IN SEASON o pinchf spice T comforting curries
his year, October 10th to 16th marks National Curry Week: celebrating everything from the creamy korma to the fi ery phaal. While curries are oſt en associated with India, there are plenty
of fantastic dishes from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, T ailand and other countries to explore too, with every curry- loving country having its own regional specialities.
Hosting a curry night at home is a great way to entertain guests, serving up a selection of diff erent
curries and accompaniments with various ingredients and levels of heat. From vegetarians to meat-eaters, there’s a recipe for everyone – and with most recipes you’ll fi nd it easy to substitute ingredients for those that are in season at diff erent times of year.
T e most important thing when it comes to
cooking curries is to ensure that your storecupboard is well stocked with all of the ingredients you’ll need….
HOW TO... essentials St ock up on curry
Christine McFadden, aka T e Dorset Foodie, shows us how to keep our cupboards well-stocked for making curries from scratch.
used to doing so, it’s worth having a go. T e fl avours and aromas far outdo any shop-bought ready meal, and leſt overs taste even better the next day.
M
Begin by stocking up with the basics. You’ll need oils, spices and other seasonings, plus various storecupboard items. If you cook regularly, you’ll be pleasantly
surprised by how many ingredients you already have. And once you understand what these do in terms of a curry, you’ll have the confi dence to use whatever you have to hand instead of rushing out to the shops.
OIL AND FAT
Most curries begin with heating oil or fat. Apart from butter, which burns too easily, the choice is yours.
❤ Coconut oil (solid at room temperature – needs softening) ❤ Groundnut oil
any of us eat curry on a regular basis, but how many of us cook it from scratch? If you’re not
With National Curry Week and Diwali in October, enjoy these recipes and tips for warming curries and more.
❤ Rapeseed oil ❤ Sunfl ower oil
THICKENERS Essential to any curry, thickeners add bulk and texture to the basic liquid, and they perk up the fl avour.
❤ Coconut milk
❤ Creamed coconut (a compressed block of coconut fl esh, sold as a waxy lump)
❤ Yoghurt
❤ Seeds and nuts: ground almonds, peanuts, sesame seeds ❤ Lentils: puréed or ground
❤ Onions: cooked slowly to an unctuous golden sludge. Yellow onions are best. Red or large sweet onions are too watery.
SPICES
Spices give curry its overall character. For the best fl avour, buy them whole and grind yourself. Use a mortar and pestle, or an electric coff ee grinder kept especially for spices. Exceptions are turmeric
20 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER
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