Aloo Achari Gosht, Hector-style – Spaten Oktoberfestbier too…

Curry for Ten, however, The Bier may be the Real Attraction

This has to be a Labour of Love. Cooking Curry or Ten and serving it three hours after the Tapping of a Stunning Oktoberfestbier is not to be taken lightly. Preparation began two days ago with the purchase of 3kg of Boneless Mutton from KRK (Woodlands Rd, Glasgow). This is a one-stop shop in the West End which supplies everything one needs for Curry making, a Halal Butcher and Grocer. For the record, Mustard Oil has gone up in price by 25% in the space of a week, so much for a Rick Stein Recommendation. Mein Host at KRK is used to Hector’s Bulk Purchases and always has a wry smile. I am The Cook – Heisenberg!

This is the third Hector’s Cooking post in the last week or so, Hector needs to get out more.

Cooking Bad

Normally one starts with the Onions to make the Masala, not when cooking Mutton for this number. The Lamb was sealed in Corn Oil and Freshly Ground Garam Masala. An entire Jar of Lime Chilli Pickle was stirred through, this contained more Oil. The Mass of Meat was baked in the Oven at 120°C for two hours. Gentle Cooking. The Mutton was still tough after this period, but the Achari Taste was there. Left overnight, this should Marinade well.

Yesterday!

This was Masala Day. The Mutton was cooked for another Hour and a Bit, it was then Perfect. The Taste of the Pickle was Stunning. Sod the Masala.   Can’t do this, The Lives of Others demand Masala.

When Cooking for Ten, peeling Onions is not an option – Frozen Chopped Onions to the rescue. Three packets of.

I have come to learn that the disadvantage of Frozen Onions is the Water Content. Mixed with Oil straight away there is too much Liquid. So, The Onions were placed in the Karahi and the Water was boiled off. Cumin seeds were added at this point and only when Bone-dry was 3/4l Oil introduced. Patience was required. Given the 2.4kg of onions present, a full Half Hour of simmering was permitted to achieve the start of The Mash. Only then was the Standard Mix of Spices stirred in, followed by the three Tins of Tomatoes. Soon there was a Masala. A quick sample revealed another Worthy Masala. I now have two Curry Dishes, they need to be introduced to each other.  Everything was put into The Big Pot, plus four Blocks of Frozen Methi and two Chopped Bunches of Fresh Coriander. This was left to Ferment overnight. Meanwhile 2.5kg of Potatoes had been cut small and left to soak.

Spaten Day

The Potatoes were Boiled, I know somebody will remind me today of The Great Potato Disaster of 2011,  and added to The Curry which was brought back to the Boil. (Why is Hector afraid of Stray Bacteria at this time?) Everything is ready. The Fear now is that on the Final Reheat I might end up with Spicy Stovies.

The Friends of Hector

There are a few Familiar Faces missing today.  Dr. Stan makes an appearance for the first time in weeks.  Sadly we are all missing Dr. Rick.  We hope that Dr. Rick will be able to make another Bier and Curry Rendezvous – Soon!

The Proof is in The Eating

First there was the matter of 30l of what The Company generally agree is the best of the Oktobefestbier – Spaten. Somebody had not put the pump back together properly and so there was a ten minute struggle in accessing the Bier. Dr. Stan had been stuck in traffic, his input could have speeded things along. He arrived in time to help himself to a full glass whilst Hector struggled with the High Pouring Bier. Six Pints later the Party was underway.

The Bier was chilled to the ideal temperature, easy to achieve at this time of year. The Spaten (Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu –München, Bayern) even at 5.9% was very quaffable and gave no hint of Sweetness. Due to the persistent rain, the Bier had to be keep indoors so five hours later it was decidedly warmer and Sweetness was emerging. Still, this was a fair treat. Rumour has it, Andechs Bergbock Hell will be the Bier for our next gathering. A first, possibly.

There was a huge amount of Curry. Juliet arrived as Kenny was worrying about his next commitment this evening. He took the Opperchancity of a First Sitting, the rest followed on. This was as good a Curry as I can possibly produce – in Bulk. Robin had a Takeaway to make up for the Modest Amount he consumed. Steve was back for more an hour or so later. Hopefully The Curryspondents will add their own comments.