A Yummy Curry Feast

It's Friday again . The week just goes by so quick . I have finally sorted my next weeks menu too. Normally I would be sorted by Wednesday. I was a bit blank this week. Not going to tell you for now thou .
Let me tell you a bit more about it. I keep a diary and every week I write down all the meals Monday to Sunday . Next to it I add the shopping list , this helps me prevent from forgetting to buy something I will need in the week. It helps me a lot being organized. In the morning I just open my diary , look what's on the menu for the day , and double check I got everything for to. Then take the meats out of the freezer and leave it till later  for when it's time to cook .
This saves me a job of waking up in the morning and thinking what to cook. Before I started this routine  I used to have a whole big headache until I make up my mind , sometimes I would even dream about it . I now I may sound a bit silly , but I just need a plan for everything, a bit of a freak.


Today's menu
Aromatic curry
Pulao (rice)
Spiced potato cakes

As you have al guessed by now I love spiced up food, chillies and curries . I just think that food is tasteless without a little kick to it . I t just gives your dishes a whole new world of flavours.

Total time: 2 hours
Preparation time:  30 minutes
Cookking time: 1hour 30 minutes
Level:  Medium
Serves 3

For the Aromatic Beef Curry 

Ingredients

500g cubed beef

olive oil

3 garlic cloves

1 tsp ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, black pepper, ginger and chilli powder.

3 cardamom pods 

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tin chopped tomatoes

pinch of sugar

plain white yoghurt to serve 

Start with browning your meat al over and set aside. Fry the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes. Add all spices with the onion and garlic. Stir it well and cook for a further 2 minutes , all this is being done on a low flame. At this point the smell in your kitchen will be heavenly . Bring the meat back to the pan . Add the tomatoes , and fill your empty tin with water and tip in with the rest . Bring to a boil ,add a pinch of sugar cover and leave simmer for at least an hour and a half. Like this all the flavours come out . When ready to serve add a spoonful of plain yoghurt .

For the Spiced Potato Cakes

Ingredients

5  medium potatoes

4 green chillies seeds on ( if you don't want it too hot then remove the seeds)

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp mango chutney 

Oil for frying

Peel and boil the potatoes . Boil them , until tender enough to to mash. In the mean time chop your chillies and chuck in a bowl big enough that can take the mash in it too. Add the spice and chutney. Drain your potatoes and in the bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Combine everything all together. Make them into 6 balls and flatten on a clean surface . Shallow fry them . Make sure they are golden brown on both sides. 

Tip: Make sure you fry them in a non stick pan !

For The Pulao

 Ingredients

Some vegetable oil

1 onion

1 garlic clove

1 carrot grated

1 big cup of rice

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp ground coriander

3 cardamom pods

500ml of vegetable stock

bay leave

Seasoning

Soak your rice first in water. Leave it for at least 30 minutes. This will help remove all the starch , and you will have lovely fluffy rice instead of stodgy :) 

In a pan fry the onion , garlic and carrot until soft. In with your drained rice, bay leave, cardamom pods, cumin seeds,and ground coriander . Keep frying for a minute and stir well before you put in the stock. Give another stir and cover. Leave to cook until your rice is cooked trough. Remove from the heat and remove the bay leave and cardamom pods. Best to use a fork to fluff the rice and not squash it. 

 Serve it all up in the middle of the table with some popadoms and naan bread! Maybe a nice pickle if you fancy it.
Let everyone enjoy and share .