This is not just any recipe. This is a declaration of love

It’s just that: making a hearty curry at home is one of the tastiest things ever, especially at this time of year. The perfect balance between sharpness and fluidity – comfort food at best!

Part of this pleasure is the preparation itself: give yourself some relaxation and give the herbs the time they need to fully develop their flavor! Or watching the color of the dish change as it is prepared – oh, I love it. We often make simple dishes that are ready in no time. Every now and then you can allow yourself to slow down and take your time. Good for the soul.

And for some time now I have been particularly fond of one curry dish: PEPPERFRY, people!

As the name suggests, it contains a lot of black pepper. However, this results in an amazingly balanced flavor that pairs perfectly with the mutton. Yes indeed: mutton – mutton – which is perfect for that slow cooking is. But lamb also works. Or beef, as it is prepared in Kerala in the south of India.

This dish originates from Kerala, but is cooked almost everywhere in South Asia. And that’s exactly why there probably isn’t one “correct” recipe, but rather a wide variety of variations. My recipe is largely based on that Mutton Pepper Fry from Dishoom, because I tasted it for the first time there, in the Kensington branch of this legendary restaurant chain, and immediately became a fan.

So let’s get to the ingredients and preparation! And no, none of the ingredients are difficult to find and nothing about the preparation is difficult. Let’s do this.

(For 4 persons)

You may have to go to the Asian store for fresh curry leaves. Everything else can be found at any major distributor.

OK. Yes. If you don’t feel like fiddling with a pestle and mortar, just use the powdered masala ingredients: chili flakes instead of dried chilies, cinnamon powder instead of a cinnamon stick, ground coriander instead of coriander seeds, etc. BUT, say but: first put the whole herbs in the pan. Warming up is SO sensual. And so aesthetic! Watch:

And then also grind them in a stone mortar.

And the resulting powder can be left a little coarse if necessary.

Just don’t rush. It is so beautiful!

Serve with fresh coriander and lemon wedges. And plenty of parathas to soak up the sauce. And/or a ton of basmati rice is never bad either.

Whew – I’m hungry again! Hmm… maybe I can cook this as a Christmas menu 🤔. Item – However, you have to try this dish once. Thank me later.