0:00:02 > 0:00:05This lovely bungalow on a lagoon in Kerala has been my base
0:00:05 > 0:00:10while I've been cooking dishes that come from all over India.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14Dishes like this spicy Keralan pork curry.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18And this dead-easy-to-do paneer jalfrezi.
0:00:18 > 0:00:24And my very own British Raj curry from Madras.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26Oh, and there's a lovely egg curry from Calcutta.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28I mean Kolkata.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31And these shami kebabs from Lucknow.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37You'll probably gather from my tone that it'll soon be time to leave.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40This will be my last programme in this fabulous country.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45BIRDSONG
0:00:45 > 0:00:46Good morning, Ashok.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Good morning, Rick.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51'In short, this trip to India has been, I think,
0:00:51 > 0:00:54'the best trip I've ever had in filming land.'
0:00:54 > 0:00:58And the curries have been pretty good, too.
0:00:58 > 0:00:59First-class curry, Ricky!
0:01:28 > 0:01:31- MAN:- That's a mind-blasting curry, Ricky!
0:01:36 > 0:01:39There's a snake down there, in the water pipe.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42I think it lives in there.
0:01:42 > 0:01:43It's not poisonous...
0:01:43 > 0:01:45I'm told.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48I certainly ain't going for a swim.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Apart from worrying about where the snake - called Cynthia - was,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59life at the bungalow was good, especially when we stopped for lunch.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02We'd all sit outside, under the palm trees
0:02:02 > 0:02:05and Malli would cook for us effortlessly.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08She'd make about five or six curries, mostly vegetarian.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11But this was our favourite, her prawn curry.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17CAMERA CLICKS
0:02:17 > 0:02:21Ashok, whose bungalow it is, can't stop taking photographs.
0:02:21 > 0:02:26First of all, Malli, his cook, fries onions, green chillies and minced ginger.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32It's very important to spend some time softening the onions
0:02:32 > 0:02:35because this slow cooking brings out their sweetness.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49And then she puts in chilli powder, turmeric and ground pepper.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Next, the prawns - freshwater prawns.
0:02:53 > 0:02:54They're really plentiful here.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57As, indeed, now they are in supermarkets back home.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04Ashok, I just wonder if you could ask Mallika
0:03:04 > 0:03:09if she knows what the word curry means, has it got any meaning to her?
0:03:09 > 0:03:13ASHOK TRANSLATES QUESTION
0:03:13 > 0:03:17REPLIES IN LOCAL DIALECT
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Normally, when you say curry in the real sense,
0:03:21 > 0:03:23it's like, you know, a little gravy with it.
0:03:23 > 0:03:24Yes, yes.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28And there are other methods of doing it, too, which is frying.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30- Yeah.- And?
0:03:30 > 0:03:32MALLIKA SPEAKS IN LOCAL DIALECT
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Yeah, this particular dish is with gravy.
0:03:35 > 0:03:36Yeah. So this is a proper curry.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38It's a proper curry.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42Interestingly, we've given them the word "gravy" in exchange for the word "curry".
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Now she puts in fresh chopped tomatoes and a generous spoonful of salt.
0:03:47 > 0:03:52It's her quantities, not mine, so please don't write in!
0:03:52 > 0:03:55Then water and a generous handful of curry leaves,
0:03:55 > 0:03:59one of the most important ingredients in South Indian curries.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04I have to confess, I tried doing this with tinned tomatoes
0:04:04 > 0:04:06and I'm sorry, it just doesn't work.
0:04:06 > 0:04:11It turns out too sweet and gloopy, so fresh and astringent it is.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Before I came to India, people said,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19"Well, they won't understand in India what you mean by curry,
0:04:19 > 0:04:20"it's not a word they use." But they do.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23- You do understand what I mean! - Of course we do.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27And there it is, looking every inch the film crew's favourite lunch.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29And it's pretty obvious why.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31So let's not hang around.
0:04:35 > 0:04:36- Let me try that.- Mmm!
0:04:36 > 0:04:38It's...
0:04:38 > 0:04:40very spicy!
0:04:40 > 0:04:44I think the thing we get wrong in the West is we don't put enough spice in.
0:04:44 > 0:04:45Isn't this too much? Or is it...?
0:04:45 > 0:04:47No, not at all, it's lovely!
0:04:47 > 0:04:52So will you ask her if she's happy with her own curry?
0:04:52 > 0:04:53Happy? Sure.
0:04:53 > 0:04:54It's very good!
0:04:54 > 0:04:56LAUGHS
0:05:01 > 0:05:03Well, I've been in India for quite a few weeks now
0:05:03 > 0:05:10and, um, the more I'm here, the more confused I become about curry.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12I started off with this determination
0:05:12 > 0:05:14to find the perfect curry.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17But now I find - what is curry?
0:05:17 > 0:05:22Is it... Is it just a gravy, or is it a sort of way of life?
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Because I used to think, in reading books,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30that the Indians really didn't understand what we mean by curry, but they do!
0:05:30 > 0:05:32They understand perfectly.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36I think it's passed into the general vernacular
0:05:36 > 0:05:39and, I must say, I've been very well helped
0:05:39 > 0:05:42in my sort of attempts to find out what curry is
0:05:42 > 0:05:46by this book by Lizzie Collingham, called Curry.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Basically, it encompasses everything about curry and I think it's an attitude.
0:05:50 > 0:05:56I think... I'm not looking for lots of gravy and lots of spice,
0:05:56 > 0:06:01I'm looking for a perfect spicy experience.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04CAR HORNS BLARE
0:06:07 > 0:06:10This is the town of Madurai, a day's drive from Kerala.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12It's a famous merchants' town
0:06:12 > 0:06:16and their ancestors traded with the ancient Greeks and the Romans.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18But, over the centuries,
0:06:18 > 0:06:23the merchants, more or less, traded with anybody interested in spice.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25And out of it emerged their own cuisine.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27They call it Chettinad cooking.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33I felt I was in the India of my imagination,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36from the days when I used to look at old sepia photographs
0:06:36 > 0:06:39in encyclopaedias that were falling apart,
0:06:39 > 0:06:44full of men with pith helmets and elephants carrying teak logs.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48The ancient Meenakshi Temple here could and probably did feature in one of them.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53There's a sign there that my guide told me said,
0:06:53 > 0:06:57"Feed your soul first and then feed yourself."
0:06:57 > 0:07:01I think, over here, that speaks reams, because the longer I spend in India,
0:07:01 > 0:07:05the more I realise that food is intertwined with compassion
0:07:05 > 0:07:09and caring for others, especially at the temples.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12And it doesn't matter about caste or creed -
0:07:12 > 0:07:17all are welcome to sit down, to eat and pray, if they wish, afterwards.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23I'm told, without this system, provided by the various temples throughout India,
0:07:23 > 0:07:27many inevitably would go without.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31But no-one from my viewpoint in this particular batch seemed undernourished.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41Virtually all the meals I had in Madurai were made with vegetables alone
0:07:41 > 0:07:44and I realised I could easily be a vegetarian here.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50I loved going to the not-so-Modern Restaurant
0:07:50 > 0:07:55and seeing unfeasibly large pots of vegetable stew they call sambar,
0:07:55 > 0:08:01made with yellow mung beans, tomatoes and a whole host of spices.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06And the lovely tarka - fried in ghee - they put on the top is irresistible.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14This is the only thing they serve here, but everybody loves it,
0:08:14 > 0:08:16everybody has the same thing.
