Madras - Version 2 (From Scratch / Base Free)
A bold, fiery curry infused with roasted red chillies, crushed garlic, and a tangy spiced tomato gravy with vibrant green peppers.
Ingredients
- • 3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- • 2 inch Cassia Bark (Cinnamon Stick)
- • 1 whole Black Cardamom Pods
- • 2 whole Green Cardamom Pods
- • 1 medium pureed or grated Brown/White Onion
- • 2 sliced Green Finger Chillies
- • 1 tablespoon Garlic & Ginger Paste
- • 3 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- • 1/2 teaspoon Fenugreek Leaves (Kasoori Methi)
- • 2 teaspoons Mix Powder / Curry Powder
- • 2 teaspoons Chilli Powder (Hot)
- • 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- • 3/4 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- • 3/4 teaspoon Cumin Powder
- • 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- • 1 teaspoon Tamarind Paste
- • 6-8 pieces Meat / Veg / Paneer
- • 250 ml Water
- • 1/4 cup Fresh/Chopped Coriander
Preparation Steps
heat a pan on medium and add the oil. when hot add the cassia bark, green cardamoms and black cardamom and stir through for 30 seconds until they start to sizzle. the black cardamom will add a fantastic smoky flavour to the dish
add in the onion, stir through and fry gently until the onion softens and begins to slightly brown and caramelise this may take about 3-4 minutes if you've chopped or grated your onions finely, around 30 seconds if you've blended your onions in a food processor first
add in the fresh chillies as well as the ginger and garlic and fry for 1 minute until the bitter smell from the garlic reduces
now add the tomato puree and fenugreek and mix through
add in the mix powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, cumin powder turmeric and salt to taste. mix well add a splash of base to loosen things up and allow to fry for a minute or 2 stirring every now and then to allow the spices to infuse. This will create your madras paste and will allow the spices to fry without burning
turn the heat up to max and add in 1/2 of the water and mix through well. allow to reduce for a minute or two then add the rest before removing the cassia bark and all three coriander pods
add your choice of protein, coat and allow to reduce until the sauce is the consistency you require and the meat is cooked through. you only need to stir if it looks like it's going to stick or burn
add the fresh chopped coriander, stir through and serve