I love curry. For everyday eating, I'm certainly not a purist though! I mix all the Asian countries' ingredients and spices together - apologies to anyone who knows better!
Ingredients:
- root ginger - I buy it fresh, chop it into chunks and keep it in the freezer. It's easy to peel and chop from frozen
- garlic - see my page
- chillies - I prefer them red and fresh. I slit them lengthways, take out the seeds (because I don't like them too hot) and freeze them.
- lemongrass - remove the outside husk and slice very thinly and freeze in a bag.
- turmeric powder - an excellent anti-inflammatory for the digestive system.
- ground cumin & coriander, garam masala and curry powder (check it's gluten-free) - I always have jars of these in my spice drawer. Available mail order from Cotswold Herbs. (I use various combinations of these - see 'method'.)
Method:
To save frying in oil (less fat), I start a curry with some stock or a can of coconut milk. I always add root ginger, garlic and chilli - chopped very finely. Then if I'm going towards Thai style I'd add lemongrass, turmeric, fish sauce and tamari. If I'm going towards Indian style, I'd use turmeric and either just curry powder or just garam masala or a combination of cumin and coriander. Garam masala is great for sweet curries such as root vegetable, sweet potato or lentil. Thai-style is great for chicken or white fish.
Simmer the ingredients (veg, fish or meat) in the sauce until it's tender. Serve with white or brown basmati rice and home-made chutneys or Sharwood's mango chutney.