0:08:16 > 0:08:23I imagine probably half of India eats like this, all vegetarian.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27And, certainly in Southern India, everybody eats off a banana leaf.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31It's the most perfect vehicle for eating off,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34because, when you've finished, you just fold the banana leaf up
0:08:34 > 0:08:37with anything that's left and throw it away.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40But you don't throw it away into the garbage.
0:08:40 > 0:08:41You throw it away for the cows.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48And one of the things I've learned while being in India
0:08:48 > 0:08:52is that home cooking is what everybody wants, and I mean everybody.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56That's businessmen with fat wallets, down to the local chai wallah.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59They all want the flavour of home.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07And a local five-star hotel has employed a housewife from an outlying village
0:09:07 > 0:09:11to create home-cooked dishes in their stainless-steel kitchens.
0:09:13 > 0:09:18So, when Mrs Samundeswari has finished her morning chores at home,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21she uses her skills, handed down from her grandmother,
0:09:21 > 0:09:25to cook authentic food for the discerning customer.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27CAR HORNS BLARE
0:09:27 > 0:09:30I must say, I think this is a really good idea,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33because to be able to actually get a seriously good home cook
0:09:33 > 0:09:37and set her up in a kitchen like this, cooking her dishes from home,
0:09:37 > 0:09:40I think is a tremendous bit of salesmanship.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45Today's local speciality is Chettinad chicken.
0:09:45 > 0:09:51Mrs Samundeswari starts off with oil, and that's flavoured with cinnamon bark,
0:09:51 > 0:09:55then fennel seeds and now this, kalpasi.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57It's a type of lichen.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59They all flavour the oil.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03And I suspect that it's the kalpasi that makes this dish unique.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12Now onions, and where there are onions, the curry leaves are not far behind.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Next, garlic.
0:10:15 > 0:10:16Bit of a stir...
0:10:18 > 0:10:21..and then chicken. And she makes sure
0:10:21 > 0:10:23every bit is coated with the flavoured oil.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29Now, a paste that's made up with fennel, cumin, pepper,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32garlic, chilli and coriander.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Followed by the powdered spices -
0:10:34 > 0:10:37coriander, chilli, garam masala and pepper.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41It's a bit complicated!
0:10:41 > 0:10:45It's one of the most complex dishes I've come across over here.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47And they call it home cooking?!
0:10:49 > 0:10:52SPEAKS LOCAL DIALECT
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Well, I must say, this looks really interesting.
0:11:00 > 0:11:06I'm just amazed that she would cook such a complicated dish at home.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09It sort of looks to me, I have to say, like hotel cooking.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12But I'm assured that she does cook like this at home,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15so who am I to say?
0:11:17 > 0:11:23I'm also very intrigued to try this kalpasi,
0:11:23 > 0:11:25because when I read about it, it's actually the lichen
0:11:25 > 0:11:28that comes off stones around here. When I first tried it,
0:11:28 > 0:11:33I thought I could probably get this off a stone off Bodmin Moor and dry it.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36And when I tasted it, it tasted of nothing.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41And then, this wonderful aroma came through.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44And every time I taste dishes with it in now,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47I think, "There's loads of cinnamon in that dish."
0:11:47 > 0:11:48And then I think, "It's not quite cinnamon."
0:11:48 > 0:11:50What it is is kalpasi.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Finally, some more garam masala and coriander leaf.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00And I hope that's it.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09Just the look of this curry pleases me enormously.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12And I love it being served on a banana leaf.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15With my cook's intuition,
0:12:15 > 0:12:19I know this is going to be one of the best curries I've tasted so far.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22But I think when I write it up, I'll simplify it a little.
0:12:24 > 0:12:25Wow!
0:12:26 > 0:12:28That is very spicy.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30But incredibly good.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32You can taste all the ingredients in it.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35What I really like about it is it's quite dry.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38I know that's the wrong word, but there's not a lot of gravy,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42but what gravy there is is so pungent,
0:12:42 > 0:12:48and the taste of that kalpasi, the lichen, is wonderful in it.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51I'm going to crave that for ever more, I think. It's really good.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00You're not going to believe this, but a guest who is staying here
0:13:00 > 0:13:05saw a tweet of mine and realised we were both staying at the same hotel.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07So you mean, you just saw me on Twitter?
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Yes. And there is a tweet that you were in Chennai,
0:13:10 > 0:13:11and then I see that you're in Madurai.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Well, I'm blowed. The power of Twitter!
0:13:14 > 0:13:17'He turned out to be a serious foodie.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19'He's called Gunjan.'
0:13:19 > 0:13:20I follow you, Rick,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23and one of the things I see is, "Rick's staying in Madurai."
0:13:23 > 0:13:25And I sent a tweet to you immediately. And I must tell you,
0:13:25 > 0:13:29Rick, I have been coming to this hotel for the last four or five months,
0:13:29 > 0:13:34and the food that she cooks is better than the hotel management graduates,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36and, you know, the cooks that have all these catering schools.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39I think she cooks from the heart. And the food and the flavours
0:13:39 > 0:13:42in that particular curry, or the Chettinad thing that she makes,
0:13:42 > 0:13:44is completely different
0:13:44 > 0:13:46- than what you get from hotels. - Absolutely.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50One thing I've picked up all along is how much Indians love home cooking.
0:13:50 > 0:13:51So to have somebody cooking
0:13:51 > 0:13:54- who cooks that sort of food... - I agree with you.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58I couldn't agree with you more, actually, because...
0:13:58 > 0:14:00take my mother, for example.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03- I have never seen her measure spices.- Yeah.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Putting the spices the way she wants to.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08- Not measuring them out or anything. - Not measuring them out.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10It's like, that's the way she cooks.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12And that's the way most of the home cooks work.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15And we go by standardised recipes - this much, this much, this one.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17I do some amateur cooking at home,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20and I just go exactly the way the ingredients go.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23The great thing is that there is no method in the madness of their cooking.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27I was sort of thinking, because she's just cooked me chicken Chettinad
0:14:27 > 0:14:30in the kitchen, which was so spicy.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Really hot, with pepper as opposed to chilli,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36which I think is quite common here, isn't it?
0:14:36 > 0:14:39Around Madurai. And Chettinad.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41But I was just thinking, it would be really good to,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43actually in any hotel kitchen,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46to get really good domestic cooking there.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50Because chefs are a bit, they cook in sort of chef school ways, you know?
0:14:50 > 0:14:53I know! And coming from you, Chef, it's slightly contradictory.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56But having said that, I would still say that, yes.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59I think it's an amazing concept, you know.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03What I love about you Indians is you're so enthusiastic about your food.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05It's just a joy, I must say.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07My mouth is already watering, I'm sorry!
0:15:07 > 0:15:10LAUGHTER
0:15:10 > 0:15:11Good. Thanks.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15I can't go long, really, without seafood.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18And seeing a pretty plate of crabs in a local market
0:15:18 > 0:15:23was the only excuse I needed to cook a famous Chettinad dish -
0:15:23 > 0:15:25Chettinad crab.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28This is good finger-picking food.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33I wouldn't mind trying this back at home using our own brown crabs,
0:15:33 > 0:15:37or even spider crabs, with that lovely, sweet leg meat.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44First of all, to make a paste in my trusty blender,
0:15:44 > 0:15:49I add some fennel seeds, cumin seeds...
