Because we lived between the domestic and the international airport of Mumbai,our home was a 'Yummy transit point' for guests who would pop by unannounced for a meal or a stay only to taste her delights and even at at the last minute,mum would whip up a treat with whatever was available in the kitchen.Right from her 'Adrak ki chai(Ginger tea)' to 'Onion Bhajiyas(pakora)' to 'Pulao Rice' , 'Dal fry' , ' Southindian Chicken curries' and endless other culinary delights,her magical culinary 'midas' touch turned every dish she cooked to an unforgettable tasty treat. Even in a tiny dingy kitchen in our Mumbai flat,without much sophisticated equipment ,gadgets ,storage space or posh cutlery ,mum always relished cooking each and every meal freshly for us.
At first,since we are Manglorean,mom 's forte was south-indian cuisine,but when we'd return from school and talk about the north-indian lunches we had shared with our classmates,mom experimented and mastered those dishes as well,much to the amazement of our extended family back in the south of India who loved it too.
Since I was a geek at school and university,she'd always send me away to study whenever I tried experimenting in the kitchen and slowly,she trained me and my little sister to cook some of her wonderful mouthwatering dishes that would leave all our guests drooling on for more.Me and my sister Nazia would sometimes bake a ready-mix cake in the pressure cooker when mom would take her afternoon nap and slowly we went on to cook together as a team : Mom would buy the ingredients,I'd chop and process them, my sis would cook and we'd have feast at home whenever it was possible .From basic 'dal' to 'Biryani' , Chicken curries and seafood delights,north indian as well as my ancestral south indian dishes,chinese as well as italian pastas,we'd cook it all in a jiffy .
Since our upbringing had been very conservative, we daughters were hardly allowed to go out in the evening, so we'd have our friends around for dinnertime or for home made tea - time snacks . We'd always have our schooltime friends wanting to have lunch with us anyways as they wanted to share my mum's home cooked treats compared to their own often working moms' quick fix dishes.Over the years I developed a passion for vegetarian food and even that was well taken care of by mommy dearest,to date I prefer the taste of fresh vegetables and seafood to heavy meaty curries.Mom even improvised and cooked tasty low fat dishes for my dad during his struggle with his cholestrol control and heart disease and though we did not travel much as a family, we were open to all cuisines and culinary techniques .
I somehow managed to juggle my teaching job and cooking whenever I was home alone,and that helped me hone my skills independenly as well.When I moved to Scotland after my marriage,we had a tiny old cubicle of a kitchen with a retro stove,tiny fridge and an oven that barely functioned as it was the recess of the flat that was converted into a kitchen and had'nt been done up since donkey's years.Despite that,it was my ' culinary laboratory ' where I'd cook the classic indian dishes taught to me by my mother and sister,and try continental cuisine and learn classic british dishes taught to me by my husband like 'roast potatoes' ' cottage pie' ' roast chicken' etc .We enjoyed serving our guests dinners and seeing my hardwork and passion for cooking,my father-in-law gifted us a brand new kitchen which was the best wedding present for us.
Since the delicatassens,farmer's markets and supermarkets were close to where I lived in the westend of Glasgow,I'd love trying out new dishes and cooking classical recipes as well.Juggling a fulltime job and having dinner ready for a husband who is used to having dinner before 6pm is an effort and though I did not manage that on a daily basis,I did reserve weekends for special dishes.
Nothing satisfies me more than having my own space and freedom in my own kitchen.Though I definitely miss having my mother and sister help me to cook,I do savour the joys of ' one man show' when my guests ,family and friends compliment my efforts.Last year,out of the blue,I ended up on national television when I happened to find out about the auditions for 'Britain's best dish' programme at the local farmer's market.It was a great experience because I was one of the ' contestant chefs' representing Scotland at a national level cooking competition and it was my family's traditional signature dish of ' Southindian green chicken curry' that left the judges craving for more.Though I did not reach the national finals,it was encouragement and appreciation enough for me and made my family and friends in India proud that our humble recipe passed on through the generations was considered to be special.
Last winter, as an antidote to the long dark evenings,I started baking cookies and cakes.Tough I'd never baked before, and there was no looking back eversince.I got 'baking fever' soon and I was churning out cookies,shortbread,cupcakes,pies and baked desserts and gave people 'edible gifts' of cookie boxes and 'muffins'.Baking goodies not only fills up the home with a decadent aroma , but also had the added convenience of treats ready in the biscuit jar for teatime ,desserts or midnight munchies.I must give total credit to chef ' Rachel Allen' who inspired me to bake with her addictive tv series on the Good Food channel.With her beauty,elegance and talent to simplify complex - looking recipes, she still remains my number one favourite chef to date.
I must also give total credit to my wonderful husband Martyn who has always supported my culinary experiments and always been my favourite ' guinea-pig' as he gives honest objective reviews.My in-laws,friends and colleagues who are just so greatful that an effort has been made to please them,they seem to be in awe of indian cooking techniques,our spices,the rich diversity and versatility of Indian food.I read only recently that 'turmeric(curcumin)' the golden yellow spice powder helps to cure and prevent so many diseases including cancer and Crohn's disease,no wonder it is considered as a 'holy' spice in India and used in worship,weddings etc.It was within a couple of years of eating spiced indian food that my husband's Crohn's disease relapses disappeared totally and we never realised that this humble indian root of 'Turmeric' played its role.
Eversince,I've been inspired to combine my passion for teaching and cooking and start my own 'Authentic Indian cooking classes' from my home to give learners the real deal behind real indian cooking.Right from buying the good quality ingredients to combining them correctly to whip up a tasty genuine indian dish from scratch is taught by me during our one to one customised classes where a wide variety of north-indian and south indian dishes are on offer.I've even sold the 'circular steel spice box' with homeground spices to my co-workers and pupils.The response,gratitude,reviews and encouragement of the people has been truly overwhelming and I truly enjoy juggling my fulltime job with my side-business that I labelled 'BollyFood Cookery Classes' to signify the multicultural cosmopolitan influence of 'Bombay's food' and 'Bollywood connection because I hail from Manglore which is the ancestral hometown of worldfamous Bollywood filmstars like Aishwarya Rai and Shilpa Shetty.
My passion for languages may have played a major role too in my culinary curiosity,because I speak five languages fluently and have learnt french since schooldays,besides teaching English and Indian festive arts in an International French school to primary school students.The French people have such passion and pride for food and celebrate nearly every meal in a special way,there has been a lot to learn from them,not only about the cooking techniques,but also about serving food on a daily basis.
My latest craze is Greek cuisine : its medieval roots,the diversity,the simplicity and healthy homecooked meals cooked with so much passion for celebrations,festivities,holidays,weekends or for daily treats are a total delight and in many ways,similar to indian cuisine.
I am not sure where my culinary ambition will take me next,for now I am like a happy go lucky culinary artist who chooses to indulge in my passions whenever I want to,I don't think I'll enjoy the pressure,high tempers,teamwork and monotony of being a professional chef in a restaurant,I'd rather start my own little 'Dinner bed and breakfast' from home where I serve guests a homemade meal from my menu, or I may start a catering business like 'Authentic indian takeaway'.For now , I am forever greatful for this platform of multicultural diversity of food available in Britain and for the fact that almost everyone here is so open to trying out new dishes and are so appreciative of the health benefits of spices enjoy being ' foodies'.I hope to continue making good friends who enjoy life via sharing food because anyone who is passionate about food is passionate about life !
