Rara rooster curry, a North Indian Smoky Onion Fennel Pepper Cardamom curry, that’s completely bursting with wonderful complicated 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 rooster rara. The pronunciation of this has a D or an H within the second R, however you possibly can 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 rooster is my most up-to-date adaptation on this sequence!
The origins of rara rooster curry are disputed. It both comes from the Punjabi or Himachal area(north indian states), or it might come from Lucknowi delicacies(mid jap state delicacies). There are completely different tales about it, however both method, it’s a fully scrumptious North Indian curry!
If 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 after we’re utilizing plant-based protein — like tofu, beans, or chickpeas — they don’t want that a lot time within the sauce. In case you’re utilizing different vegan proteins, like seitan or soy curls, you possibly can cook 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 model tofu crumble. Substitute these to desire.
Rara rooster makes use of a lot of umami-packed onion caramelized with entire spices, and you then add in a rara masala mix. The black cardamom, clove, and fennel seeds give a completely completely different taste to the dish, and likewise there’s fairly a little bit of Kashmiri chili powder so as to add a vibrant, crimson shade and much more wonderful taste. In case you don’t use Kashmiri chili powder and use paprika, the colour payoff will likely be rather less. Completely different manufacturers of Kashmiri chili powder may have completely different shade payoffs and warmth as properly.
There are clearly many spices on this dish, however in case 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 additionally it is used as a ending spice. It will be significant that you just roast the ending spice beforehand to provide the ultimate mix a melded taste profile. In any other case, among the spices, like fennel, will present up much more strongly within the spice mix, and among the spices may make the whole lot style a bit too earthy in the event that they’re not toasted.
Rara rooster curry is a really thick-sauced dish. In case you want 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 most important causes I’m making vegan variations of those meaty dishes is that they have a tendency 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). If 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 can too add roasted veggies to the sauce as an alternative for a very flavor-packed veggie facet.
Why You’ll Love Rara Hen Curry
- simplified, plant-based model of a North Indian basic curry
- roasted entire spices give the tofu and sauce wonderful flavors from cardamom, cloves, fennel seeds, and extra
- one-pan meal
- versatile! Bake or fry the tofu, or use protein of your alternative. It’s even OK in case you’re lacking a couple of of the spices.
- gluten-free and nut-free with simple soy-free possibility
Extra North Indian Curries
For The Rara Masala Mix
For the Rara Curry Sauce
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 black cardamom pod, partially opened
- 2 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 1/2 cup chopped crimson onion
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 2 teaspoons floor coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- 1/2 a sizzling inexperienced chili, resembling serrano or Indian, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste, or use 4 cloves of garlic and 1” of ginger, all minced
- 4 ounces canned tomato puree, or unseasoned tomato sauce
- 1 cup water or inventory, or extra if wanted, or use non dairy milk or cream for creamier
- cilantro and lime juice, for garnish
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Make the rara masala mix.
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Add all the entire spices to a small skillet over medium warmth, and cook dinner them till the fennel seeds begin to change shade. In case your bay leaf is simply too massive, you possibly can tear it into 2-3 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 completely, in any other case they are going to be annoying in your mouth.
Make the tofu.
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Press the tofu, if you have not 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.
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Add the garlic powder, Kashmiri chili powder, salt, half of the rara spice mix, and the cornstarch to a small bowl, and blend very well. Then, sprinkle this over the torn tofu, tossing properly to coat.
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Crisp a tofu in a skillet: Warmth a big skillet over medium excessive warmth, and add 1 teaspoon oil. As soon as the oil is sizzling, add the tofu to the skillet. Unfold it evenly, cook dinner for two to three minutes, then flip the tofu and cook dinner for one more 2 to three minutes. Now, toss the skillet a few occasions, so the tofu will get principally golden on the sides. Take away the tofu from the skillet, and set it apart. To bake the tofu as an alternative: 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.
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To the identical skillet, add a teaspoon of oil over medium-high warmth. As soon as the oil is sizzling, add the cumin seeds and anticipate them to alter shade considerably and darken and get aromatic. This will take anyplace from 1 to three minutes. Combine within the black cardamom and cinnamon stick for a couple of seconds, then add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Combine properly, and cook dinner the onion for six to 9 minutes, or till evenly golden. (Add splashes of water in between to assist the onion brown onions brown evenly. After about 5 minutes of cooking the onion, cut back the warmth to medium.)
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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 cook dinner for a minute. In case you’re utilizing minced ginger and garlic, cook dinner for an additional minute, in order that the garlic cooks . Then, combine within the tomato puree, water, and the crumbled up tofu. Cowl with the lid, and let the tomato puree cook dinner and thicken for six to eight minutes.
