I saw Oliver’s Twist the other day, a TV programme of Jamie Oliver’s created for syndication all over the world. It’s little seen in the UK until recently, when the Good Food Channel started running them. In this one, he was making food for his then-14 month old daughter Poppy. The minestrone soup he made really caught my eye, and […]
Read moreCurry is a mythical, hybrid beast in England. Born of curious Raj influences, the modern Indian food apparently bears little resemblance to food eaten in India today. Most of us experience the odd names of the menu and play roulette with what we get, as they appear different from restaurant to restaurant. After making garam masala and forming it into […]
Read moreAfter garam masala, the next logical step is to make some tikka paste as the basis for a curry. Into a blender went: my garam masala, a smal piece of ginger, two garlic cloves, a squeeze of tomato puree, a de-seeded green chilli, paprika, a touch of cayenne, touch of cumin, fresh coriander, dessicated coconut, ground almonds, smoked sea salt, […]
Read moreOr Gary Masala, as I call it in my kitchen (ho ho). It’s a Hindi expression, meaning “hot paste” although I have heard other translations. It’s a blend of ground spices that are the cornerstone of the Indian kitchen. Contents vary from cook to cook, from family to family; as a clueless Essex boy I have taken a ‘greatest hits’ […]
Read more