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| The Colombo curry powder, from the French Caribbean |
A melting pot: a statement that both describes the structure of this dish and the origins from which it was born. The Caribbean is a divine mixture of African, Native American, Spanish, British, Dutch, French, Indian and Chinese influences. All of them vying for the various trade routes and in this case, spice. Add these to the wonderful array of produce already available in the region and you have some fantastic food.
The ‘Colombo Curry’, you could be forgiven for thinking, originates from the streets and homes of Sri Lanka’s largest city, and you wouldn’t be far wrong. This curry originates from the French Caribbean, where Sri Lankan workers were brought there to work on sugar plantations, bringing with them the spices most common to the sub-continent.
The central ingredient to this curry is the Colombo Curry Powder (Poudre de Colombo), which I found several different versions of, containing a myriad of different spices. The central spices are cumin, coriander, turmeric, black pepper, black mustard seed, and fenugreek (Methi) seeds. Other versions I found contains allspice, nigella seed, aniseed, cinnamon, cloves, and toasted white rice which will give you a nutty flavour.
For my recipe I chose several which I thought represented the sub-continent and the Caribbean, (there is a readymade version, I couldn’t find it in the shops) but, the beauty of it is you can design the powder to your taste and have a play, which is part of the fun. I marinated the meat overnight, which will help tenderise the meat, and give the curry another dimension of flavour. It can be done for a few hours beforehand but is not essential. All this as well as another important ingredient, sweet potato, means it breaks down into a stew like constancy and the potato almost becomes part of the sauce.
The rest of the vegetables for this also lead the way for experimentation, using types that are going to break down well like, carrots, bell pepper, courgettes, aubergine, potato and Okra. I wanted to keep the Caribbean theme going using classic ingredients such as Scotch Bonnet chillies, allspice and thyme. I used 2 Scotch bonnets because I like a lot of heat, but you can change to suit your taste. Remember you will also get heat from the mustard seeds and peppercorns. Here goes:
For the marinade:
600g diced pork
Juice of one lime
1 garlic clove, diced
1 onion sliced
½ tsp of cumin
2tbsp oil. Groundnut or Rapeseed is good.
Mix all the ingredients together, cling-film and place in the fridge.
For the curry powder:
2tbsp white rice
2tbsp coriander seeds
2tbsp cumin seeds
1.5tsp black mustard seeds
1.5tsp of black peppercorns
1.5tsp fenugreek seeds
2tsp nigella seeds
1tsp allspice
2tbsp of turmeric
Get a small Skillet or small heavy based frying pan and place on a high heat, when the pan is hot add the white rice and toast for 2 minutes, they must be golden brown, if the pan is too hot turn the heat down. Add all the seed ingredients (not turmeric) and toast for a further 2 minutes again until golden brown. Place the ingredients into a coffee grinder, or if you’re feeling strong a good heavy pestle & mortar and grind to a fine powder and mix with the turmeric. This will give you enough for two curries; place the rest of the powder into an airtight container.
For the curry:
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
1-2 sweet potatoes
2 potatoes
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
2-3 carrots
3-4 tbsp of Colombo curry powder
Bouquet-Garni : bunch thyme & parsley, 2 bay leaves.
1 litre of chicken stock
2 scotch bonnet chillies
1tsp corn four mixed with 2tsp of water
Salt.
1. Clear most of the marinade off the meat as best you can, and fry on a high heat until coloured all over. Add you chicken stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. During this time slice your onions, peppers, and dice your garlic. After the 10, add them to the pot with the curry powder.
2. Bring the pot to the boil, and simmer on a high heat for 15 mins. Now, large chunk your sweet potato, potato, and slice the carrots. When the 15 is up add these to the pot with the herbs and chillies, salt to taste and a little water to cover the veg if necessary. Simmer for 45 mins.
3. After the cooking time remove all the ingredients from the pan with a slotted spoon, into a dish. Stir the corn flour paste into the sauce and boil rapidly, it will thicken instantly. Check seasoning, add little salt if needed and Turn right down. Add the solid ingredients back to the pan.
4. Serve with nice fluffy white rice.
5. Why not…
· Substitute the pork for lamb, mutton or even goat or rabbit!
· Omit the meat altogether, this would make a fantastic vegetarian curry.
