Currying Favor
Oct. 10th, 2021 11:09 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbakerThis week's Resolution Recipe: Lamb Dansak.
"Dansak is traditionally made with lentils, but lentils take longer, so I use canned kidney beans instead."
3 1/2 Tbsp butter
2 1/2 Tbsp veg oil
1 Tbsp garlic paste (Ha! I used... freshly minced, and more.)
1 Tbsp ginger paste (Ha! Ditto.)
3.5 oz chopped onions (I used 1 largeish red onion)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp chile paste
1 Tbsp tomato paste (I used house-made)
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 Tbsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cinnamon
500 g lamb shoulder or leg, cubed
1 15-oz can kidney beans, drained
rice
cream
cilantro (I also used a couple green onions, chopped)
Melt the butter in a large pan with the oil. Then turn up the heat, add the garlic, onions, and salt, and cook on high heat until the onions are very brown and soft. Keep a glass of water handy in case they start to stick - if they do, just splash in a little water. Add the chile paste, tomato paste, curry powder, garam masala, and cinnamon, and cook on medium heat until the mixture really starts to thicken.
Add the lamb and cook until it is browned. Then put a lid on the pan and let it cook gently for 10 minutes. Stir the beans into the lamb, pop the lid on again, and cook for 20 minutes over medium heat.
Cook some rice now. I like to serve this with a tiny splash of cream drizzled on top and some chopped cilantro. A pineapple salsa also works as a refreshing side. (We used pickled jalapenos under the theory that it was a similar palate of sweet and hot.)
What worked: It was pretty easy. Tastier than I expected, and not too hot despite our fairly hot curry powder. The garam masala probably helped there, plus it rounded everything out. This made six servings with a couple cups of cooked rice, so we had plenty of leftovers.
What didn't: It was pretty beige; at least there was a fair amount of cilantro and green onion to break up the color.
Will I make it again? Probably not this particular recipe but I will make this dish again. Traditionally lamb dansak (dhansak) is a mixture of lentils, potatoes or other starches, and just enough meat to provide some flavor rather than being the main ingredient. I am more likely to try something along those lines with winter squash or sweet potato.
"Dansak is traditionally made with lentils, but lentils take longer, so I use canned kidney beans instead."
3 1/2 Tbsp butter
2 1/2 Tbsp veg oil
1 Tbsp garlic paste (Ha! I used... freshly minced, and more.)
1 Tbsp ginger paste (Ha! Ditto.)
3.5 oz chopped onions (I used 1 largeish red onion)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp chile paste
1 Tbsp tomato paste (I used house-made)
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 Tbsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cinnamon
500 g lamb shoulder or leg, cubed
1 15-oz can kidney beans, drained
rice
cream
cilantro (I also used a couple green onions, chopped)
Melt the butter in a large pan with the oil. Then turn up the heat, add the garlic, onions, and salt, and cook on high heat until the onions are very brown and soft. Keep a glass of water handy in case they start to stick - if they do, just splash in a little water. Add the chile paste, tomato paste, curry powder, garam masala, and cinnamon, and cook on medium heat until the mixture really starts to thicken.
Add the lamb and cook until it is browned. Then put a lid on the pan and let it cook gently for 10 minutes. Stir the beans into the lamb, pop the lid on again, and cook for 20 minutes over medium heat.
Cook some rice now. I like to serve this with a tiny splash of cream drizzled on top and some chopped cilantro. A pineapple salsa also works as a refreshing side. (We used pickled jalapenos under the theory that it was a similar palate of sweet and hot.)
What worked: It was pretty easy. Tastier than I expected, and not too hot despite our fairly hot curry powder. The garam masala probably helped there, plus it rounded everything out. This made six servings with a couple cups of cooked rice, so we had plenty of leftovers.
What didn't: It was pretty beige; at least there was a fair amount of cilantro and green onion to break up the color.
Will I make it again? Probably not this particular recipe but I will make this dish again. Traditionally lamb dansak (dhansak) is a mixture of lentils, potatoes or other starches, and just enough meat to provide some flavor rather than being the main ingredient. I am more likely to try something along those lines with winter squash or sweet potato.
