Tell me what I need to make a curry...

[FLAMEinEckItsYuleAgain]

... if I've got it, I can cook one

Sooooooooooo... what do I need for a basic curry?? (and what do I do with said ingredients?)

Do you want meat or veg? If veg, then whatever is in the fridge basically. Or you can use lentils, chickpeas, whatever you've got.

Then it depends on what kind of curry you want to do- do you want a tomatoey one, an oniony one, a creamy one, etc?

Basic spices I would use are garlic, ginger, turmeric, chillies, cumin, sometimes mustard seeds or fenugreek and garam masala.

Or you can just use curry paste or curry powder.

I have a really great basic Indian food cookery book so if you let me know what sort of curry you want I will have a look for you.

Thai or Indian style?

Tbh I just open a jar of Patak's curry paste!

storecupboard curry: tin tomatoes, tin coconut milk, couple of spoons of curry paste (hot as you like) and veg/meat/fish as you prefer. serve with basmatic rice, chutney and raita

oooh - a korma/tikka masala type one please if you're looking

If I'm being very quick then onions, tinned tomatoes, meat & Mrs Pataks curry paste.

Quick chickpea & potato curry - fry onion, add coriander, cumin, turmeric, little bit chilli powder tin of chickpeas & diced potatoes, coconut milk and simmer.

Anything else & I use my Madhur Jaffry's curry bible - fantastic recipes.

Sorry - wandered off! I know nothing about curries... I just open a jar , hence the not having a clue what I need.

The chickpea and potato sounds doable... but without the chickpeas or coconut milk (does that make it just a strange sauce??) - I think I have some diced beef or chicken out there to chuck in it.

Had a really nice chickpea curry the other day... must remember to add them to my list!

Toilet Paper.(for after, do not under any circumstances put it in the curry!)

ok here goes. Chicken korma. Low fat version first.

1lb chicken breast
1tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
Piece fresh ginger, grated
clove garlic, crushed.
Oil
1/4 lb onion, chopped
3-4 green cardamom pods, bruised or slit
1/2 tsp cumin seeeds
2 tbsp low fat natural yoghurt
fresh mint or chopped chives, to garnish

Wash, bone and cut chicken into 1 inch cubes

Put chilli powder, ground coriander, garam masala and salt, ginger and garlic into a little bowl. Add 4 tablespoons hot water and put to one side.

Heat oil in medium sized heavy saucepan, add the onion, cardamom pods and cumin seeds and fry gently until the onion turns a deep golden brown.

Add the reserved spice mixture, stir in well and keep cooking over a low heat, sprinkling tiny amounts of water in, if necessary, until paste darkens slightly (2-3 minutes)

Add chicken, coating it well in the spicy paste. Stir in the yoghurt. Cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. The chicken will release its own moisture during this time so see how thick or runny the sauce is at the end of it and adjust by adding water until it is how you like it. Then let it simmer over a low heat for 25-30 minutes.

Garnish with mint or chives.

Now, do you want the full whammy cocumutty almondy creamy business?

bump

oh yes please giraffe!!!!!

yum yum yum yum

thankyou

ok sorry had to go and sort our tea.hang on a sec

ok sorry had to go and sort our tea.hang on a sec

here is a full fat chicken korma recipe

1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
6 cardamom pods
1 tsp mustard seeds
handful curry leaves
1tsp turmeric
1tsp cinnamon

1tbsp veg oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2in piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1-2 green chillies, de-seeded and finely chopped
4 chicken breasts, skinned and cubed.
400 ml can coconut milk
1/2 120g pack creamed coconut, chopped finely
3 courgettes, sliced (optional)
lemon wedges to serve

1. Grind in a pestle and mortar, grind together coriander seeds and cumin seeds, or bash them with the back of a rolling pin.

1. Heat in a large, heavy based pan, heat oil and add cardamom pods and mustard seeds, cook till pop then add crushed spices. Cook for 2 mins then add onion and ginger and cook for a futher 2 mins. Throw in garlic and chilli, curry leaves, turmeric and cinnamon, stir and cook for 2 mins. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Remove chicken and put to one side.

1. Simmer. Add coconut milk and 1/2 can water. Bring to the boil then simmer, add creamed coconut and stir. Return chicken to pan, with courgettes, and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Leave to stand until needed, then gently reheat to serve.

Garnish with creamed coconut shavings.

and another one (this one makes me put on weight just looking at the recipe)

Creamy Chicken Korma

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 whole cloves
4 cardamom pods, crushed
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1½in piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground allspice
1½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp mild chilli pepper
2 tsp tomato purée
3oz ground almonds
8fl oz chicken stock
7fl oz whipping cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2oz flaked almonds, toasted

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or frying pan and fry the onion, cloves and cardamom pods for a few minutes until the onion begins to soften.
2. Add the chicken, garlic and ginger and, after frying for 4 minutes, add all the remaining spices. Stir around in the pan, allowing them to release their flavour into the chicken.
3. Add the tomato purée, ground almonds, stock and cream and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes until reduced to the consistency of thick cream. Taste and add seasoning if it needs it.
4. Scatter over the toasted almonds and serve with naan bread.

I can't really vouch for the niceness of any of those recipes though unfortunately as I don't like korma.

So it's the one curry I don't ever cook.

Fab Giraffe - thanks!