Make this curry as fiery hot as you like. That is how it is preferred in many parts of South India. This dish is generally served with plain rice or with the thin, fresh rice noodles known as idiappam. I have given a method of preparing dried rice sticks, sold in Thai and Vietnamese markets, on page 224 (see Thin Rice Noodles). They are the closest to the Indian noodles. I have also been known to serve this curry over thin spaghettini or angel-hair pasta.

　　

Ingredients

serves 3¿4

　　1 pound cleaned squid

　　2 tablespoons olive or canola oil

　　1/2 teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds

　　1 medium onion, cut into fine half rings

　　15 fresh curry leaves or 10 fresh basil leaves

　　1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger

　　1 clove garlic, crushed

　　1 tablespoon curry powder (I use Bolst’s Hot Curry Powder, but any will do)

　　2 tablespoons tomato paste

　　3/4 teaspoon salt

　　1 tablespoon lemon juice

　　

Step 1

Cut the bodies of the squid crossways into 1/4-inch-thick rings and separate the tentacles, cutting up those that seem very long. Wash well and leave to drain in a colander.

　　

Step 2

Pour the oil into a frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the mustard seeds. As soon as they start to pop, a matter of seconds, put in the onions and the curry leaves. Stir and fry until the onions just start to turn brown at the edges. Add the ginger, garlic, and curry powder. Stir for a minute. Add the tomato paste and stir a few times. Now add 2 cups water, the salt, lemon juice, and squid. Stir and bring to a simmer on gentle heat. Simmer the squid, covered, on low heat, stirring now and then, for about 45 minutes or until the squid is tender.

　　Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Buy the full book from Amazon.