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Duck buffad
Duck with vegetables in ginger gravy
Buffad: Anglo-Indian Christmas duck with vegetables in mild ginger and vinegar gravy
Buffad (sometimes spelled 'bufat') is the Christmas Day dish of Anglo-Indian families in Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore, eaten after midnight Mass with bread, rice or coconut-milk pulao. Duck is simmered with potatoes, carrots, cabbage and peas in a light gravy of ginger, green chilli, mild spices and vinegar, a gentler, more British-influenced curry than its neighbours. It reheats beautifully. Chef's tip: brown the duck pieces first and pour off most of the fat, so the gravy is rich but not greasy.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 3 ⅓ lb duck piecesskin trimmed
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 onionssliced
- 2 in gingerjulienned
- 6 cloves garlicsliced
- 4 green chilliesslit
- 4 cloves
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tomatoeschopped
- 2 ½ cups water
- 3 potatoesquartered
- 2 carrotsin chunks
- ¼ white cabbagein wedges
- 3 ½ oz peas
- 3 tbsp vinegar
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Season 3 ⅓ lb duck pieces with 1 ½ tsp salt. Brown in 2 tbsp oil in a heavy pot over a medium-high heat for 10 minutes, then lift out and pour off all but 2 tbsp of fat.
10 minStep 2: Fry 2 onions for 8 minutes until golden. Add 2 in ginger, 6 cloves garlic, 4 green chillies, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves and 4 green cardamom for 2 minutes.
10 minStep 3: Stir in 2 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp ground turmeric and 1 tsp black pepper, then 2 tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes until soft.
5 minStep 4: Return the duck, pour in 2 ½ cups water, cover and simmer for 40 minutes.
40 minStep 5: Add 3 potatoes and 2 carrots and simmer for 15 minutes, then ¼ white cabbage and 3 ½ oz peas for 10 minutes more, until the vegetables are tender and the duck reads 165°F in the thickest piece. A common mistake is adding all the vegetables at once, which leaves mushy cabbage and hard carrots.
25 minStep 6: Stir in 3 tbsp vinegar, simmer for 2 minutes and taste for salt. Serve with bread or pulao.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does duck buffad take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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