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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 cook dinner for one more 3 to 4 minutes. As soon as the sauce is fairly thick and coating the tofu, change off the warmth. For a saucier rara rooster curry, you possibly can add in additional inventory or water or non dairy milk and convey to a boil. Garnish with cilantro and lime juice, and serve with naan, flatbread, or rice.
To make it soy-free, use chickpea tofu, pumpkin seed tofu, seitan,, chickpeas, or different beans of alternative. For the chickpeas and beans, you don’t have to coat them with spices and toast them. Add them on to the sauce. Instead of the crumbled tofu, which is providing you with a minced meat texture, use some veggie grounds, cooked lentils, or chopped walnuts to make up the mince.
To make this with soy curls, soak them in sizzling broth, then drain and squeeze out the surplus the liquid. Toss with the identical cornstarch and spices because the tofu, then both bake them or crisp them up on the skillet. Add them to the sauce the place you add the tofu.
For extra protein: serve this with entire grain flatbread/roti or quinoa. Garnish with hemp seeds or my crispy lentils.
Storage: this curry might be made forward and refrigerated for upto 3 days. Freeze in an hermetic container for upto 3 months. Reheat within the microwave or in a skillet..
Energy: 158kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 12g, Fats: 6g, Saturated Fats: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 3g, Monounsaturated Fats: 2g, Sodium: 493mg, Potassium: 285mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 452IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 167mg, Iron: 3mg
Vitamin data is mechanically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
Elements and Substitutions
- entire 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 additional agency tofu for this recipe. We’re going to tear some up for the massive items of meat and crumble some for the minced meat that’s additionally frequent in rara curry. For soy-free, use beans or seitan. You can too use soy curls as an alternative of tofu, in case you want. You can too use lentils, chopped walnuts, or veggie grounds for the mince portion.
- cornstarch – Helps the spices stick 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.
- sizzling 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 use an equal quantity of minced ginger and garlic as an alternative, in case 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 contemporary cilantro and lime juice so as to add a contemporary taste component.
💡 Suggestions
- Don’t skip roasting the spices earlier than mixing for the rara masala! Roasting will assist the flavors meld
- When grinding the spice mix, guarantee that the bay leaf is totally damaged down, as a result of the feel of bigger items can be disagreeable within the sauce.
- Add splashes of water when cooking the onion to assist it caramelize extra rapidly and evenly.
Learn how to Make Rara Curry
Make the rara masala mix.
Add all the entire spices to a small skillet over medium warmth, and cook dinner them till the fennel seeds begin to change shade. In case your bay leaf is simply too massive, you possibly can 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 completely, in any other case they are going to be annoying (or may cause cuts) in your mouth.
Make the tofu.
Press the tofu, in case 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 very well. Then, sprinkle it over the torn tofu, tossing properly to coat.
Warmth a big skillet over medium excessive warmth, and add 1 teaspoon oil. As soon as the oil is sizzling, add the tofu to the skillet. Unfold it evenly, cook dinner for two to three minutes, then flip the tofu and cook dinner for one more 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 an alternative: 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 sizzling, add the cumin seeds and anticipate them to alter shade considerably and darken and get aromatic. This will take anyplace from 1 to three minutes. Combine within the black cardamom and cinnamon stick for a couple of seconds, then add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.
Combine properly, and cook dinner the onion for six to 9 minutes, or till evenly golden. After about 5 minutes of cooking the onion, cut 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 cook dinner for a minute. In case you’re utilizing minced ginger and garlic, cook dinner for an additional minute, in order that the garlic cooks properly. Then, combine within the tomato puree, water, and the crumbled up tofu. Cowl with the lid, and let the tomato puree cook 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 cook dinner for one more 3 to 4 minutes. As soon as the sauce is fairly thick and coating the tofu, change off the warmth. For a saucier rara rooster curry, you possibly can add in additional inventory or non pretty milk or cream and convey to a boil.
Garnish with cilantro and lime juice, and serve with naan, flatbread, or rice.
What to Serve with Rara Hen
Serve with naan, flatbread, or rice and veggie sides of your alternative, resembling Diwani Handi greens or saag aloo.
Continuously Requested Questions
Rara rooster curry is of course gluten-free and nut-free.
To make it soy-free, use chickpea tofu, pumpkin seed tofu, seitan, soy curls, chickpeas, or different beans of alternative. For the chickpeas and beans, you don’t have to coat them with spices and toast them. You possibly can simply add them on to the sauce. Instead of the crumbled tofu, which is providing you with a minced meat texture, use some veggie grounds, cooked lentils, or chopped walnuts to make up the mince.
sure this curry might be made forward and refrigerated for upto 3 days. Freeze in an hermetic container for upto 3 months. Reheat within the microwave or in a skillet.
