RAILWAY MUTTON / LAMB CURRY - BBC GOOD FOOD MAGAZINE JULY 2012

My Recipe for RAILWAY MUTTON / LAMB CURRY was selected as the READER RECIPE OF THE MONTH in the July issue of the BBC GOOD FOOD MAGAZINE. As a result I won a special gift Hamper woth Rs 6000.00 from Debenhams. The Hamper contained a 5 piece Spoon Set and a Jamie Oliver Grater Gift set which has both the fine and coarse graters. Wanted to share this lovely bit of news with all the readers and followers of ALL MY BLOGS as well as my Page PRESERVING ANGLO-INDIAN CUISINE on FACE BOOK . Thanks for all your love and support. God bless you all. Bridget

RAILWAY LAMB / MUTTON CURRY:

The Railway Mutton Curry is a direct throw back to the days of the British Raj, when traveling by train was considered aristocratic. The very name ‘Railway lamb Curry’ conjures up scenes of leisurely travel by train in the early 1900s, of tables covered with snow white table cloths laid with gleaming china and cutlery, of turbaned waiters and bearers serving this tasty slightly tangy Curry dish with Rolls and Crusty White Bread in Railway Dining and Refreshment Rooms and in First Class Cabins on long distance trains.

The Railway catering staff comprised of butlers, cooks and bearers who were all trained in the art of hospitality by the British. They were courteous and attentive and smartly dressed in White uniforms, ever solicitous to the needs of the traveling upper class public. All Refreshments and food were served in the right dishes and each table in the dining car was laid with the right crockery, cutlery and napkins or serviettes all embossed with the British Indian Railway Monogram.

As its very name suggests, this very popular and tasty dish was prepared and served in Railway Refreshment Rooms and in First Class Cabins on long distance trains, with Bread or Dinner Rolls. The curry was not too spicy keeping in mind the delicate palates of the British. It was prepared with tender pieces of lamb or mutton, potatoes and other Indian condiments along with the addition of either vinegar, tamarind juice or lemon juice.

The dish was left to simmer on low heat for more than an hour, so as to absorb all the flavours making it truly a dish fit for a connoisseur!

RECIPE FOR RAILWAY MUTTON CURRY

Serves 6    

Preparation Time 45 minutes

Ingredients:

½ kg mutton or lamb cut into medium size pieces

2 potatoes peeled and quartered

6 peppercorns 

2 big onions sliced

2 pieces cinnamon                     

2 cloves

2 cardamoms 

8 to 10 curry leaves

4 red chilies broken into bits 

2 teaspoons chillie powder

1teaspoon ginger and garlic paste

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons oil    

2 tablespoons vinegar or ½ cup of tamarind juice or lemon juice

Wash the meat and mix it with the ginger garlic paste, salt and the chillie  powder. Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions, curry leaves, red chillies and spices till golden brown.  Add the meat and mix well. Fry for a few minutes till the pieces get firm. Add sufficient water and cook till the meat is tender. Now add the vinegar / Tamarind juice / lemon juice  and cook on low heat till the gravy is thick and dark brown.

Serve with Steamed Rice, Bread or Dinner rolls.

 

Note: Substitute beef for lamb / mutton if desired. If more gravy is required, add 2 chopped tomatoes while adding the meat

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YELLOW COCONUT RICE, MINCE BALL CURRY AND DEVIL CHUTNEY

A favourite Anglo-Indian Sunday lunch Menu

ANGLO-INDIAN YELLOW COCONUT RICE   

Serves 6   Preparation Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 pack of coconut milk diluted with water to get 4 cups of milk or 1 fresh coconut grated and milk extracted to get 4 cups of diluted milk

2 cups of Raw Rice or Basmati Rice

 ½  teaspoon turmeric powder or a few strands of saffron

Salt to taste

4 tablespoons butter or ghee

3 cloves, 3 cardamoms, 3 small sticks of cinnamon

Heat ghee in a large vessel or Rice cooker and fry the spices for a few minutes.  Add the washed rice, salt, turmeric and 4 cups of coconut milk and cook till the rice is done.

Coconut Rice is best eaten with Ball Curry or Chicken curry and Devil Chutney.

ANGLO-INDIAN MINCE BALL CURRY ALSO KNOWN AS BAD WORD CURRY

(Mince Koftas in a coconut based gravy)

Serves 6    Preparation time 45 minutes

Ingredients for the Curry

3 large onions chopped

1 sprig curry leaves

3 teaspoons chilly powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

3 teaspoons ginger garlic paste

3 big tomatoes pureed or chopped finely

½ cup ground coconut paste

1 teaspoon spice powder or garam masala

Salt to taste

3 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon coriander leaves chopped finely for garnishing

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

 

Ingredients for the Mince Balls (Koftas)

½ kg minced meat beef or mutton (fine mince)

½ teaspoon spice powder or garam masala powder

3 green chilies chopped

A small bunch of coriander leaves chopped finely

Salt to taste

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

Heat oil in a large pan and fry the onions till golden brown .Add the ginger garlic paste and the curry leaves and fry for some time.  Now add the chilly powder, coriander powder, spice powder or garam masala powder, turmeric powder and coconut and fry for a few minutes till the oil separates from the mixture. Now add the tomato puree and salt and simmer for some time.  Add sufficient water and bring to boil.

