Having accomplished the growth of my herbs without any green thumb causalities along the way, I came to the last of my Chillies and coriander today and thought no better last supper for these guys than to cook them in my first curry on such a dreary Sunday. My reservations on curries the past have been the idea of taking something from a jar that is so Mass Produced that you have no real idea what you are consuming - so to put it lightly I've never been a fan.
Before I go off sounding likely a born and breed organic evangelist, I must confess my adoption of fresh produce cooking has only been a recent revelation of mine since discovering how simple it is to do, not to mention the many benefits rewarded. The less I've consumed from a package or box, the more flavor, sustenance and health benefits I've experienced for very little extra effort. This recipe by Jamie Oliver which can be found on his fabulous iphone App is anything but mass produced and has completely changed my perception of a curry being an oily concoction of gosh knows what and appreciating it for the lovely fresh flavors of authentic indian cuisine. I loved cooking this dish just as much as I enjoyed sharing it with a special someone tonight so I urge others to try it. WARNING: After preparing and eating this you will never be able to eat something out of a jar again.....neither will those who you share it with Xxx
Lamb Rogan Josh with Lemon Rice
600g lamb fillet
1 lemon
300g basmati rice
5cm ginger (fresh)
5 Garlic cloves
3 medium red onions
2 fresh red chillies (hero of the dish!)
70g butter
8tsp natural yogurt (i use greek)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp rogan josh curry paste
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp paprika
1 x 400g tin of peeled tomatoes
1 tsp black pepper
8 sprigs of fresh coriander (Jamie's recipe uses mint although I find the coriander works real well)
PS: This looks off putting at first because there are lot of ingredients. But if you consider most of them are dry spices, if you don't have already, once bought they can be easily stored and accessed in your pantry for many more times to come.
1. Place a a saucepan full of water on to boil.
2. Once the water is boiling add the rice, lemon zest and squeeze the juice of half the lemon into the water. Cook the rice according to the packet instructions.
3. Peel the ginger, garlic and onions. Halve and de-seed the peppers and chillies.
4. Add the ginger and garlic to a food processor and whiz to a puree. Take out 2 Tsp of the mixture and hold to one side.
5. Quarter 2 of the onions and add these to the food processor with one of the peppers and one of the chillies. Whiz again until you have a puree.
6. When the rice is cooked, drain and return to the saucepan with a lid to cover with the lemon half and a small knob of butter.
7. Take the lamb and slice into strips and place into a mixing bowl.
8. Add 2 tsp of garlic and ginger puree to the mixing bowl with turmeric, 4 tsp of yogurt, smoked paprika, black pepper and stir together.
9. Put a frying pan on a medium heat and slice the remaining onion, pepper and chili.
10. Once the pan is hot and the puree from the processor, the sliced onion, pepper and chili, the curry paste, garam masala and paprika.
11. Turn up the hear and stir together for a few minutes.
12. In a separate pan, place the marinated lamb on a hot pan to brown on both sides for a few minutes.
13. Once the puree mixture has browned up and the tin of tomatoes and simmer gently on a moderate heat - adding a splash of water if it starts to look dry.
14. When the lamb is cooked in the other pan - combine with the puree/tomato mixture and prepare to serve over the lemon rice.
15. Enjoy topped with a small spoon of natural yogurt an coriander....
