Summer Vegetable Keema Curry, made with SN1

SPICE CURRY SPICE PACK (Spice Curry Spice Pack Symphony No.1 / SN1) — a summer vegetable keema curry.

Summer vegetables are full of colour, and lift the spirits just to look at. They also cook quickly, every one of them, which means the dish comes together fast.

Most of the curry recipes we publish say “cook the onion slowly, adding a splash of water, until it is deep golden brown”. This one deliberately fries the onion quickly instead, keeping some of its crispness for a fresher mouthful.

There is one other thing that makes this recipe work: adding the powder spices in two halves at different points. The first half is roasted in, which brings out a toasted note. The second half goes in right at the end and is barely cooked, which draws out the brighter side of the spices. It is a fine thing that such a small change in how you add the spices gives you a fresh flavour from the same blend.

When your spice curry turns out watery Are the whole spices in the starter spices meant to be eaten? Which spice do you add when you want more heat?

Ingredients (serves 4)

• SN1 / starter spices (the whole-spice sachet): 1 sachet
• SN1 / powder spices (the ground-spice sachet): 1 sachet
• Pork mince: 200g
• Garlic: 1 clove
• Ginger: 1 knob
• Tomato: 1
• Aubergine: 1
• Onion: 1/2
• Green pepper: 1
• Okra: 3
• Water: 100ml
• Salt: 1 tsp
• Oil: 3 tbsp (use whichever oil you like. For this recipe we recommend rice bran oil or light sesame oil)

☆A wedge of lemon to squeeze over is very good here.

Preparation

• Chop the garlic and ginger finely.
  
• Chop the onion and green pepper finely.
• Slice the okra.
• Cut the aubergine into half-moons.
• Cut the tomato into dice.

Method

1. Put the “oil: 3 tbsp” into a pan over a low heat, and once the oil is warm, add the starter spices (the whole-spice sachet).
   
2. When the cardamom (the green pods) begins to puff up, turn the heat to medium, add the garlic, ginger and pork mince and fry until the meat has taken colour.
   
3. Add half of the powder spices (the ground-spice sachet) and fry until they smell toasted.
4. Add the onion and salt: 1 tsp and fry until the onion turns translucent.
   
5. Add the remaining vegetables (tomato, aubergine, green pepper, okra) and water: 100ml, put a lid on the pan and simmer over a medium heat for 10 minutes.
6. Take the lid off, add the remaining powder spices and fry until the looseness has gone
7. Taste it, adjust with salt, and it is done.

Raw vegetables alongside add colour, and are worth doing.

Inspice spice curry spice sets contain none of the usual sources of heat — chilli, cayenne pepper or chilli powder — so please add heat to your own taste.