Trinidadian Beef Curry

Living in Nottingham in the 80's I had the advantage of a perpetually open West Indian take away on my doorstep. Dishes such as Goat Curry when you got the munchies at two in the morning were much appreciated. The following curry recipe is for beef not goat but is still no less righteous. You can also use chicken, lamb or even goat instead of beef if you like. If using chicken or lamb then use water or chicken stock instead of beef. The beef stock would be a bit too intense for it. Thanks to Madhur Jaffrey's Ultimate Curry Bible for bringing back memories of early morning Caribbean feasting

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Ingredients

Marinade

• 1 kg of beef (strewing / braising steak) cut into 1 inch pieces
  
• One medium sized onion finely chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic peeled & chopped
• The white part of 4 Spring Onions sliced into rings
• 4 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 5 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1/2 a very hot chili (Appropriately for a dish cooked in Scotland I used a Scotch Bonnet.) Handle with care and wash your hands several times afterwards.
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper

For the cooking

5 tbsp oil such as peanut
5 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
2 pints of beef stock
1 tsp of ground roasted cumin seeds
2 tsp amchar masala

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Preparation

• Blend the marinade ingredients, with the exception of the beef to make a smooth paste.

• Marinade the beef in this paste covered in the fridge for at least 1/2 an hour and for a maximum of 3 hours.

• Heat the oil in a wok or large lidded non-stick pan over a medium high heat.

• Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds until it sizzles.

• Add the curry powder and stir for 10 seconds.

• Reduce the heat to medium and add the meat and its marinade stir frying for a minute.

• Cover, reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Add the stock, cumin and amchar masala.

• Stir and bring to a simmer.

• Reduce the heat to low and braise for around an hour and a half until the meat is tender.

• Increase the heat to medium high and reduce, stirring constantly, to a thick sauce.

• Stick some Peter Tosh on the ghetto blaster and eat with some boiled rice (the curry that is, not the ghetto blaster).
  

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Amchar Masala

This mix is from Trinidad and uses many of the spices that are used for pickling in India. First they are lightly roasted releasing a heavenly aroma and giving them an intense flavor, then they are ground ready for the jar. Like Garam Masala in Indian food, Amchar Masala is often added to a dish at the end of cooking. So put some Bob Marley on the CD player and grind it like a Lion in Zion.

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Ingredients for around 8 tbsp

• 4 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds

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Preparation

• Put the spaces in a heavy dry saucepan.
• Stir over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes to lightly roast. The spices will darken slightly.
• Leave to cool.
• Grind in a mortar & pestle or clean coffee grinder.
• Store in an airtight container and keep in a dark place.

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