HARD POTATOES
My perennial problem - from Avial to Aloo Gobi - is making sure the potato
is cooked sufficiently. They always turn out slightly hard for me. What can
I do? Also, have you any recipes that use whey? Thanks so much!
Dermot Canniffe, Galway, Ireland
Anjum responds: It is really gratifying to know people are actually
cooking and enjoying my recipes. I love Avial and find it is a filling and
satisfying way to eat our vegetables.
Potatoes do take some time to cook but there is no reason for them to remain
hard. I am sure if you allowed them to cook a little longer they would have
turned out fine. Covering the pan with a lid will retain heat and moisture
and will help the potatoes cook a little quicker. That and a little patience
should do the trick but if you are still not getting there then simply cut
the potato into smaller pieces. Aloo gobi is a popular potato and
cauliflower dish and one of my favourites. When I make it I cut the
cauliflower into large florets and the potatoes into long wedges which
allows them to cook in the same amount of time.
I don’t have any recipes as such for whey but in Indian homes we would use
whey to make roti dough instead of water and likewise added it to dishes as
a substitute for water, such as a lentil curry, as it was considered quite
nutritious.
KULFI
I absolutely love Kulfi and have made it a couple of times, but it is so
time-consuming. You mentioned on the programme that you bought it so can you
let me know from where please?
Linda Paige, London, England
Anjum responds: Kulfi is easy to make but does require a rainy day and
some free time to make the effort. I did find these tubs in an Indian
supermarket and they were excellent but I am wracking my brains trying to
remember the name of the brand. If I do find it I will post it on my
website: www.anjumanand.co.uk as
soon as I do.
The restaurant I went to taste the kulfi, in the second episode, was called La
Porte des Indes and is situated on Bryanston Street, W1 in London.
GINGER AND GARLIC PASTE
Can fresh garlic and ginger be used in lieu of garlic paste / ginger paste?
John Durrant, Los Angeles, USA
Anjum responds: I always use fresh ginger and garlic and use a
microplane grater to make a paste from them.
INDIAN SCRAMBLED EGGS
The episode with the "indian" omelette! come on seriously, how do
you call that indian...the fact that corriander was bunged into it doesnt
make food "Indian"!
S Rai, London
Anjum responds: In the North of India and indeed the Parsi people often
make their eggs this way. It is not me who is calling this dish Indian, this
genuinely is the way they eat their scrambled eggs and I for one love them
made this way and as such am really happy to include it in the show and my
book. It is delicious, for those of you who like eggs, give it a try.
FUSION FOOD
At the end of the day, people might like to watch cooking programmes but it
doesn't necessarily mean that they'll all start rustling up a curry every
week just because of an attractive presenter who is peddling fusion rather
than traditional cuisine. But good luck to her, everyone gets their 15
seconds of fame.
Jaz, Birmingham
Anjum responds: For those who are saying my food is fusion, they are
not watching properly. In the first few episodes there is tandoori food
served in wraps with green chutney which are my take on kathi rolls normally
made with romali rotis, something few of us will bother to make. I make
handvo (a typical Gujerati dish but using local vegetables). I have made
lamb burgers which are a simplified version of kebabs and on this side of
the world, the former are eaten more often than the latter, fresh paneer and
tandoori paneer, easy pan-fried malpoa, aloo tuk (a Sindhi way of eating
potatoes). In the third episode there is Bengali cholar dal, okra, Avial
from South India, Shrikand and much more. And, yes, there is the crumbed
spicy chicken which I did invent, is really delicious, and I am very proud
of. Those who cook are always experimenting and this is their artistic
license and nothing to be ashamed of.
The Modupuri mystery
I'm not a big fan of Indian food because I can't stand spicy food. I
usually run away from Indian restaurants. However, occasionally, I find a
wonderful Indian restaurant, like one in South Gloucestershire, called
Tamarind. They make a Chicken Modupuri, which is beautiful, because is not
spicy at all. Have you ever heard of this dish, and if so, could you give me
the recipe? Everytime I eat it I try to work out the recipe, but it's a bit
hard...
Karin Hildinger, Bristol
Anjum responds: The Modupuri is a mystery to me - I have never heard of
this curry. It is quite normal for Indian restaurants to make up names to go
with their own concocted dishes. I am happy to recommend you a recipe that
is similar but I would need to understand the basic character of the dish
first. If any readers can help with the Modupuri mystery please post a
comment.
Frying onions
Fried onions are the most important ingredient of Indian cooking. Is there
any way one can fry onions in very little oil?
Almitra Tachakra, London
Anjum responds: Unfortunately there is no getting away from the
fantastic flavour of fried onions, however we can minimise the oil in two
ways. Firstly, you can cook the onions in a small non-stick frying pan in
just one tablespoon of oil over a low flame, covered but stirred every now
and again; it will take longer than when using more oil but will come out
fine. Secondly, you can use more oil but once the onions are cooked they
will release the oil back into the pan; you can then drain the oil out of
the pan using a small strainer and place the cooked onions back into the pan
without the extra oil.
Tomato allergy
I am a second-generation Indian and love eating Indian food. However, I
have just discovered I am allergic to tomatoes. What alternatives are there
for when I'm cooking a curry or any dish which requires tomato paste or
puree as so many indian dishes do?
