0:00:12 > 0:00:16There's something about a curry that's all pervading.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20Just the thought of it ignites a longing deep inside us.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25It is the only food I can think of where the sense of smell works
0:00:25 > 0:00:29so wonderfully well with memory and imagination.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32At the mere mention of the word, I sense turmeric,
0:00:32 > 0:00:36coriander, garlic and cumin.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40No other food I know gives the taste buds such a roller-coaster ride.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46For nearly three months,
0:00:46 > 0:00:48I travelled all over India, tasting curries
0:00:48 > 0:00:51and watching cooks, trying to find out their secrets,
0:00:51 > 0:00:55because curry is full of complexities
0:00:55 > 0:01:00and it's taken very seriously here and I wanted to show that there's
0:01:00 > 0:01:04more to curry than three pints of lager and a prawn vindaloo.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08First-class curry, Ricky.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38That's a mind-blasting curry, Ricky.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Well, I was sitting on the plane this morning reading my notes
0:01:46 > 0:01:49coming into Bombay, Mumbai,
0:01:49 > 0:01:54and I was really interested to see that 500 years ago there was
0:01:54 > 0:01:59nothing here but a series of fishing communities on a string of islands.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03The Portuguese came along and they saw what a fabulous harbour
0:02:03 > 0:02:07this was, so they built a series of forts to protect it
0:02:07 > 0:02:09from other greedy European nations.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Well, in time, the British took over
0:02:11 > 0:02:14and they reclaimed a lot of land from the sea
0:02:14 > 0:02:18and they built a railway down the coast and Bombay flourished
0:02:18 > 0:02:21and it became the most successful
0:02:21 > 0:02:26and opulent city in the subcontinent - the Gateway to India.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38I'm pretty glad I'm not a historian, actually,
0:02:38 > 0:02:39doing this programme,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42because I could be a bit flippant about the Gateway to India
0:02:42 > 0:02:47because I can't help feeling it sort of looks like something
0:02:47 > 0:02:50on a tin of curry powder, you know, because it's so imposing.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52Of course, it was supposed to be imposing
0:02:52 > 0:02:55because it was a bit like the British Raj's front door -
0:02:55 > 0:02:59you sort of arrived here perhaps off a P&O steamer
0:02:59 > 0:03:03and quite ironically and quite sort of romantically, I think,
0:03:03 > 0:03:07it was the gateway where the last British troops marched
0:03:07 > 0:03:11through ceremonially just after independence in 1947.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18It was built to commemorate the landing of King George V
0:03:18 > 0:03:22and Queen Mary when they arrived here in 1911
0:03:22 > 0:03:25and it became the proscenium arch where the great and the good,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27bedecked in their ostrich feathers
0:03:27 > 0:03:32and gold braid, entered the rich, colourful stage which is India.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47And talking of rich, colourful stages,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50it doesn't get much better than this.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56It almost has a biblical feel to it, Sassoon Docks -
0:03:56 > 0:03:58the main fish market in Bombay.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08Well, I must say, I'm always at my happiest in a fish market,
0:04:08 > 0:04:09my most exuberant.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13My wife Sarah says I am a fish cos I love my fish so much.
0:04:13 > 0:04:20I don't know why it is, but fish and boats and open air scenes like this
0:04:20 > 0:04:24at dawn are what really, really makes me excited.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27I mean, look at it! I think in a sense we're all
0:04:27 > 0:04:31excited by sights like this because it sort of takes us
0:04:31 > 0:04:34back to a time when things were simpler,
0:04:34 > 0:04:38when people got on with each other much more closely.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41I mean, the great thing I always find in scenes like this in India
0:04:41 > 0:04:44is that you never feel people have got it in for you
0:04:44 > 0:04:47cos they're too busy doing their own thing, doing their own work.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52I think in the West somehow because everything's tidy and clean,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55we've just lost that sense of kinship.
0:04:55 > 0:04:56PEOPLE CHATTER
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Well, I've been able to talk to a few people
0:05:06 > 0:05:08about what the fish sells for here
0:05:08 > 0:05:12and some of the really big fish like tuna, sailfish, swordfish...
0:05:12 > 0:05:18I've just seen some fish sold for 38,000 for export, but also there's
0:05:18 > 0:05:21lots of little fish which people make a small living out of.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25I was talking to the driver that brought us here.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27He said his dad used to come here with a bucket
0:05:27 > 0:05:30and just buy lots of little fish and take them
0:05:30 > 0:05:35out to the neighbourhood around here and he'd make about 300 rupees,
0:05:35 > 0:05:40which is nothing but was enough to keep his family in food.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Also, what I've noticed... and I hate waste, OK?
0:05:43 > 0:05:48Being a chef, I hate waste - there is no waste here.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Nothing gets thrown away.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54Even the little fish that fall out of boxes, all the stuff that's
0:05:54 > 0:05:58thrown onto the quay cos it is too small to sell, is picked
0:05:58 > 0:06:01up by children and taken and sold.
0:06:01 > 0:06:02Fantastic.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06I've finally found it.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11This is one of the most important fish in the whole series.
0:06:11 > 0:06:16Doesn't look much but it's called bombil and it's what we used to know
0:06:16 > 0:06:20in the UK as Bombay duck, but can I find it any more? No way.
0:06:20 > 0:06:25Apparently, it's salted and dried, but it's not hygienic,
0:06:25 > 0:06:29they tell me in the EEC, but I suspect it's because it smells
0:06:29 > 0:06:34and people don't like the smell, but this IS my childhood.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38We always used to have Bombay duck sprinkled on curries.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40I'm determined to find it.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51The fishing boats here are all the same design, a stocky triangle
0:06:51 > 0:06:55of thick teak with a broad stern - clearly a design to be trusted.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02I found it a little disconcerting to see the swastika
0:07:02 > 0:07:04emblazoned on the side of wheelhouses.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09It's strange how over here, it means a sign of good fortune,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12whereas in Europe, it became the most sinister
0:07:12 > 0:07:14symbol in the whole of the Western world.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Well, as the Australians would say,
0:07:23 > 0:07:27I'm like a kid in a lolly shop here, but it's not just really
0:07:27 > 0:07:32about the fish here, it's about the curries that's really exciting me.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36Because being the most populous city in the whole of India, Bombay
0:07:36 > 0:07:41has fish curries from everywhere - Mangalore, Maharashtra,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Madras, Kerala, Goa - you name it,
0:07:44 > 0:07:48and I can't wait to get out there and try them all.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54So, the overall effect is that this place inspires you to cook.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03My little house at the edge of the lagoon is a perfect place
0:08:03 > 0:08:07to cook a curry resonant of that vibrant fish market.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13So I'm just slicing up my squid here and just cutting it into rings.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17It's been prepared apart from that with my trusty Indian blue knife
0:08:17 > 0:08:20which cost me 40 rupees. Not a lot of money.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Now I'm going to make a masala.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27Into my masala grinder I'm going to put some coriander seeds,
0:08:27 > 0:08:34cumin seeds, some black mustard seeds and then some garlic
0:08:34 > 0:08:40and red chilli and some turmeric and finally some fenugreek.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42Turn it on, whiz it up.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47And there we go, only takes seconds.
