Chilli fry

Red meat – 1 kilo
Onions – 4 large cut in roundels
Tomatoes – two, sliced
Potatoes – two large cut thick in roundels
Capsicum – one large
Green chillies – four to five large
Curry leaves – three sprigs
Pepper corns – three teaspoon coarsely crushed ( one for marination)
Cumin – one large teaspoon
Ginger and garlic paste – two and a half teaspoons ( one and half for marination )
Soy sauce one large table spoon – my twist to the dish
A hand full of mint and fresh coriander

salt and oil as required

Cut your choice or red meat into thin strips as seen in the final product. Marinate this with one and a half teaspoon of ginger and garlic paste, soy sauce, pepper powder (one teaspoon).

THESE ARE IMPORTANT TIPS FOR YOU:  If you have raw papaya paste you could add a tablespoon as it acts as a super tenderizer. Do not add salt at this stage as it causes the meat to release its water and that would be a mistake. Add the salt just before frying the meat.  Leave this standing for an hour or so. If you put this in the fridge then leave it standing out till the meat returns to room temperature. You will ruin your marinated meat or fish if you take it out of the refrigerator and drop it into a pan.

In a pot add oil and fry this in small batches to brown the meat from the outside (remember to add salt to the marinated meat just before frying). Finally add all the meat together with water (don’t add too much water, keep adding as required). When the meat is cooked you should have two cups of meat stock.

In some oil take the potatoes which have been cut into thick roundels and colour it on both sides. You don’t need to cook it through, you’r just looking for a golden brown external colour. Take this out of the pan and set aside. In the same oil drop in the cumin and let it brown. Add the green chillies and curry leaves. The minute the aroma hits your nose add the onions which have been cut in roundels. Fry this till translucent. Now add the tomatoes and continue to cook for two minutes . At this stage add the ginger and garlic paste and the black pepper powder which has been coarsely crushed.

Now add the red meat which has been cooked along with the stock and lay the potatoes on the top. Cover the dish with a lid and let it cook on slow heat for ten minutes. You want the flavours to marry. Finally when the potatoes are done add the capsicums (I used sweet peppers and capsicums) and if you desire add a clutch of chopped fresh coriander and mint. Stir it all in. Remember you want your capsicums to be semi crunchy when you serve. You want the capsicums to infuse their flavour into the dish but not become mushy. Also feel free to experiment with mushrooms at the stage when you add the capsicums (not too many as you do not want the flavour of mushrooms to over power the dish)

I have been a bit conservative with the chillies. Remember it is called a chilli fry for a reason.