0:00:02 > 0:00:06I'm Anjum Anand. I'm a food writer, a chef, and I'm passionate about Indian food.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10In this series I'll be going on a journey to show how different regional
0:00:10 > 0:00:15flavours of the Indian subcontinent can be found up and down the country...
0:00:17 > 0:00:20..from Gujarati cuisine in Leicester
0:00:20 > 0:00:24to the spicy flavours of Kashmir up in Bradford.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28I'll be showing novice cooks how to prepare great Indian dishes.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31- Shall we execute?- Let's execute. Yeah.- Let's execute.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35This week, I'm off to London to meet James Moody,
0:00:35 > 0:00:37sales director of a silk merchant's.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40James loves entertaining at home.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44It's a time to spend time with your friends and relax,
0:00:44 > 0:00:48feed them and see the pleasure or not so.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51But although Indian food is his absolute favourite,
0:00:51 > 0:00:53he's never attempted to cook it for his friends.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57I'm always concerned that it will just come up and look an absolute mess.
0:00:57 > 0:01:02Now James has decided to take the plunge and cook a three-course
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Indian meal for his next dinner party.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08- Are your friends convinced they're going to have a great meal tonight?- No.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10- The jury is out!- The jury is out.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14That's if he can hold it together...
0:01:14 > 0:01:17I'm not stressed. I am not stressed.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Do you know your food is burning?
0:01:19 > 0:01:22To get him started, I'm taking him to the curry capital of London's
0:01:22 > 0:01:25East End to try some authentic flavours.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27- I think crunch. - Yeah, I'm crunching them.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Unmunchable, Anjum.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34And top Bengali chef Udit Sarkhel reveals some of his culinary secrets.
0:01:34 > 0:01:39By the end of it, James hopes to wow his friends with a Bengali feast.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41You know empty pans are like bad luck?
0:01:41 > 0:01:42- Yeah.- Where's the food?
0:01:42 > 0:01:46This is good wholesome Indian food that anyone can cook.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59The Bengalis are known to be the artists and the poets of India,
0:01:59 > 0:02:01and this creativity extends to their food.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05The cuisine is refined and sophisticated, the use of spices
0:02:05 > 0:02:09is restrained and dishes are often balanced with a touch of sugar.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Bengal is in the east of the Indian subcontinent.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17The first Bengalis arrived in the UK back in the 19th century,
0:02:17 > 0:02:19during the days of the British Empire.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Bengal was then the centre of the Raj.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28The British made Calcutta their capital, and they stayed there for 300 years.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30They left a legacy of their food,
0:02:30 > 0:02:32and this tomato soup is one of those dishes.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36This may look like an ordinary tomato soup, but my special ingredients will
0:02:36 > 0:02:40give it an extra kick, and it's delicious.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Like a traditional tomato soup,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45this one starts off with the basics - chopped vegetables.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Of course, I'm going to give my soup
0:02:48 > 0:02:51an Indian twist, by adding garlic and a generous helping of ginger.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58I'm putting in some butter, and a bit of oil to make sure it doesn't burn.
0:02:59 > 0:03:00In goes a bay leaf.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Once that melts down, everything goes in.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10To season, I'm adding salt and pepper,
0:03:10 > 0:03:15and a tablespoon of cornflour, which will help the soup thicken.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Now for the chopped tomatoes.
0:03:21 > 0:03:27I'm going to leave this for about thirty minutes or until the tomatoes are completely reduced down.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Then you'd normally puree a soup, but not me.
0:03:30 > 0:03:31I'm very Indian that way.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35I'm going to brown the tomatoes, once they've completely reduced.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39Once I've got a really deep, rich flavour from the tomatoes, then I'll puree it.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Pour it back into the pan, and you can already see the colour is just so beautiful.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54So now, just a bit of water to loosen it.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59And a bit of milk to enrich it.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01You can add cream if you want.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07I'm off to meet James, and as it's lunchtime, I'm taking the soup with me.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09I hope he likes it!
