Best Lamb Curry with Vegetables - Video Recipe

My latest recipe is loaded with veggies. Lamb Curry with Vegetables starts with a basic meat curry, and when that is ready, I add the veggies to finish - so my latest recipe is a twofer: Lamb Curry and Lamb Curry with Veggies.

Curry comes in all flavors depending on the region of origin, from India to Thailand. I am making a simple India-style curry. Even in India, curries vary from region to region.

I make a basic Cheap$kate Lamb Curry with spices, coconut milk, tomato sauce, onion and garlic. All I do is saute the meat and onion, spices, then add liquids, cover and simmer the Curry about 2 hours, or until the lamb is fall-off-the-bone tender.

And I build a basic curry powder from scratch, but if you have access to pre-made curry powder then it's okay to use it. The spices I use are mostly easy to get and include: ground cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and coriander.

It's okay to mix and match my curry ingredients. If you don't have coriander then leave it out. Spices can be expensive, but I'm lucky to have  99c only Stores to shop in.

The main curry powder ingredient is ground cumin, if that's all you can get, then use only that- all the other spices just make the curry powder more complex.

Click on any photo to see larger.

For a richer curry I add coconut milk or cream, and tomato sauce. This adds sweet and acidic layers of flavor. Okay to leave out coconut milk for a light curry sauce. I get both ingredients from my local 99c only Store and Dollar Tree.

For meat, I sometimes splurge with pricy, pungent lamb. You can substitute with cheap chicken or pork.

 Depending on the meat, some cheap cuts of lamb, beef or pork can be very tough, so a 2 to 3 hour simmering time is needed. I leave fat and bone attached, for extra flavor. With long simmering times, some fat will liquefy and the bone will separate from the flesh. Any tough meat will tenderize. Cooking time varies depending on simmering temperature.

This is the kind of curry you can leave heating on the stovetop -- just check from time to time and add more water or broth as needed.

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I fill out this Lamb Curry with a lot of cheap veggies that include: onion, bell pepper, carrot and potato.

You can add any fave veggies you like, such as: spinach, kale, cauliflower, squash, and green beans. My local Latin market has great deals on veggies.

After my basic Cheap$kate Lamb Curry is done, I add the veggies and cook another 45 minutes. You can adjust the cooking time if you like veggies crunchy or soft.

I don't make this recipe too often as lamb is a bit expensive, but sometimes I gotta have a Lamb Curry with Vegetables -- damn the price!

Best Lamb Curry with Vegetables - Video

Play it here. Video runs 4 minutes, 46 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients (about 2-3 servings)

• 1 to 2 pounds of lamb  - slice into bite sizes. Okay to substitute any meat, including chicken, turkey, beef and pork.) The balance of meat to veggies is up to you.
• 1 tablespoon cumin powder - okay to substitute cumin with a favorite curry powder  (if you use a pre-mix curry powder, then leave out the other spices that follow.)
• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger - or fresh chopped ginger.
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon - okay to use a cinnamon stick.
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 13.5 ounces coconut milk or cream - one regular size can.
• 8 ounces tomato sauce - one small can.
• 1 onion chopped - white, yellow or red onion.
• 1 tablespoon garlic - chopped (jar or fresh.) Okay to use garlic powder.
• 1 bell pepper - chopped
• 1 carrot - chopped
• 1 potato - chopped. I used a large russet potato.
• 1 tablespoon oil - to saute lamb.
•  1 cup of water or broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

*Other curry spices - garam masala, chili powder and turmeric. About a teaspoon each. Okay to mix and match what you like to make a curry powder, but always start with a tablespoon of cumin.

Directions
Slice lamb into bite-sized pieces. Okay to trim off some fat and remove bone. I like to keep most of the fat and leave bone in for extra flavor.

Add a tablespoon of oil to a medium heated pan. Add lamb and brown one side about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how hot the pan is.

