Memories of India

So hard to imagine that this time last week we were in searing temperatures, fighting our way through the crazy traffic of Southern India.
I had originally intended to keep a journal of the trip, but after two days of cycling for 6-7 hours, I lacked the energy to do anything except indulge in my favourite drink at the end of every day - a gorgeous cold (not always!), velvety, sweet lassi - perfect for refuelling the body with a little protein and carbs.  Easy enough to make by blending natural yoghurt, ice, water, a little sugar, and for me the addition of roughly ground cardamom just adds the perfect flavour.  Mint or mango are also delicious additions.

So my journal entries became bullet points, and these just sum-up what I experienced each day -
Smells - jasmine, garlic, tea, coconut, hot tar, exhaust fumes, cardamom.
Feelings - elation, exhaustion, thirst, humbleness, happiness, relief.
Reactions to us - laughter (lots - we were wearing lycra after all!), hand-slapping, intrigue, staring.
New experiences - cycling 100km+ in searing heat, dining in broken-down shacks, eating jack fruit, eating rice and curry off banana leaves with hands, sharing restaurant with a rat!


Interestingly I really thought I would start to go off curry after the first week, but it didn't happen.  And even more amazingly, I have craved it since returning home, so have already cooked myself a couple of curries, dhals, and this, my favourite Kerelan cabbage dish.

Kerelan Coconut Cabbage

Serves 4

2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 garlic clove, diced
10-12 curry leaves
1 red chilli, deseeded and diced
2 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and diced
4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
1 tsp turmeric
1 medium cabbage, shredded
3 tbsp desiccated coconut
small handful coriander leave, roughly torn

Heat the coconut oil and cook the mustard seeds, garlic, curry leaves, chilli, ginger, spring onion and turmeric, until the mustard seeds begin to 'pop'.
Stir in the cabbage and coconut and toss to coat with the spices.  Add a couple of tablespoons of water and continue to steam-fry, tossing from time to time, for 5-6 minutes.
Stir in the coriander, season to taste and serve.

The Great Taste of Pepper

Another great evening hosted by The Guild of Food Writers - Christine McFadden has recently published a book covering every aspect of pepper you could wish to know and last night she gave us just a hint of what an exciting and diverse ingredient pepper is.
I had never realised how different the various variety of peppers could taste and smell - Christine had us sniffing and tasting white, red, green and black pepper, all of which come from the same plant, and each are so very distinctive.
After the tasting of pepper by itself we were treated to nibbles that included pepper, and these were not restricted to savoury dishes alone, infact I found myself preferring the sweet peppery dishes, much to my amazement!
Home-made soft cheese with the different coloured peppers was followed by Parmesan pepper crisps, then wonderful semi-dried figs that had been halved and dipped in pepper, and creamy peppery shortbread.  The final dish Christine cooked in front of us - pineapple that had been studded with long pepper, left over night to marinate, then sauteed in butter and served with it's own gorgeous syrup - heavenly.
Other things I learnt were that most of our pepper is grown in Kerela, India and that those lovely pink peppercorns that look so pretty on dishes, are not pepper at all and should be avoided at all costs!  And the reason why you should grind your own pepper and not buy it already ground is that the whole point of grinding it fresh is to ensure you get the aromatics from the oil in the husk of the peppercorn - the heat actually comes from the middle.
There is also the health aspect of using pepper - black pepper has demonstrated antibacterial effects as well as stimulating the taste buds to help improve digestion.  The other reason for grinding your own, is that most commercial ground pepper is roasted and is therefore an irritant rather than a stimulant.
Christine is so intent on having good pepper that she even has a mobile pepper mill that fits in her handbag, and travels everywhere with her!
For great pepper and other spices, go to Seasoned Pioneers.