Straight from the Backwaters, this delicious curry contains all the classic elements of Keralan cooking, from curry leaves through to coconut milk. It works best using duck legs, as they will stand up well to the long cooking process. Roasting the duck before cooking it in the sauce removes the excess fat from the duck, and also the spice coating goes nice and crispy on the skin, which fortifies the gravy once the duck is added. It is not generally a hot curry, but of course if you like it spicy adding a little (or a lot) of chilli will do it no harm at all.

01.

Ingredients

4 Duck Legs
1tbs Ginger Garlic paste
4tsp Kerala Curry blend
2tsp Garam Masala
FOR THE GRAVY
1 Onion, finely chopped
3tsp Garlic Ginger paste
2 Tomatoes, finely chopped
4 Green Chillies, chopped
1tbs Curry Leaves
2tsp Ground Coriander
1tsp Ground Cumin
3tsp Kerala Curry blend
1 can Coconut Milk

02.

Method

First look after the duck legs. Mix the marinade ingredients together, then coat the duck legs with the paste and allow to stand for an hour or two. Heat your oven to 200d. Lay some thick tomato slices on the bottom of a casserole dish, then place the duck legs over the top. Add a splash of water to the dish, just to stop anything sticking or burning – the duck legs will release their fat while they are roasting. Pop the duck legs in the oven, and give them 30-40 minutes, until the spice coating chars and crisps up nicely. When they have reached that point remove them from the oven and let them stand for a while.
Meanwhile make the sauce. Carefully take some of the duck fat from the baking tray and put in a pan, then add the onion, garlic ginger paste, curry leaves, chilli and tomato. Allow this to fry for 15 minutes, until the mix is nicely coloured and the oil is starting to separate. Now add the coriander, cumin and Kerala curry blend, and keep frying for a minute or two until the aromas rise. Finally add the coconut milk, and bring to just below boiling point. Remove most of the cooking liquid and fat from the casserole dish and put the duck legs back in, then pour the sauce over the top. Turn the oven down to 180d and pop the casserole back in, and cook for another hour. Serve the curry with white rice and a veggie side dish or two.