Currying favour
ELLA WALKER on a cookbook described as a love letter to the cafés of Bombay
CELEBRATED restaurant chain Dishoom is serving up some of its culinary secrets in debut cookbook, Dishoom: From Bombay With Love. Founded by Naved Nasir, Shamil Thakrar and Kavi Thakrar in 2010, Dishoom opened first in Covent Garden and now has five restaurants in London, as well as sites in Edinburgh and Manchester.
Inspiration initially sprung from Bombay’s beloved Irani cafés and “each Dishoom is a small love letter to these cafes in Bombay”, explains executive chef Naved.
The cafés are the legacy of Zoroastrian immigrants from Iran who, as a by-product of savvy business acumen (communal tables designed to optimise space) made India’s caste and class systems inconsequential – or at least suspended them for a meal and a drink or two.
“These cafés broke down barriers,” says Naved. “You could have a Muslim sitting next to a Hindu or a Sikh, and a Christian next to them.”
Sharing recipes is important though, he notes: “If you’re too secretive, recipes will die.”
INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)
6 green chillies; 55ml vegetable oil; 2tsp mustard seeds; 30 fresh curry leaves; 300g Spanish white onions, sliced (a little chunky is good); 15g garlic paste (see method); 15g ginger paste (see method); 2tsp fine sea salt; 1tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1¼tsp ground turmeric 25g fresh root ginger, cut into matchsticks; 400ml coconut milk; 250ml coconut cream; 24 large prawns; 300g medium tomatoes, cut into small bite-sized wedges To serve: Lemon wedges
METHOD:
1. For the garlic paste, blitz the garlic with 25ml vegetable oil. Add 2-3tsp water to loosen if necessary. For the ginger paste, blitz the fresh root ginger with 25ml vegetable oil. Add 2-3tsp water to loosen if necessary. Both pastes can be stored in the fridge. Place in a clean, sterilised jar and cover the surface with a thin layer of oil. Use within 10 days.
2. Remove stalks from the chillies then slice each into three or four long strips.
3. Place a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add 40ml of the oil, let it warm for a few seconds, then add the mustard seeds and 20 curry leaves. Let them crackle for a few seconds.
4. Add the onions and sauté lightly for 12-14 minutes, until soft but not coloured.
5. Add 15g garlic paste,15g ginger paste, salt, black pepper and turmeric and sauté for three minutes, stirring regularly. Add chillies and ginger and cook for three minutes.
6. Pour in the coconut milk and cream and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. While the curry is simmering, place a small frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the remaining one tbsp of oil. Toss in the rest of the curry leaves and fry for one minute, until crisp. Drain
on kitchen paper and set aside.
8. Add the prawns and tomatoes to the sauce and simmer gently for a further five to six minutes, until the prawns are cooked; do not overcook or they will be tough.
9. Serve scattered with the fried curry leaves, with lemon wedges on the side.