Some while ago I stumbled on Vivek Singh's cooking in The Guardian. I was so pleased with the results I bought a copy of his Curry Classic and Contemporary. Now the reviews of Curry are not all positive. Unobtainable ingredients and impossible restaurant recipes. That being said it is a beautiful, well written and well illustrated cookbook.
Only one or two dishes did not appeal. I'm looking at you, liver. And there is something to offend almost anyone: beef, lamb, pork, goat, camel, seafood, corn, and little green peas.
Tonight's dinner was kadhai ka shikar, mixed game cooked in an Indian wok (pp 170-171). Now, I have a kadhai but it became apparent the ingredients would not fit, so I employed my Japanese cast iron Chinese cooking vessel. Singh explains: Shikar is a Hindi term for hunted meat, and this kadhai-style preparation is a quick and easy way to enjoy whatever you may be able to lay your hands upon."
I'm not sure about the quick and easy part but what I was able to lay my hands upon was a Shoprite chicken breast. The recipe calls for grouse, partridge, quail, and pheasant. I would not go so far as to say the recipe was easy. Some spices such as cumin, fennel, coriander are used multiple ways and added at different times. It did not help that after I toasted the spice mix I cross threaded the lid of my spice mill such that I cannot get it on or off. After toasting another quantity of spices I learned my lesson and ground them in a mortar.
Similarly, any well appointed spice shelf will have carom seeds. I just had never had an opportunity to use them. And then there were the dried red chillies. The recipe calls for five. I grew them. I know them. I looked at them. They looked at me. I used three. Note there is no lack of other fresh and powdered peppers in the dish. They did not feel lonely.
Once everything is prepared the dish comes together quickly.
One of the finer bits of cookery I have enjoyed of any cuisine. I've had nothing to compare in any Indian restaurant. And five red chillies would not have been too many.