0:15:49 > 0:15:53some grated coconut and water.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01A quick whizz in my powerful Indian blender that weighs a tonne,
0:16:01 > 0:16:05and it comes out, thanks to the coconut, looking quite creamy.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Meanwhile, in the karahi, I heat up some oil
0:16:10 > 0:16:15and temper it with a good teaspoonful of fennel and fenugreek seeds.
0:16:15 > 0:16:21Next, some sliced onions and some chopped garlic.
0:16:21 > 0:16:27Followed by the powdered spices - chilli powder, turmeric and coriander.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Now for the crab bits.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35Give them a serious stir, coating every bit of the crab with the flavoured oil.
0:16:36 > 0:16:37I love these curries.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40I just like eating with my fingers.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43There's nothing better than a pile of rice,
0:16:43 > 0:16:46maybe some nice bread as well,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48some naan bread, perhaps.
0:16:48 > 0:16:49Maybe a glass of beer.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Lots of chat and lots of picking. It's what I like.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54And, of course, you've got to have a nice bowl
0:16:54 > 0:16:56to rinse your hands every now and then,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00but it's leisurely eating, which I adore.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Next, curry leaves and fresh chopped tomato.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Tomatoes in Kerala are so good.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Now, the coconutty paste, and I'll stir that around.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20And for a touch of tarty sourness, some tamarind,
0:17:20 > 0:17:22and a new one, kokum.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27That's a type of dried mangosteen, and it tastes beautifully smoky.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Finally, just a bit of sweetness.
0:17:31 > 0:17:36Jaggery is the juice from the sugar cane, boiled down so it becomes like a fudge.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Then salt and water.
0:17:40 > 0:17:47It's a dish of summer lunches, cooked in a wok on the beach, at home, in Padstow.
0:17:50 > 0:17:51It's blinkin' hot.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Yet again.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57How long before it's ready?
0:17:57 > 0:18:00About three minutes and 15 seconds.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08And here it is, in all its flaming glory.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12It's what I call holiday food - food that goes with conversation,
0:18:12 > 0:18:18and more importantly, it also goes very nicely with a cold beer.
0:18:23 > 0:18:29I started this whole series in Calcutta - hot, steamy Calcutta.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32It was quite a baptism, because my shirt stuck to me
0:18:32 > 0:18:35seconds after I left the hotel.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40It's quite extraordinary. How do people work?
0:18:40 > 0:18:43How do they think in this heat?
0:18:44 > 0:18:48I just felt I had to be by the river, and it was the river,
0:18:48 > 0:18:52the River Hooghly, that spawned this famous city,
0:18:52 > 0:18:56because this was where the East India Company sent back tonnes
0:18:56 > 0:19:01and tonnes of spices, back to a world where they just couldn't get enough.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11And I know our love of curry, and the very reason I'm here,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14stems from this plant. Pepper.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20What the British wanted was spice - nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves -
0:19:20 > 0:19:22but, above all, pepper.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27Just imagine what it tasted like if you'd never tasted it before,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29if only a few people could afford it.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33I mean, that heat - there would have been nothing like it.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36You would absolutely think it would make you live longer,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38give you virility, whatever.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40It would make you a better person.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43It was literally worth its weight in gold.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02It's interesting how you come across little culinary jewels.
0:20:02 > 0:20:03Research? Yes.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08Reading guidebooks? OK.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11Talking to local gourmets?
0:20:11 > 0:20:13Well, that's a bit touch and go.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17But on my very first night in the city,
0:20:17 > 0:20:22I tasted a curry in the hotel that blew me away.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28We don't actually tend to film dishes in my travels
0:20:28 > 0:20:32that come from the hotel where I'm staying with the crew.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36But this one, rogan josh, is so good that I just felt we should.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39I think it's quite sort of similar to the rogan josh
0:20:39 > 0:20:41that you get in Kashmir,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44but unfortunately, we haven't been allowed to go to Kashmir, so I don't know.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48But it is a deep red colour and it is absolutely fabulous.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50And this is how it's made.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53He is Chef Moshe.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55And myself, Chef Vikas.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59We're going to cook mutton rogan josh for you all today.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01So, Chef Moshe, we start.
0:21:01 > 0:21:02OK.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04You have whole spices,
0:21:04 > 0:21:08includes cinnamon, green cardamom, clove, bay leaf, mace...
0:21:08 > 0:21:10- Chopped onion. - Chopped onion into it.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12With the spices.
0:21:13 > 0:21:14Ginger and garlic paste.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18And we keep stirring so that it doesn't stick to the pan.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21That's very important. Now we're going to add tomato paste into it.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24It gives a very good colour to your rogan josh.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28And then we'll add all the spices into the mixture.
0:21:28 > 0:21:29Red chilli powder.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Dry coriander seed powder.
0:21:33 > 0:21:34Cumin powder.
0:21:34 > 0:21:39Keep cooking the gravy, and in-between, you just feel the aroma.
0:21:39 > 0:21:44And once the raw flavour has gone off, we add fennel powder and garam masala.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Now, we put the yoghurt into the gravy.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53This is the colour we wanted for the gravy.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Now, where is the meat, I hear you ask?
0:21:56 > 0:21:57It hasn't appeared yet.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00I'll tell you the secret of the mutton rogan josh.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03We cook the mutton beforehand, and we slow-cook it,
0:22:03 > 0:22:07so it gives extra flavour to your mutton. Mutton rogan josh.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11Rogan is the gravy, and josh is the juice.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14The bone marrow - which gets dissolved along with the gravy -
0:22:14 > 0:22:18that gives a very distinct flavour to your mutton rogan josh.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21We'll finish it off with fresh cream.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28That's called mutton rogan josh.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Thanks, Chefs!
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Now, the reason this is so good -
0:22:33 > 0:22:37and I keep wittering on about it - is because the meat is cooked on the bone
0:22:37 > 0:22:41and you get all that gelatinous bone marrow into the gravy,
0:22:41 > 0:22:43making it sweet and silky.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49And, lastly, a flourish of ginger and coriander.
0:22:53 > 0:22:54EAGLE SHRIEKS
0:22:59 > 0:23:05Lucknow, as every curry aficionado knows, is very famous for its food.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09Mainly because the people who ran the place in the 16th and 17th centuries -
0:23:09 > 0:23:12the nawabs, the Muslim rulers -
0:23:12 > 0:23:16were really interested in the arts, music, theatre,
0:23:16 > 0:23:20architecture and food.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24They wanted to outdo the people of Delhi with their fine dishes.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Even this shrine, the Imambara, has a culinary history.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Although its walls are six metres thick,
0:23:31 > 0:23:37the mortar in them is mixed with peanuts, lentils, water chestnut flour and honey.
0:23:37 > 0:23:44And they say you can even hear a whisper through the wall, up to 15 metres away.
0:23:44 > 0:23:45Not a good place for secrets.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48THEY LAUGH AND CHATTER
0:23:51 > 0:23:55The culinary rivalry with the rest of India's towns and cities
0:23:55 > 0:23:58is still alive and well.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02The winner of the very first Indian MasterChef, Pankaj Bhadouria,
0:24:02 > 0:24:04comes from Lucknow.
