The Deer
Deer, like most wild meat, is a little on the tough side. This makes it ideal for making curry. This is especially good outdoors and on a charcoal grill. In Mauritius, deer season is open right now and this until September, so getting a venison dish in, is quite timely.
What is so unique about Venison Curry?
This is a slow cooked, rich tasting stew enclosing an amalgam of flavours. So, rather than trying to combine 12-15 ingredients to make a masala spice rub for one dish, you can cheat and use a high quality garam masala, to which you can add in a little more kick from some star anise, cloves and peppercorns. The dish becomes far simpler than many of the other curry recipes out there. Of course, making a masala mix from scratch will always have a superior taste, but few people can find all the ingredients necessary for homemade mixes, but finding a high quality garam masala is much easier and accessible to people
The Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kilo (s) Stag
- 1 medium onion
- 425 grams canned tomato/chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic crushed
- 1 tablespoon chopped ginger crushed
- 1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 curry leaves (curry chicken leaves)
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro leaves (Cotomili/coriander)
- 3 tablespoon chopped curry powder (mild or hot)- Garam masala
Preparation
- Cut the venison into cubes of 1-2 cm, depending on your preference.
- Season deer pieces with salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix and allow to rest.
- Slice the onions finely.
- Over a medium / high heat, put 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large saucepan.
- Mix the crushed garlic, ginger, thyme leaves, crushed curry leaves and chopped onion until the onion becomes transparent.
- Pour and mix tomato paste/chopped tomatoes
- Add a chopped coriander leaves.
- Mix everything.
- Cook for 10 minutes, until the tomato paste is cooked and sauce is well blended.
- Add a little water if necessary to maintain the consistency of the sauce and keep it from drying.
- Mix well and turn continually to prevent the sauce from sticking or burning.
- Mix 3 tablespoons curry powder soup in tomato sauce.
- Mix well and cook for 5 minutes or until the powder is well integrated into the sauce and it cooks.
- The sauce should be thick and creamy, but not too thin nor too thick.
- Stir in the diced deer.
- Mix well.
- Add a half cup there or a full cup of water and mix well.
- Reduce to low heat to medium temperature.
- Cover and cook 25-30 minutes or until the deer cubes are cooked.
- Adjust the sauce with a little water if necessary to keep the sauce consistent.
- If you prefer drier curry, do not add too much water but make sure that the curry is not burning.
- If instead you like curry sauce, add hot water gradually until it is at your own convenience.
- Transfer to a plate.
- Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
Serve with rice and watercress broth or black lentils and tomato chutney or you can enjoy it with faratas or dholl puris.
Bon Appetit Biensure!