TROTTERS & BEANS CURRY

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This Indian Food Recipe Serves 2-4

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This Trotters & Beans Curry recipe uses the feet of a sheep which is called Trotters. In certain Indian households, this may also be referred to as Paya. Trotters is an offal & is quite a delicacy in most countries.

Trotters has various medical advantages, for example, fortifies joints – particularly the spine, wonder food for post delivery recovery, strengthens aging bones as it’s brimming with calcium.

Trotters & Beans Curry Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar beans (pinto beans)
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• ½ dozen (6 pieces) trotters
• 2 teaspoons ginger & garlic paste
• 2 star aniseeds
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon chilli powder
• 2 bay leaves
• salt to taste
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• ½ teaspoon jeera (cumin) seeds
• 1 teaspoon jeera powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon coriander (dhania) powder
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• fresh coriander (dhania) for garnishing

Method:

1. Place the sugar beans (pinto beans) into a bowl.
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3. Rinse & soak the sugar beans in a bowl of water the night before preparing this meal. This will ensure that the beans cook properly. If you don’t have the patience to wait, you may also use a pressure cooker & cook the beans.
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5. The next day, drain all the water out & place soaked beans in a medium sized pot.
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7. Fill the pot with water & boil the beans with bicarbonate of soda & a pinch of salt.
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9. Whilst the beans is boiling, prepare the trotters.
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11. On each leg, there will be a hair bag and a patch of hair, using a small knife, remove the hair. For those hard to reach spots, you can also place it over a flame to burn off any hair that may be on the leg.
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13. Once all the trotters are cleaned, place them into a pot.
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15. Fill the pot with water. Add 1 teaspoon salt & 1 teaspoon ginger & garlic paste.
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17. Bring to a boil.
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19. The trotters should take a few hours to boil until it gets soft, test by poking a knife through the meat. Again, if you are impatient, simply use a pressure cooked to quickly cook the trotters.
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21. After boiling the beans for some time the water may turn a reddish color but that’s completely fine.
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23. When the beans are soft but not mushy, remove from heat & set aside. Be sure to also keep the water that the beans had been boiling in.
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25. When the trotters are cooked throughout, remove from heat & keep the water that it had been boiling in.
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27. Chop onion & set aside.
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29. Grate tomatoes (slice in halves & grate only the flesh. Discard of the peel) or blend them in a blender or food processor (with the peel). When the tomatoes are pureed like this, it forms a much better gravy.
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31. Heat the oil in a large pot & place onions in to cook. Add in the bay leaves, star aniseeds, curry leaves, jeera seeds, cinnamon sticks, thyme & curry leaves.
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33. Mix & simmer for 1-2 minutes.
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35. Once onions are translucent, add in ginger & garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric powder, jeera powder, garam masala & dhania powder.
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37. Mix & braise for about 30 seconds.
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39. Add in the grated or blended tomatoes,
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41. Mix well. Add a little water if necessary so that the ingredients do not stick to the surface of the pot & burn. Cook the tomatoes for about 10 minutes.
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43. When the tomatoes are cooked & have formed a thick gravy, add in the boiled trotters along with the water that it had been boiling in.
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45. Mix well & simmer for 10 minutes so that the trotters absorb all the spices.
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47. Next, add in the boiled sugar (pinto) beans, along with the water it had been boiling in.
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49. Add salt to taste. Mix well & allow the beans to absorb the flavour for another 10 minutes.
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51. Garnish with fresh coriander (dhania). I opted to emptying the Trotters & Beans Curry into a casserole first & then garnished it.
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54. Serve this Trotters & Beans Curry hot with rice, bread or roti,
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57. Take note that the curry will become thick after a while, simply reheat it on the stove & add water as required to reach you desired gravy consistency.
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