Basic curry cook along

By Dotty in France

This is poor people store cupboard basic curry and vegetarian because we have no meat but hopefully we'll turn out something tasty for not much money
So far the menu looks like being:
Yogurt bread
Lentil and tomato dahl
A rice and veg type dish

Here's the basic ingredients

Rice dish: Note the use of frozen peas and mushrooms...I find fresh much too expensive and these are fine for cooking



Lentil tomato...it would be good if I had fresh tomato but we're going to use store cupboard looks boring? the spices will fix that



Yogurt bread: that's plain flour, natural yogurt and the sachet called levure chimique is baking powder...whoops should have shown the salt as I will put a pinch in



We're going to start with the yogurt bread so we'll be back in a min when we've got that mixed up...

Right here we go with the bread I can't give exact quantities for this becasue it's really done by feel. I'm using four small pots of Yogurt and half a sachet of levure nothing is written in stone.

Put the yogurt in the bowl



Add flour



Stir adding flour until it starts to form a dough



As it gets doughy get your hands in there kneading and adding more flour as it becomes sticky



On to the work surface and knead still adding flour until it 'feels' like dough...Should get a squidgy elasticity about it



Back into the bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and sit in a warmish place...I'm going to leave this now for about three hours



Next up the dahl which will be better for being made now and then reheated before we eat it...

Here's the dahl

Spices: from the top: coriander seed, cumin seed, sesame seed, fennel, peppercorns, cloves, cardomom,



Dry roasted on the cooker and ready to grind



Two seconds later... Wish we had smell-o-vision



Add enough water to form a paste



Second lot of spices: Cinnamon stick, tumeric, chillis



Fry the spice paste and the tumeric and chillis preferably in ghee but we're out so I'm using a mix of sunflower oil and butter



Add the lentils and cinnamon stick fry gently for a min or two



Add the tomatoes and some water I've used about two pints of water



I'm going to bring it to the boil and fast boil for ten mins, then pop a lid on and simmer for about an hour

Next up the rice...

On with the rice...the smells in this kitchen are making me soooo hungry

The spices from the top: cinnamon bark (bit different to cinnamon stick) garlic, ginger, tumeric, cumin seed, black mustard seed, and in the middle bay leaf



We're frying all the spice apart from the tumeric and bay leaf in a mix of oil and butter again but we're keeping these spices whole. I'm using about one third butter to two thirds oil quantity is up to you. The mustard seed should turn grey and start to splutter.



I've added a chopped onion and the frozen mushrooms that's just going to sweat away until the onion is cooked



Also but I'm not taking pics I've chopped quite chunky three potatoes and three carrots I've steamed those because otherwise they won't have time to cook properly when the rice goes in. I've also got a couple of plum tomatos they'll go in withthe rice chopped into quarters. Once the onion is cooked I'll turn off the heat while I cook the bread, I'll keep the bread warm in the oven for the ten mins or so it takes the rice to cook.

Next up the exciting bit cooking the bread...