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Massalé cabri
Goat curry
Masalé kabri: Réunion Tamil goat curry with a home-toasted massalé spice blend
Massalé came to Réunion with Tamil workers in the nineteenth century, and the dark, earthy spice blend still perfumes the island's temple festivals and the big family meals that follow them, where massalé cabri is served from huge pots. Goat on the bone is rubbed with toasted, freshly ground coriander, cumin, fenugreek, pepper and cloves, then simmered with onion, garlic, ginger, tomato and curry leaves until it falls from the bone into a thick brown sauce with a lingering heat. Eat it with white rice, lentils and a rougail. The classic mistake is burning the spices while toasting them, which makes the whole pot bitter; take them off the heat the moment they smell warm and turn a shade darker. Chef's tip: marinate the goat overnight in the fridge if you can, as the massalé gets right into the meat.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the massalé
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
- 4 cloves
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
For the curry
- 2 ⅝ lb goat on the bonecut into 4 cm pieces
- 4 tbsp sunflower oil
- 3 onionsfinely chopped
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1 ⅜ oz fresh ginger
- 3 tomatoeschopped
- 15 curry leaves
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 2 tsp salt
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Toast 2 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tbsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp black peppercorns, ½ tsp fenugreek seeds, 4 cloves and 3 dried red chillies in a dry frying pan over a medium-low heat, shaking the pan, until they smell warm and darken by a shade. Tip onto a plate at once.
3 minStep 2: When cool, grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder and mix with 1 tsp ground turmeric.
Step 3: Pound 8 cloves garlic and 1 ⅜ oz fresh ginger to a paste. Rub 2 ⅝ lb goat on the bone with half the massalé, half the garlic-ginger paste and 1 tsp salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Step 4: Heat 4 tbsp sunflower oil in a large heavy pot over a medium heat and fry 3 onions until deep golden.
12 minStep 5: Add the rest of the garlic-ginger paste, 15 curry leaves and 3 sprigs fresh thyme and fry for 1 minute, then add the rest of the massalé with 3 tablespoons of water and fry until the oil separates and the paste smells toasty.
3 minStep 6: Add the goat and turn it over a medium-high heat until browned and coated in the paste.
8 minStep 7: Add 3 tomatoes and cook until they collapse, then add 1 tbsp tamarind paste, 1 tsp salt and enough hot water to just cover the meat, about 600 ml.
5 minStep 8: Cover and simmer on a low heat, stirring now and then and topping up with hot water if needed, until the meat is very tender and comes away from the bone easily.
70 minStep 9: Uncover and simmer until the sauce is thick and dark and oil gleams on the surface. Taste for salt and serve with rice.
7 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does massalé cabri take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 95 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 coriander seeds?
- Ground coriander, same amount (add it later in the cooking; it burns faster).
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
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