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My home, my food

In an increasingly small world even globetrotters prefer home-made food

MUMMY'S MOST YUMMY Frequent travellers may appreciate world cuisine, but given a choice, they would opt for a fresh home-cooked meal any day Photo: Mahesh Harilal

How many people do we know who are really world travellers of high ranking? High flyers who change their flights as often as their shirts? The list will be endless for many of us. They are the ones who can afford to eat anything, right from Beluga caviar, priced at Rs.5400 for 50 grams, to goose liver pate, to the most exclusive smoked salmon.

Now, ask these worthy friends what they really enjoy despite God being so kind to them. The most likely answer is that they enjoy their home food. Wherever you take the man, you cannot take the mother's kitchen out of his heart. And stomach.

Home food may be a regional speciality, which is closest to home. It may be a good fresh dal and vegetable along with rice and /or phulka, or a simple gatta curry or any other regional dish. The non-vegetarians may like fresh chicken curry or a good Goan fish curry. Just the way they have it at home.

No matter where you go across the world, however you experiment with your food, develop the taste buds, eat food for the joy of trying out something new or consume a particular food because it is the done thing and goes well with your status, you will always come back home for that familiar meal.

That reminds one of "Mero man kaha anant sukh pavey, jaise ude jahaz se panchhi phir jahaz per aavey." How beautifully it explains it all when taken in the context of food!

Go wherever you want and try out all the foods of the world, but the craving for home food will bring you back to homemade food.

Simple luxuries

The fragrance of fresh coriander leaves in a simple curry, the freshly crushed peppercorn in Chettinad curry, the ever-pleasing tadka in a dal. Ask its value from someone who has been travelling all the time!

Yes, in today's age when eating out is in, it is still homemade food, or food just like home, that scores with people. Little wonder, even five-star hotels are trying to hold festivals that take you back to the roots.

It is not uncommon to find guests who meet the chef personally and put in the request to be served with simple food like tori ki subzi, home-style chicken curry, tawa phulka and simply green salad.

Of course, some hotels charge you extra for these privileges, but usually they are only too happy to meet the special requests of their guests.

Now here is a recipe, truly from Kerala, the land of natural beauty, which you can add to your list of favourites.

KERALA CHICKEN CURRY

Ingredients
150 gms boneless chicken, curry cut
150 ml coconut milk
30 gms sliced onion
2 sliced green chillies
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
Half teaspoon chopped garlic
20 ml coconut oil
Half teaspoon mustard seeds
Half teaspoon coriander powder
One third teaspoon red chilly powder
Salt to taste
Half teaspoon turmeric powder
8-10 curry leaves

Method

Heat oil in a pan. Once the oil is heated, add mustard seeds and cook till they crackle. Add ginger paste, garlic paste and cook till it leaves the sides. Add sliced onion and cook till transparent. Add the powder spices and cook for 1 minute.

Add curry leaves. Add chicken and fry chicken in the pan. When half done, add the coconut cream and cook on slow fire. Check the consistency of the gravy and if needed, add some water. Check seasoning. Once the chicken is done, remove from fire and serve hot.

RAKESH KUMAR

(The author is Executive Chef, Crowne Plaza. He can be emailed at chefrk @crowneplazadelhi.com)

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