0:24:04 > 0:24:05HORN BLARES
0:24:05 > 0:24:10Lucknow famous for, of course, its kebabs, biryanis
0:24:10 > 0:24:15and you'll be surprised to see fish motifs on our emblems in Lucknow.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17We've seen it in the Imambara, the fish on the...
0:24:17 > 0:24:20on the portals, on the doors.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23TRAFFIC NOISE AND CHATTER
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Lucknow is situated on the banks of the River Gomti,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29so you have a lot of fish available here.
0:24:31 > 0:24:32So what have we got, then?
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Er, we've got some pomfret here, he's got mackerels.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37- He's got shrimps as well. - Good.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41They get the sea fish from outside, but let's look at this one.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43This one seems good.
0:24:43 > 0:24:44What... What's it called?
0:24:46 > 0:24:48SHE TRANSLATES INTO LOCAL DIALECT
0:24:48 > 0:24:50- Rohu? He says rohu.- Rohu.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52And this one?
0:24:52 > 0:24:53STALLHOLDER SPEAKS IN LOCAL DIALECT
0:24:53 > 0:24:58This is tengan. This is called tengan. It has only one bone inside.
0:24:58 > 0:24:59So it's easier to make fillets out of this.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Oh, that would be good. A bit like...
0:25:01 > 0:25:04So... So we'll buy this, right?
0:25:04 > 0:25:05- Yeah, yeah, let's.- Great.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07SHE SPEAKS IN LOCAL DIALECT
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Now, will they fillet it for you, or are you going to do it at home?
0:25:10 > 0:25:12- He'll do it for me.- OK.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15He'll clean it up nice and proper and then fillet it.
0:25:15 > 0:25:16Can we watch him do it?
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Yeah, sure.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20- He'll do it right before us.- OK.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22You see, he'll remove the bone for me.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Such a different way of filleting...
0:25:25 > 0:25:28We do it with a knife, he's got his own sickle to do it.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30I've asked him to remove the skin.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34I don't want the skin in my mouth when I eat the curry.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36It has to be smooth on your tongue.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40And many a time, the curries, after they've been cooked, they are strained
0:25:40 > 0:25:45so that you do not get any spices in your mouth, you just get the flavours.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50Since she won that competition, she's now quite famous here in Lucknow
0:25:50 > 0:25:53and has opened her own cookery school,
0:25:53 > 0:25:57where she's going to show me how to cook this well-known Lucknowi fish curry.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00So here are the poppy seeds.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02I'm going to roast them lightly.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05So what's the importance of roasting things like the poppy seeds
0:26:05 > 0:26:07and other spices?
0:26:07 > 0:26:09When it comes in contact with the heat, the oils are released,
0:26:09 > 0:26:11the flavours are released, they come out much better.
0:26:11 > 0:26:17So here, I'm going to grind on this stone this poppy seed.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Take a little water...
0:26:19 > 0:26:20Then I need to grind this.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24So, um, why are you using a stone? Could you not use a processor?
0:26:24 > 0:26:26No, Rick! No, I wouldn't.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30Because the essential oils of all the spices are released -
0:26:30 > 0:26:32they get ground, they are crushed.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34So the taste is definitely better.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36So it's much smoother and there's more flavour?
0:26:36 > 0:26:38- Yes.- Now what's next?
0:26:38 > 0:26:42I'll just scoop this out and then I'm going to grind these whole spices here.
0:26:42 > 0:26:43So we've got nutmeg,
0:26:43 > 0:26:48cardamom, cloves, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, mace...
0:26:48 > 0:26:49Yes.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51..black cardamom, chilli powder?
0:26:51 > 0:26:52Yes, chilli powder.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57So add a little water as I go.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00And you'll be surprised to know that, in days gone by,
0:27:00 > 0:27:04people used to employ a man called a masalchi,
0:27:04 > 0:27:08who would come in every morning and grind all the spices for the day.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11So there was a special man assigned to do this job.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13- A masalchi?- Yes, a masalchi.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15OK, so I'm going to take my curd here.
0:27:15 > 0:27:16Yeah?
0:27:16 > 0:27:20And, to this curd, I'm going to add the masala that I've just ground.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23Good.
0:27:23 > 0:27:24All of this.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26I add the poppy seed that I've ground.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30- Along with this goes red chilli powder.- Red chilli powder.
0:27:30 > 0:27:31Next?
0:27:31 > 0:27:34- Then some salt, of course. - Yeah, about half a teaspoon?
0:27:34 > 0:27:36Er, yes, I'll have to check it later.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38It's OK to taste things?
0:27:38 > 0:27:40- For me, it is.- OK.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43- But in most families, yes, it is not.- That's very interesting.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46There's a term called "chuta" - it's not good enough to be served.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50- Because you've tasted it, you can't serve it to anybody.- Wow.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51So after I've added the salt,
0:27:51 > 0:27:53I'm going to add some ginger-garlic paste.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55This is also fresh-ground.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58This is some screw pine water.
0:27:58 > 0:27:59And...
0:27:59 > 0:28:01What is that?
0:28:01 > 0:28:03That's a sweet perfume.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05It's called "nita ithru".
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Nita is sweet.
0:28:07 > 0:28:08That's it.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10And I am going to add some roast gram flour to this.
0:28:10 > 0:28:11Chickpea flour?
0:28:11 > 0:28:13- Yes, it is.- OK.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15And now let me give it a good mix.
0:28:17 > 0:28:18- Can I taste it?- Yeah, sure.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20Thank you very much.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24- Mm.- Seasoning OK?
0:28:24 > 0:28:26- Seasoning, really good.- OK.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28Cos I like salt and it's really nicely seasoned
0:28:28 > 0:28:31cos you've got all that fish that you're going to cook that with.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33- But the spices are lovely. - Thank you.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36- I mean, this is raw but it tastes delicious already.- Thank you.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38This is clarified butter.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40- Ghee.- Or ghee.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44I am going to cover this ghee with some...fried onion.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48Add my fish pieces over this.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50I don't need to marinate it for too long.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52- No.- I just need to mix it in.
0:28:54 > 0:28:55So I cover it up with this lid
0:28:55 > 0:28:58and I am going to seal this with some dough.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01Oh, right. So this is a dum pukht?
0:29:01 > 0:29:03Yes, this is dum machli I am doing.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05- Dum?- Dum, yes.
0:29:05 > 0:29:06Cooking in steam.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08Cooking in its own steam.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10So this method of cooking is called dum pukht,
0:29:10 > 0:29:12and it's really common here.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15It means, as I've just said, "cooked in steam".
0:29:15 > 0:29:20And Pankaj said that even the charcoal flavours penetrate the cooking pot.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24I can't see it myself, but she assures me it's true.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26So how long will that take now then?
0:29:26 > 0:29:28Should take at least 40 minutes.
0:29:28 > 0:29:29OK. Fine.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35She's also made a dhal.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39It's a pigeon pea dhal, flavoured with cloves, cardamoms and yogurt.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42On a betel leaf, she puts a hot lump of charcoal
0:29:42 > 0:29:44and smothers it with ghee.
0:29:44 > 0:29:50Again, she is trying to create a hint of smokiness in amongst the lentils.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53She will remove it after a minute or so.
