Colin's Curry

This is a proper from-scratch curry, the kind where you toast whole spices until they pop and grind them yourself. No shortcuts, no jar sauces, and you can taste the difference.

Cumin, coriander, fenugreek, aniseed, caraway, and cinnamon get dry-roasted and ground into a fragrant powder, then simmered low and slow for two hours with onion, garlic, ginger, green chilies, and tomatoes until the sauce is thick and deeply complex.

Stir in your pre-cooked meat of choice, let it rest overnight, and reheat the next day when all those flavors have had time to get to know each other.

The spiced basmati rice cooked with cardamom, cloves, and turmeric is the only accompaniment you need.

Variations

• Lamb curry: Use leftover roast lamb for the richest, most traditional pairing.
• Vegetarian: Skip the meat entirely and stir in chickpeas and roasted cauliflower florets during the last 30 minutes of simmering.
• Extra heat: Leave the seeds in the green chilies or add a dried Kashmiri chili to the toasting pan.

Chef Tips

• Toast the whole spices in a dry pan over medium heat, shaking constantly. The moment they start popping and releasing aroma, pull them off. Thirty seconds too long and they turn bitter.
• The overnight rest isn’t optional, it’s what turns a good curry into a great one. The meat absorbs the sauce and the spices mellow into something extraordinary.
• If the sauce gets too dry during the two-hour simmer, add small splashes of water or stock. You want it thick, not scorched.