Quick Indian Cooking

Three hours at the hairdresser and I was ready for the big hen night. We picked wine, cocktails and a two-course meal served alongside Burlesque, vintage parlour humour and retro nudity.

Now provocative, champagne-soaked dancing I can handle. Husky rendition of Fever I can enjoy. But was it really necessary to expose dimply bottoms and orange peel thighs in the middle of my dinner?

I focused on the thigh on my plate.

Chicken has been having its own issues lately. Since the revered Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall started his campaign to raise the plight of the ill treated, factory-farmed birds, I have been spurred into action.

Gone are the days of BOGOF packs of chicken thighs and drumsticks. I now stick to the free-range variety at the very least and organic if I haven’t blown my salary on alcohol and cabaret shows.

Thankfully, chicken thighs and drumsticks are cheaper than breast meat and infinitely more tasty in a curry. So give a chicken a chance with this herbed, light and fresh Hariyali Murgh recipe. I used Waitrose organic free range chicken and it rocked.

This is my entry to A Merrier World’s fantastic effort to raise awareness of the chicken we eat.

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My 3 sq. ft. balcony has transformed into an Amazon Jungle. All the talking to the leaves on G&Ts, copious amounts of fertilizer and enthusiastic over planting has finally paid off.

In fact, the small pot of mint I bought in the supermarket has turned into a veritable bush. It has banished the basil to a small corner and is viciously eyeing the giant Jasmine creeper.

The best thing about my mini jungle of course is that I can enjoy my own seasonal herbs, without swapping heels for wellies. Which brings me on to seasonal eating. This is something I’ve become very conscious of recently. Mainly because fruits and vegetables taste better when they are in season.

Sadly, Indian cooking requires a lot of ingredients that call for unseasonal eating. Like tomatoes. But the simplest recipes that demand top notch quality are best attempted when the ingredients are in season.

Like these two chutneys – Tomato and Pudina (mint). Chutneys are Indian condiments that are made fresh and usually not fermented. They can accompany kebabs. Simply sparkle as dips. And control overzealous plants.

PS = This is my entry to Maninas who is on a mission to get us Eating with the Seasons
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Did I mention I was going to Morocco?

I needed to get away from frantic deadlines, the summer social scene, grumpy people and smelly trains.

So I chose blinding heat, crazy traffic, tribal witch doctors, snake charmers and endless souks.

It was all going remarkably well until the fancy rooftop restaurant. Just as I finished tucking into half a kilo of couscous, two semi-naked belly dancers sashayed in.

My man instinctively fake-limped his way to the gents. The two pre-teen boys on the next table slithered underneath with their Nintendo. And the sickeningly glamorous girls beckoned me to the dance floor.

I wondered if there was any space left under the table next door. It’s never too late to master Nintendo.

There was hope yet. The next morning, I found the spice souks. Standing in front of sacks piled high with turmeric, cumin, coriander and mint I smiled stupidly.

Paradise. Found.

Needless to say I have amassed ludicrous quantities of eye-wateringly expensive saffron. I’m thinking saffron chicken or maybe a biryani-style rice?

Six days without Indian food is way too long. Watch this space – although I don’t promise any exotic dancing.

Five consecutive late evenings and I needed to relocate my Karmic centre.

Off I went to the dreaded yoga class. Me in gym-friendly spandex amidst a sea of linen cotton.

An hour into the class the Irish sadhu instructor whispered, now you are going to do a shoulder stand. Stretch your legs to the heavens, then gently extend them sideways and take deep breaths.

I lay there twisted into an unrecognisable human tower. The blood rushed to my brain before I could say Dal Makhani. I. Felt. Empowered.

So I decided to master the wonderful world of the blogosphere. I finally worked out how to read all my favourite blogs in one go. This site is now complete with a super recipe index and snazzy food conversion calculators (in the toolbar) thanks to my blog and children’s storytelling supremo Hugh. And then, I found this fantastic resource, Foodari, that allows you to create your own cookbook online.

Feeling rather smug over the weekend, I made a fresh, healthy and blindingly simple Paneer Bhujia or Paneer crumble. Then, tried chappati making with renewed gusto. And finally, plate heaped with brunch, found my inner peace in front of the telly.

PS = It would come as no surprise to learn that I NEVER make my own paneer or Indian cheese. Store bought is fine. I wouldn’t know the difference anyway.
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