Tharavu Curry

Kerala Duck Curry

SERVES 4

Here’s another recipe from the coastal state of Kerala. Though duck is not commonly consumed in India, I personally feel any cookbook on Indian cuisine is incomplete without a recipe like this. Serve it at a family gathering and you’re sure to be asked for seconds. It’s that good!

INGREDIENTS

Spice powder

3 pods green cardamom

3 cloves

1" stick cinnamon

Duck

1 kg duck, kept whole

1½ tbsp ginger, finely sliced

6 cloves garlic, peeled and kept whole

3 green chillies, kept whole

1 (medium) sprig fresh curry leaves

2 tbsp brown vinegar

1 tbsp black peppercorns, crushed

½ tsp salt or to taste

¼ cup oil

2 (large) onions, finely sliced

METHOD

Put a dry frying pan over low heat and roast spice powder ingredients separately till fragrant. Remove from heat and coarsely crush the spices in a mortar and pestle. Wash duck and cut into 4–6 pieces. In a large pan, combine duck with crushed spice powder, ginger, garlic, green chillies, curry leaves and 1½ litres of water and bring to a boil. Add vinegar, peppercorns and salt and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, till duck is tender and the gravy is reduced to a third of its original volume. Remove duck pieces from the pan into a bowl. Strain gravy into another bowl and set aside. Put oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add onions and fry till golden. Remove onions from the oil and set aside. Add duck pieces to the oil and sear well. Remove and set aside. Add the reduced and strained gravy and fried onions to the pan with the oil, and cook till the sauce is very thick and glossy. Add duck and cook further till the sauce coats the duck. Serve hot with pav or dinner rolls.