Almond Curry (Kari Badamni)

Ingredients

• 2 medium Onions (Originally 0.5 seer. Finely chopped.)
• 1/2 cup Ghee (Originally 0.5 lb (approx 1 cup). Reduced for modern preference, but can be increased for authenticity.)
• 1 1/2 cups Almonds (Originally 0.5 seer. Blanched and peeled.)
• 1/4 cup Poppy seeds (or white sesame seeds) (Originally 1 Navtank (approx 2 oz).)
• 2 inches Fresh ginger (Originally 3 tolas. Peeled.)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt (Originally 1.5 tolas. Adjust to taste.)
• 1 tablespoon Roasted gram flour (Daria powder/Sattu) (Originally 1 tola. Finely ground roasted chickpeas.)
• 1 whole Large coconut (Or substitute with 2 cups thick coconut milk and 2 cups thin coconut milk.)
• 5 whole Hard-boiled eggs
• 15 whole Green cardamom pods
• 10 whole Cloves
• 10 whole Black peppercorns
• 1/2 cup Lemon juice (Originally juice of 4 lemons.)
• 6 large Dried red chilies (Adjust quantity for desired heat.)
• 5 large Green chilies (Left whole.)
• 12 leaves Fresh mint leaves
• 1 inch Cinnamon stick
• 4 cups Water (For extracting milk from coconut and almonds. Originally 2 seers total.)
• 1 pinch Saffron strands (Optional. Originally 3 val.)

Instructions

1. 1Peel the hard-boiled eggs and cut them lengthwise into halves. Peel the ginger and slice it into very fine julienne strips. Wash the mint leaves and chop them finely. Grind the dried red chilies and black peppercorns into a fine powder.
2. 2Grate the coconut. Take approximately 2 cups (1 seer) of hot water. Add the water little by little to the grated coconut and grind or squeeze thoroughly to extract the thick milk. Strain and set aside. Add another 2 cups of water to the coconut residue, grind again to extract the thin milk, and discard the husks.
3. 3Grind the poppy seeds (or sesame seeds) very finely using a small amount of the extracted coconut milk. Grind the blanched almonds very finely. Mix the almond paste and poppy seed paste together. Add about 1/2 cup (1/4 seer) of cold water, mix well, and strain through a net cloth to extract the milk. Take the residue, add another 1/2 cup water, rub, and strain again. Finally, grind the residue once more, mix with the coconut milk, and strain one last time to extract all flavor. Discard the final dry residue. Combine all extracted liquids (coconut and almond milks).
4. 4Peel the onions and chop them very finely (like powder). Heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pot (originally a tinned vessel). Fry the onions until they turn red. Add the roasted gram flour (daria powder) and the ground mixture of red chilies and black pepper. Fry briefly until the mixture turns slightly red.
5. 5Pour the combined almond-poppy-coconut milk mixture into the pot. Add the whole green chilies, ginger slices, chopped mint, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon stick. If using saffron, roast it briefly, grind it, and dissolve it in the liquid before adding. Cook over a slow fire, stirring constantly with a spoon to prevent the almond solids from settling at the bottom and burning.
6. 6When the curry thickens, add the lemon juice and the halved hard-boiled eggs. Let it simmer gently for about 5 minutes, then remove from heat. Serve hot.