- 2 months ago
Food and drink writer Holly Allton knows her stuff - but not her way around a kitchen. Yet!
Join Holly as she attempts to make a curry for the first time, visits Tharavadu in Leeds to speak to some experts, and tests her knowledge with a quick quiz.
Join Holly as she attempts to make a curry for the first time, visits Tharavadu in Leeds to speak to some experts, and tests her knowledge with a quick quiz.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00If you have the right mentality and you're going into it and you really want to learn,
00:03I think that's the most important part.
00:05Right, let's snip this chicken up.
00:09Oh, this is an experience.
00:11Hi, my name's Holly Alton and I'm a food and drink writer for National World.
00:15I do plenty of reviews and I know what I'm talking about when it comes to good quality food.
00:20However, I actually cannot cook myself.
00:23Come with me on my journey as I discover my way around a kitchen.
00:30The theme of today's episode is Indian food.
00:33So I am going to try and create one of the most popular Indian dishes, a chicken tikka masala.
00:38This will be a beginner's version as I have never ever cooked any meal before in the kitchen,
00:44never mind a chicken tikka masala.
00:46But this will be a really, really easy version just to begin with.
00:49And in the future, you may find me whipping up my own sauce.
00:53My favourite type of curry is anything seafood based.
00:56I used to really enjoy a sag, which I think was prawns with a spinach.
01:02But actually, I don't eat Indian food all that much.
01:06However, my boyfriend's favourite meal at an Indian restaurant or takeaway is a chicken tikka masala.
01:12So I would love to learn how to make this so I can cook it for him.
01:15So I'm guessing I'm just going to have to eat this up.
01:19So, I'm such a beginner.
01:22This is honestly going to be a mess.
01:24This is the pan I'm going to use.
01:27This is just stuff I have in the house because my boyfriend can cook.
01:30I don't actually know if it's the right pan.
01:32And actually using the hob is going to be a bit of a struggle as well because I don't really know how to use that.
01:37This is where it gets really hot.
01:39Right, I'm assuming this one is for that.
01:43Yay, it's on.
01:44Okay, do I need to turn it up?
01:47It's a bit low.
01:48Can't believe I've turned the hob on for the first time.
01:52Really impressed, successful start so far.
01:55I've managed to turn the hob on.
01:58Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan.
02:01Add 500 grams of diced chicken breast and fry for three minutes.
02:07What?
02:09Am I supposed to do the chicken first?
02:12Empty the contents of the jar and stir semi-gently over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
02:18I might turn the hob off.
02:24So I've got breast fillets.
02:27Right, I don't actually know what I'm doing.
02:28Do I just cut this up?
02:29Although I can't cook, I will say I know the basics of hygiene.
02:37And that I'm going to wash my hands before I handle that chicken.
02:41So based on recommendations from friends, I'm actually going to use scissors to cut up the chicken.
02:48I don't know how well this is going to go for me, but some people say they prefer this and find it easier over a knife.
02:53And I wouldn't even know what knife to use.
02:54So I'm going to use the scissors.
02:57Oh God, do I have to touch this?
02:59I have never touched raw meat before.
03:01Right, let's snip this chicken up.
03:05Oh, this is an experience.
03:08I really didn't think it would feel like this.
03:10These are a bit thick, maybe I'll snip them in half.
03:13Right, that'll do.
03:15Oh, I've got to do it three more times.
03:17Oh my God.
03:19It feels like I'm cutting like a human.
03:22Not that I know what that's like.
03:24I think because it's my first time doing it, I'm just hyper aware of how it feels and stuff.
03:29People might be wondering why I can't cook.
03:32But I did actually do cooking lessons at school.
03:36However, I never ever brought in the ingredients.
03:40So most of the time I would just be given a bit of work to do on paper.
03:44I wish I had now though.
03:45I think it's a really like basic life skill to have to be able to cook.
03:51And I always worry about like when I have kids, hopefully in the near future, am I going to be feeding them ready meals out of the microwave?
03:59I don't want to do that.
04:03I'm going to get rid of this pan, put it back in the cupboard because I don't think I'm going to need it.
04:08I think I've made a mistake.
04:09So I'm just going to use the big pan.
04:10I don't even know if that's a pan or if it's like a wok, but we'll call it a pan.
04:16I don't know the official names, but I've chosen this pan just because I've seen my boyfriend use it before for chicken.
04:25So we'll see how that goes.
04:27I've also seen them spray oil in.
04:30So I'm going to do that.
04:31And if I was following a recipe of how to make chicken tikka masala from scratch, at this point, I would be dealing with the rice.
04:37So I'd be boiling that.
04:39I've never boiled rice in my life.
04:41And so that would have been a task.
04:42I do think I have some rice here, but I wouldn't know where to start with that.
04:46So again, cheating the system a little bit.
04:48I've got microwavable rice.
04:51I do love a microwave.
04:52They can do so much with it.
04:53It's still cooking for me because I've never cooked chicken.
04:56So it's, and I've never cooked sauce, but yeah.
05:06That looks cooked to me.
05:07Does that mean that all the other bits of chicken are going to be cooked?
05:10So I have made the meal.
05:13Yes, I've used a lot of pre-made sauces, pre-made rice, but I'm very impressed so far.
05:17Haven't tasted it yet though.
05:25That's really nice.
05:26I mean, it is a bit bland.
05:28It's edible.
05:29It's cooked.
05:30And I'm super impressed with myself.
05:32Love it.
05:34Graham, would you do the honors of having a taste as well?
05:39Right, so I'm going to try this now.
