Railway Lamb / Mutton Curry

Railway Lamb / Mutton Curry is a direct throw back to the days of the British Raj, when traveling by train was considered aristocratic. This very popular and slightly spicy dish was served in Railway Refreshment Rooms and on long distance trains, with Bread or Dinner Rolls. The curry was not too spicy keeping in mind the delicate palates of the British. It was also popular with the Railway staff who had to be on duty for long periods at a stretch. The vinegar or Tamarind juice used in its preparation would ensure that the curry would last for quite a few days and was an ideal accompaniment with rice as well. The recipe for this dish is sure to bring back some happy memories.

RAILWAY LAMB CURRY

Serves 6 Preparation Time 45 minutes

½ kg mutton or lamb cut into medium size pieces
6 peppercorns
2 big onions sliced
2 pieces cinnamon
2 cloves
2 cardamoms
8 to 10 curry leaves
4 red chilies broken into bits
1teaspoon chilly powder
1teaspoon ginger garlic paste
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons vinegar or ½ cup of tamarind juice

Wash the meat and mix it with the ginger garlic paste, salt and the chilly powder. Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions, curry leaves, red chillies and spices till golden brown. Add the meat and mix well. Fry for a few minutes. Add the vinegar / Tamarind juice and sufficient water and cook on medium heat till the meat is done. Keep frying till the gravy is thick and dark brown.

Colonel Standhurst’s Beef Curry

Serves 6
Preparation Time 45 minutes
Ingredients

½ kg good beef cut into medium pieces
2 big tomatoes pureed
3 cloves, 2 pieces of cinnamon, 2 cardamoms
2 Bay leaves
1 teaspoons ginger paste
1 teaspoon garlic paste
2 onions chopped
1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
2 teaspoons chilly powder
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons oil
2 potatoes pealed and each cut into 8 pieces

Wash the meat and the potatoes. Heat oil in a pan and add the onions, cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms, bay leaves, ginger paste and garlic paste. Fry for a few minutes. Add the meat and the chilly powder and mix well. Keep frying on low heat for some more time. Now add the tomatoes, salt, mint leaves, potatoes, and mix well. Add sufficient water and cook till the meat is done and the gravy is thick. If cooking in a pressure cooker turn off the heat after 6 whistles. Serve hot with rice.

BRINJALS IN A TOMATO GRAVY (Aubergines in gravy)

Serves 6
Preparation Time 30 minutes
½ kg brinjals cut into quarters
2 teaspoons chilly powder
2 onions sliced finely
1- teaspoon cumin powder
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
½ teaspoon tumeric powder
½ cup coconut paste
½ cup tamarind juice made from a lime size ball of tamarind
2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
2 big tomatoes chopped
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons oil

Fry half the onions lightly and grind it to a paste together with the poppy seeds , coconut and sesame seeds.
Heat oil in a pan and sauté the remaining onions till golden brown. Add the ginger garlic paste, chilly powder, tumeric powder and cumin powder and fry for some time. Add the chopped tomatoes, the ground coconut masala and salt and continue frying till the oil separates from the masala. Now add the cut brinjals and tamarind juice and simmer on low heat till done. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

COUNTRY CAPTAIN PORK

1 kg pork cut into medium size pieces
3 large onions sliced finely
2 teaspoons chilly powder
1 teaspoon tumeric powder
2 tablespoons oil
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons garlic paste
2 sticks cinnamon
4 cloves
2 cardamoms

Wash the pork and boil with a little salt and 1 cup water till tender.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions lightly. Add the garlic paste. Saute for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the chilly powder, tumeric powder, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and salt. Now add the cooked pork along with the soup and simmer for about 10 minutes till the gravy is thick. Serve with bread or rice.

MEAT AND BRINJAL (EGG PLANT) CURRY

Meat and Brinjal Curry
1 kg Beef or Mutton cut into 3 cubes
3 medium size Brinjals cut into quarters and soaked in water
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon pepper powder
2 medium size onions chopped
2 tomatoes chopped fine or made into puree
2 green chillies slit lengthwise
1 teaspoon chillie powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons vinegar
Heat oil in a pan and lightly brown the Brinjals over moderate heat for 3 minutes then remove and keep aside. In the same oil add the onions and sauté lightly. Add the ginger garlic paste, pepper powder, chillie powder, green chillies and turmeric powder, vinegar and fry for 2 minutes. Now add the Beef / Mutton and the tomato and stir-fry until the meat changes colour. Add 2 cups water and cook till the meat is tender. Add the Brinjals and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with rice.

Pork Bhoonie

1 kg Pork with less fat cut into medium pieces
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon garlic paste
½ teaspoon turmeric Powder
2 teaspoon chillie Powder
2 green chillies sliced lengthwise
3 onions sliced finely
1 cup chopped Methi / Fenugreek leaves (Venthium greens)
Salt to taste
3 Potatoes peeled and cut into quarters
3 tablespoons oil

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions till golden brown. Add the ginger and garlic paste and sauté for a few more minutes. Add the pork, chillie powder, turmeric powder, green chillies, Methi / fenugreek leaves and mix well. Stir fry for a few minutes till the meat become firm and the leaves shrivel up. Add the potatoes and sufficient water and simmer on low heat till the pork and potatoes are tender.

CRISPY CHICKEN NUGGETS

½ kg chicken mince
2 tablespoons tomato sauce / ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon / lime juice
2 tablespoon chillie garlic sauce
1 teaspoon pepper powder
salt to taste
4 tablespoons plain flour / maida
3 tablespoons corn flour
oil for frying
½ cup milk
1 Egg Beaten
4 tablespoons bread crumbs
Mix the chicken mince, tomato ketchup / sauce, lemon / lime juice, chillie garlic sauce, pepper powder and a little salt. Make a thick batter with the flour / maida, corn flour, salt and milk. Form the chicken mince into square nuggets. Dip the nuggets one by one in the batter and roll in the bread crumbs. Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the chicken nuggets till golden brown and crispy on both sides. Serve with either tomato ketchup or chillie sauce.

A Quick and Simple Mutton / Lamb Curry

Serves 6
Preparation time 1 hour
Ingredients
1 kg mutton or lamb cut into cubes
2 tablespoons oil
2 medium size onions chopped finely
1 stick cinnamon broken into two
3 cardamoms
3 cloves
2 tomatoes chopped
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon garam masala / spice powder
2 teaspoons chillie powder
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions till golden brown. Add the spices and fry for a minute. Now add the ginger and garlic paste and stir fry for a few minutes. Add the meat and fry well till it changes colour. Now add the chillie powder, cumin powder, garam masala / spice powder, tomatoes and salt and mix well. Fry for a few more minutes. Add sufficient water and simmer till the meat is tender.

CURRIED TROTTERS

8 Trotters (sheep/ goat or pork) preferably the front ones each chopped into 2 or 3 pieces
2-teaspoons ginger paste
1teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon cumin powder
2 large tomatoes chopped or pureed
2 teaspoons chillie powder
2 large onions chopped
1teaspoon coriander powder
3 tablespoons oil
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (optional)
Method
Heat oil in a pressure cooker and lightly sauté the onions. Add the trotters, cumin powder, chillie powder, chopped tomato / tomato puree, coriander powder and salt and mix well. Add sufficient water and pressure cook first on high heat then on low heat for half an hour till the trotters are well cooked. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice or bread or even dosas or hoppers

SPICY ANGLO-INDIAN VEAL CURRY

Serves 6
Preparation Time 40 minutes
1 kg very tender veal cut into medium pieces
2 large onions chopped
1teaspoon chilly powder
½ teaspoon pepper powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
Salt to taste
2 green chillies slit lengthwise
1 teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon spice powder
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon garlic paste
Wash the veal well. Cook it in sufficient water with a little salt in a pressure cooker till soft. Drain and keep the soup aside. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onions lightly. Add the veal, ginger, garlic, salt, turmeric powder, chilly powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, spice powder and pepper powder and mix well. Add the soup. Cover and simmer on low heat till the gravy thickens. Serve hot with rice or bread.

BROWN STEW / IRISH STEW WITH DUMPLINGS

½ kg beef or mutton cut into medium pieces
2 cups mixed chopped vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, cauliflower etc
2 green chilies slit lengthwise
2 medium size tomatoes chopped
2 big onions sliced
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon garlic paste
2 cloves,
2 pieces of cinnamon,
6 or7 pepper corns
2 teaspoon chopped mint leaves
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons coconut paste (optional)
2 tablespoons flour
Wash the meat and vegetables and cook them all together with the peppercorns, green chilies, tomatoes ginger garlic paste, salt, cinnamon, cloves, mint, salt, coconut, and sufficient water till the meat is cooked. Make a thin paste of the flour and about ¼-cup of water. In another pan heat the oil and fry the onions till golden brown. Add the flour paste and fry along with the onions for some time. Add the cooked meat and vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve hot with bread or hoppers.
Make dumplings as follows and add along with the meat and vegetables while cooking.
To make the dumplings, you will need 1 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon butter and a pinch of salt. Mix all together with a little water to form soft dough. Form into small balls and flatten slightly. Add to the stew while cooking.

CHICKEN BUFFARD

1 whole chicken about 1 ½ kg in weight jointed and cut into 6 or 8 big pieces

1 large cabbage cut into quarters
1 teaspoon tumeric powder
2 teaspoons salt
4 large onions sliced
6 green chilies slit lengthwise
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
½ cup vinegar
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon spice powder
2 teaspoons chilly powder
1 teaspoon pepper powder
2 Bay leaves
1 teaspoon cumin powder
Wash the chicken and add all the above ingredients except the cabbage to it. Mix well. Take a large pan and cover the bottom with the cabbage. Add the chicken mixed with all the ingredients. Add 3 cups of water. Cover the pan and cook first on high heat then simmer on low heat for about an hour till the chicken is well cooked and it gives out a nice aroma. Serve hot.
Note: Cabbage could be substituted with knollkol, cauliflower, carrot, radish, turnip, potato or any other vegetable if desired.