Keralan curry paste and garam masala

1. 1

   To make the paste, put the desiccated coconut (and soaking water), ginger, turmeric, cumin, coconut milk and salt into a blender and blend to a fine paste. Add little drops of water to make a creamy consistency, if necessary. Set aside.

2. 2

   Heat the oil in a frying pan. Once hot, add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and whole chillies, breaking the chillies up with a wooden spoon. As soon as they start to sizzle, add the prepared paste and mix well. Cook for 4-5 minutes over a medium heat. Once done, allow to cool before transferring to a sterilised jar. Will keep in the fridge for up to one week, or you can freeze it.

3. 3

   To make the garam masala (which I add with the paste to meat dishes - see Recipe Tips), tip the ingredients into a small frying pan over a low heat. Lightly dry-roast until aromatic, then remove from the heat and allow to cool. Once cool, grind to a powder consistency.

1 serving ≈ 28 g

Nutrition values are estimates. - means data is unavailable.