Cooking Fresh Food - breaking the jar/can/bottle habit...

[Phteven]

I once posted a stack of curry powder recipies. Most of them are pretty easy and use spices that you will find in your local supermarket.
The trick is to make them in bulk and then put them in a bottle in your pantry then you just need to chuck a spoonful in the bottom of a fry pan or saucepanand fry them up then add whatever else you have on hand.
I'll try and dig them up.

ETA - https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...885-curry.html

I make a yellow curry powder in bulk here is the recipe
1.5 tbs ground tumeric
.25 tbs ground cardamon
.5 tbs ground cinammon
.25 tbs ground ground cumin
.25 tbs ground ground coriander seeds
.25 tbs ground ginger

I just put it all in a glass jar and leave it in the cupboard then when it's time to cook just fry it on a low heat with garlic, ginger and lemon grass until it's fragrant then brown your meat and or veges and chuck in some coconut milk and palm sugar and fish sauce and boil it for a while until it thickened a bit. Or you can just chuck the whole lot into a slow cooker for a few hours. When I use the SC I find it tastes better if you brown the spices first then I stir the coconut milk into the frying pan to pick up all the browned bits.

Here are some other spice mixtures you can use - just adapt/adjust them to suit yourself.
Curry
6 dried red chillies (take the seeds out to reduce the heat)
8 tbs coriander seeds
4 tbs cumin seeds
2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tbs ground tumeric
1 tsp ground ginger

roast or dry fry everything except the tumeric and ginger then grind them to a powder (a coffee grinder will do this really well or use a mortar) then put it in a jar and add the tumeric and ginger and shake it all about to mix them in.
You can reduce the heat by putting less chilli in and de-seeding the chilli.
You can also try adding a cinnamon stick, 6 cloves and 1 tbs fenel seeds before roasting.
It makes about 16 tbs.

Sambar powder
8-10 dried red chillis
6 tbs coriander seeds
2 tbs cumin seeds
2 tsp black peppercorns
2 tsp fernugreek seeds
2 tsp white split gram peas
2 tsp yellow split peas
2 tsp yellow mung beans
1.5 tbs ground tumeric.

Roast or dry fry the spices, repeat with the pulses (make sure they're evenly toasted - you need to shake them)
Grind the spices and pulses into a powder then mix the tumeric in and jar it up. It makes about 17 tbs.

Panch Phoran (Bengali 5 spices)
Mix equal quantities
Cumin seeds
Fennel seeds
Mustard seeds
Fenugreek seeds
Nigella seeds

You don't process it - just fry it in oil to flavour it before adding the main ingredients or fry it in ghee or oil and add it to vege and dahl dishes just before you serve.

Sri Lankan Curry Powder
6 tbs coriander seeds
3 tbs cumin seeds
1 tbs fenugreek seeds
5 cm piece cinnamon stick
1 tsp cloves
8 cardamom pods
6 dried curry leaves
1-2 tsp chilli powder.

Dry fry or roast the coriander, cumin, fennel and fenugreek seperately until they darken(they turn dark at different times).
Dry fry or roast the cinnamon, cloves and cardamom until they give off a spicy smell.
Remove the seeds from the cardamom then grind all the roasted ingredients with the chilli and curry leaves.
Makes about 12 tbs.

ETA 2 - it's really important to cook your spices (dry roast or fry). If you don't they can be kind of bitter.

[Sair]

Cheers for the Diggers Club info Dachlostar, there are so many things I miss from Canada and it looks like I will be able to get them there.

Mmmmm Christy on the pumpkin pie. I miss the Thanksgiving ones I had every year.

Now does anyone have a good sour cream and chives sauce recipe for pasta?

[sloane]

this is the chilli con carne recipe i use

1 tbs olive oil
1 onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
1.5 tsp chilli powder (sometimes i use fresh chilli or a combination of both)
600g beef mince
400g can tomatoes
2 tbs tomato paste
3 tsp herbs - usually oregano & thyme
2 cups beef stock
1 tsp sugar
1 can kidney beans

heat oil & cook onion for about 5 mins then add the garlic, cumin, chilli powder & mince & cook for 5 mins until beef has browned.

add the tomatoes & tomato paste, herbs & beef stock & sugar, stir. turn down the heat & let it simmer for about an hour & then add the beans just before you're ready to serve. i guess you don't have to cook it for quite so long but the flavour gets better & better the longer you cook it.

if you want to make enchiladas then after you've made the chilli, warm some tortillas & put chilli in the middle & roll up like a tube (my technical term!). to make enchilada sauce i just make a kind of roux with some flour & oil & chilli (fresh) & then add pureed tomatoes & a little bit of water. put the enchiladas in a dish & spread sauce over them (i put some cheese on top as well) & then cook in the oven at around 180 for about 15-20 mins (maybe less - i just take them out when the cheese has melted & the tortillas are a little toasty at the edges).

[suse]

BG - a yummy and really quick and easy broccoli & leek soup

Ingredients:
Broccoli (1 large head) - cut into large florets, stalks sliced.
Leeks (2-3) - washed & sliced
thyme (about 6 sprigs, enough to make a small bundle tied with string)
ground almonds (about 1/4 cup - 125gm)
chicken stock (or vege stock) - enough to almost cover the broccoli
a good splash of dry white wine
pepper
cream (about 125ml)
butter (a good dob to sweat leeks in, about 30-40gm)
grated or shaved parmigiano reggiano
optional: a small piece of orange zest

1. Heat butter over medium heat, add leeks and sweat until translucent. Increase heat and add white wine. Reduce wine by half.
2. Add broccoli, thyme and stock (and zest if using). Bring to boil and simmer until broccoli is tender. Remove thyme & zest.
3. Puree soup, add ground almonds, cream and freshly ground black pepper.
Serve topped with parmesan and with crusty bread.

[Sair]

It might just be that I have to unsubscribe from this thread in the case that I may become quite large if I keep reading and making myself constantly hungry and eating all this food