0:04:12 > 0:04:15James is a sales director for a London silk merchant's.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19He regularly travels to India to buy silks and has fallen in love
0:04:19 > 0:04:20with authentic Indian food.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27He's most comfortable cooking pasta but would rather be eating curry.
0:04:27 > 0:04:28It's fantastic.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32I like the texture and I like the ingredients...
0:04:32 > 0:04:34the heat or not the heat.
0:04:34 > 0:04:39The anticipation of the smell that's coming from the kitchen -
0:04:39 > 0:04:40you know what you're going to get.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43However, the smell never comes from his own kitchen,
0:04:43 > 0:04:47and the only time James gets to indulge in his favourite cuisine
0:04:47 > 0:04:51is when he and wife Catherine pop to their local curry house.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56I haven't tried to cook Indian food because there seems to be a lot of components.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00It's not just one spice, it's garam masala, it's cumin,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03it's...you know, etc. It just goes on.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07I am sure I can conquer James' fear of cooking Indian food,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09so I've come to meet him at work.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12It's also a good excuse for me to check out the wonderful silk. Hi!
0:05:12 > 0:05:15- James?- Yes!- Nice to meet you.- Anjum,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18- these are our interior fabrics.- These look amazing.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20God, my mother would have a field day in here.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24- She'd spend a day looking at all the silks.- We're happy to show her the range.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28- Everything I like is pink. My husband wouldn't let me go for it! - What's wrong with that?
0:05:28 > 0:05:30It's stunning. But he'd say it's just pink.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34Well, maybe he'll get to it on his feminine side.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36He obviously doesn't know my husband!
0:05:37 > 0:05:42This is truly silk heaven, but I am keen for James to try the soup I've brought.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44There is nothing better than soup for lunch.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47- Fantastic. - So, this is a British classic...
0:05:47 > 0:05:49- Uh-huh.- ..tomato soup,
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Indianised with our spices.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Mm!
0:05:55 > 0:05:57That's incredible. Really beautiful.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00I know you love throwing dinner parties and you love Indian food
0:06:00 > 0:06:04and you go to India a lot, so you know about authentic Indian food.
0:06:04 > 0:06:05Why don't you ever cook it?
0:06:05 > 0:06:08Oh, I think it's probably the amount of components,
0:06:08 > 0:06:09the parts that are involved.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13- What do you normally cook at dinner parties?- Well, it can be varied.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16English fare, a bit of Thai food - green/red curry, sort of thing.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19So how do you know what to put into there, quantity-wise?
0:06:19 > 0:06:22- Comes in a paste. - It comes in a paste. Got it.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24So all you've got to do is add coconut milk. See?
0:06:24 > 0:06:28- You're gonna learn so much. - I am!- You're gonna love it.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30- Am I invited to your dinner party?- You can come.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33- You can help me cook! - Not if I'm the one in the kitchen.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36No, you're in the kitchen. I'll have my feet up with a glass of wine.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40James has agreed to cook Indian food for his next dinner party,
0:06:40 > 0:06:44so I've come up with three delicious but simple dishes,
0:06:44 > 0:06:46all with a Bengali twist -
0:06:46 > 0:06:50my sweet and earthy butternut squash with chickpeas,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53the definitive taste of West Bengal.
0:06:54 > 0:06:59Coconut and mustard prawns, a wonderfully delicious combination of two distinct flavours.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04And finally, my fabulous Bengali fish stew.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08Fish is a must in every Bengali meal and a staple of the cuisine.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12But before we start cooking, I've brought James to Brick Lane,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14London's famous curry hotspot,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17to seek out some authentic fish dishes.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21There are a multitude of cheap and cheerful Indian restaurants
0:07:21 > 0:07:23in this one street alone.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Most of the owners come from Bangladesh,
0:07:25 > 0:07:27which was once East Bengal.
