Way back on Day 18 of – Round The World In 80 Days, Alison, our host in Auckland, introduced Hector to the blend of Nuts/Herbs/Spices that is Dukkah. This was tastiest, not Curried Lamb, the Hector has ever experienced. Imagine Dukkah Lamb in a Curry. I was given three packets to take home, these have therefore travelled halfway around the World!
With Marg away, already, representing her country in a certain sport, the Hector was let loose in the kitchen, an opperchancity to experiment.
Two gigot chops were smothered in Dukkah and left to marinate, hopefully, for a few hours. Coated in the mix, these were fried to approaching – cooked – then left to rest. Adding cooked Lamb to a Masala is how it’s done.
The – Beginners Curry recipe – provided the basis for what follows. Frozen Onion, less than usual, was defrosted then added to copious hot Oil with the grated Ginger and Garlic.
The Whole Spices: Cloves, Cinnamon, Cumin Seeds, Black Peppercorns, Black Cardamom, Coriander Seeds and a piece of Star Anise, were stirred in after the Onion mash had been given some twenty minutes. The intention was that the hot Oil would force out the Flavours, popping even.
The tin of Tomatoes and a squirt of Puree were added, the Masala was becoming more recognisable.
Powdered Kashmiri Chili, Turmeric, a Jeera-rich Garam Masala, the all important Salt and dried Methi were quickly followed by three chopped Green Chillies.
Stirring occasionally, this was given another twenty minutes before adding chopped Coriander leaves and stems. Ten minutes minimum here, I gave it another twenty.
It was time for the Dukkah Lamb and Mushrooms to go in.
There had to be a dollop of Yoghurt, thankfully there was no curdling.
Another ten minutes and the Oil had clearly separated, the telltale sign – the Curry is ready.
A sensible portion of Basmati was the accompaniment. I served up the majority of what was in the pot, not enough for another portion, not too much to waste if it’s horrible.
The appearance of the Masala had the Hector won, not dissimilar to the beloved Desi Korma, but of course, this Curry had been made from scratch, no packet-mix cheating here. No Nutmeg, it simply doesn’t come to mind despite sitting on the kitchen counter.
The eternal problem when the Hector cooks Curry, the outcome is – Hector Curry. This too had that inevitability, but there was something else happening here.
The Seasoning was a la Hector, and not once did I sample it whilst cooking. I know how much Salt is required, even when cooking for one. The Chillies had not been overdone, no sweat. It’s now down to the Flavour.
And there was some, in fact many.
Although Marg was present for my final two US wonder-Curry experiences, she was not eating Curry. Nobody was there to witness the extreme pleasure of Monday’s Desi Qorma at The Village. Tonight, Hector dines alone, and has a Curry of merit before him.
The Cloves were prominent, not dominant, the Cinnamon Bark had infused into the Masala. The Star Anise was judged to perfection, just enough. Then there was the Methi, and Coriander, a Herb-rich Curry.
The slightly pink Meat at the time of adding was now cooked through. The Dukkah was hardly visible but must have worked its magic, this was tasty Lamb. Tender of course and the Bones had been added to the Mash. Maybe these could have gone in earlier.
The Mushrooms were dead. I should have kept these out until moments before serving, not such an Interesting Vegetable.
I quickly realised that the plate was emptying, back for the rest.
Oh, Hector, why did you not use a slotted spoon?
The Oil slick could easily have been avoided.
Letting gravity do its job, I ate from the front of the plate. All was well.
A Hector Curry enjoyed by Hector, QED.
My next Beef Steak will be griddled with Dukkah.
Whilst this was a New Zealand brand, Dukkah is available in the UK, of course. Why had I never encountered this before l travelled half way around the planet?
Someone once asked in these very pages – why all the travelling?
The Aftermath
I’ve never before had a plum that tasted of Cumin. So even after washing up, this had stuck to the fingers.
Twenty four hours until Euro 2024 kicks off. What could possibly go wrong?