Recipe: Madras Curry and Katri Raita

February 14, 2008
By Debbie Nygren Sontag
Special to LIVE!

This tasty meal will warm you up on a cold evening with exotic, satisfying flavors and textures! Helen and Frank Bomar welcomed us into their Buena Vista neighborhood home to enjoy an evening of spicy Indian curry, friends and lively conversation. Dr. Shamoon and Eileen Doctor joined us for this delightful meal as gracious guests and gentle teachers about East Indian traditions.

This savory recipe was served with steamed white rice, mango chutney, sliced vegetables with mint, Indian papadum bread, and a cool cucumber yogurt side dish (see second recipe below).

Madras Meat and Vegetable Curry

• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 pound chuck steak, trimmed and cubed
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 to 2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder (optional)
• 1 ¼ cups beef stock
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 large Russet potato, peeled and diced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 cauliflower florets (optional; you could also use broccoli)

Sauté onion in a large pan. When translucent, transfer into a large casserole dish. Dredge the trimmed, cubed beef in flour. (Helen uses a large zip-top plastic bag for this process; simply put a cup of flour, seasoned to taste, in the bag, add the beef, seal the bag, and then shake until all of the beef is lightly coated with flour).

Bomar uses good quality, lean beef to cut into generous cubes as the base of her curry recipe. (LIVE! photo/Bill Sontag) (click image to enlarge)	Madras curry powder is Bomar’s choice of seasoning, and she liberally dusts her browning beef cubes with it to created the basic blend of flavors that are the foundation of this meal. (LIVE! photo/Bill Sontag) (click image to enlarge)
Bomar scoops and then stirs a teaspoon of tomato paste into the simmering curry. (LIVE! photo/Bill Sontag) (click image to enlarge)	Peeled and diced potato cubes are added to the curry base, adding a flavor and texture that Bomar cherishes in her recipe. (LIVE! photo/Bill Sontag) (click image to enlarge)

 

Lightly brown the floured beef in a large pan over medium. Lower heat and add the garlic. Sprinkle the meat and garlic with the curry and chili powder and sauté about five minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add the beef stock and tomato paste into the simmering beef. Bring this mixture back up to a simmer, add the potatoes and cauliflower, and pour this to the casserole dish with the onions. Stir and mix thoroughly.

Cover the casserole dish and place in the 350-degree oven and bake for one hour.

Now your kitchen will be alive with a wonderful seasoned, spicy curry aroma and your dish is ready to serve! Helen prepared basmati rice and served the curried beef over the rice, garnished with thinly sliced onions.

Accompanying this main dish was a salad plate of sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion and green pepper, basil and mint leaves served with a delightful yogurt/cucumber dip (Katri Raita, recipe below) and papadum bread.

Papadum bread is made from lentils and may be purchased at Indian markets. Eileen Doctor finds it at the India Palace Market, located at Fredricksburg Road and Wurzbach in San Antonio. To cap off the flavorsome meal, Helen served rice pudding and German apple cake.

Katri Raita

• 8 oz. plain, unsweetened yogurt
• ½ grated or sliced cucumber
• Salt (to taste)
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 1 red or green chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1-2 sprigs coriander leaves, finely chopped
• Garnish with chili powder

Wisk the yogurt until smooth and add all of the other ingredients and give the mixture a good stir. Put into a serving bowl and sprinkle the chili powder on top. Serve over the tomato, basil and mint “salad”. ENJOY!

All ingredients in place, Bomar gives a final stir to the casserole before it goes into the oven at 350 degrees for an hour of baking. Behind the casserole is a platter of papadum bread made of lentils, a light, crisp and flavorful accompaniment to any kind of Indian food. (LIVE! photo/Bill Sontag) (click image to enlarge)	Bomar’s table is set with beef and potatoes curry (from left), steamed basmati rice, dark mango chutney, katri raita cucumber yogurt (upper right), and a condiment-style salad of sliced tomatoes, onions, green pepper, and mint leaves. (LIVE! photo/Bill Sontag) (click image to enlarge)

Helen grew up in Northamptonshire, central England. She has been married to Frank Bomar for almost 28 years. They met in Tucson, Ariz., in 1978 while she was working in the mental health field and Frank was an air traffic controller at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

The Bomars moved to Del Rio in 1987 with Frank’s transfer to Laughlin Air Force Base, and in 1988, Helen opened Subs & Clubs. She continues to prepare soups and desserts for the popular lunch stop at 2121 Bedell Avenue, but her daughter-in-law, Charlena, runs the deli now. Both Helen and Frank are extremely active in community affairs. In addition to her two sons (one resides in England and the other here in Del Rio), Helen and Frank have two adorable house dogs and a cockatiel.

I asked Helen where she developed her love of cooking and she told me that she learned by watching her mother (she was not allowed to cook, but she learned a lot by watching). Her mom was a cook for English schools. In addition, because Helen has traveled extensively in her lifetime, she has picked up a vast amount of knowledge through her exposure to different cultures. Frank shares the love of cooking with her, as well. (We are looking forward to trying his famous barbequed ribs and collard greens soon!).

It was a chilly, winter evening outdoors, but our sociable dinner with the Bomars and the Doctors left us with warm feelings after this spicy meal and great conversations. I hope you will enjoy this meal with friends at your table soon. It is hearty, satisfying and genuine, no-apologies-necessary comfort food.