2 lost recipes from India that would make you lick your fingers

April 03, 2015

India has always been land of spices, rice, wheat an pulses - basically all the major raw ingredients that help complete a meal. It has always been India's brightest attributes.

When Portugese, British and French came to India, they brought their touch to Indian food and that remix called 'Anglo-Indian' food made everyone lick their fingers.

We bring you three of India's best lost recipes:

1. Goalando Steamer Chicken Curry

The story goes that this curry gets its name from a steamer that ferried people across the Padma River that runs through Bangladesh and India (where it is called the Ganges).

The cooks on the boat served passengers unlimited rice and lentil soup, or dal, but only two pieces of chicken.

This is my version of Goalando Steamer Chicken Curry, based on a number of recipes that I have tried over the years. No water is used and the gravy is formed from the liquid released by sweating the onions, which takes on a beautiful red hue.
  • 5 cups chicken (or one whole chicken cut in pieces)
  • 6 sliced onions
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons freshly minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons freshly minced ginger
  • 8 dry red chilies ground into a paste
  • 8 sliced green chilies
  • ½ cup mustard oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
Method: Marinate the chicken in all the ingredients and keep in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Heat a pan and add the marinated chicken. Cook the chicken on a high heat for two minutes, until the chicken starts to change color.
Turn the flame to medium, cover and cook. Check and stir every few minutes. In about 20-30 minutes it should be done. A lovely reddish gravy from the juice of the onions should have formed by now. Do not add any water.
I add sugar to impart a sweet balance and caramelize the onions as well, but you can skip the sugar in the marinade if you like.
Serve with a bowl of steaming hot rice.
2. Ball Curry
This Anglo-Indian recipe also has Portuguese flavors. It is spicy, yet tangy and served with coconut rice. Can't rely understand how it got lost. Such is the great taste!

Meat balls
  • 5 cups of minced goat, beef or mutton (one kilo or two pounds minced meat)
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 4 finely chopped green chilies
  • 10 finely chopped curry leaves
  • 2 cups finely chopped cilantro
Curry paste
(to be used in the meat balls and the curry)
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala powder
  • 3 tablespoons freshly grated coconut
  • 3 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ginger paste
  • 1 tablespoon garlic paste
  • 3 tablespoons cumin powder
For the curry
  • 3 boiled and diced potatoes
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
  • 1 cup whipped yogurt
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 chopped tomato
  • 1 sliced onion
  • 10 curry leaves
Method: Mix all the meatball ingredients with 1½ teaspoons of salt and 1/3 of the curry paste. Set aside in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
To make the curry, add oil to a pan on medium heat. Then add the sliced onions and curry leaves. Fry the onions until they are golden brown. Lower the heat and add the remaining curry paste. Fry for five minutes. You could add a tablespoon of water if the paste looks like it is starting to stick.
Then add the tomato and sauté, followed by the coconut milk, yogurt and tamarind paste. Stir and add a cup of hot water. Add salt to taste and the cilantro leaves and let it simmer.
To make the meat balls, form small balls, about an inch in diameter. You should be able to make about 30 meat balls. Heat oil in a pan and fry the meat balls until they are browned on the outside. Then add them to the simmering curry. Add the diced potatoes. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
Coconut rice
  • 2 cups Basmati rice
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 sliced onion
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 whole dried red chilies
  • 2 sticks of cinnamon
  • 4 cloves
  • 4 green cardamom (bash it slightly so the husks open up)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger paste
  • 1 teaspoon garlic paste
  • 1 ½ teaspoons turmeric powder
  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • 2 cups hot water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
Method: Soak the rice in water for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Add the vegetable oil to a pan on medium heat. Add the cinnamon, clove, bay leaf and cardamom. As the mix splutters, add the sliced onions. Let the onions turn translucent. Then add the dried red chilies and cook for a minute. Add the ginger and garlic paste and sauté. Then add the turmeric powder while mixing vigorously. You can add a tablespoon of water if you feel the spices are sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Now add the rice. Sauté for two minutes then add the coconut milk and water. Stir well. Add salt, stir well and cover the pan.
Cook on low heat for 15 to 18 minutes. When it looks like the rice has soaked in the liquid, remove from the heat, lift the lid and let the rice breathe for 10 minutes. This makes sure that the rice stays fluffy and doesn’t stick together. Serve with the Ball Curry
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