0:08:49 > 0:08:54Now I'm just going to turn that out into...on top of my coconut,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57just to remind me to put both into my trusty karahi or chatti,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00with quite a good quantity
0:09:00 > 0:09:03of just ordinary vegetable oil in there.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06I'm going to fry off some sliced onions.
0:09:06 > 0:09:07Just stir those around a little.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11Then I've got some garlic and chilli...
0:09:11 > 0:09:15green chilli and sliced ginger.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17There we go.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21Just stir that around to cook it and next,
0:09:21 > 0:09:25while it's still very hot, I add my squid.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35OK, there we go, in goes my masala now
0:09:35 > 0:09:40and the ground, grated coconut.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43I just think it could do with a little bit more colour
0:09:43 > 0:09:45and probably thinking about the amount of chilli in there,
0:09:45 > 0:09:52a bit more oomph, so I'm just going to add some chilli powder,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55about a British teaspoonful, I should think.
0:09:55 > 0:10:00And now add some tomato... There we go. ..just chopped up.
0:10:00 > 0:10:07In this hot country, tomatoes all taste deliciously sweet
0:10:07 > 0:10:09so that's looking good.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Just going to add a little bit of water
0:10:12 > 0:10:15because I want a bit of sauce happening here.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19I always keep a water bottle near me whenever I'm cooking Indian dishes.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21You never know when you might need it.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Quite often just if the spices are burning a bit or you
0:10:24 > 0:10:27the want a little bit more liquid for a sauce.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29Now I'm going to add a very important
0:10:29 > 0:10:33ingredient in Mangalorean cooking - tamarind.
0:10:33 > 0:10:39Lovely, sour note, but sometimes I find them a little bit too sour,
0:10:39 > 0:10:44so I'm a bit apt to put a little bit of sugar in there as well.
0:10:44 > 0:10:49I'm using jaggery, which is cane sugar. It's very, very unrefined.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Tastes wonderful. It tastes like fudge.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59I'm just going to add now a little bit of coriander.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01You know, I love curries like this,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05because it's not all about long, thoughtful cooking, Indian curries -
0:11:05 > 0:11:08sometimes you can do it in minutes like this one
0:11:08 > 0:11:09and very good it is too.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16I had this in a little restaurant...
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Well, it wasn't really a restaurant, it was just a gap in the wall where
0:11:19 > 0:11:24they served really good fish dishes. This took barely 10 minutes to make.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26It's cheap, no-fuss cooking and I love it.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40On my trail for the elusive Bombay duck,
0:11:40 > 0:11:44it looks like I've missed the boat, because all that's left
0:11:44 > 0:11:48on these drying racks is a fish called a snakefish,
0:11:48 > 0:11:52inferior to the famous bombil that I saw earlier in the market.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59But I was invited to go to a fisherman's house in Versova
0:11:59 > 0:12:03and offered a taste of the famous, much-loved Bombay duck, an offer
0:12:03 > 0:12:07I couldn't turn down because I hadn't tasted it since my early 20s.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16I think it's fair to point out that the reason it's hard to get
0:12:16 > 0:12:20in Bombay, this dried, salted Bombay duck, is that restaurant owners
0:12:20 > 0:12:24can't stand it cos of the smell in their restaurants.
0:12:24 > 0:12:25You can appreciate that.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27I mean, back in Padstow, I think I'd be a little bit
0:12:27 > 0:12:30worried about sending hot Bombay duck out like this.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35It is a bit strong, but what I like is fried,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37let go cold and then crumbled over a curry.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Well, I've just been watching and they're going to bring it now.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45I have to say it's a vegetarian day for them,
0:12:45 > 0:12:47so they're not going to try it.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49They've just done especially for me
0:12:49 > 0:12:51and also they normally do it with a masala,
0:12:51 > 0:12:55but I just wanted to try it plain, just like a snack, because it's
0:12:55 > 0:12:59more like what I remember having sprinkled over my curry.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05It's very good. I mean, I don't know why people get
0:13:05 > 0:13:09so nervous about things that are a bit smelly.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12This is wonderfully salty and savoury,
0:13:12 > 0:13:14be great with a glass of beer.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Lovely. Thank you very much.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19RICK LAUGHS
0:13:28 > 0:13:31I think we all know in the West that Bombay or Mumbai is
0:13:31 > 0:13:32really on the move.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36There's serious money here and there are
0:13:36 > 0:13:39so many Indians who, having left their mother country to find fortune
0:13:39 > 0:13:44elsewhere, are coming back because the economy here is so buoyant.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47I think that this place has always, since the days of the Arabs
0:13:47 > 0:13:50and the Portuguese, been very cosmopolitan.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54- So this is Britannia? - This is Britannia.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57'I met a food blogger, Purva Mehra, who took me
0:13:57 > 0:14:01'to a well-established restaurant. It's a Parsi restaurant.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04'Now, the Parsis escaped Muslim persecution in Iran
0:14:04 > 0:14:09'nearly 1,000 years ago and came to the western coast of India.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13'The British loved them because they spoke English and I think the Parsis
0:14:13 > 0:14:15'really liked the British
0:14:15 > 0:14:18'because this restaurant is called Britannia.'
0:14:20 > 0:14:23I notice you've got a picture of the Queen up there on the wall.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27- You want a picture?- No, no, no.
0:14:27 > 0:14:32- Do you remember the days of the British Raj?- Yes, I remember.
0:14:32 > 0:14:33How was it?
0:14:33 > 0:14:38I was, at that time, a young man, about 25 years old
0:14:38 > 0:14:40when the British left.
0:14:41 > 0:14:42If you're going back
0:14:42 > 0:14:45to London,
0:14:45 > 0:14:50please give all my love to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.
0:14:50 > 0:14:51Well, I've met her a couple of times.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Please tell her we want her back and we will all be very happy again.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00- Thank you very much. - I'll do my best.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04- Thank you. We're going to have... - Can we have the...?
0:15:04 > 0:15:07- We're going to have the berry pulao. - The berry pulao?- Yes, please.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09You want to have with chicken or with mutton?
0:15:09 > 0:15:12- We'd like... Chicken is good for you?- Yes, fine.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14- The chicken berry pulao, please. - One chicken berry pulao.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18- One chicken berry pulao. Thank you very much.- OK, thank you very much.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24'So Purva ordered berry pulao, one of the most popular dishes here
0:15:24 > 0:15:27'and it's made with rice and barberries.
0:15:27 > 0:15:32'They are deliciously sour and gleam like rubies and they come from Iran.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35'The whole dish is made with chicken and fried onions,
0:15:35 > 0:15:37'lots of fried onions.'
0:15:39 > 0:15:42Purva, I can't actually tell what's in here
0:15:42 > 0:15:46- and they won't give us a recipe. - They won't.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50It's a family recipe. It's actually developed by Mr Kohinoor's wife.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52No chilli, is there?
0:15:52 > 0:15:53No...maybe just a hint of it
0:15:53 > 0:15:57but the whole idea is the fragrance because a pulao has
0:15:57 > 0:16:00to be aromatic, otherwise it fails as a pulao.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04In Australia, I got hold of dried sour fruit,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07mostly cherries, from Iran, I think it's a speciality.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10- It is a speciality. - So who are the Parsis, then?
