We’ve been busy working to become #AldisNextBigThing. Earlier this year, we competed against lots of other brilliant British businesses to earn a place on @AldiUK’s shelves.
An enthusiastic crowd greeted the Earl of Wessex as he visited the premises of Albury based caterers Mandira’s Kitchen as part of his recent tour celebrating the work of Surrey Hills Enterprises.
Prince Edward was greeted by company owner, Mandira Sarkar and was introduced to members of the team behind the continued success of her business including the chefs responsible for producing the authentic Indian dishes enjoyed by so many people across the region.
Samin’s cheese omlette comes a close second and on the rare occasions that he is home, he rustles up one for me… This morning I decided to make my own and sitting at the desk at the office looking out at the perfect autumn trees it provided the perfect folder for a busy day ahead.. Recipe below anyone is interested :
1. Whisk up 2 large eggs with a tablespoon of milk, a pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp of chilli powder – (I use our own chilli and fenugreek spice blend which you can pick up from us if you want) .
2. Heat a heavy bottom pan and add a bit of butter or 1 tsp sunflower oil . Let the pan heat and then pour the egg mixture and using a fork whisk it a bit till it starts setting.
3. Add 1tsp chopped coriander leaves and 2 tablespoon of grated cheese – Amul is perfect and any processed cheese is actually as good but if you want you can substitute with cheddar .
4. Let the cheese melt and the fold over and enjoy with hot buttered toast or in my case today a sliced avocado.
]]>Ghee is made by clarifying butter – in our kitchen, we start off with organic butter that is slowly heated until the water evaporates and the milk solids rise to the top. These are then removed through a sieve and then the golden liquid is poured into jars and lidded. It slowly solidifies into a pale yellow mass.
The best way to store ghee is at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. Use a clean dry spoon everyone you use it and moisture free it will last for months.
Use it to sauté vegetables, stir into a bowl steaming dal or put a dollop in steaming plain rice or even use a tiny bit and massage your face before stepping to it the shower – once you start using this liquid gold, you’ll be hooked.
]]>More than four decades on, I cannot eat an Alu tikki without actually feeling the warmth of the Assam winter sunshine in my eyes and on my still damp hair and the sensation of being completely scrubbed and of course Ashadi’s loud singing..
It’s going to an early start for me tomorrow as I’ll be on my own in the kitchen making up a 150 of these tikkis made to mum’s exact recipe to be picked up for a wedding celebration.. No ketchup though but a home made coriander chutney ..
]]>However, as I drive for my meeting today, I realise Blyton’s world has now become mine too.. The rolling Surrey Hills, the winding country lanes with their red post boxes, the various farm shops who greet me with hugs, fresh cheese straws and sausage rolls are a part and parcel of my reality and everyday life.. The radio in my car comes on and as I sing along tunelessly to the words of Heaven is a Place on Earth, I also send up a quiet word of thanks .. inspite of all the ups and downs, I wouldn’t have it any other way..
]]>I blended together three mild red chilis, a tsp each of of coriander seed and cumin seeds, 1 inch cinnamon , 2 cardamoms, a tiny bit of nutmeg, a stick of lemon grass , 6 cloves of garlic , 1 inch of ginger , a handful of peanuts and 3 shallots.
Heated a tablespoon of oil and then fried this paste for 4-5 mins. Now added 250 gms diced chicken, 1 diced aubergine , a handful of chopped beans, 6 leftover mushrooms , 1 sliced pepper and mixed the whole thing on high heat for a couple of minutes
Added a can of coconut milk, salt, a tiny bit of sugar and a pinch of turmeric .
Brought to a simmer and then added a bit more water to thin it.
Left it simmering for 15 minutes while I made steamed rice and dinner was ready with no fuss or mess. Brought in the sunshine into this cold winter evening ..
]]>1. You get a freshly cooked menu out of a five star rated commercial kitchen – tailored right down to budget, the dietary preferences of your guests and even what produce is in season.
2. You get the benefit of a professional team that swings into action – taking the time and trouble to find out what you like, where the event is and even what the weather forecast is likely to be. Even our simplest menus come with alternatives so you always have a choice. Our takeaway menus are accompanied by hand written notes containing heating instructions and thoughtful extras such as the use of chafing dishes should you need them.
