So If I had to choose a last supper it would have to be an Indian curry! Having lived in Bradford in Yorkshire and just around the corner from Brick Lane in the East End of London I can hold my hand up and say I have eaten at some of the best curry houses. Experience tells me the best Indian restaurants to eat at is were where the taxi drivers would knock off to and have a late night dinner. No table clothes or cutlery, just Balti bowls of steaming hot curries with piles of chapattis that you rip apart and scoop the delicious stews into your mouth!! In my opinion, the best Indian eatery in Sydney happens to be on the Balmain/Rozelle Peninsular. Indian Palace Balmain is where Naarinder and Rose Rahal and the team have been cooking up a storm for over 30 years their influence derives from Northern Indian from Deli to Kashmir.
Diners at the Indian Palace restaurant can expect to be served the freshest and most authentic selection of food from one of the most extensive Indian restaurant menus. Your food is prepared by a team of three Indian restaurant specialty chefs, who have trained in the Indian five star hotels. I challenge anyone to come away from here disappointed and not planning a return visit.
Not on the menu here, but the team whip me up my favourite dish Keema Curry with Peas and make me a stack of chapattis rarely seen in Sydney!! Chapattis are thinner than a naan bread and are made by sticking the dough to the walls of coal fired ovens. Here is the recipe that I use at home,of course not having an Indian oven at home I eat with paratha available from Asian supermarkets. This recipe contains lots of amazing herbs and spices that you can get at the Gourmet Grocer Online we sell over 300 varieties herbs and spices from the amazing Herbie’s range
Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
50g butter
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, peeled & chopped
6 whole cloves
1 inch of cinnamon
6 whole black peppercorns
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
5 cloves of garlic, peeled & minced
2 inches of root ginger, peeled & grated
2-5 fresh chillies, deseeded & chopped (depending on heat preference)
500g lean lamb mince
1 small cup of frozen peas
Salt for seasoning
Method
- Place the cumin & coriander seeds into a dry frying pan and roast until fragrant and then grind in a pestle and mortar.
- Place the oil and butter into a large pan and melt and then add the onion, cloves, cinnamon and peppercorns over a medium heat until the onions are browned. Remove the cinnamon stick and add the cumin and coriander mix with the garam masala and turmeric and fry for 30 seconds whilst stirring.
- Add the tin of tomatoes, garlic, ginger and chillies. Cook the mixture over a medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Add the lamb and mix into the mixture breaking up the lamb. Cover with a lid and simmer on a low heat for 35-45 minutes. Add the peas 10 minutes before the end. Season with salt and add more garam masala if required.
- This dish is best when it is cooled and reheated to allow the flavours to infuse. Reheat in the pan and serve with basmati rice and Indian breads
- This dish is best when made a day in advance.
The Gourmet Grocer 