0:07:27 > 0:07:32James has eaten in Brick Lane before, but I think the best variety of fish
0:07:32 > 0:07:35dishes are found in the backstreet cafes that the locals use.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38I wouldn't mind trying this fishy here, this one here.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40What did you say that was called again?
0:07:40 > 0:07:42- Powder fish bhuna. - I'll have a bit of bhuna.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46And we have some pulse. It's a prawn with vegetables.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48- Do you fancy that? - Yeah, we'll start with that.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53Almost every part of the fish is eaten or used to flavour the curries.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56This one is a fish eggs bhuna.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58Fish eggs. Do you want caviar?
0:07:58 > 0:08:00- No, I think I will...- Fish eggs.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02And this is a dry fish chutney.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04Dried fish chutney?
0:08:04 > 0:08:08When I opened this restaurant, and this one was the famous dish -
0:08:08 > 0:08:11- shootkie chutney.- Then I'd better try it.- You'd better try it.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13- You try?- It would be rude of me not to.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Shootkie, which is also known as Bombay duck, is fish which
0:08:17 > 0:08:19has been dried and salted.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22It has a strong odour and is eaten in a curry or as a pickle.
0:08:22 > 0:08:23OK, I'm going in for the...
0:08:23 > 0:08:28- This is quite good, even though it's cold.- ..traditional Bombay duck. The famous Bombay duck.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Mm!
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Oh, fantastic. This was the fried fish.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Fried fish, but careful with the bones they have.
0:08:36 > 0:08:37So you reckon this is full of bones?
0:08:37 > 0:08:41So if I pop this in like that, am I asking for trouble?
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Hopefully, no. I'm joking.
0:08:43 > 0:08:44I hear crunch.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46Yeah, I'm crunching them.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49- Unmunchable, Anjum.- Is it?
0:08:49 > 0:08:52I could spend more time in Bengal, eating this sort of thing.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55- Yeah. That's a good idea. - I've got a big bone now.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00Undaunted by his fish bone, James is all fired up to make the first dish.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05My Bengali fish stew - succulent pieces of sea bream in a
0:09:05 > 0:09:10delicately spiced gravy, or a jhol, as the Bengalis would call it.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14So, for the Bengali fish stew.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17- Yes.- It's really easy, really quick.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20So, my fish. I've used sea bream, because you want quite a delicate
0:09:20 > 0:09:22fish, as they would use there.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26To me, there's no problem with having fish heads and tails,
0:09:26 > 0:09:29but lots of people wouldn't want to have the heads and the tails in.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31We don't use fish stock in Indian food,
0:09:31 > 0:09:36so you have to have all the bits in there to give that fishy flavour.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38My first ingredient is mustard oil.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Mustard in seed and oil form
0:09:43 > 0:09:46is an essential ingredient in Bengali cooking.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51Made out of pressed seeds, the oil has a strong, pungent flavour.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54As the oil is also used as a massage oil,
0:09:54 > 0:09:58it is important to buy one which has been refined for food preparation.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02The golden rule with mustard oil is to heat it until it smokes.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06- OK look, it's smoking.- I can see. And it's also gone translucent now.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09- Yeah. Now we take it off the heat. - Right.- And wait for it to cool.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12If we just start adding our spices, obviously they're gonna burn.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14- If you could get me three bay leaves...- Yes.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19To a Bengali, his entire culinary worth is based on this fish stew.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22If he cannot cook a good fish stew, then he may as well never go back
0:10:22 > 0:10:24in the kitchen. "Don't come home"!
0:10:24 > 0:10:28Once the oil has cooled, we're going to add bay leaves,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31cardamoms and cloves.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36- So the main kind of very typical Bengali spices, this mixture of spices, actually.- Mm-hm.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39- As you can see, there's a mixture of seeds in there.- OK.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42- It's called panch phoran. - "Panch" is Bengali for "five"
0:10:42 > 0:10:44and "phoran" means "spices".
0:10:44 > 0:10:48The panch phoran is a blend of fennel, fenugreek, nigella,
0:10:48 > 0:10:51cumin and mustard seeds, all in equal measures.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56It's another key ingredient of Bengali cooking.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00I'm adding a teaspoonful of this unique blend to the hot oil.
0:11:00 > 0:11:05Onions are quite sweet , so we're always quite careful when we use them in a fish curry.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07Next it's three green chillies.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09I'm just going to prick them.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13- What, does that just sort of, like, releases essence of chilli?- No!
0:11:13 > 0:11:15If I don't prick them, when I put them in,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18the pressure inside will create tension and it'll burst.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22Then I'm going to add two teaspoons each of ginger and garlic paste
0:11:22 > 0:11:26followed by salt, two teaspoons of cumin powder,
0:11:26 > 0:11:33a tablespoon of coriander power, half a teaspoon of turmeric, and for some heat, a good pinch of chilli powder.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37- All your spices are in. - Fantastic.- We've given it a stir.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39All we're going to do is add some water.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41- And we're just going to let it cook.- Say when.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45So everything cooks into a really beautiful stew.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50While that's cooking away, I've heated up some more mustard oil to pan-fry the fish.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53- I'm just going to brown it.- Just get a bit of colour. Like a searing.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56- Is that what we're doing? - Yeah, exactly.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59Once it's browned, the fish is added to the gravy.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05- I suppose I need to be a bit faster. - What's the hurry?
0:12:05 > 0:12:07- I want to eat it.- Yeah, OK.
0:12:07 > 0:12:12- That's the hurry!- Then cover and leave to simmer for a few minutes.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17- Not a lot... - No, that's cooked, actually.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20- So not a lot of pressure.- No. - If it just falls in...- It's done.
0:12:20 > 0:12:25So here's my moment to decide whether to present the heads and tails.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28- There's no pressure.- All right.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Unfortunately, on this occasion the heads and tails stay in the pan.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33I'm going to go for it.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40- Yeah.- Mm. Mm! - If I wasn't a fishy person before,
0:12:40 > 0:12:42I am now. That's delicious.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Because you just taste the flavour of the fish first.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47- Mm.- And all the spices come after.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52I know how much James enjoys eating out at Indian restaurants,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54so before we move on to the next dish,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57I brought him to meet one of the country's top Bengali chefs,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Udit Sarkhel.
0:12:59 > 0:13:05Udit's going to show us how to make aloo keema chops - spicy mashed potatoes with a minced lamb filling.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10But if James thought he was just here to watch, he is so wrong.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14- Your turn now. - Let's get stuck in.- Well, OK.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17- So I'm going to take a little bit of potato...- A bit of potato.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21How much would you normally put in, then?
0:13:21 > 0:13:25You can actually put in about 50% meat, 50% potatoes.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28It all depends, how much you like the person you're making it for.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31- OK. Well, I'm going to be mean. - That looks very good.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34- Not bad.- First go. Yeah, it's not quite as nice as yours.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38Or yours, come to think of it.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Mm! Mm!
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Fantastic.
0:13:49 > 0:13:50That's fantastic.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Mm. Well done, James.
0:13:52 > 0:13:57The aloo keema chop is eaten as a snack any time of the day.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00But a traditional Bengali meal is more formal.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Rather than pick at all the dishes at once,
0:14:02 > 0:14:07Bengalis like to savour each dish in turn. Udit explains how.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11We start with a bitter gourd. It's called karela in Bengali.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15I love it. And I think you're going to be surprised by how bitter it is.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18- It's an acquired taste.- To cut the bitterness, you have it with dal.
