Curry Goat

Goat has an odd flavor to it. But it shouldn't be underestimated, although largely forgotten about compared to lamb and beef in America. This recipe is wonderful. Goat often comes with bones, so don't be afraid to use those to make stock for the recipe.

You can use premixed curry powder, although Jamaican curry powder does have a different flavor than Indian or Japanese curry powder.

Curry Goat

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Marinade Time: Overnight

Cooking Time: 3 1/2 hours

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

2 lbs goat meat

1/4 cup oil

6 garlic clove, minced

4 cups stock (made from the goat bones, or chicken stock)

1 cup coconut milk

2 tbsp curry powder

1/2 lb sliced carrots

1/2 lb potatoes

Marinade:

5 scallions, chopped

2 Scotch bonnet peppers (Habenero will suffice, but not taste as good)

2 onions, chopped

2 sprigs thyme

1 teaspoon allspice, ground

juice of 2 limes

salt

black pepper

2 tbsp Jamaican curry powder

Jamaican Curry Powder:

5 tsp ground turmeric

4 tsp coriander seeds

3 tsp cayenne pepper powder

3 tsp fenugreek seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp whole black pepper

2 tsp aniseed

1 whole clove

1 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp whole allspice

Prepare Jamaican Curry Powder:

Put the whole ingredients into a spice grinder, and grind into a fine powder, then mix with the ground ingredients.

Prepare a marinade (night before):

In a blender, mix scallions, 1 onion, thyme, scotch bonnet pepper, allspice, salt, pepper, 2 tbsp curry powder, and juice of 2 limes into a blender with 1/2 cup water and mix into a paste.

In a zip-lock bag, put the goat meat and marinade and let sit in the refrigerator overnight.

Cooking:

Scrape the marinade off of the meat, and set aside.

In a large pot, heat 1/4 cup oil, and fry 2 tbsp Jamaican curry in it for two minutes, stirring constantly. Add the other onion, and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and the goat meat, and lightly brown goat meat.

Add stock and coconut milk.

Bring mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer for 2 hours.

Add potatoes and carrots, and simmer for one more hour or until goat and potatoes are tender.

Serve with parboiled rice.

Chapter 17 : Sindh (Pakistan)

The division between Indian and Pakistani cuisines is blurry, at best, due to the partition of India. Muslims and Hindus lived side by side in Sindh, where historically there had been no violence between the two groups. After the partition of India, however, the Sindhi Hindus found themselves increasingly the target of violence, relocating into India.

Sindhi cuisine is not vegetarian, although Muslim Sindhis observe Halal meat guidelines, so pork isn't common. Certainly, beef, lamb, fish, and chicken would be consumed, although in researching Sindhi cuisine we found a wealth of vegetarian recipes and eschewing meat seemed easier than not.

Curry, of course, had become well known worldwide, whether it be Indonesian Gulai, Japanese Curry Rice, Jamaican Curry Goat, or even German Curry Ketchup. But of course, it is originally from the subcontinent of India. Less well known is the Curry Leaf, which is commonly used to make curry in Southern India especially. This Sindhi recipes makes use of the enigmatic leaf.

This also uses Gram Flour, otherwise known as Besam/Besan. Gram flour is made from chick peas, and its unique flavor is used to make a sort of chickpea/butter ghee roux in this recipe. You might be able to replace it with white flour, although the flavor would certainly be very different.

Fenugreek can be found in most ethnic groceries, though not in mainstream groceries. It has a maple-like scent, and nothing else seems even vaguely like it.

Asafoetida is an allium that is found powdered, usually in Indian groceries.

Sindhi Curry

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time 1 1/2 hours

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

3 tbsp ghee

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

a pinch of asafoetida

4 tbsp gram flour

salt, to taste

1 tbsp grated ginger

2 green chillies, minced

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp red chilli powder

20 curry leaves

1 tbsp cilantro, chopped

1 tbsp mint, chopped

2 tbsp tamarind pulp

1 1/2 chopped vegetables (carrots, okra, and potatoes, though you may need to pre-boil the carrots and potatoes)

Produce a Roux:

Heat the ghee, then add the cumin seeds, fenugreek, and asafoetida. Fry until lightly borwn, and then sift in the gram flour, stirring constantly. When the gram flour becomes golden brown in color.

Cooking:

Slowly add 4 cups of warm water to the gram roux., stirring in a little at a time. Add salt, ginger, green chillies, turmeric, and red chilli powder. Add vegetables and curry leaves and bring to a simmer. When vegetables are nearly done, Add the mint, cilantro, and tamarind pulp.

Serve with aloo tuk.

Currywurst

Currywurst isn't a type of sausage, as you might think, but a style of serving sausage, usually knockwurst. Curry ketchup is the topping on it, invented in post-WWII West Germany using curry powder, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup that the British troops frequently carried in their rations.

It has since spread in popularity, although finding curry ketchup might be difficult (though many authentic German bakeries and butchers do carry it), and is completely worth it.

Curry Rice

"Curry", despite its origins in India, has manifestations in every country. Perhaps especially unique is Japanese curry, or curry rice as it is uaully known, as it's always served with rice.

The Japanese don't especially care for spice, so Japanese curry tends to be toned down quite a bit form its Indian counterpart, and unlike curry, which is thickened through yogurt, cream, or coconut milk, curry rice is thickened with roux, more like a stew or etouffee.

Japanese garam masala isn't exactly like Indian garma masala, although you can use the latter for a slightly spicier mix.

Curry Rice

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 1/2 hours

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 lb beef stewing chunks

6 large onions, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch piece of ginger

1 can crushed tomatoes (2 cups)

1 beef stock cube

1 bay leaf

1 star anise

2 tbsp garam masala

3 large carrots, chopped

1 medium apple, peeled and grated

salt and pepper to taste

3 tbsp oil or ghee

Roux:

4 tbsp butter ghee or oil

4 tbsp white flour

2 tbsp curry powder

Ingredients:

Heat 3 tbsp oil or ghee in the bottom of a large pot. Brown beef chunks, and then set aside on a paper towel.

Add onions and a pinch of salt. Slowly sautee onions until caramelized. Be patient, as this proces may take a long time.

Once the onions are soft and browned, add ginger and garlic and cook for a couple more minutes. Add the canned tomato, 6 cups of water, beef cube, the bay leaf, star anise, and apple. Bring to a boil, then lower and simmer for an hour.

While this is happening, dry roast 1 tbsp garam masala about 30 minutes into simmering.

Produce a Roux:

Melt the 4 tbsp ghee or oil in a pan over very low heat, and mix in the flour. Cook very slowly, stirring constantly. There's an art to this, and it takes patience. If you burn it, throw it out and try again. In about five minutes the mixture will be peanut butter colored. This mix, known as a Roux (pronounced "roo") will thicken your curry rice.

Remove the roux from heat and add the curry powder to the roux.

When the meat is about as tender as you'd like add the potatoes, and continue slowly simmering until potatoes are soft.

Take the pot off the heat and stir in the roux. Return it to heat and simmer for a couple more minutes. Dry roast the rest of the garam masala and add it to the curry.

Serve over sushi rice.