Goat curry
- 2¼ pounds boneless goat shoulder (or other braising cut)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin or seeds
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- few curry leaves (optional)
- 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes in juice
- 1¾ cups chicken stock (see Chapter 9) or water
- handful of cilantro leaves for garnish
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 4 small, fresh, hot chili peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped
- 1½-inch piece of fresh ginger, chopped
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil
Instructions:
This is a light, piquant, and flavorful curry.
- To make the chili paste, put all the ingredients into a small food processor and blitz to a fine paste. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl two or three times to be sure it is all evenly ground. Scrape the paste into a small bowl and set aside.
- Cut the goat shoulder into small, bite-size chunks and season with salt and pepper. Heat half the oil in a wide saucepan. Fry the meat in two batches until golden brown all over. As each batch is browned, remove to a plate and set aside. Tip the chili paste into the pan and stir over medium heat until fragrant, 2–3 minutes. Add the dried spices, sugar, and curry leaves, if using. Continue to stir for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and stock to the pan and stir well. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover the pan, and cook gently until the meat is just tender, 3–4 hours.
- Remove the lid and skim off the excess oil on top. Gently simmer until the curry has reduced and thickened slightly, 20–30 minutes longer. The meat should be very tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve garnished with cilantro.