0:29:53 > 0:29:54Now for the tarka,
0:29:54 > 0:29:57the hot fried spices that give the dhal a real zing.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03That's made with ghee, cumin seeds and garlic.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06And that's the final flourish.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10It's sprinkled with chopped green chillies and mint and that's it.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15And then the fish.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18She calls it tengan. It's a catfish as far as I can tell.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22Very firm flesh, a good clean taste,
0:30:22 > 0:30:28and I think I can smell a sort of barbecuey smokiness coming from the pot.
0:30:28 > 0:30:29This woman really knows her stuff.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37Mm-hmm.
0:30:40 > 0:30:41- That's fabulous.- Thank you.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45You know what you were saying earlier about Lucknowis love soft?
0:30:45 > 0:30:49- Yes.- That's very, very refined.
0:30:49 > 0:30:50- Yeah.- I mean, this is so good.
0:30:50 > 0:30:56How come we don't have more Lucknowi dishes in the world at large then?
0:30:56 > 0:30:58The reason, Rick, is that
0:30:58 > 0:31:02every recipe here is very secretly guarded.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04It's passed on only to the family members.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07And because of that, it is unable to spread to the world.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09Well, I am beginning...
0:31:09 > 0:31:11I tell you what, so far on our trip,
0:31:11 > 0:31:14this is the finest cooking we've come across.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17- Thank you. - And you are a very good cook.
0:31:17 > 0:31:18Thank you.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22- I've just been watching you, you're very deft.- Thank you.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31Well, I think the overall impression from a few months in India
0:31:31 > 0:31:33travelling and tasting everything is,
0:31:33 > 0:31:37the more I know about Indian cooking the more I need to know.
0:31:37 > 0:31:42But that's not saying I haven't learnt a great deal in the time.
0:31:42 > 0:31:47I think, above all, it's the value of freshly ground spice.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55I remember, for example, when we were in Bombay,
0:31:55 > 0:31:58watching these pistons grinding the spice.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00Of course, we named them the "spice pistons",
0:32:00 > 0:32:03rather a good name for a band, don't you think?
0:32:03 > 0:32:09But when you took the red chilli powder from out of that machine and smelled it,
0:32:09 > 0:32:12there was just the most glorious chilli aromas.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18A spice grinder is absolutely essential.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22And one of the things that I sadly miss in the UK is a machine
0:32:22 > 0:32:26that will grind wet and dry spices.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28I remember the first time I came to India,
0:32:28 > 0:32:31I left with a spice grinder about this big.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37I actually bought this in India, this little baby here,
0:32:37 > 0:32:39which works by just grinding the spice
0:32:39 > 0:32:41that we are going to put there between two stones.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44But it's just such a wonderful machine.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48It is what I consider Royal Enfield or an old Roberts radio or something like that.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50Reliable, '60s stuff.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54First of all, some red onions for colour as well as the flavour of onions.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58Don't worry about the fact that one of the wheels isn't going,
0:32:58 > 0:33:00it doesn't work perfectly.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02But indeed it does a wonderful job.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05Nothing's perfect, least of all a Royal Enfield.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08There we go. Now the ginger.
0:33:08 > 0:33:14I promise you, this turns out impeccable masalas.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16Look at it going.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19I wanted the bigger one but I couldn't get it on the plane.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21Oh, my gosh!
0:33:22 > 0:33:25Going like a Trojan.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34WHIRS LOUDLY
0:33:34 > 0:33:36WHIRRING ECHOES
0:33:36 > 0:33:37DUCK QUACKS
0:33:45 > 0:33:47So now we're just going to transfer...
0:33:47 > 0:33:50If I can find a cloth, this is a bit hot.
0:33:50 > 0:33:56..my fried masala into this wonderful...
0:33:56 > 0:33:59mixer/blender/liquidiser.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01There we go, in it goes.
0:34:05 > 0:34:06SPLASHES
0:34:06 > 0:34:08BLEEP!
0:34:13 > 0:34:17Just make sure the lid of your liquidiser is securely on,
0:34:17 > 0:34:22otherwise hot oil could go over your shirt and your face,
0:34:22 > 0:34:26or in my case, WILL go over your shirt and your face.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33So, in nearly 20 years, what's changed?
0:34:33 > 0:34:35The hair.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37- Yeah.- Teeth.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40- Yeah.- Erm, the weight.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43OK, OK, thank you, thank you, Dave!
0:34:45 > 0:34:47In Lucknow, I had the best chicken korma ever.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49Very delicate and creamy.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52It was made by Rocky Mohan,
0:34:52 > 0:34:56a passionate cook who's written many cookery books.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59However, he and his wife, Raka,
0:34:59 > 0:35:02have some misgivings about the word curry.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04- Now, I just want to ask you something.- Tell me.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06- With my mouth full.- Yes.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10I'm sure it's as bad manners here as it is back home, but...
0:35:10 > 0:35:13what...what do you take by the word curry?
0:35:13 > 0:35:16We don't have the word curry in our language at all.
0:35:16 > 0:35:21It's unfair to call our variety as under one major head as curry.
0:35:21 > 0:35:26I think the word curry is coined by the British themselves.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30I think that when they lived in India
0:35:30 > 0:35:34and they were eating at various parts of India,
0:35:34 > 0:35:38so the one single word that they thought would carry the message
0:35:38 > 0:35:39to the kind of food
0:35:39 > 0:35:42they wanted to have, which had gravy, so they called it curry.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45And one thing that I must point out,
0:35:45 > 0:35:48the worst thing that ever happened to Indian food
0:35:48 > 0:35:50is the madras curry powder.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52Absolutely horrendous stuff,
0:35:52 > 0:35:55and you go and add it to just about everything,
0:35:55 > 0:35:56they all taste the same.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58And it was turmeric,
0:35:58 > 0:36:01lots of turmeric, lots of coriander seed powder,
0:36:01 > 0:36:06some cumin and all dumped together and tasted horrible.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10Oh, dear! I can't agree with that!
0:36:10 > 0:36:13I think I'm right in saying that we British fell madly,
0:36:13 > 0:36:15deeply in love with curry.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17First through curry powder
0:36:17 > 0:36:20and then through the thousands of so-called Indian restaurants
0:36:20 > 0:36:24that spread to virtually every high street in the land.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31It's one of those curious things
0:36:31 > 0:36:34but although India got her independence in 1947,
0:36:34 > 0:36:36they wouldn't allow any Indians
0:36:36 > 0:36:39to join the Madras Club until the early '60s.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41It's unbelievable.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45I'm here because of the most famous soup in India,
0:36:45 > 0:36:49the one created in the heyday of the Raj by the British.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51It's not often that strangers
0:36:51 > 0:36:55get invited into these hallowed, erm, grounds.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58So I feel, you know, very, very lucky.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02But more so that they're actually making mulligatawny soup for me
0:37:02 > 0:37:06because, as I understand it, this is where it came from.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08He's starting off by making a paste.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12We've got some coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black pepper seeds,
0:37:12 > 0:37:17ginger, garlic, mint, turmeric, water going in here.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20- Is that garam masala or... - It's a curry powder.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22Curry powder. Curry powder? Wow.
0:37:22 > 0:37:23Curry powder!
0:37:23 > 0:37:25Madras!
0:37:27 > 0:37:30BLENDER WHIRS
0:37:30 > 0:37:33How popular is mulligatawny soup in the club?
