itsdelicious2

5 Perspectives on Indian Food

Part 5. Indian food in North America

So, I came to live in Vancouver in 2004 after spending the hot and humid summer of 2003 here. It seemed so easy to just pack up, our entire lives deposited into two containers which would have a much more exciting journey here than us. I remember the pride and excitement I felt as I made all the phone calls cancelling TV subscriptions, phone lines etc. while the two 'packers' from London were listening, we were going to live in a different continent!

We lived in the empty echoey house for 3 more days, sleeping on a mattress on the living room floor and emptying the food cupboards, creating such concoctions as wild mushroom and dried cranberry risotto, finding exciting new possibilities with the usual bags of dubious dried goods at the back of the drawers.

The day came, or very early morning to be exact, we said our emotional and heartfelt goodbyes to family and friends and suddenly we were sitting on our flight watching the coast of the British Isles fade away from view. Then it hit us, the momentum of the previous days chaotic activities caught up with us and allowed us a few moments to realise the gravity of what we were doing. I started crying and didn't stop for 15 minutes. So my life in Vancouver began. But this is a food related blog and I digress.

I have experienced many changes while here and Indian Food has definitely been one. Food is such a comforting, soul nurturing thing, it takes a big change in something you rely on and love to make you realise it.

Indian food in Vancouver, or rather the restaurants, are different. For one thing, the menus are tiny! Maybe just 3 or 4 chicken dishes, 3 or 4 meat possibilities, the usual rice, biryanis, breads and appetizers, seafood and a few chefs specials. Certainly not the 10 page novels you receive in British restaurants. Of course, this is not necessarily a bad thing, the elimination of choice makes for a quick decision and no agonizing over the possibilities you could have had or the fact that your friends' meals look better than yours. Also, with a smaller choice, surely the chefs will be able to prepare them with more care? Hmm, sometimes.

One dish that started to stand out everywhere I went was Butter Chicken. I had never heard of this before, although now I notice it in some British cookbooks. It is a curry so beloved here in the West coast, that any self respecting restaurant who doesn't offer it, are not regarded as a real Indian restaurant. It is a rich, creamy, buttery sauce, red with an unctuous texture with chicken breast. It is very delicious.

The best one I know of is actually served at a small cafe run by an Indian family. The cafe is on the bottom floor of the law training courts downtown and very cleverly called "Grounds for appeal" Their butter chicken is revered. There is a line up by 12.05pm (it is a lunchtime cafe serving the working communities around the area), sometimes outside the door. They offer half portions for the health conscious, but I have seen very few people ordering this. It is served in a separate dish with rice and naan, simple but tomato-ey, buttery, savoury with spices and just the right amount of heat. I discovered they also sell biryani, which is flecked with whole spices, fragrant rice and chicken. Delicious on its own, but they serve it with a little dish of the butter chicken sauce, heavenly.

One thing I found surprising and confusing here was the restaurants asking what kind of heat you would like your curry to be. Surely a Korma is a Korma? A Vindaloo is a Vindaloo? Not so here. I suppose the curry sauce (as mentioned in my previous blog), can be tempered to suit an individuals preference, but just throwing an extra tbsp of chili powder into a curry meant to be mild is surely not keeping to the authentic idea of each Indian region developing a particular taste.

One restaurant's name that I kept hearing again and again was Vij's. Rumoured to be the best Indian restaurant in North America. We went for my birthday with high expectations, waiting an hour in line like everyone else, snacking on the amazing curried fries and other delectable appetizers they bring you  for free, until we eventually got our table. I was disappointed.

Vij's is usually considered a fusion restaurant, although after buying and cooking from his cookbook, I found the food authentically Indian. However, my lamb 'Popsicles' were not great. The sauce relied on fenugreek which can be bitter if sprinkled with a heavy hand and I didn't really taste any other spice. I have since bought and cooked his ready meals, which were delicious and have cooked from his cookbook, as mentioned, with mixed success. My dining partners meals were good though.

The truth is that Indian Food in Vancouver seems very regional, everyone from here refers to it as South Indian food, probably to not get confused with the First Nations, whereas in the UK, I think we have a few more regions represented, I may be wrong.

One thing I love about the Indian food scene here is the availability of ingredients. Living in a large, cosmopolitan metropolis means that anything is available and 'Punjabi market' which covers a few blocks on Main street is one such example. There are shops where you can buy Indian cloth, clothes, trinkets, music or the latest Bollywood movies.

2 recipes for a simple curry to show how my Indian cooking repertoire has changed.

1. My original curry recipe through college and my dad.

2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes.

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped small

1 inch piece ginger, chopped small

1 chili, sliced

1 tin plum tomatoes

3/4 cup of boiling water

2 tbsp curry paste (anything you like)

1 chicken stock cube, crumbled

2 tsp curry powder

1 - 2 tsp of any other curry paste you like maybe red, yellow, tandoori paste etc.

1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt, (or to taste, some pastes are salty enough)

In a pan, heat 2 tbsp oil and saute the onion, garlic, ginger and chili over medium heat until soft.

Add the chicken and saute until browned.

Add the tin of tomatoes and bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 mins.

In a bowl, mix all other ingredients with the boiling water to make a paste. Add to curry and stir well.

Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 15 - 20 minutes until chicken is cooked, if you want a thicker curry, remove the lid and let thicken until you are happy with it.

Sometimes my dad would use a tin of tomato soup which gave the curry an added dimension of sweetness.

2 My curry today (A generic 'curry', if I want something particular, I would use a recipe)

2 tsp black mustard seeds

8 curry leaves

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped small

1 inch piece of ginger, chopped small

1 chili, sliced

4 green cardamoms

4 cloves

1 inch piece of cinnamon stick

2 - 4 tbsp ghee

1/2 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp turmeric

1 - 4 tsp chili powder (depending on strength required.)

1 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup chicken stock

4 organic, free range chicken thighs

salt to taste

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Heat the ghee in a heavy based pan and fry the mustard seeds, covered until they start to pop. Quickly add the curry leaves, onion, garlic, ginger, chili, cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon and stir well. Reduce the heat and let everything cook gently for up to 1 hour until caramelized and golden brown.

Dry fry the cumin, coriander and fenugreek seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until they start to smell delicious. Take off the heat and let them cool. (They should be about 1 shade darker, 3-4 minutes) When cool grind to a powder (or blitz in a spice grinder) and add to the onion mixture with the paprika, turmeric and chili powder. Keeping the heat low, cook, stirring for 5 minutes.

Add the chicken to the pan and stir constantly for about 10 minutes until the meat is nicely browned. (Add a little water if things start sticking)

Add the yogurt, 1 tbsp at a time and stir until incorporated into the mixture. When all the yogurt has been added, add your stock, tomatoes and salt, stir well, cover and simmer for up to one hour. Remove the lid for 10 minutes to thicken. Check the curry and season with more salt, chili powder etc. Stir in the cilantro and serve.

Sometimes I add a little tamarind, lemon juice or vinegar at the end to sharpen or brighten the flavour. Depending on the yogurt you use, you may get a stringy or bitty texture as the yogurt separates slightly, I use thick, full fat Greek yogurt to avoid this.