It always amazes me that some of the best tasting home-made food is cobbled together from leftovers and store cupboard essentials. On Tuesday I found myself eating for one, as Mrs CdP was dining out at the jazzy old Concorde Club in not so jazzy old Eastleigh. The kids were already fed and settled with "I'm a Celebrity..." (still not sure it's appropriate for my 8 year old but she tells me she's heard those words before and would NEVER swear!) so I was left to my own devices.
In the fridge was a plate of leftover roast pork from Sunday lunch, looking squarely at the End Of Days, and in the store cubboard I found a half full jar of Rogan Josh paste (always half full here in CdP land...unless it's wine...then it's half empty) It was curry o'clock! There weren't many other ingredients to be had, so here's what I did.
leftover roast pork (I had about four slices) diced
6 mushrooms sliced
1 onion sliced
garlic clove grated
half tin of chopped tomatoes
half jar of curry paste
tablespoon of creme fraiche
handful of frozen peas
When soft add the shrooms and continue to saute for a few mins. Grate in the garlic and add the curry paste. Cook for a couple of minutes to get the aromas going, fill the empty jar of paste half full of cold water, swirl it around then add to the paste. Blend it all together nicely.
Add the tomatoes and peas and cook everything together for 15 minutes. Swirl in the creme fraiche before serving with rice or naan.
Couldn't be easier and it tastes just like a curry from your favourite takeaway. I can do the 'from-scratch' curries (when I go to the bother it's more likely to be Thai or Goan, with fresh ginger, chillies, coconut, etc etc) but this cheat's curry makes for a delicious mid-week supper. I think the choice of paste is important, and some are better than others - Veeraswamy Bart's Rogan Josh is one of the better varieties.
Oh, and there was a 'half-empty' bottle of Chilean Panamericana Merlot that went with it just fine. Majestic £8.99 or £6.74 as a mixed six. Good, fruity merlot with a lot of smooth.
In the fridge was a plate of leftover roast pork from Sunday lunch, looking squarely at the End Of Days, and in the store cubboard I found a half full jar of Rogan Josh paste (always half full here in CdP land...unless it's wine...then it's half empty) It was curry o'clock! There weren't many other ingredients to be had, so here's what I did.
Ingredients :
leftover roast pork (I had about four slices) diced
6 mushrooms sliced
1 onion sliced
garlic clove grated
half tin of chopped tomatoes
half jar of curry paste
tablespoon of creme fraiche
handful of frozen peas
Let's go!
In a large frying pan saute the onion in a splash of oil or ghee (I didn't have any ghee!)When soft add the shrooms and continue to saute for a few mins. Grate in the garlic and add the curry paste. Cook for a couple of minutes to get the aromas going, fill the empty jar of paste half full of cold water, swirl it around then add to the paste. Blend it all together nicely.
Add the tomatoes and peas and cook everything together for 15 minutes. Swirl in the creme fraiche before serving with rice or naan.
Couldn't be easier and it tastes just like a curry from your favourite takeaway. I can do the 'from-scratch' curries (when I go to the bother it's more likely to be Thai or Goan, with fresh ginger, chillies, coconut, etc etc) but this cheat's curry makes for a delicious mid-week supper. I think the choice of paste is important, and some are better than others - Veeraswamy Bart's Rogan Josh is one of the better varieties.
Oh, and there was a 'half-empty' bottle of Chilean Panamericana Merlot that went with it just fine. Majestic £8.99 or £6.74 as a mixed six. Good, fruity merlot with a lot of smooth.
