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A Bengal Currie
A Bengal Currie is a traditional British recipe, based on Eliza Acton's recipe of 1845, for a classic Victorian curry, styled on those of Bengal for an onion and garlic base flavoured with ginger, turmeric and cayenne pepper in which mutton or beef is cooked. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: A Bengal Currie.
prep time
15 minutes
cook time
70 minutes
Total Time:
85 minutes
Serves:
10–15
Rating: 
Tags : CurrySpice RecipesBeef RecipesMutton RecipesVegetable RecipesBritish Recipes
This is a traditional British recipe redacted from Eliza Acton's 1845 volume
Modern Cookery, the first classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
A BENGAL CURRIE.
Slice and fry three large onions in two ounces of butter, and lift them out of the pan when done. Put into a stewpan three other large onions an a small clove of garlic which have been pounded together, and smoothly mixed with a dessertspoonful of the best pale turmeric, a tspful of powdered ginger, one of salt, and one of cayenne pepper; add to these the butter in which the onions were fried, and half a cupful of good gravy; let them stew for about ten minutes, taking care that they shall not burn. Next, stir to them the fried onions and half a pint more of gravy; add a pound and a half of mutton, or of any other meat, free from bone and fat, and simmer it gently for an hour, or more should it not then be perfectly tender.
Fried onions, 3 large; butter, 2 oz.; onions pounded, 3 large; garlic, 1 clove; turmeric, 1 dessertspoonful; powdered ginger, salt, cayenne, each 1 tspful; gravy, 1/2 cupful: 10 minutes. Gravy 1/4 pint; meat, 1 1/2 lb.: 1 hour or more
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
3 large onions, peeled and sliced
60g butter
3 large onions, chopped
1 garlic clove
1 dessert spoon turmeric
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
120ml meat gravy or strong meat stock
300ml meat gravy or strong meat stock
675g stewing mutton or beef, cubed
Method:
Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the sliced onions and fry gently until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Turn any remaining butter into a large saucepan. Puree the chopped onions and garlic clove either in a food processor or by pounding in a mortar. Add to the saucepan with the turmeric, ginger, salt and cayenne pepper. Stir in the 120ml meat gravy and bring to a simmer.
Cover with a tight-fitting lid and stew gently for 10 minutes then stir in the meat and the remaining meat gravy. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan and cook gently for about 60 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and the meat is tender. Serve hot, accompanied by rice.
Find more Eliza Acton Recipes Here and more Traditional Victorian Recipes Here.
