a Sunday night Indian-Benglai curry feast, which was well in order after a swashbuckling Saturday night out spent walking the plank from the dancefloor to the bar at Dank Morass’ pirate-themed Davy Jones’ Morass.

On the menu?

Rogan Josh lamb curry
Bengali vege cury
Lemony coriander dhal
Stir-fried coconut cabbage
Eggplant bringal pickle
Cucumber raita
Basmati rice
Pappadums

Dhal

This dhal is quite light on spices to balance out the spice-laden curries. It also has a distinctive lemony-coriandery edge to it. If coriander bothers you, feel free to cut down the amount or even omit it, as we understand personal preferences and want to encourage pluraism (although we do secretly feel it would be in everyone’s best interest to enjoy coriander!)

Oil
1 onion, cut into thinly sliced rings
1 tblsp ginger, grated
1 tsp cumin powder or crushed cumin seeds
1 tsp tumeric
Pinch of chilli powder (or more, depending on the heat of the chilli powder and the strength
1 tsp cinnamon or 1 x 2-inch long cinnamon stick
1 cup lentils, rinsed
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1/2 cup coriander, roughly chopped
Water
Salt aplently

Heat oil in a saucepan. Add onions and fry a little. Add garlic and ginger and fry until onions are quite soft (about 5 minutes). Add cumin, tumeric, chilli powder and cinnamon and fry for a further minute or two. Add the lentils, stir to ensure all lentils have been coated in the spice mixture. Add water and salt and stir. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and simmer, covered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary. Stir in lemon juice, and cook for another minute. Remove from heat when the lentils are like a thick stew and stir through coriander. Add more salt if necessary (it often is with lentils!)

Spicy fried cabbage

Oil
1 tblsp grated ginger
2 tsp tumeric
1 large green chilli, deseeded (unless you want things really hot) and chopped into rings
2 tblsp dessicated coconut
1/2 cabbage, roughly chopped

Heat oil in a wok. Add ginger and fry for a minute or two. Add tumeric, chillis and coconut and fry until fragrant and the coconut is lightly toasted. Add cabbage and fry until cabbage is soft but still a little crunchy.

In the absence of our father’s legendary rendition of Asian food Godesss Charmaine Soloman’s Vambotu Pahi (eggplant pickle), we opted for Pataks’ Bringal Pickle. Like Vambotu Pahi, this pickle works well with a range of foods – from hamburgers to cheese sandwiches to eggs or avocado on toast for breakfast (our father has even been known to mix it into leftover pasta – his interpretation of fusion cooking). 

Mango Raita

Raita is an Indian side dish that involves the blending of yoghurt with various fruits, vegetables and spices. It can be seen as a salad or a condiment, and can be made from an assortment of ingredient , the result being a spectrum of sweet and savoury, spicy and neutral.

Flesh of 1 mango
1 cup natural yoghurt
Pinch of salt

Blend together, and keep in fridge until ready to serve.

Cucumber Raita

1 cucumber – cut in half, with seeds scraped out and grated
1 cup natural yoghurt
Pinch of salt
1 tsp lemon juice
(Can add paprika or 1 clove of garlic, but we like to keep it simple given the spicey complexity of the curries it accompanies)

Squeeze all liquids our of grated cucumber. Combine with yoghurt, salt and lemon juice. Adjust salt/lemon to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.