Potato curry recipe
There are as many versions of potato curry as there are types of potato. This particular one has a sharp hit of mustard combined with a little chilli, giving it a deep heat with a vinegary tang. It has a strong flavour and makes for a substantial, slightly heavy curry.
Tip: waxy potatoes work best in this recipe as they hold their shape and are firm enough to stand up to the hefty sauce. A floury variety will result in a mushy curry. You want the potatoes to be nicely cooked through and tender enough to suck up the flavour of the sauce, but not so soft that they are falling apart.
Ingredients
For the brown curry powder (makes approx 200g/7oz)- 45 g coriander seeds
- 30 g fennel seeds
- 30 g white peppercorns
- 30 g mustard seeds
- 20 g cumin seeds
- 12 g curry leaves
- 1 g pandan leaf, cut into 5mm pieces
- 15 g cinnamon quill, roughly crushed
- 8 g cardamom seeds
- 11 g turmeric powder
- 11 g chilli powder
- 40 g ghee
- 8 g curry leaves
- 240 g sliced brown onion
- 40 g finely chopped garlic
- 40 g finely chopped ginger
- 20 g finely chopped lemongrass, white part only
- 1 long green chilli, cut into thin rounds
- 1 pinch each salt flakes and freshly ground white pepper
- 30 g brown curry powder
- 2 g turmeric powder
- 850 g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm (1in) chunks
- 240 ml coconut cream
- 3 x 5cm (2in) pieces pandan leaf
- 40 g Sri Lankan mustard (or use 1:1 ratio of wholegrain and English mustard)
Details
- Cuisine: Sri Lankan
- Recipe Type: Curry
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 10 mins
- Cooking Time: 55 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
For the brown curry powder
- Place a wide shallow frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the coriander and fennel seeds and toast gently, tossing regularly for even cooking. After about 2 minutes the spices will start popping and releasing their aromas.
- Reduce the heat and keep toasting for another 4-5 minutes until the spices start to darken and the aroma becomes stronger and sweeter. Tip them into a bowl.
- Add the peppercorns, mustard and cumin seeds, curry leaves and pandan to the pan and toast over a medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until they start to pop.
- Reduce the heat and toast for another 2-3 minutes until the pepper smell is pronounced, the mustard seeds are not only popping but grey in colour, the cumin darkens and the fresh leaves are dry. Tip them into the bowl with the coriander and fennel seeds.
- Next, toast the cinnamon and cardamom seeds over a medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes, then add to the bowl with the other spices and allow to cool completely.
- Grind to a fine powder and then mix through the turmeric and chilli powder. Store in an airtight container.
For the curry
- Melt the ghee in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the curry leaves and cook, stirring, for a minute or so until the leaves are fried.
- Add the onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and chilli and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-6 minutes until the onion starts to soften. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
- Add the curry powder and turmeric powder and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes until the powder begins to catch on the bottom of the pan.
- Add the potato and stir well to coat, then add the coconut cream, pandan leaf and 240ml (8fl oz) water. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 30-35 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
- Just before serving, stir through the mustard and have a final taste for seasoning.
This recipe is from Lanka Food by O Tama Carey (Hardie Grant, £26). Photography ©Anson Smart.
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