Sizzling little treasures full of flavour and so moorish, I can never wait until they are all cooked, and always do extra as somehow I manage to loose a few by the time we are ready to serve!
A few years ago I decided to look for a small dresser for my kitchen, that I could over load with every spice I always wanted to buy but never quite knew what to do with, I now use most of these spices in everyday cooking and love the look of my mini dresser too. A well stocked larder makes a better cook, when I read a new recipe I now find I generally have all the ingredients to hand and this has made a lot more recipes more accessible immediately.
Releasing the flavor of the curry leaves, cinnamon bark and spice seeds.
Lots of onion and garlic in with the spices is what helps to make the best curry pastes.
Love this part, I don't know why it is so satisfy to pound away and create a paste from whole ingredients, but it is and really enjoy all the aromas that are released with the pounding, this gives me a wonderful hint of the taste to come.
Yoghurt bread so quick and simple and super fast to make.
(Serves 2-4)
DO NOT PANIC YOU CAN BUY A JAR OF GOOD CURRY PASTE INSTEAD...
Ingredients
1kg lamb mince
3 shallots fine diced
2 tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds toasted
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 inch cinnamon bark
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp ginger ground
1 tbsp fennel powder
1 tbsp coriander ground
1 tbsp chilli ground
2 cloves ground
2 fresh chillies sliced
1bunch fresh coriander fine chopped
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 inch ginger fine diced
1 tsp salt & black pepper
1/4 lemon juiced
FOR THE YOGHURT PITTA BREAD
500ml Greek yoghurt
500ml plain flour
I know this seems a lot of ingredients, but when you go to a local deli store all these ingredients are available in large and small packs for £1-£3 and they store well in glass jars for long term future use.
First toast the cumin seeds, curry leaves and cinnamon bark a little in pan with a hint of ghee, place into the pestle and mortar, then add the rest of the ghee and to your pan and fry the shallots and garlic until soft, add all the spices and cook for a couple of minutes then place into a pestle and mortar and bash away till you have released all the oils and have a gorgeous smooth ish paste. Then add half of the spices, to the minced lamb, along with the fresh coriander. Mix well and form one small golf ball size pattie and pan fry in a hint of oil in your pan, taste this and then adjust your seasoning and add more spices if needed. Then repeat, but this time do not eat! allowing the mini patties to sear and caramelise, then turning regularly to ensure even juicy cooking.
For the yoghurt bread, take the yoghurt and place in a bowl and add the same amount of plain flour and mix well to form a ball of dough, you may need a little more flour but see how you go. Form into your pitta shape or wrap shape not to thick and then either pop in a pre heated oven 200 degrees for approx 10 minutes until cooked or pan fry in a hot non stick frying pan turning once when the bread is starting to puff up.
Accompaniments, this is personal, for me I love sour cream or creme fraiche, fresh herbs, coriander or mint, chopped peppers, onion, chilles, fresh baby plum tomatos, sometimes I want ice cold iceberg lettuce for the crunch or I may use some raw sweetheart cabbage from the garden, a hint of cheese, or sweet chilli sauce, maybe mango chutney, this is a really personal choice of taste so do whatever you fancy and enjoy.
I love to overload my pitta bread and eat in private as this is so gorgeous I just want to stuff my face.
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