Mother-in-law knows best (From Dudley News)

Mother-in-law knows best

7:00am Saturday 23rd August 2008

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Simon Daley got some mixed responses when he told people about his latest project.

By Gabrielle Fagan "'Working with your mother-in-law? No! Really, you're brave! You can have mine if you like...' Those were just a few of the reactions," Simon says with a smile as he recalls the good-humoured jibes when he announced he was teaming up to cook with his ma-in-law.

Despite risking making himself the butt of traditional jokes from pals, it seems that this particular son-in-law has had the last laugh.

Simon, a keen self-taught home cook and curry addict, fell in love with his Indian mother-in-law's cooking the first time they met 11 years ago.

Together they've now produced a book revealing her culinary secrets and irresistible dishes.

Cooking With My Indian Mother-In-Law includes traditional dishes inspired by his in-laws' Gujarati roots in India, influences from Islam and Africa and modern adaptations so the dishes are suitable for today's British cooks.

Simon, a 36-year-old art director, is lyrical about that initial meeting with Roshan - whom he calls 'Rose' - Hirani after being taken to her house by his then-girlfriend and now wife, Salima, 38.

"I'll never forget my first visit to Rose's house. She welcomed me into her home in the way she knew best - by offering good food.

"The moment I tasted her divine chicken curry I was in awe. Like any Brit, I knew and loved Indian food, but the food I tasted on that day was something beyond what I had come to expect. The flavours were cleaner, brighter, and yet despite its depth and savour, the food was somehow lighter than I had experienced before."

Over the years he and Rose, 63, slaved over a hot stove together, Simon faithfully recorded the exact ingredients and methods.

The book is a real family affair - Salima, an editor, took all the photographs while the other two worked away in the couple's east London kitchen.

"We got the idea for the book because traditionally these recipes have been passed from mothers to daughters over centuries," Simon explains.

"Nowadays modern Asian women are encouraged to have careers by their parents. It means that they have less time to spend learning the tried and tested techniques and methods handed down over generations.

"That's exactly the case with Salima who loves her mum's cooking but is so busy with her job and looking after our three-year-old son that she prefers to eat Indian food rather than make it!"

By collaborating on the book he, Rose and Salima hope that they have in some small part averted the danger of many Indian home cooking recipes being lost forever.

Rose, the eldest daughter of a large Indian family, cooked most of the meals from the age of 11.

"She's an instinctive cook who doesn't measure anything or work from recipes," Simon says.

"It's all in her head. She adapts and improves her food all the time and now tries to make her everyday recipes as healthy as possible, for example not using ghee (Indian butter) and switching to oils."

Simon has distilled her methods and knowledge and explains that the pair have done their best to make even the most elaborate dishes easy to prepare at home without needing special equipment.

"We've included many simple, everyday dishes which people hanker after as well as some of the more elaborate, special occasion foods."

Soon Rose is moving from her own home in Wembley, London, to go and live with her daughter and son-in-law. It will be even easier for her to cook for the family and make what Simon calls her legendary chapatis ("light and fluffy as breeze-blown pillowcases") and of course those divine curries.

Their book features more than 100 recipes from classic dishes such as Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Biriani, and Samosas to unusual regional specialities such as Stuffed Chillies and Savoury Vegetable Cake. There are also recipes for chutneys, pickles and relishes, snacks, savouries, drinks and sweets.

Simon recommends one of his favourites, Prawn Curry (Soneya Nu Saak), to even the most hardened of takeaway fans.

"It's so quickly rustled up, it feels like convenience food and it's wonderful even if you use frozen prawns.

"This punchy, deliciously spicy curry is a regular treat in our house and in fact is the jewel in the crown of our store cupboard standbys. With a bag of prawns in the freezer, you can make a curry quicker than you can say 'takeaway menu'."

PRAWN CURRY (SONEYA NU SAAK) "The flavour is complex, satisfying and special enough to serve to guests," Simon says.

"On such occasions, splash out and buy fresh jumbo king prawns."

(serves two with chapatis) 325g/11oz peeled cooked prawns (shrimp), thoroughly defrosted if frozen 3 tbsp groundnut (peanut) oil 1 small onion, very finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed with 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp Madras curry powder 1 tsp dhana jiru (available from Indian grocers and supermarkets, online or make your own following the recipe below) 1/2 tsp chilli powder 1/2 tsp turmeric 200ml/7 fl oz crushed canned plum tomatoes and juice (about half a can) 1 tbsp tomato puree (paste) 1/2 tbsp finely-chopped coriander (cilantro) stems 1/2 tbsp roughly-chopped or torn coriander (cilantro) leaves First wash the prawns. Remove the dark vein running along the back of larger ones by making a light incision and scraping it away.

Dry the prawns, pressing them gently between sheets of kitchen paper to extract excess moisture. It is important to do this thoroughly; if the prawns are too wet, you'll end up with a rather sloppy result.

Once dry, bundle them up in some kitchen paper and place in a bowl in the fridge while you make the masala. Heat the oil in a medium-sized pan and fry the onion over a gentle heat until golden-brown (about 10 minutes).

Keep the heat lowish and stir regularly to cook the onion evenly. Don't be tempted to do this over a high heat to speed things up - the onion will burn, or at least cook less evenly, and the resulting flavour just won't be as good.

When the onion is golden-brown, add the garlic paste and spices. Cook for a few seconds, then add three tablespoons of water and cook gently until reduced to a slushy paste. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree and coriander stems, increase the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until the oil pools around the sides of the pan.

Add the prawns and cook gently for a few minutes until they are heated through (the size of prawns you have will dictate how long they need). Don't overdo it or the prawns will toughen. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the coriander leaves.

DHANA JIRU "Don't be tempted to mix ready-ground spices to make dhana jiru. It just doesn't taste the same and believe me, I've tried it," Simon says.

For 560g/1 lb 4oz, use 350g/12oz coriander seeds, and 225g/8oz cumin seeds.

Preheat your oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

Scatter the seeds on a baking tray then put the tray into the hot oven. Roast the spices for five minutes (use a timer if you're likely to forget).

Remove the tray from the oven and allow the spices to cool completely. Grind to a fine powder in small batches using either a coffee grinder or spice mill.

:: If you love shellfish but haven't time to slave over a hot stove, pick up a couple of Marks & Spencer's new Italian-inspired dishes. Lasagne with Salmon and Prawns is £7.99, and goes well with a bottle of M&S Arneis, £7.99.

Another tempting offering is King Prawn Risotto with Soave Wine and Baby Spinach, £7.99. Match the wine used in the recipe with a bottle of M&S Fattori Soave £7.99.

:: Stuck for interesting ideas for children's picnic sandwiches or for those back-school-lunchboxes? Marmite has launched a hotline which will come up with inspiration at the drop of an email and banish sarnie stress.

All mums need to do is email help@marmiteSOS.com with a list of children's favourite sandwich ingredients and/or their store cupboard essentials. It will respond with a selection of nutritious, interesting fillings.

:: Cooking With My Indian Mother-In-Law by Simon Daley with Roshan Hirani, photographs by Salima Hirani, is published by Pavilion, priced £20. Available now.

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