“What I say is that, if a fellow really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty decent sort of fellow.”
A. A. Milne
A. A. Milne
What’s Cooking ? Curry, I said!
Ben @ What’s Cooking US asked me one day if I’d like to contribute something from my part of the world for his ‘What’s Cooking World’ series. C’mon Ben, I said….wouldn’t I just? Any foodie worth his/her salt jumps to a good opportunity that knocks. I had to put on my thinking cap though, as I had posted most of my favourite lamb curries earlier. Suddenly remembered this one…a lamb curry with the very humble potato. Lamb, curry & potatoes make a delicious dish…the flavours blend beautifully & this is a nice, comforting curry! With 2008 being declared the ‘Year of the Potato’, how good it feels to be sending this off to my dear friend Ben. We’ve shared our ‘yeastophobias‘, celebrated out strengths of baking powders, exchanged notes on chrysanthemums, encouraged each other on DB challenges…this is an extension of our ‘blogaddiction‘!
Soul Curry…
This curry evoked some strange memories for me. A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned to an old friend that I was making ‘Aloo Gosht‘ & wondered whether she had ever heard of it? Both our Dad’s were in the Air Force (hers’ a fighter pilot & mine an engineer), though our paths crossed much later when we joined British Airways in the late ’80’s; funnily enough, she flew & I was ground staff!! How strange when she said YES…& how she still remembered fighting her siblings for the potatoes in the curry! We did that too then…& now I see the kids doing the same. Potato tales? 
Curry connections….
It brought something else to mind too. Something which hasn’t cropped up in my mind for long, but which flooded my mind this morning. I remember eating this as a kid & the memory is connected to nightly air raid sirens during the war in 1971, when we used to have ‘black-outs’ & eat in candle-light amidst whispers. There was never a fear of any sort; we just knew the lights had to be out when the sirens went off, & that was accepted as a part of life. Ours not to question why…
I don’t think my kids could ever survive an experience of the sort without fear or a million questions!! Best they enjoy the curry bit like we did!!
Here’s an adaptation of my Mom’s recipe for the curry…
Ingredients:
Lamb – 500gms (shoulder cut/ on the bone)
Potatoes – 4-5 / cut into 6 wedges each
Onions – 4 (the ones we get here are about 3″ big)
Ginger paste – 1″ piece
Garlic paste – 4-5 cloves
Yogurt – 1/2 cup
Tomatoes – 2 / chopped
Coriander powder – 2 tsps
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Paprika – 1 tsp
Whole garam masala – Cloves -6; Whole pepper -10; Black cardamom – 4; Cinnamon- 1 stick
Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp
Green chilies & fresh coriander leaves
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Slice 2 onions & grind the other 2 to a paste.
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Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan / cooker. Fry the potato wedges for 5-7 minutes on full heat (will not get fully cooked). Remove from oil & reserve.
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In the same oil, put in the whole garam masala & fry for a minute till they crackle. Add the sliced onions & fry till golden brown.
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Add the lamb & roast till light brown; add the yogurt & roast again till the liquid is gone.
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Now add the coriander powder + turmeric powder + paprika, mixing in well, followed by the onion paste + ginger garlic paste + chopped tomatoes. ROAST again till the edges leave oil.
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Add about 1/2 a cup of water & cook until lamb is done.
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Now add the potatoes, mix well & cook till potatoes are done. This should take just a short while now. Keep an eye to make sure you don’t end up with mashed potatoes!
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Add a few green chilies for flavour (deseed them if you want), garnish with fresh coriander & garam masala powder…
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Serve with naans.