0:14:18 > 0:14:23The bitter taste gets your mouth watering, ready for the next dish.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26During the course of the meal, you should excite each and every taste bud.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30I could really enjoy that. It's beautiful to start you off.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Then the meal moves on to lightly flavoured vegetables before
0:14:35 > 0:14:38progressing onto the richer-flavoured dishes.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42We move on to the next stage, which is prawns cooked with bottle gourd.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45- Thank you. That is amazing. - Those little prawns are just...
0:14:45 > 0:14:47It just gets better and better.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Then fish curry is the next thing, right here.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53- Mm. That is delicious.- Mm. - That is amazing.
0:14:53 > 0:14:54Last but not least,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58it's a spoonful of chutney, which is always eaten at the end of a meal.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02That's interesting, as I would normally have a chutney before the meal.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05As I was starting, I'd have chutney with a poppadom or...
0:15:05 > 0:15:07If you have chutney before the meal, it's the opposite
0:15:07 > 0:15:12of having the bitter because chutney actually makes you feel satisfied and full.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15- Incredible.- Could you eat this every day?- I could. Yeah.
0:15:15 > 0:15:16It's not too overpowering.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19You're motivated to learn to cook this now at home?
0:15:19 > 0:15:20Completely motivated.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23With James's taste buds working overtime,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25we're going to start my next dish.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Sweet butternut squash with earthy chickpeas,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33a typical Bengali vegetarian dish.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37So, I'm really excited about this dish, because I
0:15:37 > 0:15:41love butternut squash, and I think it goes really well with spices.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44So if you grab a butternut squash, I'm going to get a small onion.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47- I think I need about half of that.- OK.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Are you all right with that technique, sort of chopping it, doing it that way?
0:15:54 > 0:15:58Any technique! As long as you're getting it chopped in the end.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Well, I don't know whether there's always a special way
0:16:01 > 0:16:05- of doing things, all the same size...- It should be the same size. That's true.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09- Well, you've got a multitude of sizes.- It'll still taste great.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12I'm going to start off by adding my spices to the hot oil.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16A pinch of asafoetida,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19panch phoran, a bay leaf...
0:16:20 > 0:16:24..one dried chilli, and sliced onions, which need to be browned.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26- You travel a lot in India. - Yeah, I have done.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30You do the whole Indian thing there, or you have an Indian meal and then...?
0:16:30 > 0:16:33- No, completely Indian. - Completely Indian.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36- Completely vegetarian. - Why vegetarian?
0:16:36 > 0:16:40In India, it's incredible what they can do with a vegetable.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44And would a piece of chicken or beef make it any different? No. It wouldn't.
0:16:44 > 0:16:45- No. All right, so...- Yes?
0:16:45 > 0:16:50..our onions are soft, so I'm going to add my spices.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53First, in goes the turmeric...
0:16:53 > 0:16:55- Enough?- Too much.- Too much?- Yeah.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57That enough? Perfect. Thank you.
0:16:57 > 0:17:02..followed by coriander powder, cumin and ginger paste.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08As in many Bengali recipes, we're also adding sugar,
0:17:08 > 0:17:10and a pinch of salt to balance out the sweet.
0:17:12 > 0:17:17And this is also very Bengali. They're very particular about their spices,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20- so adding water cools the temperature in the pan.- Yep.
0:17:20 > 0:17:25The spices won't burn and all the flavours marry really well together.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27In with the butternut squash.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29- Just as it comes?- Just as it is.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33- OK.- Thank you.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37I'm going to add a touch more water and leave the butternut squash to soften.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40This should take around twelve to fifteen minutes.
0:17:42 > 0:17:47Then I'm going to stir in the chickpeas and the final spices.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51Can you put in a little less than a spoon, three quarters maybe, of garam masala?
0:17:51 > 0:17:54- OK.- Yeah? And about the same of fennel-seed powder.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59One last stir.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Done.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Because you like lots of chilli, you're going to say it
0:18:06 > 0:18:09needs more chilli, because that chilli's more flavour than heat.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12But sometimes it's nice not to be too hot,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15cos it's such a delicate flavour of the vegetables itself.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18- All righty?- Do you want to go first?
0:18:18 > 0:18:21- No. Age before beauty! - Think that's about right, actually.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23Excuse me.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26- Oh, it's fantastic.- Yes?- Mm. Superb.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30And if you imagine this in the sequence of a Bengali meal, this
0:18:30 > 0:18:33would be quite early on, because the flavour's quite delicate.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35- Mm. Can I have some more?- Mm.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39For my final dish, I'm cooking coconut and mustard prawns,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41a slightly unusual combination,
0:18:41 > 0:18:45but it's delicious and really shows off the diversity of this cuisine.
0:18:47 > 0:18:52First I'm going to marinade the prawns with turmeric
0:18:52 > 0:18:54and chilli powder.
0:18:54 > 0:18:59For the masala, I'm going to fry nigella seeds...
0:18:59 > 0:19:03then add sliced onions and a couple of green chillies.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05And I've sort of got my cheat for this dish.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10- Yes.- So this is just three teaspoons of prepared mustard and a teaspoon of
0:19:10 > 0:19:13cornflour and a bit of water to make it into a smooth paste.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17In Bengal, they would make it with fresh mustard seeds.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19So I wanted to show you...
0:19:19 > 0:19:22- So they would have their trusty grinder...- Mm-hm.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25..and if you give it a bit of a bash, already.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28- Yeah.- And then we're going to add some water.- Like so?
0:19:28 > 0:19:30Yeah.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35- OK.- How's that?- If you start smelling it, it'll smell very mustardy.
0:19:35 > 0:19:36Yeah, very much so.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43The grinding of spices is an essential part of the Indian cooking experience.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Traditional stone grinders like this one are a common
0:19:46 > 0:19:48sight in most Indian homes.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50It is generally believed that the heavier the tool,
0:19:50 > 0:19:52the lighter the work.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Bengalis make this dish with freshly ground mustard seeds,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59but sometimes ground mustard seeds can be bitter,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02so I suggest trying it with my prepared mustard first.
0:20:04 > 0:20:10So in goes our mustard-cornflour slurry. Cornflour just thickens it
0:20:10 > 0:20:13because the mustard seeds' husks would add a natural thickness,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16which you miss out if you use the prepared mustard.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20Then I'm going to stir in grated coconut, garlic and ginger and a
0:20:20 > 0:20:24little bit of water before leaving this to cook for about ten minutes.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31While this cooks, I'm going to chop some coriander,
0:20:31 > 0:20:33which I'll add just before serving.
0:20:34 > 0:20:35In with the prawns.
0:20:37 > 0:20:38With a splash of water.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Once they're cooked, mix in the coriander and serve immediately.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Ta-da!
0:20:50 > 0:20:53I kind of feel I want to get my fingers in there, really.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57Please do. As long as you have some masala to eat with that.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01- Oh, that's very good. - I'm looking forward to trying your version at your place.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Well, I hope it will be the same as that!
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Well, I mean, how simple can it be?
0:21:05 > 0:21:09I think, when you've got the butternut squash, prawns, fish stew,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12three colours. Yeah. That's a good plate of food, isn't it?
0:21:12 > 0:21:15I think your friends are going to be surprised,
0:21:15 > 0:21:19- that this is what Indian is about and that you cooked it.- Absolutely.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23The big day is finally here,
0:21:23 > 0:21:27and James is already making a start on the butternut squash.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31James, who's always been too afraid to try his hand at Indian cooking,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34has invited his friends round for a Bengali meal.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38He's hoping to impress them with my three dishes...
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Traditional Bengali fish stew,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45sweet butternut squash with earthy chickpeas,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49and one of my favourites, coconut and mustard prawns.
0:21:49 > 0:21:55But despite having my recipes to hand, he's not feeling confident.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58No, feeling a bit slightly out of my comfort zone,
0:21:58 > 0:22:01to be honest with you.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04I've got all my guests, got my friends coming over,
0:22:04 > 0:22:05and I'm a bit nervous.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07I don't want to poison them all.
