Friday, November 27, 2009

Jackpot!

Why wait 2.5 hours in line for a restaurant when you can have unbelievably delicious, gourmet Indian food at home?

Modifications: Just under 3/8 tsp of ground ginger instead of fresh; less salt; a tin of diced tomatoes; plain yogurt instead of sour cream; and, fresh parsley for cilantro. The recipe calls for HALF A CUP of oil??! That seemed like quite a lot, especially when I started pouring it on the pan, so I reduced the amount to more like 1/3 c. Since the type of "onions" were not specified, I went with white.

Preparation: The only spices I didn't have in my cupboard were garam masala, ground coriander, and turmeric. I didn't want to buy a whole jar of each at the grocery store because I didn't know how often I would use them. I went to the Bulk Barn, though, and found them all loose. I got just a little more than the recipe required, for a grand total of $0.48! Bargain! I was amazed by how much ground coriander, garam masala, cumin and curry smell alike. I guess that makes them blend well and play off each other.

I managed to do all the measuring and chopping before starting to cook, which was very helpful. The only problem during preparation was that my "large saucepan" was not nearly large enough! When everything was in, it was just about to overflow and the heat soon made sure it did overflow. I was sure the stove would keep the yellow curry stain forever (happily, it came off). I used a ladle to remove liquid, planning to add it again when some had boiled off. Then, I realized I was supposed to cover the pan, which meant no more evaporation. Six hands successfully transferred the food to a large pot and everything was a-ok.

I was happy to find that the meat was quite moist and easy to remove from the bone. It took very little time to do that.

Verdict: We loved it! All of us, special dinner guest - brave Liz! - included, had seconds and one person may have wanted thirds but restrained himself because we had company.

The recipe was easy to follow and the cooking times were helpful. I thought the cayenne would make it hotter than it was and was wondering if cayenne mellows during cooking?

I served the curry with basmati rice. Lovely Liz brought Liberty School Zinfandel (California) on the recommendation of the LCBO staff, and it went very well with this dish.

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