A dark and mysterious curry

This post is for curry lovers with time on their hands – that is, if they want to try the recipes I've provided this time. The effort, however, is so worthwhile as the results will be just delicious!

We live in an area with a high concentration of takeaway shops and restaurants. We receive two to four menus through the door every day, of which probably around half are for curry. Many of the curry houses are advertising Bangladeshi cuisine, from where we particularly enjoy the spicy and flavoursome dishes made with naga chillies and the rezala curries. Recently, though, we have been trying more food from the other widely available cuisine in this area – Sri Lankan.

Sri Lankan curries have a distinctive aromatic quality. Although we felt we could identify many of the spices involved, through taste and sometimes appearance (curry leaves and cinnamon sticks), we couldn’t quite put our fingers on what it was that built up those extra layers of flavour. Luckily, Charmaine Solomon’s The Complete Asian Cookbook came to the rescue. The author explained that the base of many Sri Lankan curries is dark-roasted curry powders, and that it is this roasting process that develops the characteristic richness and complexity.

As I have mentioned before, home-made curries feature heavily in the cookery repertoire of this household. Thus, since the book provided a recipe for a basic Sri Lankan curry powder (see below), I had to have a go. Further optional ingredients are 2 tsp chilli powder and 2 tbsp rice flour. I didn’t use them because I didn’t have any and I knew I was going to use fresh chillies in the curry, and I didn’t feel the overall effect would be changed vastly by their exclusion. Nevertheless, I feel I should mention them for completeness. Several points are important to highlight for the powder preparation. First, the time it takes for the different spices to colour varies quite widely, so don’t be tempted to try to roast them together. Second, the coriander seeds take a long time to colour, so be patient and keep the heat low. Third, do stir the spices constantly, even for the small amounts, as they can change from colouring to being burned very quickly.

I used the curry powder to make a slow-cooked lamb curry because we were able to get some lovely reduced-price leg and rump steaks. Full price, however, lamb is ridiculously expensive, and even cut price it’s a bit of a treat. Luckily, beef, is widely used in Sri Lankan cooking and will go very well with this sauce, so I will be using that in the future.

I have provided below instructions for the powder as I did it and for a beef curry in which to use it. Of course, every household in Sri Lanka probably has its own curry powder variation, so do feel free to experiment. Be warned, though, with all that roasting and grinding, 2 days later I could still get a waft of curry scent on opening the kitchen door. If you know someone who doesn’t like it, you might want to make sure they don’t visit for a while!

Sri Lankan dark-roasted curry powder

1 cup coriander seeds

Half cup cumin seeds

1 tbsp fennel seeds

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

2 inch cinnamon stick/half tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp whole cloves

1 tsp cardamom seeds

2 tbsp dried curry leaves

Separately roast the coriander, cumin, fennel, and fenugreek seeds in a dry pan over a low heat. Stir constantly until the spices have turned a dark golden brown colour, being careful not to let them burn. Allow the roasted spices to cool, then use a blender or spice grinder to powder them, in batches if necessary, with the remaining ingredients. Store the finished powder in an airtight container.

Sri Lankan beef curry

Serves 4-6

2.5 tbsp ghee or oil

3 medium onions, finely chopped

2 tbsp fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped

4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp black mustard seeds

4 tbsp dark-roasted curry powder

Salt to taste

1 tbsp vinegar 

500-600 g stewing steak, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes

(alternatively, use lamb leg and/or lamb rump steak)

3 fresh red chillies, seeded and chopped

3 large ripe tomatoes chopped

In a large saucepan gently fry the onions, ginger and garlic in the ghee or oil until golden. Add the turmeric, mustard seeds and curry powder. Fry over low heat for 2-3 min. Add the salt and vinegar and stir well. Add the meat and fry until browned, stirring to ensure it is well coated. Add the chillies and tomatoes. Cover with a lid and simmer on very low heat for about 2 h.

