Topic: Cracking Curries Website and Video Recipes

[Naga]

This afternoon, my good lady wife suddenly took a keen interest as to why Peter Allen's slot on Friday's Radio5 Drive programme has now been filled by the execrable Adrian Chiles.

Why? Who knows?

But while she was at it, she became equally compelled to immediately discover whatever had happened to the delectable Aasmah Mir, once of that self-same parish.

There is a point to this waffle...I'm getting there!

On Aasmah's own website, there is a link to Cracking Curries, a website set up to showcase the filming of home-style Pakistani cooking demonstrations. There are links to three YouTube videos and a list of written recipes.

I haven't yet managed to see everything on the site myself, but I thought it might be of some interest to members interested in watching authentic Pakistani cooking in the modern home.

[Peripatetic Phil]

But while she was at it, she became equally compelled to immediately discover whatever had happened to the delectable Aasmah Mir, once of that self-same parish.

Never heard of her before (I do tend to live in a sort of self-inflicted solitary confinement, into which television never intrudes, the radio only when I am driving, and the newspapers only if I travel by train or if I receive a complimentary Telegraph or Guardian from Messrs Waitrose) but I am grateful to you for introducing me to her work, Naga.  She writes brilliantly, and I experienced a sudden outpouring of empathic sadness when I read of her of having to avoid spit-bombs and compass stabs at school ...

** Phil.

[daaleater]

Thanks for posting this link Naga.
I think her Tarka Dhal will be first on my to try list

[Salvador Dhali]

I've tried a few from the Cracking Curries site.

The tarka dhal (daal) is pretty good, and as she says it's one of those dishes that's massively open to individual interpretation - especially when it comes to the tarka. If, for example, you love that gorgeous smokey garlic hit that you get with a BIR TD then add plenty of thinly sliced garlic to the tarka at the end, either with the onions in the recipe, or on thier own. (If using with the onions then wait until they've softened and just started to colour before adding the garlic, as it only takes a minute before they start to brown.)

My favourite tarka combo is whole cumin seeds, chopped onion, chopped green chillies, and plenty of finely sliced garlic, cooked in lashings of butter ghee.

The Super Spicy Pakistani omelette was okay (but not exactly 'super spicy') and reminiscent of Parsi scrambled eggs, but the Saag Chicken wasn't to my liking at all. Cooked to her spec with just a teaspoon of coriander powder and a teaspoon of chilli powder, I found it really (really) bland. The minimal spicing was lost amongst the 1kg weight of ingredients (500g each of spinach and chicken).

Each to their own, and all that. (Ditto for the use of olive oil.)

Next in the list to try is the Khara Chicken Masala, which looks just up my street.