Rara Rooster Curry (gluten-free, nut-free with soy-free possibility)

Rara hen curry, a North Indian Smoky Onion Fennel Pepper Cardamom curry, that’s completely bursting with superb advanced flavors! Put together it as-is with tofu or use your protein of option to make it your individual! It’s scrumptious served with flatbread, naan, or rice.

Right now, we’re making vegan hen rara. The pronunciation of this has a D or an H within the second R, however you may pronounce it nevertheless you want.

I’ve been exploring meat-heavy and regional Indian dishes, and creating simpler and vegan variations of these. And this rara hen is my most up-to-date adaptation on this collection!

The origins of rara hen curry are disputed. It both comes from the Punjabi or Himachal area(north indian states), or it might come from Lucknowi delicacies(mid japanese state delicacies). There are completely different tales about it, however both method, it’s a completely scrumptious North Indian curry! 

Once you make these recipes with meat, it requires much more steps in addition to cooking the meat within the sauce for a for much longer time. However once we’re utilizing plant-based protein — like tofu, beans, or chickpeas — they don’t want that a lot time within the sauce. If you happen to’re utilizing different vegan proteins, like seitan or soy curls, you may prepare dinner these within the sauce for a for much longer time for a very good taste infusion. This curry has each meaty tofu items and mince meat type tofu crumble. Substitute these to choice.

Rara hen makes use of plenty of umami-packed onion caramelized with complete spices, and then you definately add in a rara masala mix. The black cardamom, clove, and fennel seeds give a wholly completely different taste to the dish, and in addition there’s fairly a little bit of Kashmiri chili powder so as to add a vibrant, crimson colour and much more superb taste. If you happen to don’t use Kashmiri chili powder and use paprika, the colour payoff will likely be rather less. Completely different manufacturers of Kashmiri chili powder can have completely different colour payoffs and warmth as effectively.

There are clearly many spices on this dish, however should you don’t have a spice or two, that’s effective. It’ll nonetheless end up completely scrumptious, so positively strive it. 

We toast the spices for the rara masala mix earlier than grinding them, as a result of it’s also used as a ending spice. It is vital that you simply roast the ending spice beforehand to offer the ultimate mix a melded taste profile. In any other case, a number of the spices, like fennel, will present up much more strongly within the spice mix, and a number of the spices may make all the things style a bit too earthy in the event that they’re not toasted. 

Rara hen curry is a really thick-sauced dish. If you happen to desire extra sauce, add in additional water, inventory, or non-dairy milk. The sauce is simmered for fairly a little bit of time to get all that taste payoff out of the spices.

One of many fundamental causes I’m making vegan variations of those meaty dishes is that they have an inclination to have much more spices, and decadent sauces in comparison with the vegetarian variations. That is both as a result of the meat wants extra seasoning, or as a result of meat dishes are extra dear (in India). Once you’re paying that a lot for a dish in a restaurant, you need one thing decadent and creamy with a fancy taste profile. 

However all of that taste is definitely within the sauce, so we’re utilizing that very same sauce and all of these spices with plant-based protein. You may also add roasted veggies to the sauce as a substitute for a very flavor-packed veggie facet.

Why You’ll Love Rara Rooster Curry

• simplified, plant-based model of a North Indian traditional curry
• roasted complete spices give the tofu and sauce superb flavors from cardamom, cloves, fennel seeds, and extra
• one-pan meal
• versatile! Bake or fry the tofu, or use protein of your selection. It’s even OK should you’re lacking a number of of the spices.
• gluten-free and nut-free with simple soy-free possibility