Go just that little bit further

While I have never been extravagant and was brought up to make do and mend (which I actually rather enjoyed), it is true that during the boom of the early 2000s I shed some degree of frugality. In the rather more bust current economic climate, where money is a bit tighter and the price of food is a lot higher, I can feel those old instincts resurfacing.

I don’t really do retail therapy in a spend-hours-cooing-over-clothes-shoes-and-make-up sense. Food shopping is what does it for me. I’m not talking about seeking out the fine or the rare; I understand the best food comes from selecting the best ingredients, but I’m running a house, not a restaurant. My buzz comes from getting more for less while keeping our food nutritious, tasty and exciting.

I have a three-pronged approach to trimming the spending: multi-buys (eg, three for the price of two, or mix and match for a set price); buying fresh food that is reduced because it is nearing its sell-by date; and buying low-cost products to make the more-expensive things and leftovers go as far as possible. In relation to the first tactic, do beware of offers. As a recent Panorama revealed, they are not always what they seem and, if you’re really not careful, they can increase the cost. Keeping track of prices other than by online comparison sites might also land you in hot water, as this article shows. Nevertheless, with a little time, research and planning, you can pull back those pennies and look after the pounds.

I recently found a reduced-price pack of stewing steak. As you might have read, I’m not averse to a bit of slow cooking. The pack wasn’t very large, but it was rather generous to feed two people for one meal, so decided to stretch it to four portions.

I opted to use two ingredients that go very well with beef: tomatoes and chickpeas. The latter is a particularly useful item in my food-stretching armamentarium, although tinned chickpeas have roughly doubled in price over the past year, meaning they are not necessarily the cheap option they should be. To solve this problem I have started buying dried chickpeas and rehydrating batches as I want them. This method saves me about 60% on the price, which drops them right back into the cheap zone. The preparation of dried chickpeas is a long old job, it is true. They need to be soaked in cold water for several hours – at least 4 h, although I find 8-10 h better – then boiled for 2-2.5 h before use. Once cooked, though, they can be kept in the fridge in some water and in an airtight container for a few days, so they could be prepared over the weekend for use mid-week. For the tomato flavour I used passata, which can be bought extremely cheaply.

The finished casserole was probably akin to stifado crossed with a tagine – that is to say it was extremely flavoursome. Each portion does contain only a few pieces of the beef, but the flavour of the meat is detectable throughout the sauce and the chickpeas make it satisfying enough for any carnivore. I have suggested a recipe for flavoured couscous to accompany this casserole, but it’s also great with mashed potatoes.

Happy bargain hunting. It's a great way to inspire you to try new things when an offer is too good to miss.

Spicy beef and chickpea casserole with couscous

Serves 4

For the casserole

350 g diced stewing steak

1 large carrot chopped into 1.5 cm pieces

1 medium onion

1 stick celery

2 cloves garlic

2 red chillies

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp paprika

Half tsp turmeric

250 ml beef stock

500 g passata

350 g chickpeas

Salt and pepper

For the couscous

200 g couscous

240 ml boiling water

100 g frozen peas

Juice of half a lemon

2 tsp dried mint

1 tsp dried parsley

Salt and pepper

Heat the oven to 160ºC/325ºF/gas mark 3. Sear the meat in a hot frying pan a few pieces at a time to avoid reducing the heat in the pan, and place the browned meat in a large casserole dish along with the raw carrots. Use half of the beef stock to deglaze the pan and pour the liquid into the casserole dish. Gently fry the onion, celery, chillies and garlic until the onion is softened and translucent but not browned. Add the spices and cook for a few minutes more, stirring constantly. Transfer the vegetables to the casserole dish then deglaze the pan with the remaining beef stock and add the liquid to the casserole. Pour over all the passata, season well and stir. Cover and cook in the oven for 1.5 h then add the chickpeas and a little water. Cook covered for a further 1-1.5 h until the beef is tender and the sauce is thick.

Remove the casserole from the oven and leave to stand while you prepare the couscous. Put all the ingredients in a heat-proof bowl and leave to stand for 5-7 min until all the water is absorbed. Adjust the seasoning if necessary and serve.