0:37:33 > 0:37:36It's very popular. It is our signature dish.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38However, the most popular dish is the roast lamb,
0:37:38 > 0:37:42grilled chicken, and we have shepherd's pie.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45- These are the very most popular dish.- Wow!
0:37:45 > 0:37:47I would certainly feel at home.
0:37:49 > 0:37:55So that pungent green chloroformy paste goes into a saucepan with carrots, leeks,
0:37:55 > 0:37:58celery, onions, cardamom and tomatoes.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02They've already been fried with cloves and cinnamon.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05And now the chicken.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10Add a tablespoon of flour and turmeric.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16Chicken stock, water.
0:38:18 > 0:38:19A tadge more turmeric.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23And then simmer for at least half an hour,
0:38:23 > 0:38:25until the chicken is cooked.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30Coconut milk.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34And now two teaspoonfuls of salt.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36And then sieve.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40A squeeze of fresh lime.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43I know they look like lemons, but they're limes.
0:38:43 > 0:38:44And then rice.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47And voila.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51The first mulligatawny I've tasted for 20 years.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53That is very nice indeed.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55It's really intense in flavour.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59And what's interesting, it's really hot, but there's no chilli in it.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01It's just hot with black pepper.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04I'm rather saddened, really, because you used to be able buy
0:39:04 > 0:39:06tins of mulligatawny soup
0:39:06 > 0:39:07very easily in the UK,
0:39:07 > 0:39:10but I guess the taste for it has just...has gone.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12Partly, I suspect,
0:39:12 > 0:39:15because the tinned soup tasted nothing like this.
0:39:15 > 0:39:20This is thick and absolutely full of lovely green, spicy flavour.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34CAR HORN BEEPS
0:39:34 > 0:39:35This is my daily journey
0:39:35 > 0:39:39from the bungalow where I'm cooking to the market.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42Looking out of the window is far better than watching the telly.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44Everywhere a picture
0:39:44 > 0:39:48and every picture a clue to what India is all about.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07I keep seeing all this different-coloured bunting everywhere.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09I've just passed through an area of silver bunting.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12And I asked a local and he said,
0:40:12 > 0:40:15"Well, if it's silver and white, it's for the Christians.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17"If it's yellow, it's for the Hindus.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19"If it's green, it's for the Muslims.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22"And if it's red, it's for the Communists."
0:40:22 > 0:40:25I think that says quite a lot about Kerala, really.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35I like coming here.
0:40:35 > 0:40:36This is a great little market.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39The vegetables are so cheap.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42You know, I could easily buy enough to feed a couple of dozen people
0:40:42 > 0:40:44for just a few pounds.
0:40:44 > 0:40:49It's a good place to think about food and decide what I'm about to cook.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52I never feel like a tourist in a market.
0:40:52 > 0:40:57I may not know every vegetable and spice but I feel I'm part of it.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01They're making poppadoms here.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04They're made with gram flour. That's chickpea flour.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08When they're fried, they give so much enjoyment with chutneys,
0:41:08 > 0:41:12pickles, fruit mixed with onions and accompanied by a cold beer,
0:41:12 > 0:41:15in anticipation of a really good curry to come.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22I think it was the poppadom that was the spur that made us
0:41:22 > 0:41:25all go to Indian restaurants in the '50s and '60s.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28Because although you could get a curry of sorts back at home,
0:41:28 > 0:41:31you'd never get a poppadom.
0:41:32 > 0:41:33OIL SIZZLES
0:41:33 > 0:41:35Note in the margin.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39If your poppadoms are soggy, leave the restaurant immediately
0:41:39 > 0:41:41because the curry won't be very good. You've been warned!
0:41:45 > 0:41:49Well, this is the most popular vegetable dish in Kerala,
0:41:49 > 0:41:52I would suggest. It's called thoran.
0:41:52 > 0:41:57You find it everywhere and the great thing about it is it's an easy way
0:41:57 > 0:41:59of using whatever's fresh and beautiful
0:41:59 > 0:42:01in the market on a daily basis.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04Now, I've just got some coconut oil in the pan there.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07I'm just going to add about a teaspoon of mustard seeds,
0:42:07 > 0:42:10a teaspoon of cumin seeds
0:42:10 > 0:42:13and a handful of curry leaves.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15OIL SIZZLES
0:42:15 > 0:42:18Now I'm going to just break a couple of dried red chillies in there.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22Just stir that round a little bit.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28And now, through the wonders of modern kitchen equipment,
0:42:28 > 0:42:33I'm going to grate some ginger, whole fresh ginger to add that to.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35It's just a little bit hot and I've done the ginger.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39I might just add a little bit of water just to bring the temperature down a bit.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43I'm doing this because I've seen them do it all over India
0:42:43 > 0:42:45and that's before I add the turmeric,
0:42:45 > 0:42:49because I don't want the turmeric to burn at all.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51Just get the rest of the ginger off there.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53Now then.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55There we go.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57And now for my turmeric.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02I mean, I just...love this vegetable dish.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05What I think is really good about it
0:43:05 > 0:43:08is that it's flavoured with coconuts,
0:43:08 > 0:43:10first, obviously, with the coconut oil,
0:43:10 > 0:43:13but at the end I'm going to put in some grated fresh coconut.
0:43:13 > 0:43:18And there's virtually no water in it so it's very, very concentrated.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20There we go, just add in the turmeric
0:43:20 > 0:43:23and now some freshly-ground black pepper,
0:43:23 > 0:43:26about a teaspoon, I suppose.
0:43:26 > 0:43:27And them some salt.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29Just under a teaspoon.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32And now for my vegetables.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34Now, you make thoran, as I've said,
0:43:34 > 0:43:37with whatever comes out of the market -
0:43:37 > 0:43:42spinach, cabbage and, in this case, carrots.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44They call these English vegetables
0:43:44 > 0:43:47because they're not originally from Kerala.
0:43:47 > 0:43:51I must say, the carrots here are absolutely wonderful.
0:43:51 > 0:43:53And then cabbage. Very finely chopped up.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56Everything in a thoran is very finely chopped up.
0:43:56 > 0:44:02Stir that around, until it is thoroughly amalgamated
0:44:02 > 0:44:03and then I'm just going to
0:44:03 > 0:44:09put a lid on and leave it to cook very gently for about five minutes,
0:44:09 > 0:44:11just to cook the vegetables.
0:44:11 > 0:44:15But what I really like to do with the carrot is just leave it
0:44:15 > 0:44:18with a little bit of crunch when I serve up the dish.
0:44:18 > 0:44:23I just put on the lid and wait for about five minutes.
0:44:23 > 0:44:25Have you thought of bringing another shirt with you?
0:44:25 > 0:44:27I know, Dave, but it's so hot
0:44:27 > 0:44:30I don't even think the dog likes being around me!
0:44:30 > 0:44:33So, now that should be ready
0:44:33 > 0:44:39for the final addition, which is first of all some freshly-grated coconut.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41That is so important in there,
0:44:41 > 0:44:43it just gives it a real sort of lightness.
0:44:43 > 0:44:45It just goes in at the last minute.
0:44:45 > 0:44:47In fact, some people don't even stir it in,
0:44:47 > 0:44:49they just leave it on the top.
0:44:49 > 0:44:53And finally, some sliced green chillies.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56So it is quite hot, no doubt about that.
