Description
This Pheasant Curry recipe offers a rich and flavorful dish combining tender game meat with a spicy, sour, and creamy sauce. The blend of aromatic spices, tamarind, and coconut milk creates a perfect balance of heat and tang, making it an excellent and adventurous curry option for those wanting to explore different types of meat.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Seasoning
- 1 Medium (750g) Pheasant
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Coriander
- ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Salt (plus salt to taste for the sauce)
Sauce and Spices
- 35g (40mm or 1.5″ Cube) Tamarind pulp
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 20g (Half Thumb Sized Piece) Ginger
- 35g (1 medium) Shallot
- 1 Medium (100g) Tomato
- 1 Green Finger Chilli
- 6 cardamom pods
- ½ teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- 12 Curry Leaves
- 1 Blade Mace
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 200g (¾ Cup + 2 Tbps) Tin Coconut Milk
- 100ml (⅓ Cup + 1 Tbsp) Water
- ½ teaspoon Amchoor
- 1 tablespoon Light Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
- 2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
Vegetables and Garnish
- 75g (½ Cup) Green Beans
- Coriander to serve
Instructions
- Prepare the Pheasant: Remove the leg and breast from the pheasant. Mix the cumin, coriander, Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric, and ½ teaspoon salt in a bowl, then season the pheasant pieces evenly with this spice mix.
- Prepare Tamarind: Pour 35ml (2 tablespoons) of boiling water over the tamarind pulp, mash it with a fork, and let it sit for 5 minutes to soften.
- Prep Aromatics and Vegetables: Cut the shallot in half lengthways and finely dice it. Mash the garlic cloves into a paste. Grate the ginger. Cut the green finger chilli in half lengthways. Dice the tomato into 5-7mm pieces.
- Cook the Spice Base: Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a medium 24cm saucepan over medium heat. Add the curry leaves, green chilli, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, fennel seeds, and mace blade. Cook this spice mix for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add Aromatics: Add the diced shallot, garlic paste, and grated ginger to the pan, cooking for another minute to soften and release flavors.
- Add Tomato Elements: Stir in the diced tomato and 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Continue cooking for 2 minutes, stirring regularly to combine and thicken slightly.
- Create the Sauce: Pour in the coconut milk and 100ml water. Add 1 tablespoon light brown sugar and ½ teaspoon amchoor (dried mango powder) for tanginess. Mix well.
- Strain Tamarind: Push the soaked tamarind mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the curry sauce, stirring well. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Sear the Pheasant Legs: Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a separate frying pan over medium heat until hot. Add the pheasant legs and sear for 2 minutes on each side until browned.
- Simmer Legs in Sauce: Transfer the seared legs to the curry sauce, reduce heat to low, cover with a lid, and cook for 9-10 minutes until tender.
- Sear and Cook Pheasant Breast: In the same frying pan used for legs, sear pheasant breast pieces for 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer breast to sauce and cook uncovered for 5 minutes to finish cooking through.
- Cook Green Beans: Cut green beans into 7.5cm lengths and add them to the curry. Cook for a final 2 minutes until tender but crisp.
- Finish and Serve: Remove whole spices including mace, cardamom pods, and cinnamon stick from the curry. Serve hot garnished with fresh coriander leaves.
Notes
- Game meat like pheasant brings a unique flavor to curries and works wonderfully with the spicy, creamy sauce.
- Removing whole spices before serving ensures better texture and eating experience.
- Adjust chili levels according to your heat preference for a milder or spicier curry.
- Tamarind adds a characteristic sourness that balances the richness of coconut milk.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 872
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 682 mg
- Fat: 65 g
- Saturated Fat: 33 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 27 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 47 g
- Cholesterol: 146 mg
