i’m so sorry for that pun. so sorry. i hope we can all move on.
so… until about a year ago, i was afraid of trying curry. any curry. i associated it with slop. just a big old mess of yuck. i was convinced every curry would end up with some sort of intestinal troubles and a lifetime of regret. i had never even set foot in an indian restaurant until i arrived in the uk. if there’s remotely anyone who feels the same way as i did, i want to try and convince you why you should stop being afraid. curry is delicious and a go-to dinner choice around my flat.
tonight, we are cooking for a few friends. the simple solution? two different curries, simmering away until dinnertime. phil has a couple of great curry recipes that we’ve cooked for ourselves countless times. one comes from his best friend’s mother — the recipe can be found further along this post. the second one is a simple dal.
mrs gadher’s tomato & prawn curry
this is a hot and spicy tomato based curry. you can see the onions for this one beginning to soften in the pan on the front left of the photo above.
the particulars:
- 1 onion chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 red chili chopped
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp chili powder (optional!)
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 packet of cooked & peeled prawns
- soften the chopped onion and garlic in some oil.
- add the spices, stirring to coat all the onion and garlic.
- add the chopped tomatoes and stir to incorporate. after a few minutes of simmering, taste, and add more spices as necessary.
- leave to simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- when almost ready to serve, add the prawns, and add the tomato paste to thicken.
- serve with lots of rice, naan, or pita bread.
fyi, the dal is exactly the same, except you don’t include the spicy stuff (red chili, chili powder) and you add a cup of lentils in step 3 instead of chopped tomatoes. then stop after step 4. dal is the best – usually served as a side dish, but we like it as a main. fresh chopped coriander as a garnish makes it complete.
