Gowardhan - Indian kitchen : secrets of Indian home cooking

www.hodder.co.uk

First published in Great Britain in 2015 by

Hodder & Stoughton

An Hachette UK company

Copyright Maunika Gowardhan 2015

Photography Copyright Helen Cathcart

The right of Alex Hollywood to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

ISBN 9781444794564

Hodder & Stoughton Ltd

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The sound of chillies spluttering in hot oil, the warmth of roasting spices, the fragrant rubs on marinating meats, and simmering curries; all sounds and smells that tease our senses in an everyday Indian kitchen.

They could not be more familiar to me. I grew up on Indian food in the bustling city of Mumbai, watching my mother and my grandmother cook meals full of flavour as part of our daily repertoire. Family and friends all cooking and sharing in the diverse regional variety of Indian food. Every dish we cooked was symbolic: of an occasion to be celebrated with loved ones, especially those marking festivals of Diwali or Holi; or of a mood, an emotion that affected what we felt like eating. Now that I live in Britain I cook the very same curries and reminisce about the food and emotions of Mumbai.

Sharing hearty meals over lively conversations with my family laid the foundation of my approach to good food. I went shopping with Mum and Dad regularly watching them haggle for a few rupees and finally securing a good bargain came with a real sense of achievement. I would proudly hold the basket and walk with Mum. When we got home wed sort out the weeks shopping while she planned what to cook.

Some days she would rustle up something quick for those busy times and a simple Tadka Dal and rice was as delicious as anything topped with homemade ghee and some papad (what you might call poppadum) and pickle on the side. There were many evenings like that and we relished every minute of it as I do today.

Sometimes as a special treat we would have chaat (street food) themed nights at home. Replicating street food was probably Mums way of getting us to stop eating roadside chaat or junk food as she would call it Mumbai Frankie Rolls, Dabeli and Makai Butta to name just a few. They were supremely delicious and despite scoffing it all at home I would still spend days visiting local street vendors with friends. Many a monsoon evening has been spent standing under a little shack away from the pouring rain watching the street vendor cooking the butta (corn) over hot coals and then slathering it in chilli, lime and salt. That damp chill in the air perked up with every bite of the Makai Butta. These make up some of my fondest memories.

It wasnt all paper-wrapped snacks on street corners. If you wanted a definition of lavish feast then my home was the place to find it. My mother always played the ultimate hostess, making an indelible impression by cooking a lavish Indian feast when family and friends came over. Without realising it, when I too started cooking and entertaining I followed exactly what she would do: plenty of snacks to go with the drinks, generous portions of curries with flat breads, raitas and also some side dishes and of course rice was always an imperative part of the meal. Followed at a leisurely pace by something meetha (sweet)! And then finally Adrak Chai to finish it all off. When your guests ask for the recipe or a doggie bag you know youre onto a winner!

When visiting my cousin in Mumbai recently she offered us eight different starters and light bites to go with drinks for just a small group of us thats before she served the main meal. Yes, thats exactly what we call a feast and I suppose it runs in the family! It started with my grandmother, who was an amazing host. The sheer splendour of a dinner party at her house had to be seen to be believed. My mother always fondly told me stories of the food, drinks and more food consumed. The variety, opulence and effort with which the meal was put together made an invitation to a dinner party at her house one to vie for.

Mums view towards cooking and feeding the family was simple, yet there was always variety. Its the sheer diversity of recipes she cooked and introduced my palate to as a child that makes me more experimental and inquisitive. Its part of my DNA and nothing gives me more pleasure than feeding a crowd of curry lovers some finger lickin food with an array of gravy dishes, kebabs, chaat, biryanis and Indian puddings!

I have been fortunate to sample some of the best restaurant, street and home-cooked food across India. I have used these influences to showcase the food of the Indian subcontinent in my work as a private chef in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and India. As well as travelling for my work, I am a mum to my six-year-old son. So with a family and busy working life Im always striving to give the best to both aspects of my life. I yearn to share fantastic food in the process and always ensure that the menus at my cookery events and classes offer something that people will take back and be able to replicate, but also showcase the essence of what Indian cooking is really about. Flavour, spice and regional variety all come to mind when I think back on the food I have eaten, and its this slice of amazing India that drives me to help make people enthusiastic as I am. And as a wife and mother I wouldnt be doing justice to my heritage if I cant share it at home with my family. Cooking at home comes from the heart and thats where it all begins for me; getting the family to savour every bite of the meal we eat brings me sheer joy.

Travelling the length and breadth of India for work allows me to explore the diversity of the country and to soak in all the delectable choices on offer as well as understand the flavours and cooking methods unique to various cultures. Every 20-30 miles the cuisine changes due to the climate, the crops being grown within the local communities and of course cultural habits. Even today, delving into spices and regional flavours takes me by surprise and excites me, so I stock up on the recipes. I think that sharing what I know is a way of keeping these traditions, cultures and classics alive for future generations which they can carry forward. And that is why this book includes wonderful recipes from all over India.

I know that cooking Indian food can sometimes seem intimidating. So in this book, as in my cookery classes, I strive to share the secrets of an Indian Kitchen and demystify the recipes so that anyone can cook a gorgeous curry.

Im often asked, what do Indians cook on a day to day basis? And, how is it that you can rustle up a curry for an everyday meal when youre so busy? The answer to those questions is in the first two chapters of this book. Hungry includes recipes for when youre starving and short of time and they are precisely the type of dish my mother might have made for us on a Tuesday evening. And Lazy contains recipes for when you want something a bit slower, a bit comforting, but still straightforward. Conversely, when you have the luxury of time and want to put some real love into a meal at the weekend, you can turn to Indulgent, or when you have friends and family coming over then Celebratory is the chapter for you. And for all the accompaniments you could wish for chutneys, rice, raita, bread, spice mixes turn to the Extras chapter.