curry

In my attempt to venture into a culinary world unknown and expand my horizons, curry was on my to-do list. 
Curry seems very foreign to me and very challenging. 
Anyone else feel this way??
But I started off slowly....looking at a few different recipes (and mostly weeding out those whose ingredients I did not have and could not find, in my tiny town) and decided to go with this one: 
Lamb Curry ala Peter
Tada! 
But alas, no lamb at the commissary :(
So, I pulled out some beef and chicken and set off.
And what resulted was a very good rendition of curry....albeit maybe not so authentic.  But tasty all the same!

Curry

Serves 8ish.

2 tablespoons fennel seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1/2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 clove
2 cardamom pods
1/2 cinnamon stick
2 inches fresh ginger, peeled
2 tennis-ball sized red onions, peeled
10 cloves garlic, peeled
2 fresh jalapenos, with seeds
1 bunch cilantro

2 tablespoons butter
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1 14oz can crushed tomatoes
2 cups stock or water
3 1/2 lb lamb, chicken, or beef, cubed
1 handful of chopped mint and cilantro
1 cup plain yogurt
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Lime, to taste

Preheat your oven to 350*.
Lightly toast the first seven ingredients in a dry saute pan over a gentle heat and set aside.
Chop the next five ingredients roughly.
Add all the prepped ingredients to a food processor and puree.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven, fry this mixture with the butter until golden, stirring often.  Add tomatoes, stock or water, and bring to the boil. Cover with foil and place in the oven for 1 1/2 hours to let the flavors meld.

Meanwhile, saute the protein in a little olive oil until golden brown and then add to the curry sauce and simmer for about an hour, until tender.

Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and mint and stir in the yogurt. Season to taste and add a squeeze of lime juice.
Serve atop basmati rice and peas.  And enjoy!!