Ingredients

Paste:

3 tbsp curry powder.

1 tsp cumin (powder or seed)

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp oil (ghee or any other kind)

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 inch ginger

2 garlic cloves

small capfull vinegar

a few cloves

1 hot chilli pepper

Other:

fresh coriander

some vegetable stock (cube or liquid)

2 medium sized onions

Method

Preheat a sturdy frying pan and get a bigger pan with a lid ready.

Add oil to the pan and allow to pre-heat on medium heat.

Peel and chop the onions as finely as you can

Add to the hot oil and spinkle a little salt on the top. Ensure that the pan is not too hot, you don't want the onions going brown.

Whilst the onions cook slowly, make the curry paste.

Add all the powders and seeds together in a stain-proof bowl, peel and chop the giner as finely as you can, along with the garlic and chilli (which can be cut into slices or finely) and add it

all to the powder. Add the oil and vinegar and mix well. If it is too stiff, add more oil (you need a lot of oil to make a good curry, use olive oil if you're worried about your health.)

Remember to stir your onions upon occasion. When they are well cooked and clear, turn down the heat to low and allow to cool slightly.

Push the onion to the edges of the pan and make a space in the middle. Add the curry paste to

fill the centre and allow to cook for a minute or two. This should make a very nice smell.

Mix the onions with the paste and cook for another minute or less. This onion mix is the base

for any curry.

In the large pan, boil a cup of water or two, and add the stock. Add the onion mix to this and

any other ingredients too and cook on a low heat, covered, for an hour or so.

You may need to salt the curry more than I have, I like to add quite a lot, but not everyone

has the same taste, remember that salt is a flabour enhancer and really brings out the tastes. But

don't be like me when cooking a curry from the Hare Krishna cookbook which called for a 'tablespoon of salt', which made the curry absolutely inedible. Upon reflection, it was probably

supposed to be a teaspoon.

Add the chopped, fresh coriander about ten minutes before serving.

Example: Potato, spinach and lentil.

(Use the Basic Recipe as base)

Lentils add a real flavour kick to curries and help the texure.

2 Handfulls dry lentils. (Canned lentils will do, if you must, but they aren't as good, but can be added without cooking).

Boil some water, half of a medium pan full, adding a generous amount of salt.

Add the lentils and boil for ten mintes.

Turn down the heat and cook for at least 30 minutes covered, on low (an hour if you have the time).

If the lentils get too thick add some more water. If too thin after cooking, take cover off and

cook until the liquid is reduced a little. Liquidy isn't a problem if you're adding to a curry, add this liquid can replace the plain water in the big pan, or combine it with the potato juice. Do not drain the lentils!

Add the lentil mix with all the other ingredients in the big pot and cook as usual for an hour, covered, on low.

Cooks Comments and Tips

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