Tuesday, 13 April 2010

Make your own curry paste



The only reason I don't make my Keralan curry (http://reciperifle.blogspot.com/2009/11/curry-without-bleurgh.html)  twice a day for lunch and dinner is that if I did, I'd have nothing to write about. But in order to make it even easier to reach for this stunning supper staple, I've hit on the idea of making up a boat-load of paste in advance and storing it in oil in an airtight jar.

That way, on those days when there's just too much excellent stuff backed up on the V+ to even think about going shopping, all I need to do is defrost some chicken and supper does itself.

Keralan curry paste (in advance)

200g coriander with the toughest stalks removed
1 2cm x 4cm knob of fresh ginger, chopped a bit
2 fresh red chillies, halved and mostly de-seeded (depending on your hotness threshold)
4 cloves garlic
150ml groundnut or light olive oil
zest of half a lime
juice of one lime

1 Whizz up all the coriander in a blender (you'll probably have to do this in two batches). When it's all ground up, put it back in the blender with the other ingredients but only half of the oil and give another whizz.

2 Decant into an airtight container. If you want to sterilise the container beforehand, put it in the oven at 170C for 30 minutes. Pour in some more oil as a seal over the paste.

To use, fry off a couple of heaped tablespoons of the paste, add the meat and fry off. Add about 100ml stock and a small can of coconut milk, simmer for 10-15 mins and eat.

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