0:16:10 > 0:16:12They actually fled the Muslim invasion.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15They did not want to be a conquered people,
0:16:15 > 0:16:17so they came and they settled in Gujarat.
0:16:17 > 0:16:18They brought with them
0:16:18 > 0:16:21dishes like chicken dhansak or dhansak in general.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23So that's where dhansak came from?
0:16:23 > 0:16:27Dhansak came from the Parsis and they were excellent tradesmen.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31- They still run the top businesses in the country.- Well, I mean, I love it.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33It's a little bit sort of moth-eaten
0:16:33 > 0:16:36but presumably they're keeping it the way it always was.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Yes, Britannia, for instance, was set up in 1923
0:16:39 > 0:16:43and Mr Boman Kohinoor who owns the place is now 91.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46- That's who we've just been talking to?- Yes.- Fabulous.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50- Yes, he's managed the place for 75 years now.- Good Lord.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54- The Queen might watch this. - He is, he is a loyalist...
0:16:54 > 0:16:57- to his last days. - Well, let's tuck in.- Thank you.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11I have a strong feeling that Indians, not all,
0:17:11 > 0:17:15but certainly the ones I've met, regard the British with affection.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Of course, nobody knows who I am over here and nor should they,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21but when I say I'm from the UK, their faces light up.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24It's as simple as that and this is just one of the legacies
0:17:24 > 0:17:25we left behind.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29This has become as much part of the country as Royal Enfield motorbikes
0:17:29 > 0:17:34and Austin Cambridge cars - so British and yet so Indian.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41I was just wondering how many games of cricket
0:17:41 > 0:17:43there are going on here, about 100, I'd imagine,
0:17:43 > 0:17:46and just looking round, I don't really want to get
0:17:46 > 0:17:48clocked by a ball but it's only a tennis ball, but I was just
0:17:48 > 0:17:55thinking if we were back in the UK, how many games would be allowed?
0:17:55 > 0:17:59Well, maybe two per field, so you'd probably get four games here.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03If you wanted five, you'd have to come back on Thursday.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05No wonder the Indians are so good at cricket.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16I need something a bit faster than that.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27I never was any good at it.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36Kipling, in his poem to Bombay, talks of the people here who traffic
0:18:36 > 0:18:39up and down but cling to the city's hem
0:18:39 > 0:18:41as a child to their mother's gown.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46Maybe people have always come here to the water's edge to get
0:18:46 > 0:18:48away from the dynamo of the city.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56And this is where lovers go to hold hands but never kiss.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58It's not allowed.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02I'm told by my guide Krishna that most young couples have nowhere
0:19:02 > 0:19:05to go in this very expensive, overpopulated city,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08except here to gaze out over the sea,
0:19:08 > 0:19:10away from the noise of clogged streets
0:19:10 > 0:19:13and their parents' tiny apartment.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18Here, they can talk about their dreams until the sun goes down
0:19:18 > 0:19:22and beyond, but they can't kiss - it's not allowed.
0:19:32 > 0:19:33Whilst on the subject of the love,
0:19:33 > 0:19:37this is what the people who come from here absolutely adore.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39It's called pav bhaji.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41It is, I'm told by Purva, my foodie guide,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44the quintessential Bombay dish.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49It's made with loads of butter, chopped onions -
0:19:49 > 0:19:51and the onions are always red in India,
0:19:51 > 0:19:55unless anyone knows better -
0:19:55 > 0:19:59then cumin seeds, mashed potatoes,
0:19:59 > 0:20:05loads of freshly chopped tomatoes and marrowfat peas.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11To me, the indulgence of eating a cracking pav bhaji
0:20:11 > 0:20:13is similar to a great hamburger.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16It's all about the combination, in this case, the vegetables,
0:20:16 > 0:20:20the freshly baked bread and loads of butter.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26Next, pav bhaji masala mix - chilli and coriander powder,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29salt and lots of chopped coriander.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32It smells lovely.
0:20:32 > 0:20:33It's a funny thing to say,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36but it's sort of like a very exotic bubble and squeak.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41The masala is the most crucial part,
0:20:41 > 0:20:43and as you can see, it's burning our eyes.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45So you can imagine how potent it is.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47But that's where all the flavour is.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49It seems to have an awful lot of butter in at the beginning.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52- A lot of butter.- A lot of butter.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56I mean, there was like a pound, in old measurement, to start with!
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Precisely. Butter is indispensable to the dish. It's what lends it...
0:20:59 > 0:21:03It's greasy, that sort of fat taste, unapologetic.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05If you don't have butter, you can't have pav bhaji.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07You can't call it pav bhaji without the butter.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Well, I can't wait to try it.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12It's dishes like this that are the most memorable.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Well, if you come to Bombay and you don't eat pav bhaji,
0:21:15 > 0:21:19- you've missed out.- Well, I haven't eaten it yet.- You're about to.
0:21:19 > 0:21:20I'm glad you're doing this
0:21:20 > 0:21:23because this is quintessential Bombay street food.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25So what do we do now?
0:21:25 > 0:21:28- All right, you have to get your hands dirty, Rick.- Fine.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32You break the bread and you scoop up the butter.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Break a piece, or you can ladle it on there.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37- That's fine.- What would you do? You do it.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39- I'll show you how it's done. - This is so exciting.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43- We break a piece...- Oh, I see.- And we just scoop it up, butter and all.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46And voila!
0:21:52 > 0:21:54- Wow!- What do you think?
0:21:56 > 0:21:59This is...superb!
0:22:02 > 0:22:06I mean, this is the sort of, like... Who cares about the diet?
0:22:06 > 0:22:09- I'm going to have some fun! - Precisely!
0:22:11 > 0:22:15- Unbelievably lovely!- You can taste the butter, can't you?- Mmm!
0:22:15 > 0:22:17It's all butter.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24I got this dish, which is chicken with apricots, from Bombay,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Mumbai, whichever you prefer.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29I went to the same restaurant twice, because it was that good,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32and this is one of the dishes I had.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35I asked the manager there where it came from and he said he thought
0:22:35 > 0:22:39it was from Gujarat, but that originally it was a Parsi dish.
0:22:39 > 0:22:44But, like so much in Bombay, there's 20 million-plus population there
0:22:44 > 0:22:46and most of them come from other parts of India.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49So, for me, it's a Bombay dish.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53So first I'm going to put into my hot chatti or karahi, some oil.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56And now I'm going to temper some spices.
0:22:56 > 0:22:57And I really enjoy doing this now.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59It's something I've learnt in India.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01You put whole spices in hot oil
0:23:01 > 0:23:06and it just infuses the hot oil with the flavour of those spices.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10First of all, some peppercorns and now some cloves,
0:23:10 > 0:23:14some bruised cardamom, so that means the seeds are popping out.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16A couple of chillies...
0:23:19 > 0:23:23I should have taken the stalk off that one. It doesn't matter.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26And now just break up a bit of cinnamon.
0:23:26 > 0:23:33Stir those around for about 30 seconds. Lovely smell!
