Remember to be grateful for having clean water

A couple of weeks ago, we watched an Indian movie with a message – “Hindi Medium” – on Amazon Prime. The premise was the no-holdsbarred effort of a very affluent couple to get their only daughter into a socially elite Englishmedium school. When all fails, they pose as slum dwellers, abandoning their mansion and BMW, to get a government-quota seat for the child.

They finally succeed, but after just a few months, they pull their daughter out when they saw that the school taught only snobbishness and a false sense of superiority. They fund the rebuilding of a Hindi-medium school with a dedicated headmaster, and send their daughter there. Their sufferings in the slum – especially the wife’s daily fight for a pail of water from the single communal tap – was moving. All for a supposed “future” for their child!

Those scenes of struggle on the narrow slum lane for just a bucket of water – so vividly played by the beautiful and talented Pakistani actress Saba Qamar – were brought home, though hardly on the same scale, last week. An order flashed on the emergency alert network that the water supply for Lake Clarke Shores, where we live, was contaminated and must be boiled for all uses except for toilet flushing.

The drinking part was easy, thanks to Publix bottled water. For all other personal use – including brushing and doing the ritual ablutions for our daily Islamic prayers – it was a royal pain for four days.

The experience was a lesson in the hardship and struggle untold millions endure daily all over the world for such a basic necessity as water – something we take for granted, and waste without a thought.

I witnessed this misery firsthand half a century ago as I traveled all over East Pakistan, my erstwhile home, covering stories of how the U.S. was endeavoring to ease peoples’ plight by providing the means of safe water such as deep tube wells, among projects in other fields such as agriculture, health and education.

For 17 years of my early life, from mid-1950s to early ’70s, I worked as a writer-editor for the nowdefunct U.S. Information Agency – my very first job. My second job was with The Post, that I joined in January 1972.

Meanwhile, I got some mail from readers:

“I love shrimp and curry and want to try your recipe. I notice you use the turmeric coriander mixture. Can I use curry powder and if so, how much. Sorry, I also forgot (to) ask about the whole peppercorns. I’m afraid someone will bite into one and break a tooth! How do I remove them? Thanks for your recipes.” — Paula

Thanks for your questions. I agree that shrimp and curry are an irresistible combination. The problem with curry powder is that the various other ingredients in it can upset the delicate flavors in the recipe that I presented, especially the strong fenugreek flavor that is part of many commercial curry powders. But there is absolutely no harm in trying something that is easy for you. Shrimp, by any flavor, will surely taste tempting. Try just 1 teaspoon to start.

As for the P.S. part of your missive, you can easily omit the peppercorns. If you use curry powder, the flavor nuance of the peppercorns will be drowned. However, they get considerably softened in the cooking process and even an 87-plus senior like me has had no great to-do in crushing an errant seed once in a while. Love their flavor!

“I read your article today about boiling water in the microwave. As a regular British visitor to the USA, I wonder why on earth Americans do not use electric kettles, which are popular the world over. They are far more economical and they stop after they reach the boil.

“I have a friend who used to heat the water on top of his stove, using much more power and heating his tiny kitchen in the process. I bought him an electric kettle and he blesses me every time he boils water. At one time this appliance was hard to find in America, but nowadays, they are plentiful and inexpensive.

“I thoroughly enjoy your articles – especially your native dishes. I regret that I have yet to find a good Indian restaurant in my area. Kind regards.” — Gillian Davis, of Boynton Beach

Touche! Your point is well taken. I too come from a nation that is – or perhaps was – steeped in British culture, at least the upper class. I too always use my trusty old electric kettle to boil water, but only when I need more than a cup. If you know the innards of such a contraption (and I do; I’ve taken it apart a couple of times to fix it in some 30-plus years of use) you would agree that boiling just 4 to 6 ounces of water for a cup of instant coffee is not feasible – and can, in fact, be dangerous. Microwave is the best option.

Thank you very much for liking my recipes.

You have my sympathy, though, for the way these spicy Indian dishes have now conquered your nation – the land of the once-world conquerors! As for Indian restaurants here, I agree with you entirely. And I loved the quotation you ended your mail with.

“It’s not what you gather, but what you scatter, that tells what sort of life you have lived and the kind of person you are. (Helen Walton)”

Make it a great day (not just have it), as my friend Rabbi Nason Goldstein taught me to say.

PHOTOS BY GHOLAM RAHMAN An electric kettle, like a trusty old Presto, is ideal for boiling water, but not for just one cup or less. Microwave ovens can do that safely and in less time.

Using canned curry powder, instead of the designated spices, will overpower the delicate flavor nuances of this coconut shrimp curry. The few peppercorns used add to this fragrance medley, and soften in the cooking process.