0:44:58 > 0:45:02But, erm, everyone loves chillies in Kerala.
0:45:04 > 0:45:09Now, I just sort of thought it might be tempting fate, but Ashok,
0:45:09 > 0:45:13whose house this is we're filming, is just nearby.
0:45:13 > 0:45:17I might just ask him if he'd like to come and try one of his
0:45:17 > 0:45:22traditional Keralan dishes cooked by an Englishman.
0:45:22 > 0:45:23Would you mind?
0:45:23 > 0:45:25Of course, Rick, I'd like to taste your dish.
0:45:25 > 0:45:26It looks really original.
0:45:26 > 0:45:28- Does it?- Yeah, it does.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30Just like how Malli serves it at home.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33- Let's see if it tastes the same. - Oh, gosh! Here we go!
0:45:33 > 0:45:36- OK. A little taste, OK? - It might be a bit hot.
0:45:38 > 0:45:40- You've got it, Rick. - Oh, gosh, Ashok! You are nice!
0:45:40 > 0:45:42You've got the taste!
0:45:42 > 0:45:44It's really nice.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46I'm going to take one more.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48- Thank you.- Thank you!
0:45:48 > 0:45:51- You've made my day.- Lovely.
0:45:51 > 0:45:53- Good.- Thank you, Rick.- Thank you!
0:45:59 > 0:46:01FISHERMEN CHANT
0:46:09 > 0:46:12These fishermen have been out all night.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15There's about seven or eight in each crew and what impresses me
0:46:15 > 0:46:19is how strong they are, getting these boats up.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22I love the chant as they're pulling,
0:46:22 > 0:46:25trying to get themselves the strength to pull the boat up the beach.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31MEN CHANT
0:46:33 > 0:46:38Sometimes when we're bumping along in our minibus from one dusty town to another,
0:46:38 > 0:46:43I think people think everything about filming is fun, but it's not, to be honest.
0:46:43 > 0:46:45A lot of the time you're hot, you're sweaty,
0:46:45 > 0:46:48you're trying to think of something yet again wonderful to say
0:46:48 > 0:46:50about another mutton curry,
0:46:50 > 0:46:55but this morning, it's really turned up trumps.
0:46:55 > 0:46:59I mean, this is seriously what filming is all about for me.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04I'm coming to the end of my stay here now.
0:47:04 > 0:47:08And I'm going to cook the best fish curry ever,
0:47:08 > 0:47:13for all the people who've made my time here so enormously pleasurable.
0:47:13 > 0:47:15As it's such a special day,
0:47:15 > 0:47:19I thought I'd get a really special fish for the curry, snapper -
0:47:19 > 0:47:22firm and fresh tasting.
0:47:24 > 0:47:28Truth to tell, I first tasted this many weeks ago
0:47:28 > 0:47:30on the Coromandel Coast.
0:47:30 > 0:47:31Where the early pumpkins blow.
0:47:33 > 0:47:37I wasn't expecting very much from a cafe on the beach,
0:47:37 > 0:47:41but when it was served to me, in all its gold and red glory,
0:47:41 > 0:47:44I thought, "Blimey, this is the one."
0:47:48 > 0:47:50That is just simply perfect.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53I mean, the fish is so fresh, it's... You can taste the sea.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55You know, when it's dead fresh fish like that.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59Nobody ever gets it wrong when it's fresh like that.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02So would you put that on your list of best curries?
0:48:02 > 0:48:03Would I?!
0:48:03 > 0:48:08I mean, seriously, for me, and I think I'm a bit biased, I have to say,
0:48:08 > 0:48:10but fish curry like this...
0:48:12 > 0:48:14..could be...could be the one.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21And, so, this is it, the final countdown.
0:48:21 > 0:48:23Some of the guests have arrived already.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26Ashok's busy with his flute,
0:48:26 > 0:48:31and it'll take about 30 minutes from now to make this perfect curry.
0:48:33 > 0:48:38This is local snapper and I must say it is lovely, steaky fish,
0:48:38 > 0:48:39ideal for a curry.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42I'm keeping the skin on to keep it together
0:48:42 > 0:48:46but I suspect there's going to be some really nice sort of fattiness,
0:48:46 > 0:48:48which I adore, just under the skin.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51So I'm really looking forward to cooking this.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56Now then...just nip...and wash my hands.
0:48:59 > 0:49:01It's so very pleasant, this kitchen.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03It's got everything you need -
0:49:03 > 0:49:06an outdoor field, running cold water and a pet snake.
0:49:08 > 0:49:09Now then.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12Into...making the curry.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16Triple batch, so lots and lots of vegetable oil
0:49:16 > 0:49:17in the bottom of my karahi.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20Hope it's going to be big enough for all this.
0:49:20 > 0:49:24And then two to three teaspoons of yellow mustard seeds.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27I'm just going to let them brown slightly.
0:49:30 > 0:49:32Fab.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34So, in they go.
0:49:35 > 0:49:38Can't tell you how important it is
0:49:38 > 0:49:40to cook the onions for a good long time.
0:49:40 > 0:49:42This is going to be about ten minutes.
0:49:42 > 0:49:47But I'm rewarded by a wonderful aroma of cooking onions.
0:49:47 > 0:49:51And the mustard seeds are adding immeasurably to that.
0:49:52 > 0:49:57Now, we've got about ten cloves of garlic, Indian cloves.
0:49:57 > 0:49:59- I'm going to miss this. - BANGS PAN
0:49:59 > 0:50:01I know I'm a bit pathetic about my pans,
0:50:01 > 0:50:06but this has been my friend all through these cooking sequences.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08It's perfect, it's got real thickness
0:50:08 > 0:50:11and therefore, it holds the heat.
0:50:11 > 0:50:14Once it's up to heat, nothing seems to burn too much.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17OK, now curry leaves.
0:50:17 > 0:50:20Sometimes you put curry leaves in at the end,
0:50:20 > 0:50:21but in a lot of dishes
0:50:21 > 0:50:24you put them in right at the beginning and fry them.
0:50:24 > 0:50:28When I think, when the curry leaves first got to the UK
0:50:28 > 0:50:33and you had them in little jars and they were dried, a bit like parsley,
0:50:33 > 0:50:35you can't be using those.
0:50:35 > 0:50:38Got to use the fresh ones, and if you can't get 'em -
0:50:38 > 0:50:40or frozen, they're good - leave 'em out.
0:50:40 > 0:50:42OK, now some turmeric.
0:50:42 > 0:50:47About a heaped teaspoon for this large portion of madras fish curry.
0:50:47 > 0:50:52But I am going to be quite serious with my chilli.
0:50:52 > 0:50:54Probably about four teaspoons.
0:50:54 > 0:50:57Kashmiri chilli... Let's make it five.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59Just Kashmiri chilli, it's not too hot.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02I tend to prefer that to any other,
0:51:02 > 0:51:05because you get that lovely red colour
0:51:05 > 0:51:07and you don't get searing heat.
0:51:07 > 0:51:12There we go, in that goes, and now a lot of freshly ground coriander.
0:51:12 > 0:51:15One, two, three, four.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18Good. Stir that around.
0:51:19 > 0:51:24Not too long, about 30 seconds. I don't want it to burn.
0:51:24 > 0:51:26And now I'm going to put some tomato in.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29A lot of tomato, cos there's a lot of curry.
