Another year, another excuse to rustle up a garam masala. This year, a heavy lean on the aniseed flavours: star anise, cinnamon, chillis, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, bay leaves, a whole nutmeg all roasted in a low oven until aromatic. Blitz to dust.
It may be a touch early in the year for this dish but I got a real craving for this earthy yet refreshing combination. The citrussy crackle of coriander with the deep earthiness of cumin can’t be beat when matched with a full-on red meat like this rump steak. Couple it with a refreshing and zingy salad and you’ve got something I could eat every day. This is a steak that should definitely be on the rare side, for succulence and fresh flesh flavours. Try and match it with a herby and peppery leaf mix for a very satisfying combination.
Cumin and coriander steak salad:
300g rump steak
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
For the salad:
Mixed leaves
1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Dash of soy sauce
- Heat a griddle pan to dead hot. Pound the seeds together with a couple of black peppercorns in a pestle and mortar until crumbly (but not dust). Sprinkle this mixture over both sides of the steak and press in with your fingers.
- Lay the steak on the pan and allow to cook, unmoved, for 2 – 3 mins. (At this point I like to turn 45 degrees ish for a criss-cross pattern). Turn over and cook for another 2 -3 mins, or until browned but with plenty of give when pressed with a finger.
- Remove the steak to a hot plate to rest while you make the salad dressing. Whisk all the liquid ingredients together and toss with mixed leaves.
- Sprinkle sea salt over the steak and lay on the salad leaves. Dribble any remaining dressing over the lot.
I’ve gone a bit curry mad lately. A recent rerun of Floyd’s India
A quick aside: I can’t find a gospel on how Indian food should be named. Sometimes it’s named by method (balti), sometimes by ingredient (dhansak = double onion). I don’t know what the formula is. So I’ve decided to make my own rules too, smashing the Indian terms for coriander and cauliflower together, to reach dhania gobi. I could’ve gone with vegetable masala, or courgette bargar, or carrot jeera. So pardon me for slapping almost any old name on it, but I like the exotic sound. (If anybody knows the real ‘rules’, let me know).
I had courgette, cauliflower and carrot on hand, so they were a lock. Then it was a case of picking and choosing my spices. Coriander ended up going in twice and was the main flavour, so it packed quite a citrussy punch. A little yoghurt at the end helped both thicken and sour the dish, and was pretty pleased with the result. This won’t be the last curry I cook this season, I’m sure!
Dhania gobi:
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, cracked
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, cracked
2 inch cassia bark
1 onion, sliced
1 tablespoon garlic and ginger paste
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon tomato puree
2 carrots, diced
2 courgettes, diced
½ head cauliflower, diced
1 litre vegetable stock
2 tablespoons plain yoghurt
1 tablespoon ground almonds
Chopped coriander leaves
- Fry the coriander seeds, cumin and cassia in a little oil for a minute. Add the onion and soften.
- Add the paste, turmeric, garam masala, puree and a pinch of salt and stir for another minute. Add the vegetables and coat well with the onion masala.
- Add the stock and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer and continue to cook for 15 minutes or until the veg is tender.
- Take off the heat and stir in the yoghurt and almonds. Serve topped with coriander leaves.
This is the rice from the chicken tikka masala recipe. I’ve broken it out to it’s own page otherwise I have trouble finding it!
Aromatic rice:
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and bashed
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
4 cardamom pods
1 cupful rice per person
- Fry the onion gently until softened, then add the garlic.
- Add the spices and stir, allowing them to warm.
- Add the rice and a generous sprinkle of salt, stir will to coat the rice in the spiced oil. Top up the pan with three times the amount of water to rice. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Cover the pan and allow to simmer for ten minutes – do not lift the lid.
- Turn off the heat and leave for a further ten minutes, leaving the lid on.
- Stir through with a fork and grind over plenty of black pepper. If you have any left over from the curry, throw in some parsley too.