0:22:07 > 0:22:12Well, I don't either. After all, I have my reputation to think of.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16So I'm going early to make sure everything is going to plan.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20- Hello!- Hi. You must be Anjum. - Yeah, hi, Catherine.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22- Hi. Nice to meet you.- Hi. How's he doing?- Good, I think.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26- Hello!- Hi!- Something's smelling good. - Yeah, it's going OK. How are you?
0:22:26 > 0:22:28- I'm good, thank you.- All right?- Yeah.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31So I'm just trying to finely chop these onions...
0:22:31 > 0:22:34- You're doing a great job.- ..without moving...- Don't know why I came!
0:22:34 > 0:22:37- I don't think I'm needed here. - You ARE needed here!
0:22:37 > 0:22:39- Have you helped him?- No, not at all.
0:22:39 > 0:22:40- Not at all?- He won't let me.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45- You know empty pans are like bad luck?- Yeah.- Where's the food?
0:22:45 > 0:22:48- It's in the fridge. It's prepped. - You've cooked it?- No, no, no.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50You've prepped it. All right.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54It's now just, you know, doing the final execution.
0:22:54 > 0:22:55- Shall we execute?- Let's execute.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Let's execute.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01James still has two more dishes to get under way.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04His dinner-party guests arrive in half an hour, so he's going to have
0:23:04 > 0:23:08to get a move on if they're not to be disappointed.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11- Are your friends convinced they're gonna have a great meal?- No.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Well, I hope we can prove them wrong.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16I see you've got the fish heads in there.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19- Yeah. I'm going to do as you told me to do...- Mm-hm.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22- I'm going to put them in there, add them for flavour.- Yeah.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26- But I still haven't quite decided whether...- You haven't decided?
0:23:26 > 0:23:30- ..whether they're going out on the final plate.- The jury is out.
0:23:32 > 0:23:33KNOCKING
0:23:33 > 0:23:36- Right. Oh, gosh.- I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41You see, a cook cannot abandon his food, because
0:23:41 > 0:23:43- it's going to burn!- This is Jo.- Hi.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45- This is Martin.- Hi.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47- Anjum. Nice to meet you.- Hi.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50- Right.- You know, it's great you've gone to answer the door.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52- Your food is burning!- I know, I'm supposed to be cooking.
0:23:52 > 0:23:58James has really got to stay focused on the cooking and keep on top of the ingredients.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02- Because you're doubling, four teaspoons of cumin, two tablespoons of coriander.- Hi!
0:24:02 > 0:24:05But he's finding it difficult.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07Hello. Hi.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Wa-hey!
0:24:10 > 0:24:12And now the party's really starting.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Yeah. And I'm stuck in the kitchen. That can't be right.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Well, this IS James's dinner party
0:24:18 > 0:24:21and there's no reason why I should be stuck in here with him.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25I know he can do this on his own. You don't need me, James.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27I do. Yes, OK, I don't. I can do it.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30- You can do it. You know where I am.- I know where you are.
0:24:30 > 0:24:3115 feet away in the garden.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Pull me by my hair back to the kitchen. But until then...
0:24:34 > 0:24:36I think I'm leaving him to it now.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38I'm not stressed!
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Five. Five and a half.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44I think tonight's curry is probably going to be a slightly
0:24:44 > 0:24:48different curry to the curry that Jim might have brewed before.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51Is that the one when he cooked out of a jar with the paste?
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Is that what he did?
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Oops! I think I've put my foot in it there.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59- Maybe it IS best that I go back to the kitchen. Hey!- Hi.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02I've been enjoying my glass of wine. How's it going?
0:25:02 > 0:25:05- Yeah, good.- All right. This is looking fine.- Mm-hm.
0:25:05 > 0:25:06- Do you need me?- Yes!
