# Dry Coconut Curry



## NoraC

After all the curry chat yesterday, I was ready for some spice.  I "think" I am supposed to post recipes here, and then put a link to "here" in the general discussion thread from yesterday.  Forgive me if I am wrong about that.

This is a South Indian curry, that is supposed to serve 4, but around here it serves 2, with just enough left for someone's breakfast the next day.

Dry roast: 
1 t black peppercorns
1 t coriander seeds
1 t cumin seeds
Add 
1 t fenugreek 
1 t whole cloves
and grind all into a powder. I generally don't roast most of the "sweet spices" because I can't perceive an improvement iin flavor from doing it, but you can is that is easier.  

In a minichopper or blender combine the spice powder with
1/2 t turmeric
2 fresh chilis stemmed and seeded, serrano usually, but be flexible.  
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
and grind to a paste. Set your curry paste aside. 

Wilt 6 largish onions, sliced thin, in a skillet with about 2 T vegetable oil.
In about a minute (once the are soft enough to be easily manipulated in the skillet) add a pound of cubed meat.  I like pork best; chicken is good too.  Saute a few minutes to get a nice finish on the outside of the cubes, then mix in half of the curry paste you made and saute about until the meat is almost done.  Dividing the paste gives "a more" and "a less" cooked depth to the flavor. Add the rest of the paste, along with 

2 C chopped tomatoes
2 C shredded plain coconut (not the sweetened kind you use for baking!)

Simmer/fry about 3 minutes, then finish with
1/2 ground cardamon
pinch ground nutmeg
1 t vinegar
salt to taste.

Great with flat breads or rice.


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## jennyema

That looks really delicious!!

Do you use fresh turmeric?


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## NoraC

jennyema said:


> That looks really delicious!!
> 
> Do you use fresh turmeric?


Thanks! We like it. I use powdered turmeric; fresh is rarely available here.


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## jennyema

Im going to put this on my "TRY" list.

Thanks


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## PrincessFiona60

Copied and pasted...I gotta make this!


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## jennyema

I like the DRY curry idea.  I know about dry curries, but have never made one.


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## jennyema

My mom sends me fresh turmeric from a very wonderful Italian market in Chicago but I never know what to do with it.

Now I have a great idea!!  It would go well into the paste.


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## Fuzzy

Sounds amazing! I've got to try this! I love how everywhere I've gone, the mixture for the curry paste is a little different.


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## Bolas De Fraile

Try this one, cube to the same size, green plantain, unripe mango, pumpkin,carrot, jackfruit + green beans. Poach in water that has turmeric powder added(start the harder veg first) they must not be over cooked, drain and dry on k/paper

Blend fresh coconut and chilli's to a paste,  heat a little oil in your  wok and fry the paste, then add yoghurt, shredded curry leaves,coconut oil, cook for about 5 mins then add the veg and heat through. If you are serving this with Dosas leave it dry, if you want to serve it with rice add some of the veg cooking liquid to make a gravy.


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## NoraC

jennyema said:


> ... but I never know what to do with it.
> 
> ... .


You can also use it, fresh or dried, as an acid/base indicator. Turmeric turns red at about pH 8.4.  Dissolve some in alcohol, soak some coffee filters in the solution, let them dry, fashion into a rose and spritz with ammonia (or the base of your choice). You'll be painting the roses red.


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## jennyema

NoraC said:


> You can also use it, fresh or dried, as an acid/base indicator. Turmeric turns red at about pH 8.4. Dissolve some in alcohol, soak some coffee filters in the solution, let them dry, fashion into a rose and spritz with ammonia (or the base of your choice). You'll be painting the roses red.


 

Very cool!

You know I'm gonna do this ....


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## radhuni

May be it is especial kind of dish but we generally do not add coconut and tomato in same dish, the taste will not blend well.


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## NoraC

Interesting, Radhuni.  I have used this recipe several times and enjoyed it.  Maybe I'll try it with some green beans instead of tomato next time - or would you suggest a different veg?


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## CWS4322

NoraC said:


> Interesting, Radhuni. I have used this recipe several times and enjoyed it. Maybe I'll try it with some green beans instead of tomato next time - or would you suggest a different veg?


 
green peas.


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## Bolas De Fraile

mmmmmmmmmutter paneer!


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## radhuni

NoraC said:


> Interesting, Radhuni.  I have used this recipe several times and enjoyed it.  Maybe I'll try it with some green beans instead of tomato next time - or would you suggest a different veg?



Taste is relative, may be your liking are different from us.

Tomato is relatively a new vegetable in India (may be that's why we don't have any proper Indian name tomato) where as coconut is native to India, so naturally we don't use tomato with coconut in traditional dishes.


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## Yakuta

In every cuisine there is the traditional way of doing things and then the not so tradiitional.  

The recipe you posted is not really authentic - tomatoes, shredded coconut (we use it as garnish on our dishes, not in cooking, it's mostly fresh coconut that we ground into a paste or coconut milk), vinegar in the same dish is something you will never find in Indian cooking, not South, not North, not East or West but then again that's the fun of experimenting.  

Your recipe may not be authentic but it sounds like it can work, the only thing I disagree with is skipping pre-toasting the spices.  I think it's absolutely a must for Indian cooking if you want the depth of flavor.


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## NoraC

Yakuta said:


> ...the only thing I disagree with is skipping pre-toasting the spices.  I think it's absolutely a must for Indian cooking if you want the depth of flavor.



I preroast the spices, but I usually don't the "sweet spices", mainly because I have never figured out how to effectively toast a cinnamon stick, LOL.


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## Yakuta

You break the cinnamon stick with your hands into small peices, add it to the other whole spices and toast it in a dry skillet.  You then grind it in a coffee grinder and it is perfectly powdered.  You can't just zap it once and expect cinnamon to be powdered, you go at it a few times.


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## NoraC

Thanks, Yakuta!  My Mr Coffee coffee grinder and I are good friends in the spice world, but I hadn't tried breaking up the stick into small pieces before toasting.


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## taxlady

Yakuta said:


> You break the cinnamon stick with your hands into small peices, add it to the other whole spices and toast it in a dry skillet.  You then grind it in a coffee grinder and it is perfectly powdered.  You can't just zap it once and expect cinnamon to be powdered, you go at it a few times.



So that's the trick to grinding cinnamon. Thank you.


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