| KEBAB
CURRY
(KASHMIR)
This is a curry
made with long kababs of minced mutton. It is a recipe from a leading
Kashmiri family, the Dhars. They call it a kofta curry and
say that long kabads absorb the flavour of the curry more evenly
than the raound ones. The koftas are very tender and the
gravy thin but full of flavour.
The spices used arre traditional Kashmiri cooking - dried ginger
(because fresh ginger was not available in Kashmir in the old days),
fennel powder, large balck cardamom and, of course, Kashmiri chilli
powder.
This dish can be aeaten with rice and/or roti.
| Serves
6 |
|
| For
the kebabs |
For
the gravy |
| 900g
very finely minced minced mutton |
5
tablespoons whole milk yoghurt |
| 2
teaspoons fennel powder (saunf) |
6
tablespoons oil |
| 11/2
teaspoonss ginger powder |
8
cloves |
| 11/2
teaspoons red chilli powder |
2-in
(5-cm) cinnamon stick |
6
large black cardamoms
1 tablespoon oil |
2
tablespoons Kashmiri chilli
powder |
| salt |
2
teaspoons ginger powder |
| 1
egg |
salt |
1 To make the kebabs, mince or process the lamb once more
until it is very fine.
2 Mix the fennel and ginger powder. Remove the seeds from
the cardamoms and pound until crushed. Mix all the spices with the
minced lamb in a bowl. Add the oil, salt to taste (about 3/4 of
a teaspoon) and the egg and mix well.
3 Keep a bowl of warm water handy to dip your hands into
when making the kebabs. Take a handful of the minced meat, about
the size of a lime, and roll it to a 3-inch (7.5-cm) long kebab.
Place on a flat dish or tray. You will get about 30 kebabs which,
when cooked, will shrink to a 2-in (5-cm) length.
4 To make the gravy, wishk the yoghurt and set aside.
5 Take a cooking pot with a diameter of at least 10-12 in
(25-30cm) - it can be a shallow one -into which the kababs will
fit without breaking. Heaat the oil in the pot over a low heat.
Add the cloves and cinnamon first, then after a minute or so add
the tomatoes. Fry until the liquid from the tomatoes has almost
evaporated.
6 Add the chilli powder and fryfan minute , then put in
the yoghurt. Stir continuously over low fire to prevent the yoghurt
from curdling. Add the fennel and ginger powders, season with salt
and cook for 5 minutes, stirring all the time.
7 Add 5 cups hot water and bring to the boil. Very gently
lay in the kebabs one at a time.Leave to cook for about 20 minutes
over a low heat. A lot of the water will be absorbed by the kebabs.
Do not stir once the kebabs are put into the pot. If gravy needs
to be stirred, hold both sides of the pot and rock it gently.
8 Taste and add more salt if neccessary, mixing it first
with water and pouring it into the pan in various places. You will
know when the dish is totally ready as oil will rise to the top
of the gravy.If the kebab curry is to be reheated before serving,
remove from the heat just as the oil begins to rise to the surface
and set aside. Then reheat gently for 5-7 minutes, before serving.
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