As meat browns, roughly chop one onion. Once meat is brown on one side then add the chopped onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add curry spices, including: cumin, ginger, cumin, cinnamon and coriander. Okay to use a favorite pre-mixed curry powder.

click on any photo to see larger

Salt and pepper to taste, then add chopped fresh garlic or garlic powder. Mix well and saute dried spices and garlic for a minute or so.

Add one can of coconut milk or cream, a small can of tomato sauce, and a cup of water or broth. Mix well and bring up to a low simmer.

Cover and cook until lamb is tender, about 2 hours. Other types of meat may cook quicker. Chicken takes about an hour. Check from time to time, making sure liquid does not cook out. Add a little water or broth if needed.

This is a basic Lamb Curry. You can stop here if you like, I sometimes do.

The idea is to make a simple Lamb Curry with onion and spices, and cook it until tender. Then you add rest of veggies and cook them just enough to slightly soften.

 If you added all the veggies at once, in the beginning, they would cook until way too mushy for my taste.

While Lamb Curry cooks, chop the rest of veggies. After the lamb is tender, add chopped bell pepper, carrot and potato. You can add any favorite veggies you like including: cauliflower, green beans, squash and spinach.

Bring to a low simmer. Cover and cook veggies until they reach desired tenderness, about half hour to 45 minutes.

I like to serve my Lamb Curry and Veggies over rice.

Saag Paneer: Spinach Curry - Video Recipe

One of my favorite veggie side dishes to order in an India restaurant is Saag Paneer, a pungent, creamy spinach and cheese dish. A Middle Eastern style cheese from India, called paneer, is presented in deep fried cubes floating in slow cooked curry spiced spinach. My latest video recipe is an easy version to make, so read on to see for yourself.

Unfortunately, it's not a light dish when served in your local India lunch buffet line. Clarified butter and deep fried cheese adds too many calories for this weight-watching kitchen commando.

Plus, it is not easy to find the India cheese called paneer. Paneer is a hard white cheese, that is similar in texture to feta cheese, but milder in taste. Because of a high melting point, it softens but still holds it's shape, even in a stew.

But, upon doing a little experimenting, I found Mexican Queso Fresco cheese has a similar flavor, and holds up well to slow cooking, too. And for a lighter creamy taste I have added a small amount of cottage cheese. So I put two and two together and came up with a budget-busting, calorie-skimping, entree anyone can make.

My latest video recipe, Saag Paneer, combines the best of two culinary worlds, Mexican and Indian.

The main spice is curry powder. I just use cumin - open a jar and smell -- it makes up 75% of your typical curry powder. And cumin is much easier to find on any grocery store spice shelf; plus it's much cheaper than curry powder.  Pick up an onion to saute, as this will add a bit of caramelized sweetness.

Click on any image to see larger.

For an extra boost of cheesiness crumble-in half a disc of Mexican cheese called Queso Fresco, that comes cheaply from 99c only Stores and Latin markets (It's showing up in regular groceries, too.) I also use Queso Fresco for the Mexican breakfast classic, Huevos Rancheros - just click here to see that recipe video.

Of course, my Saag Paneer recipe is adjustable to suit your convenience. It is just as tasty without Queso Fresco cheese. Think of this recipe as an India version of typical American Cream Spinach, with a little added curry spice.

Spinach is still a reasonable price and I can get fresh bundles of spinach and cleaned 5 or 6 ounce bags for a buck, or less. Fresh spinach may have dirt, so give it a rinse first. It may also have part of the root and long stems that need removing.. You can leave shorter stems, they will soften enough.

Slow cooking the spinach and cottage cheese with cumin creates a lush dish that is low in calories, especially if you use low fat cottage cheese. So give my delish, India-inspired, Mexican-style Saag Paneer a try -- all it takes is a little spinach and onion chopping with some slow cooking.

