How to make a simple curry paste, similar to that used in Indian cuisine?!

How to make a simple curry paste, similar to that used in Indian cuisine?

I've been buying Vindaloo and Biryani curry from my supermarket, but the cost is prohibitively expensive for the amount that I use. Is it possible to make my own?

3 days ago
I probably should add that I buy my own curry powder. I just want to know what else I should add to it, to make it into a paste.

TRADITIONAL VINDALOO CURRY PASTE:

Ingredients

2 oz dried red Indian chilies (or any other dried red chili is fine)
1 medium onion, diced
2 tbsp oil (vegetable or canola)
1 inch fresh piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi)
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp cardamom seeds
2 inch piece of cinnamon stick (broken into smaller pieces)
a walnut-sized piece of tamarind pulp (no seeds) or 1 heaping tbsp tamarind concentrate
1/2 tsp light soft brown sugar
2 tbsp white wine vinegar

METHOD:

Reconstitute the dried chilies by covering them with hot water and soaking them overnight. Drain the chillies well (reserve the liquid) and chop them into large pieces, keep aside until needed.

In a large saute pan on high heat, add the oil and the onion. Stir fry for 5 minutes until slightly caramelized and then add the ginger and garlic. Stir fry for an additional 5-8 minutes until golden brown in color. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until needed.

In a medium saute pan with no oil on medium low heat, add the cumin and coriander seeds. Stir and add the black peppercorns, black mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Keep stirring for a few more seconds and add the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick pieces. Keep stirring for a few seconds and when fragrant, remove all the spices immediately from the hot pan and set aside to cool. When the toasted spices have cooled, using a clean dry spice grinder, grind into a fine powder and keep aside.

In a blender or food processor, add the now cooled onion/ginger/ garlic mixture along with the reconstituted chilies, tamarind, vinegar and sugar. Puree until well combined and add the ground spice mixture, blend to a smooth paste. If the mixture is a bit thick, add a little of the reconstituted chili water as needed. This will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
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MUGHLAI BIRYANI

INGREDIENTS:

For the meat:

1kg lamb/ chicken cut into 2" pieces (if using chicken, use breast or thigh fillet)
4 large onions sliced thin
2 tsps garlic paste
2 tsps ginger paste
1/2 cup almonds
6 tbsps ghee/ vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
1" stick of cinnamon
5 cloves
3 pods cardamom
8 peppercorns
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 cup yoghurt
Juice of 1 lime
1 cup chicken/ veg stock
2 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsps finely chopped mint leaves
Salt to taste

For the rice:

2 cups Basmati rice
Hot water
Salt to taste

PREPARATION:

Put the almonds in a bowl of hot water (enough to cover them) and set aside for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes remove skins from all the almonds by pressing each one between your thumb and forefinger. The almonds will slip out of their skins!
Mix the garlic and ginger pastes, the peeled almonds and grind to a smooth paste in a food processor.

Wash the rice in a sieve and add enough water to fully cover the rice - at least 4" over the surface of the rice. Add salt to taste. Set the rice up to boil. Cook till almost done. To determine when it has reached that stage, remove a few grains from the pot and press between your thumb and forefinger. The rice should mostly mash but will have a firm whitish core. Turn off the fire. Strain through a colander and keep drained aside.

Heat 3 tbsps of oil in a pan and fry 2 of the onions till caramalized - golden brown. Drain and keep aside on paper towels for later use.

Heat 3 tbsps of oil in another pan and add the whole spices - cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns. Fry till the spices turn a little darker.
Add the 2 remaining onions and fry till they are translucent.

Add the ginger-garlic-almond paste and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add all the spice powders - coriander, cumin and garam masala and mix well. Fry till the oil begins to separate from the masala and then add the lamb/ chicken. Keep frying till the meat is fully sealed (it will become opaque and lose its pink colour).

Now add the yoghurt, lime juice, stock, coriander and mint leaves and salt to taste (if needed). Mix well. Cover the pot and allow to cook till the meat is tender. Grease a deep baking dish and evenly layer the cooked rice, meat (and its gravy) in it to form at least 2 sets of layers (rice-meat-rice-meat-rice). Garnish with the previously caramalised onions. Cover the dish tightly. If the dish does not have a cover use 2 layers of aluminium foil (shiny side of both layers pointing down towards the rice) and secure on to dish with baking string. Put in a pre-heated oven set at 350 F/ 180 C/ Gas mark 4 for 20 minutes.

Turn off the oven and let the dish sit in the oven till you are ready to eat. Only open when you are ready to eat. The way to serve Biryani is to gently dig in with a spoon so you get through the layers.
While Mughlai Biryani tastes great by itself, add a raita like Chatpata Channa Raita (chickpeas in hot-sour yoghurt)and you're really in business!