Pot – Luck !

Here's a one dish meal that's not difficult to prepare, and great for bringing to a gathering of friends & family . . .

I picked up some spice mix for Meat Masala at a local Indian grocery; it has cardamom, chilli, cinnamon, clove, coriander, cumin, fenugreek seed, garlic, ginger, mace, nigella seed, nutmeg, paprika, salt, turmeric. You can get any similar mix at your local Asian store, or try to mix your own blend.

Cube some beef (or other meat you prefer) and marinade with red wine and some of the curry spice mix for at least an hour or more. Fry sliced red onions, chopped fresh garlic and grated young ginger with oil and butter in a large pot.  Next add the beef and stir fry for several minutes, then add more curry mix till it reaches the right amount of spiciness for your taste, and two cups of water. I've added potatoes, carrots and mushrooms; you can add other vegetables you like too. Cover the pot and let it cook for half an hour on low heat; stirring every 5 to 10 minutes to make sure the bottom of the pot does not burn.

It is ready to serve when the meat is tender. You can eat it on it's own, or serve with rice (Basmati is top grade Indian rice) or breads like naan, prata, roti, etc. I like to prepare this in advance, keep it in the fridge over night, and warm it up the next day for an even tastier curry after the sauce has had time to soak into the meat.