3. We go out of our way to make your event yours. Be it a bride with a particular Indian city connection or a 90th birthday girl was born during the Raj or a Book launch on spirituality, our food will reflect this in a unique way. We have draped our guests in saris, brought bangles and henna tattoos from Indian markets, shopped around for the best fresh flower garlands in town and even washed up 150 tiffin carriers – that’s 600 bowls in 90 minutes – so that they can be filled with fabulous sweets for guests to take home.
4. We meet every guest over chai and samosas in at our beautiful venue before their special event, carry out eagle eyed kitchen inspections to ensure everything runs to plan, offer tastings for much in love couples, create Bollywood playlists for the dance floor and even advise on fabulous Indian inspired cocktails to make sure the bar is second to none.
5. You get us as the keepers of your many secrets prior to the party, sprinklers of fairy dust and Bollywood sparkle, smoothers of frayed pre-wedding nerves and the executors of a spotless kitchen after the event.
6. You get advice, humour, laughter, common sense and peace of mind. You get the boring bits like assurance of a £5M insurance, following every H&S rule in the book, approved suppliers and knowing our allergens. You have a guarantee that you do not get a one person band – we do not “bring in casual staff for events” and every member of staff from our cook to our cleaner is on our payroll, is vetted, trained, paid a fair wage and even gets a birthday present! And the freshly cooked authentic food from our hearts is always a bonus !
]]>I came across this picture today of my sister and I at our usual childhood picnic spot and given the picnic weather this weekend thought I’d remisce about our childhood picnics that involved memories of elaborate preparations …
Before the actual event Monglu our cook presided over what almost seemed like a wedding celebration. On the much awaited day, the excitement started with Jeeps with trailers arriving to the house at dawn to be loaded up not only with prepared food but everything from rice to chicken, pots and pans and an army of staff.. The heavily laden jeeps would set off on their two hour journey to the usual picnic spot on the banks of the majestic Bhareli river and the cooking would begin in makeshift open air kitchens ready for us when we arrived in time for breakfast…
Lunch was usually steaming, freshly made Khichuri served on dining tables set up with proper linen and bottles of beer / drinks conveniently chilled in the the crystal clear waters of the river.. The afternoon would wear off with games and music, laughter and lazy cups of tea until my dad made an appearance in the setting sun, sailing down in his rubber boat after a day’s fishing accompanied by his faithful Miris (fishing assistants) Magairam and Mohan.. There would usually be a not insignificant catch of the golden Mahseer tied to his boat which would then be swiftly taken away by the cook as an addition to the evening menu. Dinner was a magical affair usually a clear moonlit night.. the gleaming, sparking waters of the fast flowing waters reflecting the moonlight, the forests on the opposite bank aglow with fireflies and the occasional trumpet of a wild elephant or even a leopard..
Gradually as the night wore on, the kitchens would be cleared, open fires put out and we would pile back into the cars to make the sleepy journey home.. until the next time…
]]>However taking the lowest common denominator, a Macher Jhol is usually made with Rui or Katla ( a type of carp ), vegetables such as potato and wax gourd. It has a very light and flavoursome Jhol or broth and minimal spices . There are different cuts of the fish used such as peti ( cut from the belly giving you thinner rectangular piece) with less bones or the triangular Gada and even the lowly lyaj or tail. The head or Muro is usually used in dal or Muri ghonto another Bengali speciality.
It is usually enjoyed in the afternoon with steamed rice and a squirt of Gondhoraj lebu – the king of limes found again in Bengal and usually followed by an afternoon nap later ending with a cup of chai s samosa to create a perfect Sunday.
I had some Rui in the freezer and after a very long time, made a Jhol which brought in some sunshine on an otherwise cold day…
Happy to share the recipe if anyone wants it, but be warned you will need to find a specialist Asian fish stockist or (can use tilapia or sea bass) and be prepared to descale the fish and also take out the bones when eating .. The end result is worth it though!
English weddings are wonderfully civilised affairs. They follow set rules and patterns. They happen over one eventful day where the bride wears white, the groom wears black, everyone has usually bought a hat, there are toasts and speeches, a first dance, some lucky or not so lucky girl catches the bride’s bouquet, and as the bride and groom drive off to start their honeymoon, everyone else parties and is happy. The next day everyone is back at work – except of course, the bride and groom who are still on their honeymoon.