Mexican-style Saag Paneer - VIDEO

   Play it here, video runs 2 minutes, 3 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.
Ingredients (2 -3 servings)

• 2 bunches of spinach - or about two 6 ounce packages.
• 1 whole onion - chopped
• Cottage Cheese - about 8 ounces. Okay to add more to suit taste. I used low fat.
• Mexican Queso Fresco cheese - optional. I used about half a 5 ounce package, roughly crumbled.
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin - if you have curry powder, use that.
• 1 tablespoon oil - for sauteing onions.
• 2 tablespoons of milk - if needed during final cooking stage.
• Pepper to taste - I find there is plenty of salt in cottage cheese and Queso Fresco cheese.
• Queso Fresco cheese -  optional. I used half a 4 ounce package, that is broken into bite-sized pieces. You can use more if you like.

Directions
Start cleaning spinach if needed. Cleaned spinach in bags may only need a quick rinse. Fresh spinach from produce sections may have dirt and long root/stems. So those bundles will need washing and longer stems trimmed. (No need to prepare all spinach at once. You will add it in batches if your pot can't hold it all.)

Heat oil in medium-sized pan or pot. Add chopped onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes over a medium heat.

Mix in cumin and saute for a couple of minutes. Add cottage cheese and mix well.

Start adding chopped spinach. It will cook down in a minute or so. Continue cleaning spinach (if needed) and adding it to pot or pan until it is well blended into cottage cheese/onion mixture.

Once all the spinach is added, you can pile on some Mexican Queso Fresco cheese.

Season with pepper, reduce heat to low and cover to cook for 20 - 30 minutes until it is like Creamed Spinach.

Check spinach mixture from time to time to make sure liquid does not completely cook out. Stir periodically. The Queso Fresco will soften but still retain it's shape.

As spinach cooks down it adds a lot of liquid. The object is to cook spinach until very soft and cream-like. The cottage cheese will partially dissolve into the sauce. Add a couple of spoonfuls of milk if it starts to dry out.

Hindsight
If you like Saag Paneer more creamy then just add a 1/4 cup of milk or cream during last 20 minutes of simmering.

This would make a delicious pairing with my African Spiced Water Buffalo Wings, Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce, and Coconut Rice.

Chicken, Chickpea & Kale Curry

I like curries of all stripes, and this one is of the unusual type. I combine canned chickpeas (or garbonzo beans) with sauteed kale and browned chicken, in a broth of India spices. It's a heady mix, but cooked together it makes nutritious and satisfying entree.

My curry broth is just flavored with ground cumin, chopped garlic and ginger. I used water with a chicken bouillon cube, but for a richer broth use a small can of coconut milk.

Unlike spinach, kale holds up well to slow cooking, so you can add it right away and allow it to obsorb flavors. My local Latin market is stocking kale for cheap prices, so I'm learning how to use it, both raw and cooked. And chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are found cheaply almost anywhere.

Like the kale I get cheap chicken now at the same Latin grocery store. This recipe is perfect for cheaper cuts of poultry. Just lightly brown one side and start adding the other ingredients to dislodge the flavorful charred chicken bits.
 

My Chicken, Chickpea & Kale Curry is a one-pot meal that is better reheated the next day. Make sure to cook some rice, pasta or favorite grain to sop up the pungent flavorful curry broth.

Ingredients
4 pieces of chicken - I used thigh and leg meat. You can use any favorite combination.
1 bunch of Kale
15 ounce can of chickpeas - or garbanzo beans, drained.
1 whole onion - yellow or white, chopped.
1 teaspoon garlic - chopped fresh or from jar.
1 teaspoon ginger - optional. Chopped fresh or from jar. Okay to use powdered ginger.
1 tablespoon of ground cumin or curry powder - curry powder is more intense, but ground cumin is close enough and easier to find.
1 1/2 cup water or favorite broth
1 teaspoon cooking oil
Salt and pepper to taste
*For extra richness add a small can of coconut milk or cream. No water is needed.

Directions
Add oil to a medium hot pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken on one side, about 5 - 10 minutes. You don't need to cook the chicken all the way through - you will finish cooking it later. Remove chicken and set aside.

