I like to cook. I hope I am fairly adept at most styles of cooking and can create dishes that I think are authentic and tasty from most cultures. One that I have always had trouble with is Indian cuisine. I have been cooking curries for years, but have never been able to make something that truly resembles my idea of ideal Indian food (e.g. from an Indian restaurant since I have never been to India).
Last weekend I think I cracked it! Gary Rhodes has a very good TV programme being aired at the moment based entirely on Indian cuisine and this inspired me to look up some of his recipes and try them out.
The programme seems to consist of Gary's incredulity when faced with a respected Indian chef telling him for the third time to add more garlic, chillies, onions etc. Gary seems to be stuck in a European mode and looks aghast when it's suggested that 12 chillies need to be added! Obviously this is a little bit calculated and in the end the food turns out fine and not too hot for Gary's delicate palette.
The basic problems I was having were not using enough onions, not adding spices in a paste, not using enough chillies, and not cooking for long enough and not using enough butter.
I still have some way to go to get the spices right, but the consistency and colour was spot on.
I also made some barbecued paneer which was stunningly good!
If anyone reads this blog and thinks they might feel generous enough to give me a gift then I would love a cooking tour of India as a present.
Another interesting fact to arise from Gary's programme was that the word Vindaloo does not mean crazy hot spicy curry to be eaten after having too much lager and testosterone. In fact it comes from Portuguese (via Goa) and means wine/vinegar and garlic. Therefore a proper vindaloo has hints of vinegar and garlic rather than copious amounts of hot chillies!
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