Goat Curry

Don't be put off by the cooking time – make it on a day when you have time to spare and you haven't just come in from work – it may be a long time, but believe me it is 100% worth it!
Goat is something I had never tried before (I presume that’s the same for most people) but I saw this recipe and I thought I had to try it. However goat can be difficult to come across especially where I live – thankfully my dad works with someone that uses goat regularly and so we were able to get some (if you can’t get goat mutton is a perfect alternative)

Ingredients – Serves 4 – Ready in 4 hours 30 minutes

• 1kg goat shoulder (or other braising cut)
  
• 3 tbsp olive oil
  
• ½ tsp turmeric
  
• ½ tsp ground cumin or cumin seeds
  
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
  
• 1 cinnamon stick
  
• 2 star anise
  
• 4 cardamom pods , lightly crushed
  
• 1 tsp unrefined light brown sugar
  
• a few curry leaves (optional)
  
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  
• 400ml chicken stock or water
  
• a handful of coriander leaves, for garnishing

CHILLI PASTE

• 1 small onion , roughly chopped
  
• 4 garlic cloves , peeled
  
• 4 small seeded chillies , roughly chopped
  
• 3cm piece ginger , roughly chopped
  
• generous pinch sea salt
  
• 3 tbsp groundnut oil

Now for the How To:

• To make the chilli paste:
  
• Put all the ingredients into a small food processor and whizz to a fine paste.
  
• Stop the machine and scrape down the bowl two or three times to ensure it's all evenly ground.
  
• Scrape the paste into a small bowl and set aside.
  
• For the curry
  
• Cut the goat shoulder into small, bite-size chunks and season with salt and pepper.
  
• Heat half the oil in a wide saucepan.
  
• Fry the meat in two batches until golden brown all over.
  
• After each batch, remove to a plate and set aside.
  
• Tip the chilli paste into the pan and stir over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
  
• Add the dried spices, sugar and curry leaves, if using.
  
• Continue to stir for another minute.
  
• Add the chopped tomatoes and stock to the pan and stir well.
  
• Reduce the heat, cover the pan and cook slowly for 3-4 hours until the meat is just tender.
  
• Remove the lid and skim off the excess oil.
  
• Gently simmer for another 20-30 minutes until the curry has reduced and thickened. The meat should be very tender.
  
• Season to taste and serve topped with coriander leaves.

This was a truly amazing curry! The goat was so tender it completely fell off the bone and melted in the mouth, the paste was zingy, but wasn't over powering – I seriously have no faults on this recipe – if the idea of goat puts you off try it with mutton, as it’s cooked for such a long time the meat is delicious and so tender! We all thought it was worth the lengthy cooking time – something like this needs to be done correctly and it wasn't worth risking ruining it by trying to speed up the cooking process!

Make it at a dinner party and everyone will love it!

I think goat now stands at the strangest thing I have eaten – what about you? Have you tried anything out of the ordinary?

Bye for Now! X

Halloween pumpkin cake

So another recipe with pumpkin, this time it’s a cake! Again it was another recipe I was a bit dubious about, simply because my mind couldn’t compute a vegetable in a cake! I didn’t think it was going to be that nice, but I'm not afraid to say I was wrong! So with your remaining pumpkin, try the following!

Ingredients - serves 15 portions – ready in 50 minutes

For the cake

• 300g self-raising flour
  
• 300g light muscovado sugar
  
• 3 tsp mixed spice
  
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  
• 175g sultanas
  
• ½ tsp salt
  
• 4 eggs , beaten
  
• 200g butter , melted
  
• zest 1 orange
  
• 1 tbsp orange juice
  
• 500g (peeled weight) pumpkin or butternut squash flesh, grated

FOR DRENCHING AND FROSTING

• 200g pack soft cheese
  
• 85g butter , softened
  
• 100g icing sugar , sifted
  
• zest 1 orange and juice of half

Now for the How To:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
  
• Butter and line a 30 x 20cm baking or small roasting tin with baking parchment.
  
• Put the flour, sugar, spice, bicarbonate of soda, sultanas and salt into a large bowl and stir to combine.
  
• Beat the eggs into the melted butter, stir in the orange zest and juice, then mix with the dry ingredients till combined.
  
• Stir in the pumpkin.
  
• Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and springy to the touch.
  
• To make the frosting:
  
• Beat together the cheese, butter, icing sugar, orange zest and 1 tsp of the juice till smooth and creamy, then set aside in the fridge.
  
• When the cake is done, cool for 5 minutes then turn it onto a cooling rack. Prick it all over with a skewer and drizzle with the rest of the orange juice while still warm. Leave to cool completely.
  
• Give the frosting a quick beat to loosen, then, using a palette knife, spread over the top of the cake in peaks and swirls.
  
• If you're making the cake ahead, keep it in the fridge then take out as many pieces as you want 30 minutes or so before serving.
  
• Will keep, covered, for up to 3 days in the fridge.

I was told that this reminded people of carrot cake, but seeing as I’ve never tried carrot cake I can’t really comment on that! My grandparents thought it was brought (I didn’t tell them I made it until after they ate it) the grandparents couldn’t figure out that pumpkin was used in the cake; also the women at work loved it! It was a hit all around!
Next up is something really special, and possibly the best thing I tried so far... goat curry! It is to die for!
Bye for Now! X

Pumpkin and Chickpea curry

All the years of being young and trick and treating and carving pumpkins I've never before tried pumpkin – so I thought it would be worth a try – at least I will know one way or another if I like it or not. I brought a medium sized pumpkin and good lord you get a lot of flesh on those things! It felt like I had pumpkin coming out of my ears! I swear I was close to overdosing on it!

Ingredients – Serves 4 – ready in 30 minutes

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  
• 3 tbsp Thai yellow curry paste
  
• 2 onions , finely chopped
  
• 3 large stalks lemongrass , bashed with the back of a knife
  
• 6 cardamom pods
  
• 1 tbsp mustard seed
  
• 1 piece pumpkin or a small squash (about 1kg)
  
• 250ml vegetable stock
  
• 400ml can reduced-fat coconut milk
  
• 400g can chickpeas , drained and rinsed
  
• 2 limes
  
• large handful mint leaves
  
• naan bread , to serve

Now for the How To:

• Heat the oil in a sauté pan, and then gently fry the curry paste with the onions, lemongrass, cardamom and mustard seed for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
  
• Stir the pumpkin or squash into the pan and coat in the paste, and then pour in the stock and coconut milk.
  
• Bring everything to a simmer, add the chickpeas, and then cook for about 10 minutes until the pumpkin is tender.
  
• The curry can now be cooled and frozen for up to 1 month.
  
• Squeeze the juice of one lime into the curry, and then cut the other lime into wedges to serve alongside.
  
• Just before serving, tear over mint leaves, then bring to the table with the lime wedges and warm naan breads.

The good thing about this recipe is that it is vegetarian, vegan, dairy free and it is only 293 calories per serving – so you get a great tasting curry which is really good for you – so any of you still on your New Year diets – this is one to try!
Next up is another cake.... this time pumpkin cake! Its wonderful!