Slow-Cooked Curry Stir Fry
Every now and then we receive a call or email from our friend Alistair saying: “Hi guys, I’m thinking of cooking one of my stir fries on … night. Want to come over?”
Well of course we would, we might even contemplate cancelling other engagements just to be there! So what is this attraction that makes one salivate just by thinking about it?
Alastair has developed this recipe – or maybe he would call it a method – over many years, based on what he has on hand. When we arrive, after a platter of nibbles and a glass of sparkling wine, he and I take leave of our spouses and head to the kitchen. There, most of the preparation would have been completed and everything set out in an orderly manner: the difficult chopping done, the wok on the stove, the rice already steamed and resting. Most importantly, there will be two large wine glasses waiting and the first job is to half fill them with a crisp white. Then we settle down for the twenty minutes or so to get this stir fry to the table.
This is not a flash-cooked dish: there is no searing of ingredients over high heat. Instead everything is done in stages, starting with the meats, then some curry paste and then vegetables every few minutes with the longest to cook added first. With each addition Alistair will gently turn things over and around with a spatula.
My role is to top up the glasses, but I might also get to slice some mushrooms or to scissor some spring onions into the mixture. Alastair might pick up a corn cob and slice off the kernels while holding it over the wok. After 20 minutes or so the vegetables will still have maintained their crunchy integrity, the meats will have softened and the curry will have delicately permeated. The cooks, however, might have lost some of their dexterity due to the glass replenishments!
A few minutes adjusting the flavours then out to the table to be served over steamed rice accompanied by whatever chutneys, relishes and sauces Alastair has on hand: lime pickle, mango chutney, harissa,… But no soya sauce in sight!
It is not Chinese nor Indian, not really Asian. It’s not a stir fry nor a curry. It’s not wet and not dry. But it is delicious and one eats it the way it was made, slowly and respectfully.
For the recipe (method), click here: Slow-Cooked Curry Stir Fry
Contributions welcomed!
If you have any inspirational moments based on what’s in the fridge or on the shelves, we are happy to hear about them, including the ingredients, (good quality photos if you have any) and why it turned out so well.