Alia, London
Anjum responds: Sorry to hear of your tomato allergy, it must be
difficult what with tomatoes being such a big part of many cuisines.
However, in Indian food tomatoes are not used throughout the country as they
do not grow everywhere. Many dishes use yoghurt as their base and are creamy
to boot; cook on a low heat. You can check out my yoghurt chicken, chicken
korma, Himalayan Lamb and many of the fish dishes in my new book, Indian
Food Made Easy which is published in August. Also my website
should be up and running in a few weeks where I will post more recipes.
Other than that, the South uses tamarind as a souring agent along with
coconut milk for the base of their curries and I absolutely love them.
Semolina cake
I saw your programme and was absolutely thrilled to see how to cook indian
food properly. I'm pleased to see that I'm not doing too badly and I love
cooking indian food - it's so quick and easy (in my opinion). However, your
polenta loaf cake with peas and beans - please could you post up the recipe
as I'm keen to make this for my boyfriend. Best of luck with the show - I'll
be buying your book without a doubt.
Hannah Davies, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Anjum responds: Hi, I'm so glad you like the semolina cake, it is one
of my tea-time favourites and is absolutely delicious and so easy to make.
You can find the recipe on the BBC website.
Hi Anjum,
I just watched your episode with Blue Watch which I enjoyed and learned from and was most interested at the end when you coated Walnuts in a type of sugar which clears the lungs though I could not catch the name of it. Can you tell me what it is called and where I may get it from.
Thank you, A. Murrell
Ann Murrell, Torrevieja, Spain
Hi Anjam, When are you going to give us a recipe for a 'Blow-Torch' hot curry? Not all of us are wimps you know! Love the show keep up the good work.
Dave Lister, Liverpool, UK
Hi Anjum
Watched a couple of your programmes and found them interesting! Good to see a talented 'Indian' talking about good 'Indian' food. I also enjoyed listening to some 'new' ways of cooking traditional dishes.
I enjoy cooking, rather my husband enjoys good food and comments on my skills at being 'a good cook' ! I like to experiment with new spices and have seriously been thinking about starting my own business and sharing some of my spice secrets for various dishes. Have you any advice before I start on my endeavour?
Many thanks and good luck with the series - I've enjoyed it!
Asifa Ali, West Yorkshire, UK
I particularly adore the West Bengali way of cooking fish and seafood in a mustard paste. I use whole brown mustard seeds ground together with green chillies and salt as a base, but this can sometimes lead to mild bitterness in the resulting dish. Do you have any ideas on how to reduce this? Also, do you have any good recipes for the Bengali sharp mustard pickle called Kasundi, which is more akin to a watery mustard sauce rather than an achar. Good luck with the series.
Bob, Copenhagen,
Hello Anjum!
I like the taste of fresh curry leaves in my dishes but they are very difficult to source.
I would like to grow a curry leaf plant in my (Warrington) garden so I can have a fresh source of leaves.
I understand that the plant that produces the curry leaf likes warm weather but India is such a big country that surely there is a variety that likes cold wet weather that could be encouraged to grow in our islands?
Thanks!
Mike Hyde, Warrington, England
Hello Anjum!
My wife and I are really enjoying your program on the beeb. So much so that for her birthday dinner last night I cooked Avial, using your recipe. I don't think I've ever used a recipe from a TV program that delivered as much flavour as the presenter promised until I tried your Avial. Fantastic! I accompanied it with tandoori chicken, borrowing as much as possible from Mr. Singh's recipe in episode 1. His yoghurt marinade was a lot redder than mine, but I reckon he had better quality paprika than I. We had fresh coriander for garnish, raita (I couldn't just discard those cucumber seeds!) and naan as well. Topped off with freshly made kheer and lemongrass tea. The result - one very appreciative birthday girl.
I have two questions though; my perennial problem - from Avial to Aloo Gobi - is making sure the potato is cooked sufficiently. They always turn out slightly hard for me. What can I do?
Also, have you any recipes that use whey?
Thanks so much!
Dermot Canniffe, Galway, Ireland
I read your column all the time and I have tried three of the recipes, they turned out great! please offer more recipes.
Johyn Morrison, Stratford, PEI, Canada
We have Chicken Modupuri served at our local restaurant and it is absolutely delicious. We are told that it is a honey based sauce. Our restaurant is called Bengal Spice and is situated in Sittingbourne, Kent.
Felicity Somerville, Newington, UK
Consult the BBC website for recipes.
I have eaten chicken modupuri. I would recommend asking the chef for his or her recipe. (I have done this and it is a great way to learn how to make dishes yourself at home),They may even allow you into their kitchen to watch them preparing it.
I see that Karen Hildinger also lives in Bristol. I would recommend the Joy Raj in Clifton Village, Bristol for modupuri. Their chef may be able to assist you with regard to sourcing a recipe.
selma, Bristol, UK
I absolutely love Kulfi and have made it a couple of times, but it is so time-consuming. You mentioned on the programme that you bought it so can you let me know from where please?
Linda Paige, London, England
We just watched the second episode of the programme and really enjoyed it - but we missed the name of the funky looking restaurant where the chef showed how to make kulfi. Could you tell us again what the restaurant was called and where it is?
Alan Prior, Middlewich, Cheshire
Please can I have the recipe for your fab looking lamb burgers you cooked for the boys last night! Thanks.
Mandy Hayne, London,