Meanwhile mix the spice powder, salt, chopped green chilies, turmeric powder and coriander leaves with the mince and form into small balls. When the curry is boiling slowly drop in the mince balls carefully one by one. Simmer on slow heat for 20 minutes till the balls are cooked and the gravy is not too thick.  Serve hot with Coconut Rice and Devil Chutney.

                                                          

DEVIL CHUTNEY (HELL’S FLAME CHUTNEY)

Devil Chutney is a fiery red chutney or sauce. Its bright red colour often misleads people to think that is a very pungent and spicy dish. It is actually a sweet and sour sauce and only slightly pungent. The vinegar and sugar react with the onion and red chillie to produce the bright red colour. Devil Chutney is also known as ‘Hell fire or Hell’s flame chutney or Fiery Mother-in-law’s Tongue Chutney” due to its vivid colour.

Ingredients

2 medium size onions chopped roughly

1 teaspoon red chillie powder

1 tablespoon raisins (optional)

2 teaspoons sugar

A pinch of salt

2 tablespoons vinegar

 Grind all the above ingredients together till smooth. If chutney is too thick add a little more vinegar. Serve with Coconut Rice.

 

A POT OF HOT STEW … COMFORT FOOD ANYONE?

A POT OF HOT ANGLO-INDIAN BROWN STEW … COMFORT FOOD ANYONE?
Bridget White-Kumar (http://anglo-indianrecipes.blogspot.com)

Stews are thick, meaty soups that are usually served as a main course. I’m sure that many will agree, there’s nothing more comforting on a winter evening than a delicious bowl of Stew. Stew is comfort food, the perfect meal to gather the family around the table. A good stew mixes different flavors that soak into the meat through slow cooking. Filled with lots of vegetables, it’s an easy one pot meal. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables such as potatoes, beans carrots, peas, cabbage, tomatoes, etc, combined with any meat, poultry, sea food, pork etc., depending on personal preference. While water can be used to cook the stew, any stock can also be used as also a dash of
wine. Seasonings and flavourings such as green chillies, spices, onions, peppers and thickening agents such as flour or cornstarch are also used.

Stews are typically cooked at a relatively low temperature i.e. simmered, not boiled, to allow all the flavors to merge with each other. The earthy flavours of vegetables combine with the meat stock and spices to give out an enticing aroma while cooking. This hearty, healthy one-pot meal can be eaten by itself or served with bread or rice. A Stew is not only filling, but also low in calories, It is also an ideal way to get children to eat vegetables, and no vitamins are lost by throwing away the water.

The great thing aboutstews is that they can be tailored to suit your family's personal tastes and preferences. Don't like carrots? Leave them out. Have a passion for potatoes? Double up on it. Want to add some wine? Add a dash. More spicy? Add a little more pepper or green chillies.

So get adventurous with the flavours and spices. Coconut paste makes a meat stew even more delicious. Try the recipe below, then invent your own.

ANGLO-INDIAN MEAT AND VEGETABLE STEW - BROWN STEW
(For chicken Stew, substitute the meat with Chicken)
1 kg Beef or Mutton / Lamb cut into cubes
2 tablespoons oil
2 onions sliced finely
1 Bay leaf
4 or 5 cloves
6 or 8 peppercorns
3 cardamoms
2 pieces cinnamon
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon ginger paste
2 teaspoons plain flour (maida) / or corn flour
2 tomatoes chopped or pureed
2 carrots peeled and cut into pieces
2 potatoes peeled and cut into cubes
3 green chillies slit
2 tablespoons coconut paste (optional)
Salt to taste
Heat the oil in a pressure cooker or suitable pan. Add all the whole spices and fry lightly. Add the onions and fry till golden brown. Add the ginger paste, garlic paste and green chillies and fry for a few minutes. Add the tomato and fry till the oil separates. Now add the meat and stir fry for 5 more minutes. Next add the cut vegetables, coconut paste, salt and sufficient water and cook on high heat for 10 minutes. Release the steam and open the pressure cooker. Now add the flour / corn flour mixed with a little water and mix well. Simmer for a few more minutes. Serve hot with Rice or bread.
Its also an ideal accompaniment to Hoppers, Dosa, Idlis, etc at Breakfast Time!!