Components and Substitutions

• complete spices – For the rara masala mix, you’ll want black peppercorns, cloves, black and inexperienced cardamom pods, a bay leaf, and fennel seeds. For the rara curry sauce, you’ll want cumin seeds, a black cardamom pod, and a cinnamon stick.
• floor spices – The rara masala additionally makes use of somewhat little bit of floor nutmeg. To coat the tofu, use garlic powder and Kashmiri chili powder. For the sauce, use floor coriander and Kashmiri chili powder.
• tofu – Select agency or further agency tofu for this recipe. We’re going to tear some up for the large items of meat and crumble some for the minced meat that’s additionally widespread in rara curry. For soy-free, use beans or seitan. You may also use soy curls as a substitute of tofu, should you desire. You may also use lentils, chopped walnuts, or veggie grounds for the mince portion.
• cornstarch – Helps the spices persist with the tofu and helps the tofu crisp up within the pan.
• oil – To sauté.
• onion – Caramelized onion is the bottom for the curry sauce.
• scorching inexperienced chili – Half a chili provides some good warmth to this dish. Use Serrano or related, and chop it finely.
• ginger garlic paste – You should utilize an equal quantity of minced ginger and garlic as a substitute, should you don’t have the paste.
• tomato puree – With the onion, that is the remainder of the sauce base.
• water or inventory – Provides moisture to the sauce.
• garnishes – Garnish this with recent cilantro and lime juice so as to add a recent taste factor.

Easy methods to Make Rara Curry

Make the rara masala mix. 

Add the entire complete spices to a small skillet over medium warmth, and prepare dinner them till the fennel seeds begin to change colour. In case your bay leaf is simply too giant, you may tear it into a few items, in order that it toasts up simply, 3 to 4 minutes.

Then, switch the roasted spices to a spice grinder or espresso grinder, add the nutmeg, and grind them up right into a powder. The bay leaves will take longer to interrupt down, however you wish to powder the bay leaves solely, in any other case they are going to be annoying (or may cause cuts) in your mouth. 

Make the tofu.

Press the tofu, should you haven’t already, then tear about 12 ounces of it into 3/4” natural shapes. Crumble the remaining 2 ounces right into a separate bowl, and put aside.

Add the garlic powder, Kashmirhi chili powder, salt, half of the rara spice mix, and the cornstarch to a small bowl, and blend rather well. Then, sprinkle it over the torn tofu, tossing effectively to coat. 

Warmth a big skillet over medium excessive warmth, and add 1 teaspoon oil. As soon as the oil is scorching, add the tofu to the skillet. Unfold it evenly, prepare dinner for two to three minutes, then flip the tofu and prepare dinner for an additional 2 to three minutes.

Now, toss the skillet a few occasions, so the tofu is usually golden on the sides. Take away the tofu from the skillet, and set it apart.
To bake the tofu as a substitute: unfold the coated tofu on a parchment lined baking sheet, drizzle the teaspoon of oil over the items, after which bake at 400° F (205° C) for 20 minutes, or till golden. 

Make the sauce. 

To the identical skillet, add a teaspoon of oil over medium-high warmth. As soon as the oil is scorching, add the cumin seeds and watch for them to vary colour considerably and darken and get aromatic. This will take wherever from 1 to three minutes. Combine within the black cardamom and cinnamon stick for a number of seconds, then add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.

Combine effectively, and prepare dinner the onion for six to 9 minutes, or till evenly golden. After about 5 minutes of cooking the onion, scale back the warmth to medium. Add splashes of water in between to assist the onion brown onions brown evenly. 

As soon as they’re browned, add in one other splash of water and add the floor spices, inexperienced chili, and ginger garlic paste.

Combine in and prepare dinner for a minute. If you happen to’re utilizing minced ginger and garlic, prepare dinner for an additional minute, in order that the garlic cooks effectively. Then, combine within the tomato puree, water, and the crumbled up tofu. Cowl with the lid, and let the tomato puree prepare dinner down for six to eight minutes. 

Open the lid, and blend in one other 1/2 to 1 cup of water or inventory. Fold in your crisped up tofu, then cowl with the lid once more and prepare dinner for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. As soon as the sauce is fairly thick and coating the tofu, change off the warmth. For a saucier rara hen curry, you may add in additional inventory or non pretty milk or cream and produce to a boil.

Garnish with cilantro and lime juice, and serve with naan, flatbread, or rice.

What to Serve with Rara Rooster

Serve with naan, flatbread, or rice and veggie sides of your selection, akin to Diwani Handi greens or saag aloo.