Kachi mirch ka gosht – venison and green peppercorn curry with parathas

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This rich and creamy venison curry recipe is the perfect dish to prepare if you're after something a little different. The sauce is given plenty of depth with whole spices and caramelised onions, with the green peppercorns adding a briny brightness to the yoghurt and cream. Served with buttery soft parathas, it's an indulgent experience perfect for cool autumn and winter nights.

First published in 2019

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Parathas

  • 260g of wholemeal flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 tsp carom seeds
  • 1 tbsp of coriander leaves, chopped
  • 2 tbsp of ghee, plus extra for brushing
  • whole milk, or water, lukewarm (as needed)
  • salt

Garnish

Method

1
Place the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and black peppercorns in a dry frying pan and toast for a minute or two until fragrant. Transfer to a pestle and mortar or spice grinder and blitz or pound into a powder. Mix into the yoghurt with a good pinch of salt, then use this to marinate the chunks of venison. Set aside for 1 hour
2
Meanwhile, add the ghee to a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the cardamom pods, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf. Sauté until they begin to crackle and splutter, then add the sliced onion and fry until it beings to turn golden brown (about 10 minutes)
3
Add the ginger and green chillies, fry for a further minute until aromatic then remove from the heat and allow to cool. Transfer the contents of the pan to a blender and blitz for a few minutes until smooth, then place back in the pan and over a medium heat once more
4
By now, the venison should have been marinating for at least an hour. Add the green peppercorns to the curry sauce and cook for a few minutes, then add in the venison (along with its marinade). Stir for 30 seconds, then add around 750ml water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and leave to cook uncovered until the sauce is thickened and the venison is tender
5
While the curry is reducing down, make the parathas. Combine the flour, carom seeds, ghee and coriander in a large mixing bowl with a generous pinch of salt. Add lukewarm milk (or water) a little at a time, stirring constantly, until a soft dough forms. You should need around 150ml of liquid, but it does vary – if you accidentally add too much then add more flour a tablespoon at a time until you’re happy with the texture
  • 260g of wholemeal flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 tsp carom seeds
  • 2 tbsp of ghee, plus extra for brushing
  • 1 tbsp of coriander leaves, chopped
  • salt
  • whole milk, or water, lukewarm (as needed)
6
Once the dough has come together in a slightly sticky ball, cover and leave it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes
7
Dust a work surface with plenty of flour and divide the dough into 8 equal balls. Take a ball and roll it into a very thin circle – you want the dough to be translucent and paper-thin. Brush the top of it with melted ghee and sprinkle over some more flour, then roll it up into a tight log. Coil this log into a tight spiral, securing the end by pushing it into itself
8
Dip the spiral into plenty of flour and dust the work surface again. Roll out the spiral into another very flat circle, dust with flour again and set aside under a tea towel to prevent it drying out. Repeat this process with the remaining balls of dough until you have 8 flat parathas
9
When the curry has reduced to your liking, add the cream, season with salt and keep warm. To cook the parathas, heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the parathas (one or two at a time, depending on the size of your pan). Cook the parathas on both sides until puffed up and golden brown, brushing both sides with ghee as they cook. Once cooked keep them warm and soft by storing them under a tea towel
  • 100g of single cream
10
To serve, stir the fennel powder into the curry and divide between 4 bowls. Place 2 parathas alongside each bowl, roughly tearing them as you pile them up. Garnish the curry with the halved chillies and fried onions, then drizzle with a little chilli oil. Finish by sprinkling coriander over the curry and the parathas

After making his name and winning Michelin stars at some of London's most high-profile Indian restaurants, Rohit Ghai's solo ventures Kutir and Manthan cement his reputation for cooking some of the best Indian food in the UK.

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