Authentic Madras Curry Recipes

AUTHENTIC CHICKEN MADRAS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add cloves and cardamom pods and wait until they sizzle, about 1 minute. Add onions and fry until dark brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Add chile peppers, ginger, and garlic; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ground chile pepper, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until blended in, about 1 minute more.
• Stir chicken and water into the pan with the spice mixture. Cook, while stirring, until water is incorporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomato puree and nutmeg and cover the pan with a lid. Cook until chicken is tender over medium heat, about 20 minutes. When ready to serve, sprinkle with garam masala and cilantro.

AUTHENTIC MADRAS CURRY

Steps:

• Cut meat into cubes and fry in oil to seal. Remove with slotted spoon and leave to one side to drain.
• Fry the onion in the same oil until golden then add Spices 1, cooking for a further 5 minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes and puree and mix well. Cook for 10 minutes or so.
• Add the meat and put the the lot into a casserole dish in a pre-heated oven at 200C (400F) and cook for 45 - 60 minutes. Stir half-way through cooking time. (Alternatively, throw it into the slow cooker for 7 to 9 hours.).
• Add the lemon or lime juice and Spices 2 and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add a little water at any stage if it gets too dry. Add a knob of ghee (and salt, if you must) just before serving.

CHICKEN MADRAS

Steps:

• Blitz 1 quartered onion, 2 garlic cloves, a thumb-sized chunk of ginger and ½ red chilli together in a food processor until it becomes a coarse paste.
• Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large saucepan and add the paste, fry for 5 mins, until softened. If it starts to stick to the pan at all, add a splash of water.
• Tip in ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander and 1-2 tsp hot chilli powder and stir well, cook for a couple of mins to toast them a bit, then add 4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks. Stir and make sure everything is covered in the spice mix.
• Cook until the chicken begins to turn pale, adding a small splash of water if it sticks to the base of the pan at all.
• Pour in 400g can chopped tomatoes, along with a big pinch of salt, cover and cook on a low heat for 30 mins, until the chicken is tender.
• Stir through small pack of coriander and serve with rice, naan and a big dollop of mango chutney.

INDIAN BEEF MADRAS CURRY

Steps:

• Fry the aromatics, spices, garlic, ginger and onions together.
• Add beef and cook briefly on all sides.
• Add rest ingredients except cilantro/coriander.
• Bring to the boil in pressure cooker for 2 minutes on high and then on low for 20 minutes.
• If using oven place in dutch oven for 2 1/2 hours or until beef is tender.
• Add chopped coriander and stir through.
• If too wet add more tomato paste - if too dry add more beef stock.

BEEF MADRAS

Steps:

• heat oil on medium temp in large heavy bottomed pan. fry onion till golden for 3/4 mins.
• then set aside and fry beef on high heat, once meat is browned set aside with onions.
• mix all paste ingredients together in pan and fry on a medium heat for 1 minute.
• then add the beef to the pan and coat.
• add tomato puree/paste and beef stock and bring to boil for 2 mins.
• cover and cook for 1 hour on low heat, stiring occasionaly.
• remove lid for for last 8 mins of cook time to thicken sauce.
• serve with boiled rice and plain yoghurt.

LAMB MADRAS CURRY

Steps:

• Toast the coriander seeds over medium-low heat until they begin to turn brown and pop. Repeat the toasting process with the cumin seeds, then with the dried red peppers. Transfer each ingredient to a food processor or spice grinder as you finish. Add the salt and grind to a fine powder. Mix with the garlic and ginger to form a thick paste.
• Sprinkle the turmeric over the lamb, stirring lightly to coat. Toast the fennel seeds as above and set aside. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat with the ghee and vegetable oil; cook the onions until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in your curry paste and fry for 1 minute. Stir in the meat and fry for 1 minute more. Pour in 2/3 of the can of coconut milk and 1 cup of water; bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Stir in the remaining coconut milk and 1 cup of water, along with the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and toasted fennel seeds. Cover with the lid ajar and return to a simmer, cook for about 1 1/2 hours until the lamb is tender. Stir occasionally and thin with water if the sauce becomes too thick while cooking.
• When the lamb is tender, stir in garam masala, sugar, and the tamarind paste dissolved in 3 tablespoons of water; cook 5 minutes longer, or until the sauce thickens. Remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods before serving.