Tag: main course
Chicken Kofta Curry
Chicken Kofta Curry
Kofta curry makes me feel good inside. This Pakistani comfort food is very versatile; being able to use chicken, lamb, or beef for the meatballs. Traditionally, the meatballs are fried. I wanted to make this a little healthier, so I baked them instead. Still just as good. The meatballs are then simmered in a curry sauce of onions, garlic, yogurt and spices; then served with basmati rice and parathas. The kofta curry is garnished with poppy seeds.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Spice grinder
- food processor
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 2 lbs ground chicken thigh
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds
- 1 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour
Curry
- 1 medium onion
- 12 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 3 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1 black cardamom ground in spice grinder
- 1 small cinnamon stick ground in spice grinder
- 3 cups water
Garnish
- poppy seeds
Instructions
- Add all of the meatball whole spices in a spice grinder.
- Grind into a powder.
- Mix all of the meatball ingredients together.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wet your hands. Roll the mix into 24 meatballs.
- Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes. Set aside.
- Heat up the cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the sautéed onions and garlic to a food processor and process until smooth.
- Return the purée to the sauté pan with the yogurt.
- Add all of the spice to the sauté pan. Sauté for 5 minutes.
- Pour in 3 cups of water. Bring to a simmer.
- Add in the meatballs. Cover. Reduce the heat to medium low.
- Simmer for 30 minutes.
Black Pork Curry
Black Pork Curry
This spicy curry gets it’s name from the dark color of the Sri Lankan curry powder and the black peppercorns that gives it it’s heat. Cubes of pork shoulder are marinated in the curry powder and black peppercorns, then simmered with onions, ginger, garlic, and jalapeños for an hour until tender. The sugar and tamarind gives the curry a tangy sweetness that makes this the perfect comfort food. Serve the black pork curry with steamed basmati rice.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Spice grinder
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork shoulder cut into 1 1/2” cubes
Pork Marinade
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 6 green cardamom pods seeded
- 1 tsp Sri Lankan curry powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp tamarind concentrate
Curry
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 medium onion finely chopped
- 1” ginger minced
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 jalapeños thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- salt to taste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Grind the whole spices in a spice grinder.
- Marinate the pork with all of the spices and tamarind concentrate for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
- Heat up the cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the onions, ginger, and bay leaves for 7-8 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and jalapeños. Sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add in the marinated pork and sugar. Sauté for 10 minutes.
- Pour in a 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 1 hour. Season with salt and squeeze in the lemon juice.
Sri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder
Sri Lankan roasted curry powder is the base of so many Sri Lankan curries. It is specifically used in curries that contain proteins like beef, pork, lamb, and chicken. It can also used in vegetarian curries. If you want to use the curry powder for fish and seafood, don’t toast any of the spices. Dry toasted spices are too strong for aquatic protein and will overpower the flavor.
Equipment
- Spice grinder
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp coriander seeds
- 3 tbsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 tbsp basmati rice
- 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
- 3 tsp whole cloves
- 2 tsp green cardamom seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
Instructions
- Dry toast the rice in a nonstick pan over medium heat for 3 minutes.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients. Toast for 5 minutes; continuously moving the pan to keep the spices from burning. Let cool completely.
- Grind to a powder in a spice grinder.
Sri Lankan Chicken Curry
Sri Lankan Chicken Curry
After eating this chicken curry for the first time, you’ll want to have this Sri Lankan comfort food on the regular. This is extremely good; like drink a cup of curry gravy good. And the best part is that it’s inexpensive and relatively easy to make. I always will recommend to use bone in chicken as opposed to boneless. The bone adds so much flavor to the curry that it would be completely silly to use anything but. With many Sri Lankan curries, there are 2 options for the consistency and flavor of the gravy. If you want this curry to be heavier and rich with slightly less spiciness, use coconut milk. If you want the curry to be less rich, but spicier in flavor, use chicken stock. There’s really no wrong.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 medium red onion finely chopped
- 4 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 8 curry leaves
- 2 1/2 tbsp Sri Lankan curry powder
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 2 lbs whole chicken legs drums and thighs cut in half
- 2 serrano peppers thinly sliced
- 3 roma tomatoes diced
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup coconut milk or chicken stock
- 1/2 cup water
Garnish
- cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Heat up coconut oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add in the onion and ginger garlic paste. Sauté for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the curry powder, cayenne, paprika, cinnamon stick, and curry leaves. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add in the chicken, serranos, tomatoes, and brown sugar. Season with salt. Brown the chicken on all sides for 10 minutes.
- Pour in the coconut milk, water, and cider vinegar. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and simmer for 10 more minutes.
Sri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder
Sri Lankan roasted curry powder is the base of so many Sri Lankan curries. It is specifically used in curries that contain proteins like beef, pork, lamb, and chicken. It can also used in vegetarian curries. If you want to use the curry powder for fish and seafood, don’t toast any of the spices. Dry toasted spices are too strong for aquatic protein and will overpower the flavor.
Equipment
- Spice grinder
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp coriander seeds
- 3 tbsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 tbsp basmati rice
- 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
- 3 tsp whole cloves
- 2 tsp green cardamom seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
Instructions
- Dry toast the rice in a nonstick pan over medium heat for 3 minutes.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients. Toast for 5 minutes; continuously moving the pan to keep the spices from burning. Let cool completely.
- Grind to a powder in a spice grinder.
