Power in Spice Mixes
The healing power of endless curries.
I have eaten curry in some form for almost all of my meals this past week.
When the grief first hit I didn’t want to cook, and at home we ate a lot of sandwiches, or chicken wings, if we weren’t at home. Then Tom reminded me that cooking makes me feel better, so I started to chop onions again.
My friend’s mum makes incredible curries. We ate them from the pan at 1am when I was over last, and I tried to decipher the spices she had used. I got home the next day and made a chicken and chickpea curry that fed us for three days. The sense of achievement was enough to sail me through until the weekend. Then I made chicken stock, and a biriyani, and allowed myself to eat it for every meal until I didn’t crave the warmth of it anymore. The soothing mingle of cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, clove, fenugreek, mustard seeds. The warmth of the chilli flakes. The satisfaction of using a whole chicken, every last bit. It felt a lot like love.
Chicken and Chickpea Curry
Feeds 2 for a few meals.
2 chicken breasts
2 chicken thighs
1 red onion
4 tomatoes
1 tin chickpeas
Tomato paste
3 cloves garlic
Chunk of ginger
Corn oil
Salt
Spices: Cumin, Garam Masala, Turmeric, Fenugreek, Fennel Seeds, Yellow Mustard Seeds, Black Cumin Seeds, Ground Clove, Cinnamon, Cardamom Pods, Ground Cayenne, Chilli Flakes
Rice: Basmati rice, Salt, Ground Clove, Black Cumin Seeds, Star Anise
Fry the onion until it loses the raw smell in enough corn oil. One tablespoon is not enough.
Fry off the garlic and ginger, and toast the spices
Add the spices and the chicken
Add the chopped tomatoes and cook down until they start to soften. Use their juice to loosen any good stuck bits on the bottom of the pan.
Add tomato paste and enough salt. One teaspoon is not enough.
Add a little water, remembering this curry will cook down and you want it thick.
Add the chickpeas.
Cover, and cook on low for at least 3 hours.
Wash your rice.
Cook your rice however you like to cook your rice, adding all the ingredients at the start with a gentle stir. I use a rice cooker.
Serve with chutneys and raita
Other Stuff
1900 year old Roman swords found in a cave by the Red Sea in Israel.
Making a Manx Babban ny Mheillea to celebrate the end of harvest
Nigerian photographer Obinna Obioma’s Anyi N’aga (We are going) project celebrates the simple plastic bag known as the Ghana Must-Go bag and recognises its humble part in thousands of lives through carrying personal belongings and memories, becoming a symbol of migration. The hair wrap!!!
Brussels Beer Project’s Dansaert Lambic project was the first to be launched in Brussels in years—now they are making Gueuze. Read all about it at Brussels Beer City.
My Stuff
Still writing for Glug, you can only read those pieces if you subscribe to their wine box.
I will be hosting an open discussion on sustainability in beer at Indy Man Beer Con with Pellicle in October. More info here.
My bar Corto is closing down on Sunday 17th September—just two weeks time.
I am actively looking for commissions, freelance copywriting work and other projects that might suit my style of writing. If you’d like to work with me, please reply to this email with some ideas.
