beyond curry

Tomatoes, onion, and fragrant spices transform plain scrambled eggs into a wonderfully flavorful meal, in a matter of minutes.

Anda Bhurji (Spicy Indian Scrambled Eggs) Recipe

vegetable oil

medium onion, chopped finely

tomatoes

green chilli peppers slit lengthwise

ginger-garlic paste (see note)

red chilli powder

turmeric powder

eggs,

Salt

unsalted butter, divided

cilantro leaves, divided

In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat, until shimmering. Add onions and stir until softened, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, mix well, and cook until most of the excess moisture has evaporates, about 1 minute. 

Add green chillies and ginger-garlic paste, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add red chili powder and turmeric powder, and stir until oil separates from the paste, about 30 seconds, taking care not to burn the paste. 

Turn the heat to low. Add eggs and salt, and gently stir until the mixture begins to form soft curds, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to high, and vigorously stir the mixture, breaking bigger clumps of egg apart. Add 1 teaspoon of butter, and stir until melted. Stir in half of the cilantro. Remove from heat, and serve immediately, garnishing with remaining coriander and a teaspoon of butter. Serve with lightly toasted bread.

If there is one dish that's common through the extreme diversity of Indian cuisine, it's daal (lentils). Rich and poor, festival fare or frugal meal, it's the great leveller of Indian food. In India, the word daal refers to the lentil as well as the finished dish. There are about five or six commonly used daals and countless dishes that we create out of them.

Beyond Curry: Daal Tadka Recipe

For the Daal:

tuvar daal (yellow lentils/pigeon peas)

ghee (clarified butter)

asafoetida

water

For the Tadka:

ghee

Mundu

black mustard seeds

cumin seed, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted and ground cumin seed

curry leaves

For the Daal: Wash and drain tuvar daal in a large fine mesh strainer. Heat ghee in pressure cooker over high heat until shimmering. Add asafoetida, turmeric, and washed daal. Cook, stirring frequently till the ghee coats the daal, about 20 seconds.

Add water and salt to taste. Close pressure cooker, increase heat to high, and heat until pressure cooker is pressurized to high pressure. Reduce heat to low and cook ten minutes. Remove from heat and allow pressure to dissipate.

Open pressure cooker and break up daal with a whisk. Set aside while you make the tadka.

For the Tadka: Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed non-stick skillet over high heat until lightly smoking. Reduce heat to medium.

Add mundu chillies, mustard seeds, and whole cumin seed (stand away from skillet as the seeds pop). Wait until seeds sizzle, about 10 seconds, then add curry leaves and stir. Cook until the curry leaves sizzle, about 10 seconds longer, then add asafoetida, red chilli and roasted cumin powder. Stir vigorously and immediately transfer all contents to the daal and lightly stir. Do not mix thoroughly. Some of the ghee should float on top. Serve immediately with white rice, Indian bread (roti) or as an accompaniment to any Indian meal.

Spicy and piquant, Pork Vindaloo has pride of place on Sundays and days of feasting in Indian Catholic homes. Usually mopped up with soft white bread or drenched over fluffy white rice.

Pork Vindaloo Recipe

Kashmiri chillies (see note)

whole cumin seeeds

turmeric

cinnamon

black peppercorns

cloves

sugar

garlic flakes (or 2 medium cloves garlic, roughly chopped)

palm vinegar, rice vinegar

pork shoulder,

Kosher salt

onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)

Combine chilies, cumin, turmeric, 1 piece of cinnamon, 5 peppercorns, 4 cloves, and sugar in a spice grinder. Grind until a fine powder is formed. Transfer spice mixture to food processor or mortar and pestle and add garlic, ginger, and vinegar. Process or pound until a fine paste is formed. Scrape out paste into a small bowl and set aside without washing food processor.

Place pork in a large bowl and season with salt. Add half of spice paste and turn pork to coat. Add onion to food processor and process until a paste is formed.

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion paste (do not wash food processor bowl), remaining 4 peppercorns, remaining cinnamon stick, and remaining 3 cloves. Cook, stirring constantly, until onion is soft and oil is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add remaining spice paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until the oil separates and mixture starts to sizzle, about 5 minutes longer. 

Add pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add water to the food processor bowl and swirl to rinse. Pour mixture into pan and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 1 hour longer. Serve immediately with bread or rice, or for better flavor, cool, store overnight in a sealed container in the refrigerator, and reheat before serving.