0:51:33 > 0:51:38Now, the most...apart from the snapper, apart from the fish...
0:51:38 > 0:51:41the most important ingredient...
0:51:41 > 0:51:46is tamarind water, or tamarind liquor, cos it's really thick.
0:51:46 > 0:51:48I'm going to put all that in there.
0:51:48 > 0:51:54A very lovely souring agent used all over Southern India.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56Look at that now.
0:51:56 > 0:52:01What I love about this curry is it's got very few ingredients,
0:52:01 > 0:52:04everything is cooked at the last minute, as it should be with fish.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08And now some chillies.
0:52:08 > 0:52:12About four or five green chillies.
0:52:12 > 0:52:13Stir that in.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16Beautiful.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18And now some salt.
0:52:20 > 0:52:22This is the sort of dish I like.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25In goes the salt, couple of teaspoons.
0:52:25 > 0:52:26Stir that in.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30And, next, the fish.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32And then it's done.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36So wonderful about fish dishes,
0:52:36 > 0:52:39so easy, so simple to cook.
0:52:39 > 0:52:43Look at that. Beautiful, firm snapper.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46Now, then. Just stir that in,
0:52:46 > 0:52:49carefully.
0:52:49 > 0:52:53It won't break up very easily but once
0:52:53 > 0:52:54I've got the heat going again
0:52:54 > 0:52:58and it's starting to cook, I won't stir it any more
0:52:58 > 0:53:01cos I don't want those lovely chunks to break up.
0:53:03 > 0:53:06Now, then, just going to have a little taste of this,
0:53:06 > 0:53:08to make sure I've got the seasoning right.
0:53:12 > 0:53:14Oh!
0:53:14 > 0:53:16That's my sort of dish.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19It's just so fresh with all that tamarind and tomato,
0:53:19 > 0:53:22the sort of green flavours,
0:53:22 > 0:53:25and it'll just suit this fish perfectly.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29So, there it is, my perfect madras fish curry.
0:53:29 > 0:53:30Erm, excuse me.
0:53:30 > 0:53:35Shouldn't it be more correct in saying, erm, Chennai fish curry?
0:53:35 > 0:53:37Chennai fish curry?
0:53:37 > 0:53:39Do you want me to get a bit grumpy?
0:53:39 > 0:53:41Because I'm perfectly capable of it, but...
0:53:41 > 0:53:44what does Chennai mean to me, you know?
0:53:44 > 0:53:47I mean, I was born and brought up on madras curry powder,
0:53:47 > 0:53:51the Indian restaurants with hot madras curries.
0:53:51 > 0:53:53No way!
0:53:53 > 0:53:54I'm sorry!
0:53:54 > 0:53:58I know it's politically, perfectly correct, but not for me, no.
0:54:00 > 0:54:02That's a proper Indian curry.
0:54:06 > 0:54:10MELODIC FLUTE
0:54:13 > 0:54:16I really did enjoy cooking that.
0:54:16 > 0:54:20And it's funny how cooking certain dishes really makes you come alive.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23Malli made a dhal to go with the fish,
0:54:23 > 0:54:26and I just hope that people are hungry.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31I'm not too worried about what they think because I know, being a cook,
0:54:31 > 0:54:38or a fish cook, for nearly 40 years, it's going to be absolutely spot-on.
0:54:38 > 0:54:40I hope there's enough to go around.
0:54:40 > 0:54:42Well, I hope there's enough to go around, too.
0:54:42 > 0:54:44- Rick, it's delicious.- Oh!
0:54:44 > 0:54:47And I love the spin of the tomatoes on the fish curry.
0:54:47 > 0:54:48- LAUGHS - See?
0:54:48 > 0:54:50- Ooh, sorry. - Are you going to have some?
0:54:50 > 0:54:53I always think they're only saying it to be nice.
0:54:53 > 0:54:57But...it's very good fish, I must say.
0:55:09 > 0:55:10Really nice.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13It's an Indian curry, a good curry, fish curry.
0:55:13 > 0:55:15Very, very... Yeah, I like it a lot.
0:55:16 > 0:55:20We love our fish nice and tart and spicy - and got it.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23It was very rich, very good.
0:55:23 > 0:55:25Oh, it's actually fabulous.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28It tastes very, very good. Very good.
0:55:28 > 0:55:29Well, this is my darling wife, Sarah.
0:55:29 > 0:55:31Sassie, what do you think of the fish curry?
0:55:31 > 0:55:33Ricky, I think it's kalam.
0:55:33 > 0:55:35Kalam? What does that mean?
0:55:35 > 0:55:36Bloody good.
0:55:36 > 0:55:39LAUGHS
0:55:39 > 0:55:41So, Rick, final goodbye and I am really going to miss you.
0:55:41 > 0:55:43Same here.
0:55:44 > 0:55:46- Bye. - Goodbye, Ashok. It's been lovely.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49I'd give you a kiss but it's probably not the right thing.
0:55:49 > 0:55:50We'll see you soon. OK.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53LAUGHTER
0:55:55 > 0:56:00Thank you, India, for a mind-blasting curry extravaganza.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11People said to me before I came here
0:56:11 > 0:56:16that I wouldn't get such a nice curry as we get back at home.
0:56:16 > 0:56:19To those people, I say unto them,
0:56:19 > 0:56:22try and get out a bit more - it broadens your horizons.
0:56:22 > 0:56:24The generosity I received was overwhelming.
0:56:24 > 0:56:28The dishes I tasted, not all of them, but most,
0:56:28 > 0:56:32were full of beautiful spice.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35And it was the sort of food that made you think.
0:56:35 > 0:56:37Much in the same way that a book or a painting
0:56:37 > 0:56:39can stimulate the little grey cells.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41I've said this before,
0:56:41 > 0:56:44but once the thought of a curry enters your head,
0:56:44 > 0:56:46then nothing else will do.
0:56:46 > 0:56:52Not a Chinese, not a pizza, not a burger. It has to be a curry.
0:56:52 > 0:56:56The curries in the North, eaten with bread, were full of ghee and cream
0:56:56 > 0:56:58and chillies, of course.
0:56:58 > 0:57:01So different from those in the South, made with tamarind and curry leaf.
0:57:22 > 0:57:27I loved the fish curries, cooked in mustard oil and coconut, from Calcutta.
0:57:27 > 0:57:29They were really deep and satisfying.
0:57:29 > 0:57:30And the pulaos from Lucknow.
0:57:30 > 0:57:32Would you say this was perfect?
0:57:39 > 0:57:42I liked going into the kitchens of the fishing families
0:57:42 > 0:57:47to see how they made something really special from that day's catch.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50Oh, this was really special,
0:57:50 > 0:57:52the best-known street food in Bombay.
0:57:54 > 0:57:55- Wow!- What do you think?
0:57:55 > 0:58:00Pav bhaji, once eaten, never forgotten.
0:58:00 > 0:58:03What brilliant mind said it? But I think it's so true -
0:58:03 > 0:58:08that to understand a country, first of all, you have to eat it.
0:58:08 > 0:58:10And I just did.
0:58:10 > 0:58:12And it was delicious.
0:58:12 > 0:58:14THEY SING IN LOCAL DIALECT
0:58:51 > 0:58:53That's a mind-blasting curry, Ricky!
0:58:53 > 0:58:56Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd