As one of the first curry recipes to be published in a UK lifestyle magazine, these flavours would have been incredibly exciting and different. The evaporated milk, while not authentic, was used in the 1930s to add some richness.
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Yields:
6 serving(s)
Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
35 mins
Total Time:
55 mins
Cal/Serv:
490
Ingredients
50g
ghee or butter
2
medium carrots, finely chopped
2
onions, finely chopped
1
medium potato, peeled and finely chopped
1/4tsp.
cardamom seeds (removed from husks)
4
whole cloves
4
dried bird's eye chillies
3cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
2
garlic cloves, crushed
1/2tsp.
turmeric
125g
dried lentils, rinsed, we used yellow split lentils
400g
basmati rice, rinsed
275ml
evaporated milk
125g
frozen peas
Directions
Step 1In a large, deep, non-stick frying pan, melt the ghee or butter over low-medium heat. Add the carrots, onions and potato and fry for 5min, until softening.
Step 2Meanwhile, using a pestle and mortar, bash the cardamom seeds and cloves until finely ground. Add the whole chillies and grind to break up. Add the ginger and garlic and grind to a fine paste. Stir in the turmeric.
Step 3Add the spice mixture to the vegetables and fry for 1min, until aromatic. Stir in 1 litre of water and the dried lentils, bring to the boil, then simmer for 10min. Stir in the basmati rice, evaporated milk and some seasoning. Simmer for 10min, or until the rice and lentils are tender and the water has been absorbed. Stir through the peas to heat through.
Step 4Check the seasoning and serve on its own or as part of a curry spread.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