This spicy, aromatic mutton curry is packed with flavor. The toasted spices add a wonderful depth and the coconut cuts the harshness of the red chillies to give a delicately balanced gravy that's wonderful to scoop up with bread or rice.

Mangalorean Mutton Gravy Recipe

lamb shanks (about 1 pound total)

ginger-garlic paste (or 1 tablespoon each minced ginger and garlic)

poppy seeds

dry Kashmiri chillis

coconut

coriander seeds

cumin seeds

onion

water, divided

potato,

lime wedge

coriander leaves

Rub the lamb on all surfaces with the ginger/garlic paste and salt. Allow to rest while you make the masala paste, or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

To Make the Masala: Preheat cast iron pan over high heat until smoking. Reduce heat to medium. add cinnamon, poppy seeds, chilis, coconut, coriander, cumin, and cloves. Cook, stirring and tossing constantly until fragrant, about two minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl and allow to cool completely. Transfer to a blender, add onion and pulse, adding 1 cup of water in small increments until a smooth paste is formed.

Heat oil in the heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Reduce heat to medium-low and add masala paste. Cook, stirring constantly until oil separates, about 10 minutes. The oil should take on the red color of the masala at this stage. (Take care to stand out of the way, masala pastes splutter.)

Add the lamb pieces and potato and stir until coated with masala paste. Add 2 cups water, stir to combine, and season lightly with salt (broth will reduce, so do not overseason). Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a bare simmer, and cook, covered, until the lamb is completely tender, about an hour and a half. Season to taste with salt.

Garnish with a sprinkle of lime and the coriander leaves. Serve hot with a loaf of bread or white rice.

Marinated bone-in meat lends deep flavor to a simple, rustic Indian chicken curry.

Indian Village (Gavthi) Chicken Curry Recipe

For the Chicken Marinade:

ginger-garlic paste

red chili powder, divided

(450 grams) bone-in chicken, cut into medium pieces

For the Spice Paste:

sesame seeds

dry Kashmiri chilies

peppercorns

(240 milliliters) water

For the Curry:

(30 milliliters) vegetable oil

green chilies

bay leaves

onion,

Fluffy white rice,

To Marinate the Chicken: Mix ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the red chili powder. Apply to chicken and set aside while you prepare the spice paste and curry. 

For the Spice Paste: Heat a cast iron skillet until smoking, then turn the heat down. Toast sesame seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, Kashmiri chilies, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, and cloves until they release their aroma, about 15 seconds, stirring constantly so they don't burn. Set aside to cool.

Once toasted spices have cooled, using an immersion blender or countertop blender, blend spices with coconut and 3 tablespoons (45ml) water until a smooth paste has formed. Set aside.

For the Curry: In a heavy-bottomed, lidded saucepan, heat oil until shimmering, then turn the heat down. Add green chilies and bay leaves. Stir until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add onion and keep stirring until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes.

Add spice paste and keep stirring until fragrant and until oil floats on top, about 10 minutes. Add marinated chicken pieces and stir until coated in the spice mix, about 5 minutes. Add remaining water to thin out the mixture for more gravy. 

Season with salt, stir once, and cover pot. Turn heat to medium. Cook for about 15 minutes or until chicken is tender. Open lid, stir, and serve hot with fluffy white rice.

Gently spiced and toasted rice, studded with sweet green peas.

Basmati Rice and Pea Pilaf (Peas Pulao) Recipe

ghee oil

medium onions sliced thin (about 2 cups)

basmati rice

green peas

cumin powder

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add cloves and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add chillies and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until nutty, about 2 minutes. Add peas and cumin powder and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute longer. Add water and salt, bring to a boil, and reduce to lowest heat setting. Cover with lid and allow to cook until all the water is absorbed, about 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot with daal or raita.

Top 6 beyond curry recipes from across the web

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Top Tags

Anda Bhurji (Spicy Indian Scrambled...

Beyond Curry: Daal Tadka Recipe

Pork Vindaloo Recipe

Mangalorean Mutton Gravy Recipe

Indian Village (Gavthi) Chicken Cur...

Basmati Rice and Pea Pilaf (Peas Pu...

Top 6 beyond curry recipes from across the web

The most viewed beyond curry recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Anda Bhurji (Spicy Indian Scrambled...

Beyond Curry: Daal Tadka Recipe

Pork Vindaloo Recipe

Mangalorean Mutton Gravy Recipe

Indian Village (Gavthi) Chicken Cur...

Basmati Rice and Pea Pilaf (Peas Pu...

The most viewed beyond curry recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine