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Lentils, Rice and Chapattis
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Lentils, Rice and Chapattis |
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Mostly I would try to cook curry - often very unsuccessfully (the infamous sprout bhaji being a case in point) but I did persevere and by the age of about 14 could easily fend for myself.
Since then I have always been a curry cook, curry is the food I love the most. Sadly Toni and the kids aren't quite as fond as me and I don't get it as often as I like (cue - smutty giggle).
My oldest possession is not an athletics certificate from school or a treasured soft toy but a tawa, a chapatti pan. I have had this pan since 1991. It has moved house with me at least 15 times and is still as sturdy as it ever was. I have no idea how many chapattis it has made but it is a lot.
For about six months back in 1995*, I lived in Bolton and for a little of this time I was unemployed and at the same time the people I was scrounging a free room off, went away for a long holiday. I was absolutely skint. The unemployment benefit people decided that I was ineligible for any money as I had made myself voluntarily unemployed - this wasn't actually true, but they didn't care. In order to get through this period I spent the last £20.00 I had on a big bag of onions, a big bag of lentils, a big bag of rice and a big bag of chapatti flour.
For two whole weeks I ate nothing but rice, chapattis and daal. Nothing. Not a sweet, not a slice of bread, not a morsel of tasty meat.
It was horrid. Truly the most miserable culinary experience I have had during my adult life. After two weeks, my brother Paul saved me by giving me £40.00 to buy some food with. I can remember walking back from Morrison's with two huge bags full of chicken, fresh coriander, vegetables, sausages, bacon... As I got near to home, I burst out crying, tears rolling down my cheeks. Yes, I did actually cry. I was so relieved not to have to eat nothing but lentils, rice and chapattis.
And what did I cook when I got home?
Chicken curry, a vegetable curry, rice, chapattis and lentils.
Fantastic.
*I seem to remember it was 1995 but it could be three years either side of this.
Menu
| Sheek Kebabs 450g Lamb Mince 1 Onion 1 TBSP Garam Masala ½ tsp Salt ½ tsp Black Pepper ½ tsp Chilli Powder ¼ tsp Garlic Powder Handful of Chopped Fresh Coriander |
Saffron Rice 150g Basmati Rice Good Pinch of Saffron 2 Black Cardamon Pods 3 Green Cardamon Pods ½ tsp Black Pepper ¼ tsp Cinnamon 2 Bay Leaves 4 Cloves ½ tsp Caraway Seeds |
For the curry sauce see - 19th Jan but add 1 tsp of tandoori spice when cooking and stir in a cube of frozen methi leaves at the end.
The chick pea curry is some fried sliced onions, a little of this curry sauce (before adding any extra hot chilli or methi), a can of chick peas and some tomato purée and more garam masala.
Chapattis are really easy do make - there's loads of videos etc on how to make them: Try Here for instance. I used Natco atta flour for mine but any bread flour will do.
Sheek Kebabs: Mix all the ingredients together (mix really well) and thread the meat onto skewers. Put in the fridge for an hour to let them cool (stops them falling apart when you cook them). A barbecue would be good or a hot charcoal grill but I did mine in the oven. Get the oven really hot, put the kebabs on a tray so they are suspended and won't sit in the fat that drops off them.
Saffron Rice: Put the spices into a small bowl and pour over some boiling water. Leave for an hour or so to let the saffron plump up. Measure out the rice first. Rinse the rice really well (seven or eight rinses) and drain. Use 2 parts water to 1 part rice. Put the water in and the spices and the spice water. Simmer gently for 10 minutes then turn the heat off. Leave to stand for 5 minutes then fluff up with a fork.
