Craving Curry? Have It Your Way!
There are as many ways to curry as there are cooks who make it.
As my husband will attest, I am obsessed with curry. And the joy of curry is that there are limitless ways to make it.
My current approach is one I learned in Indonesia, though I make zero claims that how I execute it is authentic in any way. It is, however, delicious. You start by making a highly flavorful paste by blending fresh ginger, turmeric, garlic and lemon grass with some coconut milk. I also usually add a fresh chili. There’s your curry base.
After that, pretty much anything goes. Often, I’ll combine whatever vegetables I have—cauliflower, potatoes and winter squash often are in the mix. I add one or all of them to a pot, then the curry base and simmer until tender. I usually finish the whole thing with some frozen peas, adding them just for the last 30 seconds or so they taste fresh.
That’s it. Adjust with salt and pepper, then spoon over rice. If we’re feeling meaty, I might sear some tofu and toss that in or on it, too. Oh, I love to shower the whole thing with sliced scallions.
But at Milk Street, that’s just the start. So many countries offer so many delicious takes on curries, we have a range of recipes. In Mumbai, I learned to make Kadai Chicken Curry, which cooks rich boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a tomato-bell pepper sauce spiced with turmeric, cumin and ginger.
Or try our Coconut Curry with Carrots and Broccoli. As with so many curry recipes, this one is pretty versatile. Don’t feel like carrots? Use potatoes or winter squash. Not a fan of broccoli (if you aren’t, we can’t be friends...), use cauliflower or green beans. Whatever you decide, everything is cooked in coconut milk spiked with cinnamon, ginger, chili and turmeric.
Even South Africa has a curry culture. Try our Cape Malay Chicken and Potato Curry. But don’t be intimidated by the ingredient list. This is pretty much a dump-stir-simmer operation that almost effortlessly produces a curry that is lemony, savory and rich. The mint, fennel and cumin really tie it all together.
I also love our dirt simple Keema Matar (Curried Ground Beef and Peas). The secret to keeping it so simple is the use of garam masala, a one-stop ingredient that adds tons of curry spices. And if you lean vegetarian like I do, don’t hesitate to substitute crumbled tofu, faux meat or even potatoes for the beef.
Speaking of leaning vegetarian, also check out our Sri Lankan Winter Squash and Coconut Curry. This one gets deep flavor from a simple, homemade curry powder that you toast until rich and almost smoky. The recipe is so dump-and-stir simple, making the curry powder is the only work (and barely any, at that). Also, fresh curry powder is the best!
But since I’m still trying to use up the deluge of tomatoes my husband grew this year, I think tonight I’ll make our Afghan-Style Chickpea and Tomato Curry. A can of chickpeas, a pound of whatever tomatoes you’ve got, a bit of curry powder and 25 minutes is pretty much all you need to get this incredibly flavorful dinner on the table.
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