Cooking with love
There is a village near Delhi which is too small to be marked on the map, but a remarkable man lived there. He had two daughters and a son, and unlike the other village men, who worked while his wife took care of home and family, this man liked to cook. And unlike other village woman, his wife couldn’t cook well, so he taught his wife and children the necessary skills.
He understood the virtue of each of the spices, and how they could fuse together to create enticing flavour combinations. He understood that turmeric was good not only for adding colour and depth of flavour, but that it was anti-inflammatory too, and that it had to be added to a dish early on – certainly before the tomatoes – to ensure that its bitterness would be cooked out before serving.
He knew that it was important to cook with patience; onions will not turn brown and sweeten if they are placed over too high a heat; they need to sweat gently to release their sugars and caramelise. Only then will their versatile flavour add depth to a dish, and the caramelisation add colour.
He taught his wife and children that it was no good to try and cook when you are in a hurry, or in a bad mood. Instead it was important to take time to create food for yourself and your family, and to do so calmly.
‘But the most important ingredient in cooking’, he said, ‘is love. If you cook with love it will come through in the food to all who eat it.’
This Indian gentleman died seven years ago, but his lessons and ethos live on through his daughters, Elgin based Sharan Dhesi and Manju Dhesi-Dhami, who together created Authentic Indian Kitchen. And I was delighted to meet and work with the sisters at the Highland and Moray Food and Drink Festival in Inverness College UHI last weekend.
Sisters Sharan (l) and Manju from Authentic Indian Kitchen cooking at the Highland and Moray Food and Drink Festival
Although the girls professed to be nervous before going on stage, as soon as they stepped under the lights the nerves vanished and their conversation sparkled. A brilliant comedic double-act, Sharan told stories as Manju took charge at the hob. Within 20 minutes they had created an aromatic and delicious chicken dopiaza – a simple dish with onions cooked two ways (in Hindi ‘do’ means two and ‘piaza’ means onion) warmed by bay leaves and spices, and flavoured with garlic, chilli and ginger. It was simple, naturally gluten free and – with a mere teaspoon of oil for two portions – gloriously healthy.
From the girls we learned – as they had learned from their father – that chicken and onions will cook in their own juices without the need for oil. We also learned to warm that teaspoon of oil before adding spices so they release their fragrant oils, and that a judicious sprinkling of salt brings out the best of any food, even oranges, and watermelon.
The girls now share their love and skills through their Elgin-based business Authentic Indian Kitchen, where they bring everything – ingredients, pots and pans, ready smiles and witty banter– to your home or business, and cook for you there. Their business grew from a desire to share their father’s recipes and traditions, and to let people here in the north of Scotland know that Indian can be so much tastier and better for us than the high-calorie takeaways so many of us are used to. They also demonstrate their skills at the Oakwood Cookery School.
It’s a business that almost didn’t get off the ground. Having come up with the idea the sisters took a month to pluck up the courage step over the threshold of Business Gateway in Elgin to ask for help. But from their first booking – 300 covers for the army – they have never looked back.
Foodies talk a lot about ingredients. We discuss provenance, food miles, and welfare issues, and all of these are important. But since meeting Sharan and Manju I’ll be adding an extra ingredient; I’ll be cooking with love too.
Back to basics.
Mr Marr and I are packing the car to go away for a couple of nights. The bikes are on the roof and our walking boots are in the back, but although this is a much longed-for trip, I am slightly nervous. Because although we aren’t journeying far, we are going back in time – to a world without mobile phone connection, Wi-Fi, TV or radio.
For a self-confessed news-junkie and media addict this will be a true break from work. In our lovely hotel in the middle of Rannoch Moor we will (hopefully) rediscover the art of conversation, and I might even manage to get through a meal without feeling tempted to post photos of it on Twitter.
But our teenage daughters, easily old enough to be left alone, are aghast.
‘How will we get in touch with you?’ they asked.
We have calmed them down and explained all about land lines. The hotel isn’t entirely cut off from civilisation. In case of emergency there are neighbours and friends on alert, an aunt round the corner and a granny down the road. They can text one of them.
I can’t wait. 48 hours without connectivity and kids. See you on the other side – if I come back!
Moor of Rannoch Hotel, Rannoch Station. Wifi and mobile-free zone.
This column first appeared in six SPP Group newspapers week ended 3rd June 2016.
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