While meat is browning you can chop the onion, garlic and ginger. Wash kale and remove the largest stems - roughly chop kale.

Add chopped onion and saute until it's soft and starting to turn light brown, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle on cumin or curry powder. Saute it with the onions for a minute. Add ginger and garlic. Saute for another minute.

Add a handful of chopped kale at a time to the onions and spices. The kale will cook down quickly. It only takes a couple of minutes. Keep adding handfuls of kale until all of it fits in the pan. Should take about 5-10 minutes total.

Finally add a favorite broth or just plain water (or a can of coconut milk/cream.) Simplest broth is to add a chicken bullion cube to water. It will dissolve in the water as you break it apart. Bring broth with chicken, chickpeas and kale to a boil, reduce heat and low simmer.

Cook uncovered about 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked all the way. Turn the chicken over, half way through the simmering process. To check for doneness, just slice into the thickest part of chicken and make sure there is no red color or pink juices.

Serve it with rice, a favorite cooked grain, or pasta. You want something that will soak up the flavorful sauce.

Jamaican Style Chicken Patties - Deal of the Day

Coo yah -- dis Deal of the Day practically jumped off a shelf, mon. How could you pass up an exotic Jamaican Style Chicken Patty? The Raggamuffin Chef got it from dat frozen deli case in dehya Dollar Tree store. 

I an I just started a job deh 'bout Marina Del Rey near a beaches of Babylon, and a store is right down deh street on Lincoln Boulevard, click here, and I an I had to a go deh 'bout. (By the way, I an I am shooting  a new comedic 99 Cent Chef video that takes place in a Marina Del Rey Garden Center that will have you rolling in da herb and veggie garden aisles -- let's just say I an I take full advantage of free-dining on low hanging fruit and veggies.)

Dollar Tree's are a Middle-American version of our West Coast Babylon Los Angeles 99c only Stores. Dis one did not have fresh produce, but carries a lot of frozen items, along wit canned veggies and packaged rice, pasta and other food stuffs. Not a bad selection, but nowhere near the variety or fresh fruits and veggies you get at local 99c only Stores -- yet.

A frozen deli case stocks frozen fillets of fish (Pollack), small head-on uncooked shrimp, 3.5 ounce ribeye steaks, and frozen cooked items like corndogs, and these Jamaican Style Chicken Patties.

This rude bowy grabbed one and paid a buck -- the fluffy checkout lady said they were good, too. Her authoritative tone made me want to slap it in the office microwave when I an I got back from my ten toe turboing. But I an I didn't bring deh camera to record this Deal of the Day, so I an I brought it home to cook over a weekend, and here's the result.

It's a pretty good deal and I an I would get it again. It's a microwavable meal: cut a slit in deh package; place it on a plate; microwave in the "crisping" package for 2.5 minutes; allow it to cool for a minute; and finally chow down. 

Named a patty, I an I was expecting something like a crab cake -- it's more like an empanada. A large flaky bright orange crust surrounds curry-spiced gravy wit shredded chicken. It's a generous three-by-five inch stuffed meat pastry, almost enough to fill any wanga-gut.

First the good news. It's very flavorful wit a Jamaican hot Scotch bonnet (pepper) kick. I an I liked the scenty and strong curry spiciness and the pastry was flaky and tasty, although a bit chewy (maybe from microwaving?)

A bad news is I an I couldn't find the chicken. It was so shredded, or ground up, that the filling was a mushy mess -- although a tasty one. And a ratio of chicken curry sauce to pastry was off -- definitely more stuffing was needed. But for a buck it's a decent Deal of the Day loaded wit positive vibrations.

Made by Golden Krust Caribean Bakery and Grill (website click here), I an I would definitely try any of their other products, mon and recommend them to all my bredren.

So on a scale of 1 to 9, with 9 being best, the Stulla Chef, gives Jamaican Style Chicken Patties a solid 7.

Click here for italicized Jamaican slang translations.