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Now I'm just going to add some onions. Not a lot.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38And just brown those.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41So, there we go.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47Time now for some roughly chopped garlic and ginger.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Just let that brown a little bit.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51I love the smell of garlic and ginger.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54Right, that's browning quite nicely,
0:23:54 > 0:23:56so now I'm going to add some tomatoes.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00And the recipe says to cook it down until it's syrupy, so I'll
0:24:00 > 0:24:03just let those tomatoes come down nicely,
0:24:03 > 0:24:07just giving off all their moisture.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10And now I'm going to add some salt.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15Excuse me if I add a bit more than you think is healthy.
0:24:15 > 0:24:20A teaspoon and a half. A generous teaspoon and a half.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22And now to add my dry spices.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25First of all some turmeric, probably only half a teaspoon.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29And next, some chilli...
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Probably I'm getting a bit keen on my chilli.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37I think I'd have written this recipe was just one teaspoon before,
0:24:37 > 0:24:39but now I've made it two.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Now some ground coriander, a teaspoon.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45And some ground cumin, a teaspoon.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50And some garam masala. Let's say a teaspoon and a half.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54I love my garam masala. Let's stir that around.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56It's getting quite hot now.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00I don't want those powdered spices to burn at all,
0:25:00 > 0:25:02so I'm just going to add a little bit of water, just to take...
0:25:02 > 0:25:04HE COUGHS
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Sorry! Too much chilli!
0:25:07 > 0:25:11There we go. That's very nice. And now I'm going to add the chicken.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15Cook that a little bit, not brown it,
0:25:15 > 0:25:17but just take the pink colour off it.
0:25:18 > 0:25:24Now I'm putting jaggery in, which is very, very raw cane sugar.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29Very nice. I just love eating it on its own. So in goes that.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32But here are the dried apricots, lots of them.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37And that gives the dish a lovely sweetness,
0:25:37 > 0:25:42contrasted with the next ingredient, which is vinegar.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Now, this is toddy vinegar, which is
0:25:44 > 0:25:48actually made from the sap of the coconut flower.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50You can use white wine vinegar, of course.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54A couple of tablespoons of that.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57So it's that sort of sweet and sourness
0:25:57 > 0:26:01this is the real beguilingness of this dish.
0:26:01 > 0:26:06And finally, we need to add, at this stage in the cooking,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10some water, just to barely cover that.
0:26:10 > 0:26:15Just stir that in. And that is now going to cook for about 30 minutes.
0:26:15 > 0:26:20First covered, to really cook the chicken, and then, for
0:26:20 > 0:26:24the last 5-10 minutes, I'll uncover it to reduce it a little bit.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30I can't find my bleeding lid! Oh, there it is, where I left it.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35See you later.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49While that's bubbling away, I talked about chilli powder earlier,
0:26:49 > 0:26:51so you've got to see this.
0:26:51 > 0:26:56This, to me, sums up everything that's so ingenious about the Indians.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00I call this the spice pistons. It sounds like a band!
0:27:05 > 0:27:07If you get your spice ground in a large factory,
0:27:07 > 0:27:11they are doing hundreds and hundreds of kilos at a time.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15They grind it really fast and it gets hot and it starts to burn
0:27:15 > 0:27:18and that actually burns off part of the flavour.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21The real joy of this machine is it stays cool
0:27:21 > 0:27:24and you get all the fragrance of the chilli.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Thank you very much!
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Well, that's what two kilos of whole chillies looks like as powder.
0:27:35 > 0:27:41Smells... Smells absolutely fruity and fragrant.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50And it tastes... I mean, don't use spice powder.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Try and grind your own. Even if you're using a coffee grinder,
0:27:53 > 0:27:57you'll get something like this taste. There is so much more to it.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01I would actually say that one of the main things
0:28:01 > 0:28:05I'm learning in India is go for fresh spices all the time.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09It's just transforms every curry you're ever going to make.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16So, after 30 minutes or so, that's perfect.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19The right consistency - rich and velvety.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22And notice I'm leaving the whole spices in.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25That's what they do here, as well as leave the chicken on the bone.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27More flavour, they say.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31That looks so nice. Lovely colour, this one.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35I'm just going to sprinkle on this some coriander.
0:28:35 > 0:28:41But now these chips, which is quite unusual in India, but it's so nice.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44Just put them on the top like that, and when you eat your curry
0:28:44 > 0:28:48and you got these crisp, crunchy matchstick potatoes - fab!
0:28:57 > 0:29:00So, we're going to your favourite restaurant?
0:29:00 > 0:29:02This is my new friend, Krishna,
0:29:02 > 0:29:04who is also our translator and guide.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11- Yeah, like this. Like that. - OK, right.
0:29:11 > 0:29:12And he assures me
0:29:12 > 0:29:15that feeding the cow will bring me an abundance of good luck.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20Ah, got the tongue. That's good luck!
0:29:20 > 0:29:24We're going to his favourite restaurant in the whole of Bombay.
0:29:24 > 0:29:25I don't think it's even got a name,
0:29:25 > 0:29:28but the food is supposed to be really good.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31- Are you feeling nice, Rick? - Feeling wonderful!
0:29:36 > 0:29:39Well, this is just a little bit frustrating.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43No disrespect to Krishna, because we asked him where his favourite
0:29:43 > 0:29:48restaurant was in all of Bombay, and he's chosen this tiny restaurant.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51So small, that only the cameraman can get in.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53Basically, I've asked for fish masala
0:29:53 > 0:29:58and, as far as I can work out, they've taken a whole lot of spices,
0:29:58 > 0:30:03whole chilli, coriander, cumin, coconut, and dry-fried them,
0:30:03 > 0:30:07then ground them, then put that in a pan with water
0:30:07 > 0:30:11and then they've added wet ingredients - ginger, garlic,
0:30:11 > 0:30:15tamarind, tomatoes and lots of green chillies,
0:30:15 > 0:30:18and boiled that together, and now they are ready to put
0:30:18 > 0:30:21the fish in, which I think is going to be shark.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29He says it's just the best, and I don't doubt it.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31But I'm slightly irritated with David, the director,
0:30:31 > 0:30:35because he likes making things difficult for me.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38I feel a bit like Keith Floyd in a way.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41Remember those programmes where he used to complain about
0:30:41 > 0:30:45the director making him go up in balloons and all this sort of thing? Same guy.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49The portions are not what I'd call gargantuan.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53It's mostly rice flavoured with this spicy, hot tamarind sauce
0:30:53 > 0:30:58and just the merest amount of fish. Well, that's how it is here.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01- What do you think about it? You got...- Tamarind seed!
0:31:01 > 0:31:02Tamarind seed, yeah.
0:31:04 > 0:31:05It's lovely!
0:31:05 > 0:31:08I mean, it's incredibly economical, for a start,
0:31:08 > 0:31:11because you've got not a lot of fish, but you don't need it.
0:31:11 > 0:31:17Lots of rice, and the masala is exquisite, it tastes really fresh.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19I'm sorry I'm so bad at eating with my fingers,
0:31:19 > 0:31:21but it's just devilish difficult to get used to.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24- I know, you have to learn. - Could you pass me a napkin?
