coconut milk curry

There are curries from countless countries around the world, which makes it difficult to define what exactly is a curry. In my experience, there is only one characteristic that is common to all: a rich and complex flavour that is built by combining multiple spices and ingredients that complement one another. As these flavors merge together, the whole is more than the mere sum of its parts, thus the curry is an invitation to creativity and a celebration of diversity. Do not concern yourself with following the measurements or the steps of this receipe too closely. Whatever you do it will turn out delicious.

I have never eaten the same curry twice, for it’s not the same curry and I am not the same man.

Time:

1-3 hours

Ingredients:

Lentils:

500g lentils (~1 pound)
1 tsp salt

Fried plantains:

3 ripe plantains
2 tbsp vegetable oil (more may be necessary)

Curry:

2 tbsp olive oil
6 large garlic cloves
2 thumbs worth of ginger root
2 medium sized red onions
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp cinnamon
5 bay leaves
2 tsp cayenne chili powder
3 tbsp high quality curry powder. I like Madras curry powder.
1 tbsp tumeric
1 tbsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup tomato puree/sauce. I use Mutti Pomodoro. 1/4 cup tomato paste can be substituted.
1/2 can coconut milk
Cashews (garnish)

Steps:

Put on some jazz and pour yourself a glass of wine.
Start your rice cooking. Make however much you will need to accompany the curry.
Start your lentils cooking. In a pressure cooker add 500g of lentils, 9 cups of water and 1 tsp of salt. Once the pot reaches high pressure, cook for 9 minutes. If you do not have a pressure cooker, add 500g lentils, 6 cups of water and 1 tsp of salt to a pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer the lentils for 20-30 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Do not let them turn to mush – you can cook them more once they are in the curry if necessary.

Slice plantains to create pieces that are roughly .5cm (.25 inch) thick and medium sized for frying.

Add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil to pan on medium-high heat. Fry all of the pieces of plantain, flipping them occasionally to carmelize both sides. Add more oil if necessary.

Place fried plantains on a plate and set the plate aside once all of the platains have been cooked so that they can cool.
Draw the plate back towards you momentarily. Eat a few of them, then return it to its former location.
Julienne the onions. Crush and then dice the garlic. The ginger can be finely grated, finely chopped, or left in large, easily avoidable or consumable chunks.

Add 2 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds into a large pot on medium heat.

Once the oil starts sputtering a bit, add: garlic, ginger, onions, cinnamon and bay leaves.
Bring the heat to low-medium to avoid burning the garlic. Cook for around 20 minutes until the red onions have softened completely.