Tharav curry (Duck curry)
This is a special dish which one can get to taste only in Toddy Shops of Kerala. The recipe is specific and demonstrates the culinary skills of the cook. Tharav curry is a must taste dish when you are in Kerala.
Ingredients for tharav curry:
- Duck – 1 ½ kg cleaned and cut into medium sized pieces
- Onion – 1 ½ cups sliced
- Garlic – 1 tbsp finely chopped
- Green Chilly – 5-8 as required
- Ginger – 1 tbsp finely chopped
- Turmeric powder – 2 tsp
- Coriander powder – 3 tbsp
- Chilly powder – 1 ½ tbsp
- Pepper powder – 2 tbsp
- Fennel seed powder – 1 tsp
- Masala mixture ( Cinnamon, Cardamom, cloves dried and powdered) – 1 tbsp
- Coconut milk – 1 ½ cups
- Oil, Salt, Curry leaves – as required
Preparation:
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Add garlic and sauté for a minute.
- Now add onion and turmeric powder and sauté till it is half cooked.
- Add chilly powder, coriander powder, pepper powder, fennel seed powder and masala mixture into it.
- Now add cleaned duck pieces into the masala.
- Add salt as required and the chopped ginger.
- Cook the duck for a couple of minutes and then add coconut milk.
- Now add another spoon of the masala mixture and curry leaves into the cooking duck.
- Reduce the flame and allow the duck to cook in the coconut milk.
- When the milk becomes thick and reduced to half, you can take the curry off the flame and serve it hot.
NOTE: the masala mixture used is freshly prepared at the Mullapanthal toddy shop and is the secret ingredient to the taste of the dish.