0:31:24 > 0:31:27I just want to have some of that rice.
0:31:27 > 0:31:33Special napkin, designed for the canteen.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36- You finished?- No, no, no. My hands get so dirty.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39I just want to try some of this, which is rice water?
0:31:39 > 0:31:43Rice water, yeah. They don't give you water, they give you rice water.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46- It's very nice.- You have all the energy of the rice here.
0:31:46 > 0:31:51You don't miss it. Like, another four, five hours, you know?
0:31:51 > 0:31:54I always feel it when you burp, you know?
0:31:54 > 0:31:59That rice flavour comes out and it is so nice. I really enjoy this.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01This is how my mum cooks at home.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06So if somebody asks me, "Which is your favourite food?"
0:32:06 > 0:32:10I say, "The fish curry which my mum cooks."
0:32:10 > 0:32:13So, for me, this is kind of my home.
0:32:13 > 0:32:18I think that's really what eating out is all about.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21I suddenly realised this is why I've never really run
0:32:21 > 0:32:23a Michelin-starred restaurant myself,
0:32:23 > 0:32:27because I can't stand all that, you know - we call it ... really -
0:32:27 > 0:32:29all that over-the-topness.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32- All I really want...- Yeah.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37The director is now going to say, "What about your prices, Rick?"
0:32:39 > 0:32:42Yeah!
0:32:52 > 0:32:54When I knew I was coming to Bombay,
0:32:54 > 0:32:56I naturally wanted to visit the slums.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58The vast, sprawling,
0:32:58 > 0:33:01corrugated shantytown I'd seen in Slumdog Millionaire.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10And I'm not alone, because many visitors, holidaymakers
0:33:10 > 0:33:14and businesspeople, make a beeline here.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16Not out of any morbid curiosity,
0:33:16 > 0:33:20more as a genuine interest in how so many people get along,
0:33:20 > 0:33:25run a business, raise a family and educate their kids.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27It's a marvel.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43- So, yeah, a lot of industry is happening here.- Really?
0:33:43 > 0:33:46- Recycling, you know... - Because it looks a bit shocking.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49That's true, but I'll show you something.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54Good Lord! Unbelievable! That...
0:33:56 > 0:33:59- I mean, the contrast! What are they doing?- That's embroidery.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03- They make the logos?- T-shirts? - Yeah, they can be anything.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05If you want, you can make your own logo.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08So really, it's a question of attitude.
0:34:08 > 0:34:13You can either say this is a frightful slum...or it's...
0:34:13 > 0:34:16you know, it's testimony to people's ingenuity
0:34:16 > 0:34:18- to do things...- Yeah, yeah.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21For me, it's kind of possibilities.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24It's a shame in a way that it's called a slum, isn't it?
0:34:24 > 0:34:27- Maybe it's because there's not any other name.- Yeah!- To say.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37So a lot of work going on here, a lot of people live here,
0:34:37 > 0:34:39a lot of migrant community.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43- Just have a look here, all making something.- Some cooking.- Please come.
0:34:45 > 0:34:49- Excuse me.- Please come see. - I feel a bit like we're imposing.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52- That is beautiful! - That's chapatti. You can see, no oil.
0:34:52 > 0:34:57- It's healthy!- Does he mind me touching it?- No, no, it's OK.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00- I'll buy it off him anyway. - If you want you can eat it. - I'd love to eat it.
0:35:02 > 0:35:08- We believe in sharing the food, so... - The best chapatti I've ever eaten!
0:35:08 > 0:35:12- He's asking, do you want some vegetables?- I'd love some vegetables.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14What's he got in there then?
0:35:14 > 0:35:17Green chilli, salt. You like it?
0:35:17 > 0:35:23- I love it!- Finish it, eat. - I will!- You taste it.- Really good!
0:35:24 > 0:35:30All it was was courgettes, green chillies, onions, garlic and salt.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32It felt strange walking down these alleyways
0:35:32 > 0:35:36because I never knew what was behind each door we passed.
0:35:36 > 0:35:37Krishna wanted me to see
0:35:37 > 0:35:41a blast furnace right in the middle of this township.
0:35:41 > 0:35:46Imagine you're a health and safety officer - where would you start?
0:35:46 > 0:35:48You see they're melting the aluminium there.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50- It can't be very healthy for them. - That's true.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52You can see the working conditions, right?
0:35:52 > 0:35:57It's a small place and they don't even wear proper gloves and masks.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01But if you tell them, "Why can't you wear gloves and a mask?"
0:36:01 > 0:36:05They say, "It's hot, and we don't want it. It's OK, no problem."
0:36:05 > 0:36:08It's kind of... They are very proud of their work.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12Just as well! Can we get out of here? I'm beginning to choke.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18Krishna tells me that people like lawyers and doctors live here
0:36:18 > 0:36:20because they choose to.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22Bombay is so expensive
0:36:22 > 0:36:26and the alternative is to move miles away and commute.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29So they prefer to stay here in the centre of things.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32Noticing, walking around,
0:36:32 > 0:36:36and of course lots of other people have said this - you can think of a
0:36:36 > 0:36:41slum as being depressing or you can think of it as being ingenious...
0:36:41 > 0:36:45Once you're inside, you see it is really organised.
0:36:45 > 0:36:52But if you see the...the... infrastructure, it is really poor.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54For example, there are open drainages,
0:36:54 > 0:36:58electricity wires hanging everywhere, the working condition is poor.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02But despite of that, you see the sense of community, huge,
0:37:02 > 0:37:03and that people are doing something,
0:37:03 > 0:37:06there's some kind of positive stuff happening.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13One of my literary heroes,
0:37:13 > 0:37:17who incidentally was born in Bombay, is Rudyard Kipling.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19If this slum had been in existence in his time,
0:37:19 > 0:37:21I know he would have come here
0:37:21 > 0:37:25because he said in this piece about Bombay, "The smell of oil
0:37:25 > 0:37:31"and spices and puffs of incense and sweat and darkness and dirt
0:37:31 > 0:37:34"and lust and cruelty.
0:37:34 > 0:37:39"But above all, things wonderful and fascinatingly innumerable."
0:38:01 > 0:38:04There are certain places you go to that you're not absolutely sure
0:38:04 > 0:38:05where you are.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07Well, I know I'm in India,
0:38:07 > 0:38:10but I feel I've been transported somewhere,
0:38:10 > 0:38:12maybe on the French Riviera.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16And I'm warming to the idea of a nice cold glass of rose
0:38:16 > 0:38:19and maybe a bouillabaisse.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26MUSIC: "La Marseillaise" by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle
0:38:37 > 0:38:40This is the town of Pondicherry,
0:38:40 > 0:38:44three hours' drive along the East Coast Road south of Madras,
0:38:44 > 0:38:45now known as Chennai.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49It used to be the jewel in France's Indian crown.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53The churches twinkle in the sunshine.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57They look as though they were freshly built, almost edible.
0:38:57 > 0:38:58The roads are wide
0:38:58 > 0:39:02and the street signs acknowledge three centuries of French rule.
