Playing chef 

I was initiated into cooking by my mother. Under her careful inspection, I began making rotis at the age of 10 years. There was no looking back until I got wound up in my career and had little time to do anything.

Thankfully, the inner cook in me resurfaced when I moved to the UK with my then-boyfriend-now-husband, who took the same interest in cooking as me.

I love adding twists to a recipe and the one I have chosen to share with you is a bohri specialty called kaari chawal (literal translation: curry + rice). Briefly, bohris are a religious community in India that are part of the Muslim brigade. Their cuisine has been influenced by mughlai, parsi and gujarati food.

The dish is usually prepared with lamb or chicken. Considering hubby doesn’t eat either, I used monkfish and prawns. If your diet excludes fish and meat, then opt for broccoli, cottage cheese (paneer), or tofu. Bohris, if any, are reading this, would probably find the use of seafood bizarre. I was warned by one. But it is known that coconut milk-based curries pair perfectly with seafood. The best example of this would be Goan cuisine.

Ingredients (serves four): 

250 gms Sliced monkfish. If you prefer a meaty fish, then tuna should work as well

100 gms Prawns – you can add mussels and squid too

250 gms Kaari powder, which can be bought in special grocery stores in India. It may be difficult to find in the UK; therefore a combination of cashew nuts (50 gms), white sesame seeds (50 gms), white poppy seeds (50 gms), almonds (50 gms), cinnamon sticks (2 nos), cloves (4 nos), black peppercorns (4 nos), Kashmiri chilli (2 nos), whole coriander seeds (50 gms) and whole cumin seeds (50 gms) does the trick. I was lucky enough to get a packet from an Indian friend here

2 tins Coconut milk

25 gms Desiccated coconut

3 Star aniseeds

3 Bay leaves

2 tsp Cumin seeds

4 finely chopped Kashmiri chillies – which if dry can be difficult to cut precisely. Soak them in hot water for few minutes to soften

1 tsp Cinnamon powder

1 tsp Red chilli powder (depending on personal spice requirements)

1 tbsp ginger + garlic paste

Salt to taste

3 tbsp Tamarind paste

Fresh mint and coriander for garnish

Method:

• -          Heat ghee (clarified butter) in a pan and add bay leaves, star aniseeds, cumin seeds, chopped Kashmiri chillies until the aromas start lifting through. Then add the ginger + garlic paste and fry for few seconds
• -          Add the kaari powder and roast until the colour changes to a lovely brown hue and exudes a rich, creamy aroma. Follow this by throwing in the dry spices and salt
• -          Pour in the coconut milk and mix well, it may get lumpy initially, but don’t panic, just mix through gently
• -          Throw in the desiccated coconut to enhance the consistency and add a layer of creaminess
• -          Cook for eight-10 minutes on a medium flame. Bring to a boil, then add the seafood
• -          Cook for a further eight minutes, then plump in the tamarind paste and fresh herbs as a finishing touch
• -          Serve with steamed rice

Et voila, this is my version of a kaari. I can assure you this is different from most curries one may have tasted in the UK. Tartness from the tamarind paste, edginess from the spice, and the creaminess give it loads of attitude.

Music: Was listening to Bonobo’s new album while cooking