Watch Over Me Inspired Recipe

Today’s guest post and recipe comes from Christa Parrish, author of this month’s featured novel, Watch Over Me.

I love Indian food, have loved it since my 10th grade global studies teacher took the entire class to an Indian restaurant for a field trip when we were studying India.  My love of Indian cuisine, however, has nothing to do with why Benjamin Patil’s character is of Indian descent.  As many authors will tell you, my characters just come to me in my mind, and when I first pictured Benjamin, I saw him as Indian.  After that, no matter what I did, I couldn’t see him looking any differently.  So, Benjamin’s character remained Indian, fortunately.  I feel like his unique relationship with his immigrant parents added to the depth of his character.

As for Indian food, several recipes are mentioned in Watch Over Me.  What I’m sharing today, though, is my own favorite curry sauce recipe.  You may be surprised to see there is no “curry” in this recipe.  Here in America, we tend to use the word “curry” to mean the orange powder – usually a mix of different spices found in Indian cooking – we buy in the bottle at the grocery store, or as a catch-all term for saucy and spicy dishes with an Indian or Southeast Asian flair.  But, traditionally in India, the word curry means “sauce” or “side dish” meant to be eaten with rice.  If you don’t have a cupboard full of Indian spices, you can substitute curry powder (I’ll indicate where in the recipe below).  Garam masala is available in the ethnic food section of most large grocery stores.

This recipe is just for the sauce, which can be made a few days ahead of time.  Of course, you’ll need to simmer something in the sauce to make a delicious meal.  I love vegetable curry, so I will add potatoes, cauliflower or broccoli, green peas, chickpeas, and carrots to the sauce and simmer until the potatoes are soft, usually about an hour.  For meat lovers, you can add browned chicken thighs and simmer those instead.  Serve the curry dish with Jasmine or Basmati rice and, if you’re feeling adventurous, some naan – traditional Indian flatbread.  You can find several naan recipes online, but I’ve seen it prepackaged in the grocery store lately, too.

Traditional Indian Curry

Classic Curry Sauce
Makes 3 1/2 cups

5 large cloves garlic
1 1-inch piece of fresh ginger
1 large onion
1 large tomato
1/2 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons oil

(You can substitute 2-3 tablespoons of curry powder for the spices listed below:)
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon tumeric

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garam masala
4 cups water
Chopped cilantro for garnish

In a food processor or mini-chopper, process garlic, ginger, and onion together until smooth.  Process tomato and cilantro until smooth.

Heat oil in a pot.  Add onion mixture and cook until lightly brown.  Add tomato mixture and cook until all the liquid evaporates.  Sir in spices and cook, stirring continuously, for two minutes.  Add yogurt, while stirring, a little at a time to prevent curdling.

Add water and bring to a boil for five minutes.  Reduce heat and simmer for an additional 20 minutes.  Now either store sauce in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or add the meat/veggies of your choice and simmer until the added ingredients are cooked.  Enjoy!