0:39:04 > 0:39:09This little corner on the romantic Coromandel Coast will for ever be
0:39:09 > 0:39:10La Belle France.
0:39:17 > 0:39:18The language remains
0:39:18 > 0:39:22and so do the smart kepis worn by the local policemen.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24And so does the patisserie.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30'This could be anywhere in France and, tradition aside,
0:39:30 > 0:39:32'it's such a great idea.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34'All these tourists that come here from Europe
0:39:34 > 0:39:38'dreaming of coffee, freshly-baked bread and apricot jam,
0:39:38 > 0:39:40'they can't go wrong.'
0:39:41 > 0:39:44Historically, France's grip on the subcontinent
0:39:44 > 0:39:46wasn't so assured as the British.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51It quite simply came down to British sea power.
0:39:51 > 0:39:56Britain had the bigger navy, the stronger navy, and took over India.
0:39:56 > 0:40:01Otherwise, I suspect places like Kolkata and Mumbai would have French architecture -
0:40:01 > 0:40:05wide boulevards, lovely, graceful, white buildings...
0:40:05 > 0:40:07Not so austere as the British ones.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11And, of course, I'd be sitting having a coffee and a croissant anywhere
0:40:11 > 0:40:15and probably looking forward to steak frites
0:40:15 > 0:40:17and a glass of red wine for dinner.
0:40:19 > 0:40:24They can't make enough baguettes here and they're authentic.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28The name Baker Street reeks of French humour, it's very obvious.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31The manager is Ezhilmathi.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35I had your baguettes for my breakfast this morning
0:40:35 > 0:40:38and I could have been back in Paris. They were that good.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41We try to make it, each and every time,
0:40:41 > 0:40:44exactly proper French baguettes.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46So you've lived in France, then?
0:40:46 > 0:40:50- I lived, I've been 25 years in France.- 25 years?
0:40:50 > 0:40:54Ten years in production, 15 years in sales.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58- Your cafe downstairs is filled with French people.- Yeah.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01- But do Indians like this bread too? - Surely, surely.
0:41:01 > 0:41:06There are now, each and every time, there are lot of French...Indian people
0:41:06 > 0:41:12from Bangalore and...Chennai, many local people, Pondicherry people,
0:41:12 > 0:41:15when they try these baguettes and now, many Indian people,
0:41:15 > 0:41:18they love our French baguettes.
0:41:27 > 0:41:31'I wanted to taste a fusion of French and Tamil cuisine.
0:41:31 > 0:41:32'They call it Creole here.'
0:41:39 > 0:41:41A friend of mine suggested this place -
0:41:41 > 0:41:46quite a posh hotel that prides itself in this fusion of taste.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52And so, the speciality on the menu du jour is...
0:41:52 > 0:41:55BOTH: Sauteed lemon pickle prawn.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58Aran and Ashok - Ashok's the one in the chef's whites -
0:41:58 > 0:42:00show me how it's done.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04After sauteing ginger, garlic and shallots,
0:42:04 > 0:42:07they add some sliced courgettes.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11And then, some plumptious prawns,
0:42:11 > 0:42:13which I imagine came off the fishing boat
0:42:13 > 0:42:15only hours ago on a beach nearby.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20Next, a pinch of pickled lemons,
0:42:20 > 0:42:23an influence that spreads all the way form North Africa,
0:42:23 > 0:42:25where the French dominated.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28And then, some garam masala.
0:42:30 > 0:42:36And now, the dried, almost Provencal herbs - rosemary and thyme.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40Finished off with fresh basil, coriander and some seasoning.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44This looks really good. I mean, I can see the French ingredients.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46There you got the thyme and the rosemary and the olive oil.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50- Yes, sir.- But then, you put garam masala in as well, which is...
0:42:50 > 0:42:53Because this is supposed to be Creole cuisine.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56But Creole, you know, Pondicherry Creole,
0:42:56 > 0:42:58which means when the French came to India,
0:42:58 > 0:43:02they brought their own ingredients, but it did not last for long.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06As a result, they started using our ingredients also.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09But this is still recognisably a French sort of dish,
0:43:09 > 0:43:11albeit with local flavours.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13- Yes, that's right, sir. - Perfect fusion.- Yes, sir.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19- I'm very keen to try these shallots. - Please.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23- I mean, I can taste the olive oil. - Yes.
0:43:23 > 0:43:24- And taste the garam masala.- Yes.
0:43:24 > 0:43:28- It's a very nice dish.- It's a real fusion, actually.- It really is.
0:43:34 > 0:43:38I think it's fair to say that Gandhi's peaceful mission
0:43:38 > 0:43:41to boycott all things British in the early 1900s
0:43:41 > 0:43:45would have gone down extremely well with the French in Pondicherry.
0:43:45 > 0:43:51Maybe that's why the people here erected this massive statue in his honour.
0:43:51 > 0:43:53Gandhi actually came
0:43:53 > 0:43:56from an upper-middle class family in Gujarat,
0:43:56 > 0:43:58he was an intellectual.
0:43:58 > 0:44:00And before his famous passive resistance,
0:44:00 > 0:44:03where he inspired the independence movement,
0:44:03 > 0:44:07he actually went to the UK to study law
0:44:07 > 0:44:09and, as a strict vegetarian,
0:44:09 > 0:44:11couldn't really find anything to eat.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14Apart from what he had at his landlady's,
0:44:14 > 0:44:20which was boiled cabbage, potatoes, bread, cake and jam and cups of tea.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22He did finally discover
0:44:22 > 0:44:26that he could cook, from Indian shops in London, for himself, vegetarian food,
0:44:26 > 0:44:30but the only British dish he really liked was porridge.
0:44:30 > 0:44:36There was a time when even HE had his doubts about vegetarianism,
0:44:36 > 0:44:39simply because all of India's powerful invaders,
0:44:39 > 0:44:41the Moguls, the Portuguese, the Arabs
0:44:41 > 0:44:43and, of course, the British,
0:44:43 > 0:44:45all ate lots of meat.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48So, therefore, the young Mahatma thought, "Hang on a tick,
0:44:48 > 0:44:51"if all the Indians could eat meat,
0:44:51 > 0:44:54"they'd be strong enough to kick the British out!"
0:44:54 > 0:44:56Apparently, he tried a bit of roast goat
0:44:56 > 0:45:01and found it a dreadful experience and never again to be repeated.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04All thoughts in that area were soon forgotten.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09In honour of Gandhi's passion for all things veggie,
0:45:09 > 0:45:12back at my house on the edge of the lagoon,
0:45:12 > 0:45:15I'm going to cook my favourite vegetable curry,
0:45:15 > 0:45:18a curry I could eat for breakfast every day.
0:45:18 > 0:45:22I'm now going to make aloo dum, or, in this case, actually,
0:45:22 > 0:45:23I'm going to call it aloo mattar,
0:45:23 > 0:45:26because it contains peas as well as potatoes.
0:45:26 > 0:45:30But aloo dum is probably the most common vegetable dish
0:45:30 > 0:45:31all over India.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33You get it everywhere
0:45:33 > 0:45:35and I think it's a bit like chips with everything,
0:45:35 > 0:45:37you have aloo dum with everything.