0:25:06 > 0:25:08You do. OK, I'll stick around.
0:25:08 > 0:25:13There's still a lot of cooking to be done, so it's time to get cracking.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18- Mm! Yeah!- Is it all right? - I'm liking.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21This is the moment where I decide whether to put fish heads in or not.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24- In or out. In or out! Let's hear it. - They're not going in.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27The first two dishes are on the home straight.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31But his friends are hungry, and there's still the coconut and mustard prawns to make.
0:25:37 > 0:25:43James has done a great job. I hope it all tastes as good as it looks.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48- Go for it.- OK. That's good. Let's do it.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52Here's the first dish - prawns and coconut.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Ooh, great! Wow!
0:25:57 > 0:26:00And some kind of a butternut-squash type...
0:26:01 > 0:26:05And then we have Bengali fish stew.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08I left the tails on for you so you can pick them up and use your fingers.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10So what's the verdict?
0:26:10 > 0:26:13I love pumpkin and chickpeas. It's gorgeous.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15Well, it's butternut squash.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19And it's got a real sort of kick to it but it's not too spicy. It's lovely.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Well, it looks like James's efforts have paid off.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25While they all tuck in, I'm going to make a dessert which will be a
0:26:25 > 0:26:27fitting end to this meal -
0:26:27 > 0:26:30my spiced poached peaches with star anise yoghurt.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34First I'm going to make a syrup by boiling some water with star
0:26:34 > 0:26:36anise, cinnamon, ginger and sugar.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Once the sugar's dissolved,
0:26:38 > 0:26:43I'm adding the peaches, which have already been peeled.
0:26:43 > 0:26:48I'm covering the pan with greaseproof paper and leaving it to simmer until the peaches are soft.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52Out come the peaches, and I'm leaving the syrup to reduce.
0:26:54 > 0:27:00Now the syrup's cooled down, I'm going to stir some of it into the yoghurt with ground star anise.
0:27:03 > 0:27:08To garnish, I'm sprinkling on toasted almonds and a mint leaf.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10- Thank you.- Here we go.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14- Wow! Look at that.- Mm!
0:27:14 > 0:27:15It's beautiful.
0:27:16 > 0:27:17Mm.
0:27:17 > 0:27:22Guys, you just finish this beautiful dessert by Anjum, but
0:27:22 > 0:27:24you had the three courses from me.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Erm, what do you all think? What did you think of it?
0:27:27 > 0:27:29Yeah, excellent, mate.
0:27:29 > 0:27:30- Yeah? Good.- Brilliant.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Are you impressed, Catherine?
0:27:32 > 0:27:35- Yeah, I'm really impressed. - Did you think he could do it?
0:27:35 > 0:27:39I thought he could do it, cos when he puts his mind to something he does well at it.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42- But yeah - that was really good. - Delicious. Very well done, mate.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45- It tasted good. - So you can cook a curry now.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47- I can.- You can. Are you gonna do it again?- Yes, I am.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49- Without a doubt.- Glad to hear it.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53I might, obviously, give it a bit of a twist. You know?
0:27:53 > 0:27:54You're allowed to do that.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57An extra chilli here or there. But otherwise, yeah,
0:27:57 > 0:27:59I'll do my best to keep it the way you taught me.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01I thought I was going to struggle.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03At times, I really did struggle.
0:28:03 > 0:28:10You came along and helped me through the times where I got a bit confused and a bit sort of anxious.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Thank you. You've given me another skill.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14Well done.
0:28:14 > 0:28:15THEY APPLAUD
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Thank you very much.
0:28:18 > 0:28:23- What's for next week?- Yeah! And next week I am doing Japanese sushi.
0:28:23 > 0:28:24THEY LAUGH
0:28:26 > 0:28:29For all the recipes on the series as well as an exclusive video recipe
0:28:29 > 0:28:36from today's expert, Udit Sarkhel, go to:
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd