Meat and Vegetable Curry

Who will not love the taste of tender curry meat with some carrots and potatoes, to name a few vegetables, eaten together with briyani or tomato rice. Simply tantalising! Even more, the spicy curry and the rich briyani can be balanced up with a tangy cucumber and carrot salad, that taken all together makes a perfect balanced dish. We don't only have meat curry, but also chicken, fish, eggs, vegetables, eggplants, pineapples, to name a few popular ones. The recipe I am sharing with you is a popular dish, locally known as Dalca. Its tasty and rich taste will make you try again!

Ingredients
500 gm beef (cubed)
4 potatoes - cut into four parts
2 round eggplants - cut into four parts
2 carrots - cut into 1 inch cubes or rounds
8 long beans - cut into 1 inch long
6 fresh green chillis
1 cup Dhal beans - soak overnight with water
1 cinnamon stick
6 cloves
1 star anise
2 strands of curry leaves
2 cups of coconut milk
6 tbsp meat or chicken curry powder - mixed with water to form a thick paste

Blended/Pounded Items
4 garlic
1 big onion
1 inch ginger

Methods
1. In a big pot, pour oil until hot. Add curry leaves, cinnamon stick, star anise and cloves. Stir for five seconds.
2. Add the blended items and stir until it turns light brown.
3. Add curry powder paste and cook until the oil emerge on top and around the paste. You may add some water if it's to dry. Stir regularly.
4. After the oil has emerged, add the meat. Stir until all are coated well with the curry paste.
5. After 1 minute, add dhal beans. Stir for a minute then add coconut milk. Stir well.
6. When the coconut milk is boiling, add the potatoes.
7. After the potatoes are half tender, add carrots, eggplants,long beans and green chillies.
8. Cook until all meat and vegetables are tender and the gravy turns half thick.
9. Add salt to taste.
10. Serve with a hot briyani rice and cucumber and carrot salad to complete the dish.

*Serve 4-6 people