0:45:39 > 0:45:43So, first of all, I saute some parboiled potatoes in mustard oil.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47You don't need any longer than five minutes.
0:45:47 > 0:45:50Then, a sprinkle of turmeric to give it a nice, golden glow.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53Stir that in and put to one side.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58Add a bit more oil, mustard oil,
0:45:58 > 0:46:00and now, some Indian bay leaves,
0:46:00 > 0:46:03just not worth using European bay leaves.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06If you haven't got these, don't bother about it.
0:46:06 > 0:46:09I often think they've got a slight flavour of cinnamon,
0:46:09 > 0:46:12so if you haven't got them,
0:46:12 > 0:46:16it might be an idea just to put an inch or so of cinnamon in here.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19Just a tiny bit of asafoetida,
0:46:19 > 0:46:21which is very pungent,
0:46:21 > 0:46:26but, as the Indians say, if it's not there, you notice it.
0:46:26 > 0:46:31And to complement the asafoetida and enhance the dish even further,
0:46:31 > 0:46:35I add freshly-made paste of onion, garlic and ginger.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41And now, some powders.
0:46:41 > 0:46:45Now, I say powders, but I have actually ground these up.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48Well, not me, I got them done, actually, it wasn't actually me.
0:46:50 > 0:46:52Teaspoon of chilli powder.
0:46:53 > 0:46:55A teaspoon of coriander
0:46:55 > 0:46:57and a teaspoon of cumin powdered.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03And now, quite an unusual ingredient,
0:47:03 > 0:47:05which is called amchoor,
0:47:05 > 0:47:07which is actually dried mango.
0:47:07 > 0:47:11And not too much, about half a teaspoon, it's very concentrated.
0:47:13 > 0:47:15So now, a little bit more turmeric.
0:47:17 > 0:47:19And then, some salt.
0:47:19 > 0:47:20Now, quite a lot of tomato.
0:47:20 > 0:47:24I've just bought tomatoes and whizzed them up in a food processor.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27They're so good here that you don't really need to buy tinned tomatoes.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30You probably couldn't buy them anyway.
0:47:30 > 0:47:32Next, some sliced green chillies.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35I like a bit of heat in my food, so I've kept the seeds in.
0:47:35 > 0:47:39And I splash more water to keep it moist.
0:47:39 > 0:47:41And now, the potatoes.
0:47:44 > 0:47:46That is looking so nice
0:47:46 > 0:47:50and may I suggest that next time you go down to your local Indian,
0:47:50 > 0:47:52if you don't do this already,
0:47:52 > 0:47:54make sure you order aloo dum,
0:47:54 > 0:47:56which is just the potatoes,
0:47:56 > 0:47:58or aloo mattar, which is with the peas.
0:47:58 > 0:47:59You'll be so glad you did.
0:48:03 > 0:48:08And finally, I'm going to put in some garam masala. About a teaspoon.
0:48:08 > 0:48:13Very often in Indian dishes you end the dish with some garam masala.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16But you might start it with garam masala as well.
0:48:16 > 0:48:22But the point of it going in at the end is it just gives all that spiciness a real lift.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26Finish off with a sprinkle of freshly chopped coriander.
0:48:26 > 0:48:31And by the way, that amchoor gives it a real sour zest.
0:48:31 > 0:48:35There it is. What do you think of that?
0:48:41 > 0:48:44I met up with a cookery writer, Lourdes Louis,
0:48:44 > 0:48:48who comes from an eclectic family of Tamil, French and Vietnamese.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51To her, Pondicherry is a place like no other.
0:48:51 > 0:48:56So what would it have been like here in the colonial times, in the '40s, '50s?
0:48:57 > 0:49:01We had a lot of French people, European French, living here.
0:49:01 > 0:49:05And, of course, the local Pondicherrians, who had French nationality.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08And we had also the schooling in French.
0:49:08 > 0:49:14- Wow!- And many in Pondicherry, many Pondicherrians, speak French at home.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16- Really?- French is like our mother tongue.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23Lourdes lives on the outskirts of the French Quarter.
0:49:23 > 0:49:24And she's offered to cook me
0:49:24 > 0:49:27a typical dish from Pondicherry, chicken vindaye.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33She starts off with oil.
0:49:33 > 0:49:37And it's sunflower oil she's using. Then a bay leaf.
0:49:37 > 0:49:40They do taste different, these Indian bay leaves.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43Cinnamon, the merest hint.
0:49:43 > 0:49:48Just one clove, and a little bit of star anise.
0:49:48 > 0:49:50Next, onion.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57- So you're starting with some whole spices?- Yes.
0:49:57 > 0:50:02The whole spices - don't pound, powder them. Leave it as such.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05And I notice you've got star anise in there,
0:50:05 > 0:50:07which is quite rare in India, isn't it?
0:50:07 > 0:50:12But in Pondicherry cuisine, we have a lot of star anise.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15But very little because of its medicinal value. You know?
0:50:15 > 0:50:20We value a lot, the balance of the food, not only for the taste,
0:50:20 > 0:50:23but also for the medicinal value.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26And most of the food we cook is based on ayurveda.
0:50:27 > 0:50:32Ayurveda is, er... Ayur is life, veda is science. Science of life.
0:50:32 > 0:50:37And we believe very much that we are what we eat, which is true.
0:50:37 > 0:50:40- You are a chef. You know it very well.- Yes, yeah.- Try.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44Mind, mind, it's very hot.
0:50:44 > 0:50:48That's beautiful. There's a really sort of plumptiousness,
0:50:48 > 0:50:52to use English, about it. And it's sweet, thoroughly cooked.
0:50:52 > 0:50:56And I can even - you only put a tiny bit of star anise in there, but I can taste it.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59- You can taste it. Very subtle. Very, very subtle.- Lovely.
0:50:59 > 0:51:01- And it's not overpowering.- No.
0:51:01 > 0:51:07This is garlic with cumin and a vee bit of fenugreek.
0:51:07 > 0:51:11- A vee bit? - A little bit.- A vee bit, I see!
0:51:11 > 0:51:13I love the word vee bit. I really like that word.
0:51:13 > 0:51:18- I shall use it from now on. It just means a little pinch.- Yes.- Good.
0:51:22 > 0:51:27Chilli powder. Turmeric powder.
0:51:27 > 0:51:31Stir it a bit. Be very careful not to burn the spices.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34And now the tomato.
0:51:37 > 0:51:41Now we have to cover it and allow the tomato to cook.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44You know why we use the spices, it's just to, you know,
0:51:44 > 0:51:49we believe in India that the meat, or fish, have a kind of smell.
0:51:49 > 0:51:54It disturbs the palate that is being used to vegetarian food.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58Really? So is there a word for that?
0:51:58 > 0:52:02We call in the south, cauchee. Smelly.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05The meat smell and the fish smell.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08In the same way the Chinese put ginger with fish, I think.
0:52:08 > 0:52:10Exactly. Exactly.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12Once the tomatoes have cooked right down,
0:52:12 > 0:52:16Lourdes adds the chicken pieces and white wine vinegar,
0:52:16 > 0:52:22the ingredient that gives this dish its name, vindaye.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24This dish is called vindaye.
