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Peanut Curry..A Case Study in "Next Level" Indian Cooking

Inspired by my own post earlier today, I made this nice curry for dinner with hot, steaming fulkas and ghee. Slice Japanese eggplants on a bias, and deep fry. Slice potatoes and deep fry and set aside. I made the same base and used the two veggies for the two people in the household. Soak tamarind (about the size of a lemon) in warm water. For the curry, in a pot, heat some oil, add a handful of whole, raw peanuts, one red chilly, a handful of sesame seeds,  a handful of fresh (frozen) coconut, a big pinch of cumin seeds, a big pinch of methi seeds, and roast on a low flame until sesame seeds are golden brown. Let cool on a plate for a bit, and then grind coarsely. Add Water and make a somewhat fine paste (not super smooth). Now, wipe the same pan, and add some more oil (3/4 of a tbsp should be enough). Add mustard seeds, Curry leaves, hing, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder, and the peanut paste. Stir constantly to avoid burning (it will stick a bit). Add a little bit of water and keep stirring till it feels like oil is separating (it won't be like onion garlic and tomato masalas, but you want it to be well cooked). Add some gud (about 1 to 2 tbsp, depending on taste), and the tamarind paste to the curry. Add salt and more water, and simmer. Right before serving, add the cooked veggies, simmer just a bit longer, garnish with Cilantro and serve hot.

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