This week we have travelled from China to another country with a long history of civilisation and a cuisine that also goes back several thousand years.
That country, just across the Himalayas from china is of course India. It is the second most populous country in the World and the largest democracy. Like Chinese cuisine it has exported well to many parts of the world and in particular the United Kingdom where it has become entrenched as probably the most popular imported style of cooking, with dishes such as Chicken Tikka Masala regularly coming out as the number one favourite, although strictly speaking it is more of a hybrid than a true traditional Indian dish. Indian restaurants and Indian foods have really become huge business in the UK and estimated to be worth over 3 billion pounds. The large number of Indians that have made their home in the United Kingdom coupled with the their history of British rule at one time in the country has also given rise to a special type of fusion cuisine known as Anglo-Indian and we will have a look at least one different take to a traditional British recipes during the next few weeks.
India is a very large country and as you might expect has several quite distinct regional cuisines in a similar way to China. Many of their recipes are vegetarian as 40 % of the population are vegetarian and less than one third eat meat regularly. Vegetarianism is a pillar of several of the main religious communities in India notable the Hindus, the Buddhists and the Jains.
Indian cooking is famous for its spices; according to one source turmeric, cardamom, pepper and mustard were being cultivated 5,000 years ago in India. They took easily to imports from the New World such as Chilli and the tomato more recently and they are an integral part of many dishes now.
Interaction and invasions from other areas and peoples such as Persia, the Mongols and has influenced not only the culture but also the cuisine as well.
There is a lot of help available to the cook in a hurry with ready prepared curry sauces and chutneys which certainly save some time and the quality of them has improved no end in the last ten years but in my opinion there is no substitute for learning to cook the dishes yourself because you can then tailor the spices and flavours to your exact requirements rather than having to accept what one of the manufacturers has chosen. It is not difficult to cook Indian food but sometimes I have people complain about the number of spices required. In fact you can achieve an ‘Indian taste’ with just Garam Masala’ which is a mixture of spices and available in ground or whole spice versions.
The ground version is more flexible. However a few additions to your spice rack will make the world of difference and at the top of the list would be cumin - ground and seeds, green cardamom, ground coriander, ginger paste, cinnamon and garlic. Some of those you may already have in your kitchen for other dishes. You can add other spices as you become more involved with what is a fascinating cuisine. The ones you buy should be kept in airtight containers in a dark place and will last for a long time. It is preferable to grind your own spices from the seeds because the flavour is much better that way but again that is ‘nice to do’ not essential. As in other styles of cooking we have already visited, there are certain standard methods and ingredients that pretty much always seem to feature. In Indian cooking they are onions, ginger, garlic and the ‘frying’ pf spices to release the flavour but we will cover more of that next week. For now here is the first recipe to literally give you a flavour of Indian cooking and it is one of the most popular dishes on the menu of most Indian restaurants, Rogan Josh. This is a dish from the Kashmir and the name means ‘cooked in oil at intense heat’. There are several variations on the dish which should include lamb or chicken. This recipe, based on one by Anjum Anand includes yoghurt at the end to give it a creamier texture. It should be spicy hot but you can vary the amount of chill powder to suit.

Rogan Josh with saffron rice
Ingredients (Serves 4)
500grms of lamb cut into one inch cubes
6 black peppercorns
2 black cardamom pods (optional)
6 green cardamom pods
3 cloves
1 two inch piece of cinnamon stick
1 large onion
2 cloves of garlic peeled
1 heaped tablespoon of ginger paste
Two teaspoons of ground coriander
Two teaspoons of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of chilli powder (or to taste!)
1 teaspoon of ground garam masala
Salt to tastev One third of a can of crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons of plain unsweetened natural yoghurt
A handful of fresh coriander stalks and all! (finely chopped)
Vegetable oil
Saffron Rice
6 strands of saffron
Tiny pinch of salt
250 grams of basmati rice
Method
Rinse the rice in cold water several times to get rid of the surface starch. When the water has run clear add the same quantity of water as the rice and bring to the boil. Turn down on a low heat with the lid on until the water has been absorbed but make sure the rice is still a little on the firm side and the grains have not split.
The idea is to slightly ‘undercook’ the rice to ensure the grains have not lost their shape.
Take off the heat and cool the rice. The best way of doing this is to spread it out on a tray or shallow baking dish and place in the refrigerator overnight. This is one of the best tips to ensure good fried rice that does not end up as a sticky mess.
Thaw the peas and drain. If you are using the salad onion try using part of the stem to imitate spring onions and chop finely. Heat your wok and add half the peanut oil to it.
When hot add the previously beaten eggs and cook to from a flat omelette. When ready lift out on to a plate and slice up into thin strips. If necessary clean the wok of any surplus egg mixture so that I does not burn and add the other half of the oil. Break the rice up with a fork and add it to the hot oil in the wok followed by the peas, cut up omelette, sauces, onion if using and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly and heat. Tip into bowls or a container and serve while still hot.
A perfect accompaniment to many dishes, nice on its own or ‘supercharged with other ingredients (see notes above the recipe).
Next week we are off on our travels once more to pastures new as far as the cuisine is concerned.