0:52:24 > 0:52:28It's a deformation of the French dish, vin d'ail.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31They have stuck it together, called it vindaye.
0:52:31 > 0:52:35- So, this is unique to Pondicherry, is it?- Very typical.
0:52:35 > 0:52:40- Nowhere else you'll get it.- Actually, I do remember in Goa, vindaloo.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43Mm. Nothing to do with this. Nothing to do with this.
0:52:43 > 0:52:47- Vindaloo is nothing to do with this. - Yeah, but they do use vinegar there.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49They do use vinegar, but not white vinegar.
0:52:49 > 0:52:52They use a kind of vinegar
0:52:52 > 0:52:56made out of the cashew nut fruit. And...sorry.
0:52:56 > 0:53:00- You don't like it?- No. Sorry. The smell is very yucky.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03- It spoils the curry, in fact.- Fine.
0:53:03 > 0:53:06I bet if I went to Goa and said, "Do you know they use vinegar
0:53:06 > 0:53:08- "over in Pondicherry..."- Tell them, tell them.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11It's different vinegar, different taste, you know? Now we'll taste.
0:53:11 > 0:53:13Tell me, Craig. Taste and tell me.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16I'll give you a different spoon, sorry.
0:53:16 > 0:53:18It's Rick.
0:53:18 > 0:53:22'After about 15 minutes, the dish is ready to serve.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24'I must say, it smells really good,
0:53:24 > 0:53:27'and I'm rather looking forward to tasting it.'
0:53:28 > 0:53:30Bon appetit, Rick.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32Merci!
0:53:36 > 0:53:42- That's very nice.- Like it?- Mmm. - Not too hot for you?- No, not too hot.
0:53:42 > 0:53:49- It's very...- Subtle?- Subtle, yeah. Mild.- Yes.- I love the tomato in it.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52Personally, of course, I love the vinegar in it,
0:53:52 > 0:53:54because I like that sort of tartness in it, tanginess.
0:53:54 > 0:53:58Using curry in the generic sense of being Indian food generally, I'm
0:53:58 > 0:54:03looking for my top ten, and I think this might well be in that top ten.
0:54:03 > 0:54:04Thank you, thank you.
0:54:10 > 0:54:14'Talking of top dishes, I have to tell you about this place.
0:54:14 > 0:54:18'Actually, I stopped here on my way down to Pondicherry from Chennai.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21'I was told about an ancient 8th century
0:54:21 > 0:54:24'temple in the town of Mamallapuram.
0:54:24 > 0:54:25'But always being a bit peckish,
0:54:25 > 0:54:29'I headed straight to the little restaurants on the beach instead.'
0:54:32 > 0:54:36'It's funny, but when I see a sign like this roughly
0:54:36 > 0:54:40'stencilled on a wall in such delightful Indian colours,
0:54:40 > 0:54:43'I just know that the food is going to be really good.'
0:54:44 > 0:54:46'And if you're in Southern India,
0:54:46 > 0:54:50'then fish curry should be the top of your list.
0:54:50 > 0:54:53'The folks here at the Seashore Garden restaurant make,
0:54:53 > 0:54:55'I think, one of the very best.'
0:54:56 > 0:55:01'The ingredients are fresh as can be, and the cooking time is minimal.
0:55:01 > 0:55:05'What seems like an enormous amount of chilli powder is fried
0:55:05 > 0:55:09'with shallots, green chillies, curry leaves and garlic.
0:55:12 > 0:55:16'And here's the star ingredient, a beautiful snapper,
0:55:16 > 0:55:18'firm and absolutely fresh,
0:55:18 > 0:55:24'caught just a few miles off this very beach on the Coromandel Coast.
0:55:24 > 0:55:28'To finish the masala sauce, in goes the tomato paste,
0:55:28 > 0:55:33'and what makes this curry undeniably South Indian - tamarind.
0:55:33 > 0:55:37'A few more whole green chillies for added heat and it's time,
0:55:37 > 0:55:39'time to taste.'
0:55:40 > 0:55:42Like this.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44Like this. Yeah.
0:55:46 > 0:55:52Just watching him put some of the sauce on his hand then tasting it.
0:55:52 > 0:55:56It's cos the Hindus just will not taste anything.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58It's all about hygiene.
0:55:58 > 0:56:03You put a spoon in something and you taste it, it's unhygienic.
0:56:03 > 0:56:05- Am I right?- Yes.- I'm right.
0:56:09 > 0:56:13I actually tried, when I was back in the UK, one of these what
0:56:13 > 0:56:16I like to call Madras fish curries, rather than Chennai fish curries.
0:56:16 > 0:56:19It was made exactly like that.
0:56:19 > 0:56:21Seriously, it's a very good fish curry.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23It's the best fish curry I've ever tasted.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26Want to get it back home in the restaurant,
0:56:26 > 0:56:29and I know it's going to be superb.
0:56:33 > 0:56:37'This, to me, is a seafood chef's nirvana,
0:56:37 > 0:56:41'sitting feet away from the water's edge in balmy sunshine
0:56:41 > 0:56:47'enjoying a mind-blowing fish curry cooked in hardly any time at all.
0:56:47 > 0:56:52'This place is a great find, and life can't possibly get any better.
0:56:52 > 0:56:53'Can it?'
0:56:56 > 0:56:59That is just simply perfect.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02I mean, the fish is so fresh, you can taste the sea.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05You know, when it's dead fresh fish like that, oh, heaven.
0:57:06 > 0:57:10And the tamarind just gives it such a zest, and the curry leaves,
0:57:10 > 0:57:13and of course, the green chillies in it. It is superb.
0:57:13 > 0:57:17- So, would you put that on your list of best curries?- Would I?
0:57:17 > 0:57:20I mean, seriously, for me, and I think I'm a bit biased,
0:57:20 > 0:57:24I have to say, but fish curry like this...
0:57:27 > 0:57:30..could be the one. I know.
0:57:30 > 0:57:33I've got to be thinking of this cos some of those chicken
0:57:33 > 0:57:36ones are really good. We haven't had any beef ones yet.
0:57:36 > 0:57:38We've got to go to Kerala where there's lots of Christians
0:57:38 > 0:57:42that have beef, and the goat, the mutton curry's fantastic.
0:57:42 > 0:57:46But fish, a big piece of snapper like this, oh! Heaven.
0:57:51 > 0:57:54'I know there are other curries out there that maybe could
0:57:54 > 0:57:56'possibly eclipse that moment,
0:57:56 > 0:58:02'but what a joy of a journey to find out if that's true.'
0:58:02 > 0:58:03BUS HORN HONKS
0:58:06 > 0:58:08We've been travelling now for three weeks,
0:58:08 > 0:58:11and I have to find the perfect curry.
0:58:11 > 0:58:15The crew are trying to tempt me with things like egg and chips, pork
0:58:15 > 0:58:20chops, green beans, roast beef, all those things that remind me of home,
0:58:20 > 0:58:25but no, I shall continue in this quest to find the perfect curry.
0:58:38 > 0:58:41Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:52 > 0:58:55INDIAN MAN'S VOICE: That's a mind-blasting curry, Ricky.