By Michael Minorgan for Curtains Up minorganmichael@yahoo.com
SRI LANKEN TURKEY CURRY
Sri Lanka, known for centuries as a major world spice trader, is responsible for some truly amazing curries, all great to warm you up on a cold winter night. Their cuisine is greatly influenced by colonial traders and the southern province of Kerala(1) in India know for its use of spices and coconut milk.
This week’s recipe is one of my favorite go to curries originally aired by the UK Chef Rick Stein on one of my favorite food TV stations, Gusto TV. It is an inventive and delicious way to enjoy all that leftover Christmas turkey.
Don’t be afraid of all the ingredients, just follow the directions and you will be surprised how easy it all comes together. The final product will definitely make it all worthwhile……Merry Christmas and a Happy Food Filled New Year……Enjoy!
(1) wikipedia
Ingredients
For the roasted Sri Lankan curry powder
1 tbsp uncooked long grain or basmati rice
50g/2oz coriander seeds
25g/1oz cumin seeds
25g/1oz fennel seeds
7.5cm/3in piece cinnamon stick
1½ tsp fenugreek seed
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp cardamom seeds (from about 10 green cardamom pods)
½ tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
3 dried red Kashmiri chillies
Sri Lnken Chicken Curry
2 tbsp coconut or vegetable oil
15cm/6in cinnamon stick, broken into smaller pieces
10 cardamom pods, bruised
10 cloves
350g/12¼oz onions or shallots, peeled, cut in half, thinly sliced
40g/1½oz garlic, peeled, crushed to a paste with the edge of a knife
25g/1oz fresh root ginger, peeled, finely grated
2 tbsp roasted Sri Lankan curry powder (see above)
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
200g/7oz canned chopped tomatoes
20 fresh curry leaves
4 x 4cm/1½in pieces pandan leaf (available from some Asian grocers)
1 fat lemongrass stalk, tough outer leaves removed, cut in half, lightly bruised with the edge of a knife
3 green cayenne chillies, split open lengthways
1 tsp salt, or to taste
400ml/14fl oz canned coconut milk
750g-800g/1lb 10½oz-1lb 12¼oz cold cooked turkey, cut into small pieces
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
steamed rice, to serve
Preparation method
For the roasted Sri Lankan curry powder, heat a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Add the uncooked rice and cook for 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan regularly, until the rice is toasted and pale golden-brown. Transfer the toasted rice to a large mortar or spice grinder and set aside to cool.
Repeat the dry-frying process with the spices, then tip into a bowl and set aside to cool.
Repeat the dry-frying process with the dried chillies, then tip into a bowl and set aside to cool
When the toasted rice, spices and chillies have cooled, grind them to a fine powder (do this in batches if necessary). Store the roasted Sri Lankan curry powder in an airtight jar for up to three months.
For the Sri Lankan turkey curry, heat the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and cloves and fry for 15-20 seconds, or until fragrant.
Add the onions or shallots and fry for 4-5 minutes, or until softened and pale golden-brown. Add the garlic and ginger, stir well to combine, and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
Stir in two tablespoons of the roasted curry powder, the chilli powder and ground turmeric and fry for a further minute
Add the chopped tomatoes, curry leaves, pieces of pandan leaf, lemongrass stalk, cayenne chillies and salt. Cover the pan with a lid and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over a low to medium heat. Continue to simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the curry sauce has thickened.
Add the coconut milk and cooked turkey, then re-cover the pan with the lid, return the mixture to a simmer and continue to simmer for a further 4-5 minutes, or until the turkey has heated through. Stir in the lime juice and remove the pan from the heat. Serve with steamed rice.
