Beef Kofta Curry

The dinner started with this conversation:

Mr J: "This curry is so good. Why haven't you cooked it before?"

Me: "Because it reminds me of my ex's mother."

The dinner ended with a long silence.

I absolutely love the Southern-style Indian curry which uses lots of onions, ginger, garlic and a long list of spices. It usually doesn't contain coconut milk, cream or yogurt which makes it light, healthy and surprisingly refreshing with the addition of tomatoes.

It's may sound strange to a lot of Malaysians that the most memorable dish of my 8 years stay in Penang was an Indian dish. However, it reminisces the good time I had in a previous relationship that saw me visiting his parents (of mixed Indian and Chinese heritage) during many of the weekends. A big pot of curry made with love and care was always there waiting for me.

It was a good 8 years. Sadly, life moves on. 12 years later saw me settling in a new country with a new family and shall remain on "Team Aniston" forever.

Henry Miller - "Life moves on, whether we act as cowards or heroes. Life has no other discipline to impose, if we would but realize it, than to accept life unquestioningly. Everything we shut our eyes to, everything we run away from, everything we deny, denigrate or despise, serves to defeat us in the end. What seems nasty, painful, evil, can become a source of beauty, joy and strength, if faced with an open mind. Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such."

Beef Kofta Curry
(Adapted from Rick Stein's Far East Odyssey)
Serves 6

Rick Stein - "This is the Indian version of Italian meatballs in tomato sauce to be served with spaghetti. I nfact, I sometimes serve this with pasta too."

2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tsp garam marsala
1 1/2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
2 tsp turmeric powder
135 ml vegetable oil
600 g onions, finely chopped
25 g garlic, crushed
700 g minced beef
1 1/2 tbsp beaten egg
8 green cardamon pods
6 cloves
7.5 cm cinnamon stick, broken into smaller pieces
200 g chopped tomatoes, fresh or from a can
1 tbsp tomato puree
24 curry leaves
5 green cayenne chillies, slit open lengthways

Method

1. Heat a dry, heavy-based pan over a high heat. Add the coriander and cumin seeds and shake them around for a few seconds until they darken slightly and start to smell aromatic. Top them into a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder, then mix with the garam marsala, chilli powder and turmeric.
2. Heat 6 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and garlic and fry gently for 10-12 minutes until soft and lightly browned. Add the ground spices and 1 tsp salt and cook gently for another 3-4 minutes. Scrape half the mixture into a mixing bowl and leave to cool.
3. Add the minced beef, beaten egg and 1 tsp salt to the spiced onion mixture in the bowl and mix together well. Shape into approximately 28 golfball-sized pieces and set aside.
4. Add the green cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon stick to the spiced onion mixture left in the pan together with the tomatoes, tomato puree, 300 ml water, curry leaves, chillies and another teaspoon of salt and bring to a gentle simmer.

   

5. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the meatballs, in 2 batches if necessary, and fry for 2-3 minutes, turning them now and then until lightly browned all over. Drop them into the sauce, part-cover and simmer for 20 minutes, carefully stirring every now and them, until the meatballs have set and the sauce has reduced and thickened nicely, then serve.

Far Eastern Odyssey by Rick Stein
Published by BBC Books, July 2009
Hardcover: 320 pages
AU $69.95

"Far Eastern Odyssey is an epic culinary journey along rivers, through jungles and around coastlines. Along the way, Rick visits traditional family-run restaurants, street vendors, floating markets, night markets, fishing villages, and the local cinnamon and rice farmers to learn about the authentic food of the Far East, and to sample the delicious spectrum of exotic flavours.

In this tie-in cookery book to the series, Rick shares his new-found knowledge, recreating the tantalizing food of his travels and capturing on the plate the rich and varying cultures of the Far East.

With over 150 new recipes and breathtaking on-location photography, this book evokes the magic of bustling markets, exotic locations and exciting flavours."