Quail Korma - Calling in the New Year

I was scanning the supermarket shelves the other day and this little bird caught my eye. So small you can cup it in your palms and so fragile its bones are like toothpicks. Dear reader, I did not quail in fear. Like a curious cat I brought a couple back home to play with in my Kitchen.

Garam Masala Gingerbread

This moist spicy Gingerbread is the perfect companion to coffee or tea, whether for breakfast or as an afternoon pick-me-up. The teaspoon of garam masala mostly adds aroma with the dominant spice being ginger here both in its powdered form and whole.The pepper, cinnamon and cloves (to name just a few) in the garam masala blend act as wonderful supporting spices. They all deserve Oscars for their star qualities in my opinion.  

Tandoori Capon: the Christmas post!

 

Growing up in England Christmas was certainly all around: the nativity plays and carol singing at school, giving and receiving Christmas cards (a test of one’s popularity in the school playground), and the inevitable Christmas movies on the box. But that is about as Christmassy as it got in our household. We only had Christmas dinner once when Amma surprised us all and decided to roast a bird especially. As usual she did it her way; a Tandoori Turkey so lip smackingly good that I remember every detail of that meal, from where I was sitting (cross-legged on the settee; this is finger food at its best) to what we watched.

Hot Chocolate with Juniper Berries

Juniper berries or baies de genévrier are often used to marinate game as it has an earthy aroma and piney flavour which complements wild meat. However, it can also be used in much smaller quantities with other meats such as chicken and fish like salmon. It is rarely used to flavour desserts but having come across a recipe for crème chocolat flavoured with Juniper in Sophie Grigson’s book 'SPICE' I thought I would try the combination of chocolate and juniper to hot chocolate instead. For my first rather shy attempt with Juniper berries I  added them in whole and found that they imparted a discreet but teasingly just there note. Feeling much more gung ho the second time round, I added the berries in crushed. The final result was spicy but tasty nonetheless. The dark chocolate used for this more than meets its match with an earthy spice like Juniper and the orange lightens the overall taste. A delightful winter warmer!

Basmati Rice: The Fragrant One

 I often use Basmati rice to accompany my curries. This is perfumed long grain rice grown mostly in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is without a doubt (but of course I’m not biased) the most elegant rice in the rice world, and there are over 40,000 varieties competing for that title with only ten of these grown commercially!* Further proof, the word Basmati in Sanskrit means ‘the fragrant one’. I arrest my case!

Spice Corner

I'll be regularly updating this page with information about spices used in my recipes. Knowing the history of what we use to flavour our food helps us to appreciate the journey each spice has travelled to reach us; the stories they contain are the stuff of blockbusters: war, love and death. Read on...

Chicken with Coriander and Kesuri Methi



      Serve as an open top sandwich known as a tartine in French

I was going to make a Korma (a rich creamy curry in the Moghlai style) but as Christmas is nearing, the pounds will be piling on fast enough so I opted for a leaner curry; one with herby notes and only a tablespoon of oil! A familiar friend -recently resurrected from my culinary slumber - Kesuri methi and I, were put back in touch through my sister; a bitter but sweet reunion ensued.