Rajis' Mobile Curry Service

It all started in my capacity as GMs house guest, I was looking for ways to repay the kindness and make myself feel better about taking advantage of a friend.  One morning a few days after my arrival while I was mainlining coffee GM mentioned that he had a cupboard full of Indian spices but had no idea what to do with them.   That evening GM returned to find his flat filled with the aromas of India and happily ate away.  Being of Indian lineage I am very used to people asking if I can make a curry and know I am supposed to have learnt the secrets to the art of Indian cooking from a mother steeped in its traditions but my mum although a good cook hated cooking and I only ever learnt the basics from her. 

Next on our food safari was an Indian restaurant in Mestre.  Not sure why but wherever I travel I always feel the need to check out an Indian restaurant.  I love to see how the cuisine is adapted for each nations' palate and am astounded that I am yet to visit a country without an Indian presence – my favourite so far was found in Buenos Aires- as for Mestre well it was quite good and hearing Punjabi (my parents language) spoken with a thick Venetian accent was a spin out.  Over the next few weeks we tried the world of ethnic eateries in Treviso – of which there aren't too many.  Quite a good Japanese, a pretty bad Thai and a few Chinese that range from ok to terrible, no Indian as yet.   

By now news of GM having a live in curry cook was beginning to spread and soon L was requesting in on the Indian resulting in a dinner of chole, tandoori chicken and aloo gobi.  The next time I saw the gang in Asolo my cooking was mentioned and it was suggested that perhaps they could come over to Treviso for a meal (which we have yet to do.)  When time came for me to move into my own apartment my parting gift was a curry lesson and the five kilos that GM noted he seemed to have gained during my stay. 

In my own apartment I had to think about building up my own store of spices.  This was a problem as they’re not easy to find here.  I soon came to realise how exotic my cooking is to the Italians.  I found a couple of Chinese grocery stores in Treviso and managed to get what I needed for some basic Chinese and Thai food but the Indian spices were proving a problem and you can’t find fresh chilli here for love nor money.  Then there was a little piece of luck in the form of an international food festival in Treviso.  One Saturday afternoon a bunch of us teachers from work (not sure what the collective noun for teachers is, how about a correction?) headed down.  Now the concept of “International” seemed to involve mainly Italian and central European cuisine but there was a spice stall and I stocked up on whatever I could.  In the food court I persuaded the owner of the kebab stand to sell me a jar of his Tahini – I had a hankering for hummus

The spice cupboard begins to take shape

With my new stock of spices I was keen to get cooking GM and L were all too happy to be victims of my culinary exploits.  With the recent hot humid weather I decided to move my curry making away from the north India of my mothers’ cooking and head down south where coconut and lemongrass (lemon zest in this case) add to the flavours.  I had also found a Bangladeshi store in Mestre where the genial owner saved me some precious fresh chilli.  When I mentioned I was cooking for friends he asked “Italians?” and was most delighted to find that yes I was cooking for the natives.   I’ve never made my own masala (mixed spiced) powder before but it really is easy and very satisfying.  As I roasted a mix of fenugreek, coriander, cumin, black pepper and fennel my apartment started to smell like a spice market.  The resulting masala was a world away from the Punjabi variety I’m used to cooking with. 

Freshly roasted spices

That done I packed all I needed and headed to GMs place, my apartment being the size of a cupboard GM had suggested we eat there.  It did also mean he didn’t have to go far to get home.  To add to the endeavour I decided to give making Indian bread a go to, so while I busied myself in the kitchen GM and L got on with consuming the hummus I’d made. 

The Masala

The resulting meal was on the whole a success, second helpings were taken and while not pretty the chilli, coconut bread was tasty.  I had to amend the chilli content as I am slowly building up my guinea pigs'tolerance but there was food, much talking and laughing.  When I moved here I had thought I would learn to make all that wonderful food that Italy is rightly celebrated for but it seems it's my Asian cooking skills that are going to be improved.  In a surprising turn of fate I have discovered that I quite enjoy the process of cooking and making food for friends, I like nothing better that working away in the kitchen while expectant dinners drift in to check out the alchemy.  So Rajis’ mobile curry service is up and running and available for bookings.

Need to work on the presentation but Friday nights feast