VINDALOO CURRY
| 2 teaspoons cumin seeds | 1 teaspoon brown sugar |
| 2-3 dried red chillies | 10 tablespoons vegetable oil |
| 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns | 2 onions chopped into fine rings |
| 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds | 250ml water |
| 1 cinnamon stick | 1 kg lamb or beef, trimmed & cubed |
| 1 ½ teaspoons black mustard seeds | 2.5 cm fresh ginger, grated |
| 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds | 4 cloves of garlic, chopped |
| 5 tablespoons white vinegar (100ml) | 1 tablespoon ground coriander |
| 1 ½ teaspoons salt | ½ teaspoon turmeric |
Make the vindaloo paste by grinding the spices (cumin through to fenugreek), add vinegar, salt and sugar.
Heat oil and fry the onions until dark brown and crisp, then remove with a slotted spoon to retain the oil and process with the ground spices and 2-3 tablespoons of water. This paste may be frozen for later use.
Pat dry the meat. Put the garlic & ginger into a blender with 2-3 tablespoons of water and grind to a smooth paste. Re-heat the oil in the pot and brown the meat in batches, removing each batch with a slotted spoon when done. Add the garlic & ginger puree to the pot, reduce the heat and stir for a few minutes. Add the coriander and turmeric, stir once or twice, then add the vindaloo paste, meat and 1 cup of water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently until the meat is soft and tender, stirring from time to time. (usually about 1 hour for lamb, 2 hours for beef).
The curry will benefit greatly if made the day before and kept in the refrigerator overnight, re-heating before needed.
Serve with rice, potato & spinach curry and a variety of chutneys.