1,000 Indian Recipes (264 page)

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

6 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

3 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, stemmed

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1
¹
⁄
₂
pounds boneless pork, such as fresh ham, all visible fat trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 to 2 cups water

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

1.
Prepare the coconut milk and tamarind paste. Then, place the red chile peppers, coriander, cumin, mustard seeds, and black peppercorns in a small, preferably cast-iron, skillet and roast, stirring and shaking the pan, over medium heat until the seeds are a few shades darker, about 2 minutes. Let cool, then grind in a spice or a coffee grinder to make a fine powder. Mix in the turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

2.
In a food processor or a blender, process together the small onion, ginger, garlic, green chile pepper, coconut milk, and tamarind paste until smooth. Mix in the roasted spice mixture and process again, adding up to
¹
⁄
₄
cup water, if necessary, to make a smooth paste.

3.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over moderately heat and cook the large chopped onion, stirring, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the onion–coconut milk paste and cook, stirring, until golden, about 10 minutes.

4.
Add the pork and cook, stirring, until browned, about 15 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the pork is fork-tender and the sauce is very thick, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the cilantro on top, and serve.

Spicy Goa-Style Lamb Curry

Vindaloo Gosht

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Vindaloo
, meaning "with vinegar," is a savory sauce special to Goa, on the west coast.
Vindaloo
curries are always very hot; you couldn't possibly make them mild because it all starts by soaking dried red chile peppers in vinegar and then grinding them with other ingredients. So warn your guests!

6 to 8 dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol, broken into pieces

¹
⁄
₄
cup distilled white vinegar

3 large cloves garlic, peeled

6 to 8 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground mustard seeds

2 teaspoons garam masala +
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon for garnish

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground turmeric

2 pounds boneless lamb, all visible fat trimmed, and cut into 2-inch pieces

2 to 3 tablespoons peanut oil

30 to 40 finely chopped fresh curry leaves (optional)

1 (15
¹
⁄
₂
-ounce) can tomato sauce

2 to 3 cups water

1.
Soak the red chile peppers in the vinegar, 1 to 2 hours. Then, in a food processor or a blender, process together the chile peppers plus the vinegar, garlic, ginger, and onion until fine. Mix in the cumin, mustard, 2 teaspoons garam masala, salt, and turmeric, and process again to make a smooth paste.

2.
Place the lamb pieces in a large non-reactive bowl. Add the chili-onion-spice paste and mix well, making sure all the pieces are well-coated with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 and up to 24 hours.

3.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat, add the curry leaves and the lamb, plus all the marinade, and cook, stirring, over high heat the first 3 to 5 minutes and then over medium-low heat until the pieces are well-browned, 10 to 12 minutes.

4.
Add the tomato sauce and water and cook until the lamb is tender and the sauce thick, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with garam masala, and serve.

Variation:
To mellow the peppery heat and to increase the quantity of the dish, add 2 to 3 peeled and diced potatoes along with the lamb in Step 3, then proceed with the recipe.

Spicy Goa-Style Pork Curry

Pork Vindaloo

Makes 6 to 8 servings

This spicy hot dish comes to mind when our thoughts drift to the coastal town of Goa. Of course, there are many other Goan specialties, but this one seems to be an all-time stand-out. Made with malt vinegar (available in specialty food stores and well-stocked supermarkets), dry-roasted red chile peppers, and a touch of sugar, this dish truly says "Goa."

2 pounds boneless leg of pork, all visible fat trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces

¹
⁄
₂
cup distilled white vinegar, mixed in 1
¹
⁄
₂
cups hot water

2 tablespoons
Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste
(or store-bought)

¹
⁄
₂
cup malt vinegar

1 tablespoon ground black mustard seeds

1
¹
⁄
₂
tablespoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon garam masala

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon cinnamon

¹
⁄
₂
to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 tablespoons mustard or peanut oil

5 dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol, with stems

1 large onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks

1 large clove fresh garlic, minced

4 to 5 cups water

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1.
Soak the pork in the vinegar-water solution about 10 minutes. Drain well and place in a large non-reactive bowl. Discard the vinegar-water.

2.
Prepare the ginger-garlic paste. Then, in a small bowl, mix together the malt vinegar, ginger-garlic paste, mustard seeds, coriander, cumin, garam masala, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, turmeric, sugar, and salt. Add to the pork and mix well, making sure all the pieces are well covered with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 and up to 24 hours.

3.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the red chile peppers, then the onion, ginger, and garlic, and cook, stirring, until browned, about 7 minutes. Add the marinated pork, plus all the marinade, and cook, stirring, until traces of oil are visible on the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.

4.
Add the water and bring to boil over high heat. Cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat until the pork is fork-tender and the sauce thick, 1
¹
⁄
₂
hours. (Add more water, if necessary.) Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with cilantro and black pepper, and serve.

Variation:
To balance the chile pepper heat, mix in 1 large peeled and diced potato during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Rosita's Goan Pork Curry

Pork Buffat

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This recipe was given to me by Rosita Da Costa Dighe, a Goan by birth and today a resident of Los Angeles. According to her husband, Ajit, Rosita is the best Goan home cook in town. Here's just one of her specialties. The addition of wine to the recipe comes from Goa's Portuguese heritage.

6 to 8 dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol, broken into pieces

1 (1-inch) stick cinnamon, crushed to break into small pieces

10 to 12 black peppercorns

1
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoons black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 pounds boneless pork, such as fresh ham, all visible fat trimmed and cut in half
¹
⁄
₂
-inch pieces

2 cups water

2 medium onions, finely chopped

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds

1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger

3 large cloves fresh garlic, minced

1
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons dry red wine (any kind)

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems