I have been too busy eating food to blog about cooking it, but this recipe is just too good not to share. My sister-in-law has introduced me to the indulgence of the Waitrose magazine and apart from being a good read it has a multitude of tempting recipes. This one has been so tasty that I've cooked it three times in as many weeks and so far I believe it is versatile to go with almost anything; we've had it with steak and salmon and it would also be great with a variety of vegetarian dishes.
The flavours develop well providing a rich depth, and luckily for me presentation is not a factor - the flavour speaks for itself.
As is my usual bent I am unable to make anything without altering some-thing to tailor it to my individual taste and in this case I doubled the amount of tomatoes. Mainly this is because I used a 400g tin of tomatoes as it is easier than deciding what to do with the remainder of the tin if only using half. I am very happy with this slight alteration and by reducing the sauce further it is still the perfect texture and a crusty loaf mops up the sauce perfectly.
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons coconut or rapeseed oil
- 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 5 curry leaves
- 12 eschalion shallots (about 600g) halved
- 1 green chilli, finely chopped
- 227g can chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Method:
- Heat the oil in a large, wide frying pan over a medium heat and, when hot, add the mustard seeds. When they start to wriggle, add the curry leaves and when those crackle, lay the shallots in the pan, cut side down. Cook for a couple of minutes until the shallots have browned, then stir and add the chilli.
- Cook for a further 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and browning. Add the tomatoes, cook for 5 minutes, then add the tamarind, turmeric, coriander and salt. Stir to mix, then add about 150mls water. Simmer the shallots for another 5-10 minutes, then take off the heat. They should be soft and be in a thick sauce.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I have. It is simple and impressive; perfect for a home cooked meal or to impress friends.
