Tony Tan

Presented in 1999

Eurasian gammon curry

Serves 4–6 as part of a shared meal

Similar to a vindaloo from Goa, the prunes, gammon and olives from the shores of southern Europe are not only surprising but they marry splendidly with the seasonings of southern Indian cooking. This is one of the vestiges of the colonial era. This “curry” is cooked by the Portuguese community of Melaka and the Eurasian community of Singapore. It owes its origin to the Portuguese vinho d’alhos.

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) gammon

10 large dried red chillies

1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground

150 ml (5 fl oz) vegetable oil

200 ml (7 fl oz) red wine vinegar

1 sprig curry leaves

1 teaspoon fenugreek

1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds

1 onion, minced

½ cup Kalamata olives

2 medium tomatoes, deseeded and chopped

105 g (3²/₃ oz/½ cup) pitted prunes

sugar, to taste

Cut the gammon into 3 cm (1¼ inch) cubes. Soak in cold water for 15–20 minutes if very salty. Otherwise omit this step.

Soak the dried chillies in hot water to soften, then process the chillies with a little water to a paste. Mix the chillies with the ground cumin seeds. Fry the paste with 50 ml (1¾ fl oz) of the oil over low heat until aromatic. Remove the paste from the pan and combine with the vinegar. Pour the chilli–vinegar mixture over the gammon and marinate for 2 hours.

Heat the rest of the oil in a large, deep-sided frying pan over medium heat and fry the curry leaves, fenugreek and mustard seeds quickly. Do not burn the aromatic seeds. Add the onion and fry until fragrant.

Drain the gammon and reserve the marinade. Add the drained gammon to the pan and seal. Add the olives, tomato and reserved marinade with sufficient water to cover. Simmer the curry until the meat is tender, 40–60 minutes.

Ten minutes before the curry is ready, add the prunes. Taste and add sugar if desired. Serve with steamed rice.