Name: Duck Varuval
Yield: Serves 6-8
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 tsp garam masala; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 1 x 2.5 cm (1 inch) piece fresh ginger; ½ lemon juiced; 4 garlic cloves; 2 tbsp single cream; 4 Gressingham or Barbary duck breasts with skin weighing approx. 175 g (6 oz) each; 1 tsp chilli powder; 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil; pinch asafoetida; salt; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tsp mustard seeds; 1 tsp fennel seeds; 2 sprigs curry leaves (approx. 15 leaves); 4 tomatoes; 4 medium onions finely diced

Preparation info

Serves
6-8

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Rice, Spice and All Things Nice

By Reza Mahammad

Published 2006

About

Chef Brinder decided to give this famous South Indian dish from Tamil Nadu a bit of a makeover. Traditionally it is made with chicken. Varuval in Tamil means ‘curry’, and it is distinguished by its use of fennel seeds, curry leaves, mustard seeds and black pepper. It has become a signature dish at the Star of India. I have adapted it here for home cooking. The sauce would work beautifully with a firm white fish.