Can you beat 65p veg curry and rice?

candygirl

Phil if you wanna attract women learn to cook mate:beer: Have a look at Weezl's recipes for ideas, she's got some ace ones:j

Stephen_Leak

studentphil wrote: »

The only reason I use tinned curry is that it is the easist thing to put in a box and warm up for lunch.

I'm in no position to criticise anyone for using budget brand tinned food. Just after I separated, I was having to do the same thing. Many of our DFW's could be in the same position. Needs must when the devil drives, as they say.

OK, thanks in no small part to this forum, I now seem to be turning into rather a good cook. I now don't have a ready meal or pizza in the freezer, which is one up on my daughter.

What I will do is post my basic meat curry recipe, and try to see how to adapt it to a vegetable one. They won't beat the 65p, but they should show that the next step up isn't rocket science.

The magic ingredient is the fresh ginger, and the small amount required costs me from 3p to 5p for a bit that does me two batches. The separate chilli powder (I use hot, so you use less), garam marsala spice mix and turmeric allow you to adapt the heat and spiciness to your own taste, without ending up with a load of different ready-made curry powders of strengths you never use.

BEEF CURRY

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

375g of beef
2 onions
1 clove of garlic
2cm (1 inch) piece of fresh ginger
2 tablespoons of sunflower oil
½ a teaspoon of salt
200g (½ a 400g tin) of plum tomatoes*
1 teaspoon of chilli powder
1 tablespoon of garam masala
½ a teaspoon of ground turmeric
250ml of water

METHOD

Chop the beef into 1cm (½ inch) pieces. Peel the onions and chop them into tiny pieces. Peel the garlic and chop it into tiny pieces. Peel the ginger and chop it into tiny pieces.

Put the oil into a saucepan on a low heat. Put the beef, onions, garlic, ginger and salt into the pan and cook for 45 minutes. Stir frequently to stop it sticking.

Open the tin of tomatoes. Pour the juice into a bowl. Chop the tomatoes while they are still in the can (it’s easier than chasing them around the bowl). Put the chopped tomatoes into the bowl. Use half and save the other half.

Pour the tomatoes into the saucepan. Continue to cook, stirring as the mixture boils. Add the chilli, garam masala and turmeric and stir. Add the water. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat until it is just boiling (simmering). Put the lid on the saucepan and cook for 30 minutes.

ADDITIONS & ALTERATIONS

The quantity of chilli powder above makes for a medium curry. For a mild one, decrease this to ½ a teaspoon. For a hot one, increase this to 2 teaspoons. For a very hot one, increase this to 3 teaspoons.

* Plum tomatoes can be used either whole or chopped. It is difficult to stick chopped tomatoes back together again if you need to use them whole.

Bargain_Rzl

Thanks Stephen - I've been looking for a good recipe for some yellow-stickered beef I've got in the freezer :T

Stephen_Leak

Here's an interim mushroom curry ...

MUSHROOM CURRY

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

250g of closed cup mushrooms
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
2cm (1 inch) piece of fresh ginger
4 tablespoons of sunflower oil
1 teaspoon of chilli powder
½ a tablespoon of garam masala
1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
½ a teaspoon of salt
125ml of water
142ml pot of yoghurt

METHOD

Wipe the mushrooms clean. Cut the ends off the stalks and chop them into halves or quarters depending on their size. Peel the onion and chop it into tiny pieces. Peel the garlic and chop it into tiny pieces. Peel the ginger and chop it into tiny pieces.

Put the oil into a saucepan on a medium heat. Put the onions, garlic and ginger into the pan and fry for 3 minutes until it is golden. Stir frequently to stop it sticking. Add the chilli, garam masala and turmeric and stir round. Add the mushrooms, salt and water and mix thoroughly. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat until it is just boiling (simmering). Put the lid on and cook for 10 minutes. Check the water level from time to time and top up if it starts to dry out.

Add the yoghurt and mix round. Reduce the sauce over a low heat.

ADDITIONS & ALTERATIONS

Use button mushrooms instead of closed cup mushrooms.

The quantity of chilli powder above, combined with the yoghurt, makes for a mild curry. For a medium one, increase this to 2 teaspoons. For a hot one, increase this to 3 teaspoons.

Omit the yoghurt and halve the amount of chilli powder. Use single cream instead of the yoghurt.

For Mushroom Dopiaza, add another onion, sliced into rings, at the same time as the mushrooms. Dopiaza means "two onions" and is a curry with lots of onion, some added part way through cooking.

PS. I agree with the above comment about men who can cook above the ready meal stage having an advantage with the ladies, and an amazing number of these are still at the ready meal stage.

Stephen_Leak

Bargain_Rzl wrote: »

Thanks Stephen - I've been looking for a good recipe for some yellow-stickered beef I've got in the freezer :T

You're welcome. On the assumption that Bargain Rzl is female, I told you.

Penelope_Penguin

chuckles1066 wrote: »

I don't see that anywhere in the site's charter?

You're either into moneysaving or you're not?

Well you've seriously misunderstood Mr Lewis' message :rolleyes: It's not about doing things cheapest. It's doing what you want to do and doing it smartest

For instance, I don't buy 6p jars of curry sauce (*shudders*) With the help of this site I make my own from scratch. It may not be the cheapest way to eat, but I know I'm not compromising and feeding my family stabilisers, thickeners, and other unknowns.

Penny. x

Tibbie's_mum

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

Well you've seriously misunderstood Mr Lewis' message :rolleyes: It's not about doing things cheapest. It's doing what you want to do and doing it smartest

For instance, I don't buy 6p jars of curry sauce (*shudders*) With the help of this site I make my own from scratch. It may not be the cheapest way to eat, but I know I'm not compromising and feeding my family stabilisers, thickeners, and other unknowns.

Penny. x

We're not living on the stuff! Wish I hadn't mentioned it now.

It's just when renovating a house with 3 little kids in tow, we, OH & I, sometimes need something quick and easy, I'm not feeding this to the kids!

I knew this thread was descending into one of those ones, shame really.

Bargain_Rzl

Errr... I don't think PenPen was criticising you - It seemed to me that she was responding directly to Chuckles's message (which she quoted)...

Penelope_Penguin

Tibbie's_mum wrote: »

I knew this thread was descending into one of those ones, shame really.

Eh

Bargain_Rzl

The beef curry is very very nice... thanks again to Stephen for that! :T I only wish I had remembered how chapped my lips were BEFORE I decided to double up on the chilli :eek: