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Jaffna goat curry
ஆட்டுக்கறி (aattukkari): goat on the bone in a thick, very spicy Jaffna curry-powder gravy with potato
Goat is the celebration meat of the Tamil north, and a Jaffna aattukkari cooked for a temple feast day, a wedding lunch or a Sunday at home is thick, brick-red and ferociously spicy. The secret is the local curry powder, roasted much darker and hotter than in the south, fried in oil with onion, garlic and fennel until it almost catches, then simmered slowly with the meat until the gravy reduces to a coating. Chunks of potato soak up the sauce, and the whole thing is eaten with rice, idiyappam or Jaffna-style puttu, with a cooling bowl of curd or coconut sambol on the side. The pitfall here is rushing the simmer; goat needs patience and goes chewy if it is cooked hard and fast. Chef's tip: brown the meat well in the spice paste before any liquid goes in, which gives the gravy its deep, almost smoky flavour.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the goat
- 2 ¼ lb goat or mutton on the bonecut into 4 cm pieces
- 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
For the curry
- 4 tbsp vegetable or sesame oil
- 5 cm piece cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 3 red onionsfinely chopped
- 8 cloves garliccrushed
- 4 cm piece fresh gingergrated
- 4 tbsp Jaffna curry powder
- 2 tomatoeschopped
- 3 cups hot water
- 2 potatoespeeled, cut into large chunks
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- ⅓ oz tamarind pulpsoaked in 3 tbsp hot water, strained
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Rub 2 ¼ lb goat or mutton on the bone with 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric, 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 tbsp white vinegar and leave in the fridge for 20 minutes while you prepare everything else.
2 minStep 2: Heat 4 tbsp vegetable or sesame oil in a heavy pot over a medium heat, add 5 cm piece cinnamon stick, 1 tsp fennel seeds and 2 sprigs curry leaves and fry for 30 seconds.
1 minStep 3: Add 3 red onions and cook for 8–10 minutes until well browned.
10 minStep 4: Add 8 cloves garlic and 4 cm piece fresh ginger and fry for 2 minutes.
2 minStep 5: Stir in 4 tbsp Jaffna curry powder and fry for 1 minute until it darkens and smells toasty; add a splash of water if it starts to stick.
2 minStep 6: Add the goat and stir over a medium-high heat for 8 minutes until the meat is browned and coated in the paste.
8 minStep 7: Add 2 tomatoes and cook for 3–4 minutes until soft, then pour in 3 cups hot water and bring to the boil.
4 minStep 8: Cover, lower the heat and simmer for about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
60 minStep 9: Add 2 potatoes and simmer, covered, for 20–25 minutes more until the goat is tender enough to pull from the bone and the potatoes are soft.
25 minStep 10: Stir in ¾ cup coconut milk and ⅓ oz tamarind pulp and cook uncovered for 5 minutes until the gravy is thick and clings to the meat. Taste for salt and rest 10 minutes before serving.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jaffna goat curry take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 100 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.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of white vinegar?
- Cider vinegar or rice vinegar, same amount.
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