Forget that paradigm as we cross continents. Things get a little bit more boisterous as we get to Southern Europe, especially Greece and Italy and by the time we’ve reached India, it has descended into complete chaos, with its tapestry of cultures, languages, cuisines, hundreds of rituals and customs that differ according to region, religion, economic worth and even individual families. So while a bride from Bengal will wear a bright red sari, her counterpart from neighbouring Assam will usually wear a stunning white sari or Mekhala and to make it more complicated a bride from Delhi will not wear either but a Salwar Kameez or a Lehenga.
A Gujarati wedding feast will be pure vegetarian whilst a Muslim wedding must have a Biriyani or two and the success of a Bengali wedding meal is judged by the number of fish dishes that were served.
Food is always central to the theme
The one common factor that binds every Indian wedding together though, is food! From the auspicious coconut placed in front of the couple, to the grains of rice showered onto their heads, to the fish symbolising fertility sent to the bride’s house, to regional specialties, celebratory dishes, seasonal menus or family favourites, food runs through the core of the festivities. During a “wedding season” in India, you can attend over eight weddings in the same city, within a span of 3 weeks, along with 800 other guests and be served a bewildering array of dishes and rest assured that you will not eat the same dish twice.
Indian traditions have adapted to reflect global culture
In times gone by, marriages in India, were arranged within the same community with the bride and groom often hailing from the same village or at the very most a few villages apart. The local priest played matchmaker moving from home to home trying to bring about an alliance between eligible and suitable parties. The bride -after a week long period of festivities where the whole village or community attended- moved just a few doors or few villages away and began her new life. Modern day Indian marriages could not be more different. Young Indians now live all across the globe often in gleaming cities – life in the fast lane. Cupid, or the Internet, play a big parts in choosing one’s life partners as inter region, inter religion or intercontinental marriages become more the norm rather than the exception.
A not so typical Indian wedding
So a few months ago, we celebrated a wedding in our family, which was fairly representative of what a “typical” Indian wedding now is. The bride is a Bengali from Calcutta, but has studied and lived in Mumbai. The groom hails from Punjab, his family having moved from what is modern day Pakistan during Independence to start a new life in Delhi. The couple met in Switzerland and have no idea where they will settle but for now call Lausanne home. The wedding festivities started off in a temple in Delhi, followed by a weeklong celebration in Calcutta with both Bengali and Punjabi rituals, another reception in Delhi and culminated in a party in Lausanne. The 800 guests came from across the Globe and one “family and friend” dance performance had no less than 16 different nationalities dancing to the latest Bollywood hit.
Like modern Indian marriages, and present day wedding feasts, Indian food too has come a long way with traditions that are centuries old originating from different regions, religions and centuries blending in with present day gastronomic techniques and tastes. Boundaries are being blurred with contrasting cultures and heritages coming together to create a magical alchemy. Like the stunning warps, weaves and patterns of an Indian Bride’s outfit, the past and present come together and create their own spell. Age old practise and customs are being combined with contemporary techniques to create their own place in our 21st century world.
]]>
I have the beginnings of some silver in my hair and have decided not to colour as growing old seems to be a privilege denied to many these days.
I have many pointless meetings and sometimes I wonder what on earth am I doing with my life but then there are some such amazing encounters that I see the world as all mine to conquer. And I feel grateful for the so many little things like the love and support of friends and family, the ability to lead my life on my own terms, for being a woman with all its complexities and trials and tribulations and for the many opportunities to be able to make a difference
Hope some of this resonates with some of you .. hugs and as a friend once said let’s be real women and adjust each other’s crowns..
Simple ingredients were elevated to a sublime dish using patience and time..
Always cooked on the bone, usually a lovely rich colour that slowly emerges after simmering for a good few hours with optional potatoes and this is a classic dish up there with the best..
Here is ours which we made for a 90th birthday complete with potatoes and marrow bone..
It will taste it’s best tomorrow once the flavours have developed..
Meanwhile the kitchen doesn’t smell half bad and I’m transported to those many First Class rail journeys I took between Delhi and Calcutta…
]]>