Hi all!
I`ve tried several variations of methods and believe i`ve
cracked it! get the stove on and a large pan of water!
what you need...
star anise
coriander seeds
black peppercorns
green cardomons
black mustard seeds
cumin seeds
dried bayleafs
tamarind powder
cloves
dried birdseye chillis
garam masala powder
lime leaves
coconut powder - brand maggi used
ground almonds
dry dessicated coconut
coconut milk (can`t remember the brand)
mango powder
raw cashew nuts
tamarind pulp
goond katira (gum powder used in ice creams etc wiki it!)
soy sauce
salt
pineapple
banana
white onions
veg stock cube, i used oxo veg
raw garlic
raw ginger
plain yogurt or cream
ghee
pestle and mortar
2 frying pans (1 egg pan for spices)
Right! get a pan on now! the sauce quantity will determine the amount
of onions to be used so for about four good portions worth i`d suggest
starting off with 3-4 pints of water, rolling to the boil, the whole
cooking time is about 4 hours so don`t get too excited about a quick
meal 😉
so for about four portions worth....
6 small white onions finely chopped - fry off in ghee, use about 2-3
heaped dessert spoons and don`t brown the onion just start off on a
higher heat then gradually work it down as you stir for the first few
minutes.
the seeds... from the selection of the dried list put roughly 1/2
teaspoons worth of each ingredient into the mortar, 1 star anise, 1
clove do not use cloves en-masse they have the after taste of earwax.
2-4 bayleaves and maybe double the coriander seeds. These will be
fried off before grinding, whereas jamaican style requires the
grinding first then frying of the spices.
so... in egg pan with 1 tablespoon of ghee place the larger items
first, add bayleaves towards the end. The trick with frying of the
spices for me is when the essence of the spices first break is when i
take them off the heat but don`t remove from pan, just let sit for a
bit, 4 mins or so whole cooking process.
keep stirring those onions!
Right, back to the stock (chuck in this order)....
oxo 1 cube
3 bayleaves
1 lime leaf
6 green cardomons
generous dash soy sauce
1/2 cup of ground almonds
1/2 cup raw cashew
1/3 cup of tamarind pulp pick out the black hard shelled seed from
this and don`t eat it all its sweet🙂
goond katira 1cm squared lump
2-3 teaspoons mango powder
coconut milk powder 2-3 tablespoons
coconut milk (1/2 now 1/2 towards the end)
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
chop banana and add half way through cooking.
The onions need to be translucent, add more ghee if the mix looks
dry.
garlic - 7-8 medium sized
ginger 3cm squared block
To prepare garlic just hammer them, this slides the outer husk so
it can be picked off, chop the end off too, now crush further then
pile up and finely dice then smear the end of the knife on the garlic
and keep pressing it so it ends as a juicy lump, this releases all the
garlics properties whereas just chopping is equate to sealing.
Do the same to the ginger.
When the onions are transluscent add the garlic and ginger frying
on a moderate heat and wait until you get a great smell (5 mins or so,
maybe a bit more ghee as well!)
Grind the spices... press on the seeds to crush before turning,
crumble the bayleaf, work to a rough mix, i don`t do powder as the
soaked husk gives added flavour for me.
1 heaped teaspoon garam masala powder
Add all to the frying onion mix and increase the heat just to
finish it off, 2-3 mins, keep stirring!
chuck the onion mix in the stock and leave on rolling boil add the
banana. leave for about 20 mins then turn down to simmer, I used
chicken in this recipe, fry off in same pan used for onions add ghee
and wait a moment for oil to heat then add the chicken and salt, flash
fry the chicken and wait till you get good aroma from chicken ( just
partly cooking) get cup of the stock and pour onto chicken, add more
salt and reduce the liquid on high heat- 4 mins
Add to the stock, pour rest of coconut milk in and chop up
pineapple and add, less than an hour away from serving.
After about half an hour check it out, to finish add yogurt 1
cup and leave to simmer to a nice thickness, its also about now you
can taste it and adjust the seasoning from more coconut milk powder to
a pinch of sugar or salt and white pepper.
Please have a go, i regret not having used cinnamon, sesame seeds
and more ground nut varieties. please post feedback aaiiight.