Rick Stein’s India episode 1: Rick Stein begins his Indian journey by exploring the regions that began Britain’s love affair with curry – Bengal and Tamil Nadu. The British influence in Kolkata and Chennai remains strong to this day and Rick enjoys the prominence of fish and seafood in so many of their dishes, flavoured with mustard in Kolkata and tamarind in Chennai.
Exploring the eating habits of these cities is the start of a fascinating trip for Rick who is inspired to cook dishes like prawns in coconut milk and his mum’s version of British Raj curry. Rick Stein sets out on a journey around India to discover the different cuisines celebrated the world over.
Rick Stein’s India episode 1
Whole eggs in coconut masala (egg molee)
This is a nice, simple vegetarian egg curry with a delicate coconut masala. The whole eggs are fried first then finished off in the curry.
Method:
- Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan or karahi over a medium heat, add the whole eggs and fry for 1–2 minutes, or until lightly coloured, then add the turmeric and chilli powder and cook for another 30 seconds. Stir in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
- Add the onions, ginger, chillies and salt, and simmer for five minutes, or until the coconut milk has reduced in volume by half and the onions are just softened, adding a splash of water if it becomes too thick. Stir in the sugar and coriander and sprinkle with garam masala. Halve the eggs, and serve with rice.
Prawns with coconut, chillies and mustard seeds
This is a popular dish in Bengal, where of course both prawns and coconut abound. It’s normally served in a whole green coconut there, but that’s a bridge too far for us. I would suggest serving it, as in Bengal, as a little course in its own right, but it’s also delicious with some rice and flatbreads.
Method:
- Put the mustard seeds into a mini-food processor and add two tablespoons of water. Blend for a minute and then add another two tablespoons of water and continue blending until the seeds start to break up (this can take a minute or two of persistent blending; add more water if you’re having trouble). Keep blending until you have a rough paste that resembles wholegrain mustard, adding a splash more water if needed. Set aside.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-based saucepan or karahi over a low-medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 10 minutes. Add the blended mustard paste, turmeric, coconut milk, grated coconut and salt. Bring to a boil then simmer for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the prawns and green chillies and simmer for a further 3-4 minutes, or until the prawns are pink and cooked through. Scatter with coriander and serve.
British beef Raj curry – Rick Stein’s India episode 1
This beef curry is a version of a childhood memory of one of Rick Stein’s mum’s curries. The curry is finished with sultanas and desiccated coconut. Serve with chutney, salted fish and poppadoms.
Method:
- Melt the butter in a large, sturdy pan over a medium heat. Add the steak, in batches, and fry for a few minutes until browned and then remove to a plate. Add the onions to the same pan and fry for 10 minutes, or until softened and golden-brown.
- Add the garlic and fry for one minute, then return the meat to the pan, along with any juices on the plate. Stir in the chilli powder, turmeric, one tablespoon of the garam masala, and the salt, and cook for one minute.
- Add the stock, followed by the coconut and sultanas. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over a low heat for 45 minutes to an hour or until the beef is tender. Stir in the remaining garam masala and serve.