Last night I outdid myself with a fantastic spinach curry. Yes, I am patting myself on my back for this one. Curries have always been one of those hard-to-get-quite-right dishes, and after many attempts, I think I may have finally got it right.
The recipe started when I realized that all of the cilantro we had in the garden had gone to seed. Well, I guess the inspiration came when I realized what cilantro seeds were. So I picked a small handful of fresh coriander, and roasted it along side some mustard seeds in a small amount of safflower oil. When the seeds started to pop, I added some garlic, fresh tomatoes from the garden, and some apple peppers (also from the garden). I let that simmer for about an hour, covered, adding coconut milk as needed to maintain moisture. After an hour or so, I added fresh cracked black pepper and some off-the-shelf curry powder, along with a healthy portion of chopped spinach (frozen... the garden-grown stuff has all been long-since consumed). I usually have better curry powder but I was all out. Regardless, this came out pretty good.
Finally, I added some red chili paste for some zing and some tomato paste as a thickening agent and for color.
The whole thing was served rather frugally on a bed of basmarti rice... but it worked. The occasional bite that hit a roasted mustard and/or coriander seed added pleasant quality to the meal.