05:42Haven't watched the preparation.
05:44I'm satisfied that it's been done in accordance with.
05:48All suitable guidelines.
05:49I don't know.
05:50I've been bombed.
05:51How was that?
05:57Very nice.
05:59Edible?
06:00Yeah, and the chicken is cooked just right.
06:02Perfect.
06:02So now you've seen me try to make Indian food.
06:05I am heading to Tara Badu to speak to an expert on their top tips on how to cook and what dishes are most popular with customers.
06:14I'd say it's about passion, really.
06:16I think if you have the right mentality and you're going into it and you really want to learn, you're eager to learn.
06:22I think that's the most important part.
06:23I feel like it's all about trial and error.
06:25So the first time you cook, you might be like, no, it's not that great.
06:27And the second time and the third time, you get the hang of it.
06:30So that's for me as well.
06:32Like, I'm also learning how to cook right now, especially being in the hospitality industry.
06:35So, you know, I'm always in front of how I was doing everything.
06:37So when I'm going to the back of the kitchen, I'm like, I don't know what I'm doing.
06:40So I have my mentors there.
06:42They'll teach me the first time, you know, you might cut your fingers.
06:44Oh, no.
06:45Then again, let's try again.
06:46And then getting the technique right.
06:48And also, like, it's about trial and error.
06:51Sometimes I think every individual have a different type of taste.
06:54So it's about, you know, learning tastes and learning the flavours, understanding what the differences between the flavours are and how much to put in.
07:03I think that takes time, but with a lot of passion, with a lot of, like, encouragement,
07:09I think you'll be able to learn quickly.
07:10The basic of Indian curries is onion and tomatoes.
07:14So that has to be cooked very well with spices.
07:18Some people, they make curries, they put onions, tomatoes, everything.
07:22And if onions are not cooked properly, you won't get the normal flavours.
07:27When customers often come, they'll look for, like, a chicken tikka, a jalfrezi, you know, the well-known dishes are across the UK.
07:34So when they come to Taravada, they'll be like, oh, have you got this in the menu?
07:37They'll be like, apologies, we haven't got that.
07:39We've got something different.
07:40What's something similar?
07:41Would you like to try it?
07:42So when we kind of, it's not more of a dish, it's more of telling a story, really.
07:45It's saying about the culture, saying the spices we use, it's very different.
07:49The spices that we have is more flavour spice.
07:51So it's not, like, really hot in the beginning.
07:52It's more subtle, relaxed.
07:55So people can kind of feel every single detail.
07:57So that whole transaction, well, that whole kind of movement, and then most of our customers would regularly come, and they would love the food.
08:05They would come, and we would create that kind of bond between the customers, and I think that's the crucial and most amazing part of it all.
08:11Me and Kootan, the fish curry, is spectacular.
08:15I mean, it's amazing.
08:17The people, locals here, the English people, I mean, English customers, they like it very much because it's not too spicy.
08:27It has all the flavours.
08:29It's different from the North Indian cuisine, you can say.
08:33It's morally, we use coconut milk, mustard seeds, more seasoning, more flavourful ingredients.
08:40So this is the chilli paneer.
08:42It's a kind of, quite a medium spicy dish.
08:46It's sorted in, like, peppers, bell peppers, onions, and it's got, like, quite nice, crispy paneers that's fried into it.
08:53So as soon as it goes, it's quite a nice tangy taste to it, a nice kick at the end.
08:58So when you first start tasting the dish, you'll be able to taste the tomato, the richness of the tomatoes.
09:01A bit more of a tangy side.
09:04And then as soon as you go towards the end, you'll feel a bit of a spice kick from it.
09:07So that's, it's kind of well-cooked with peppers and black peppers and stuff.
09:12So that's, it's a very, very popular dish at Daravadu.
09:14This is the Ikidla Nerechi.
09:15So this is a very traditional Keralan dish.
09:18So the story behind this is that, like, grandfathers and quite the older generations, back then what they used to do,
09:25they used to put a bit of black pepper in brandy.
09:26So that would enhance the brandy's flavouring.
09:29And to go with it, they would have something quite meaty, a bit spicy.
09:32So that's kind of the main kind of concept behind this dish.
09:36So we've got tender lamb cubes that are sautéed in masala flavoured.
09:40Quite masala-y, quite dry-ish kind of dish, but it's not too dry.
09:45The lamb's got a bit of nice texture.
09:46The masala has really infused with the lamb.
09:48So, again, it's quite soft, not too chewy.
09:52And then we've got the, garnished in kind of the curry leaves.
09:56So the curry leaves is often, like, mixed with mustard seeds and oil and red chilli.
10:01So it creates a lot of spark and infusion.
10:04So when you add the other sauces and dishes, it kind of blends it all together.
10:08And then they add the tomatoes in it to kind of soften the spices a bit much.
10:11It cools it down a little bit so it's more.
10:13So that would go perfectly well, like a nice chilled beer or a nice whiskey cocktail or something whiskey or brandy.
10:20So that would really enhance the flavours a bit more.
10:23When you have your whiskey and have a touch of that, it's like a combination but also a style.
10:28It's a statement style piece.
10:30So there's a lot of stories behind this dish.
10:32As you saw earlier in the video, I did make my own food and we taste tested it.
10:36But now I'm actually going to taste test food which has been made from professional chefs.
10:43So I'm very excited about this.
10:50That is amazing.
10:52That is super nice.
10:53It's like, it tastes like halloumi cheese.
10:57And there is a bit of spice to it but nothing too overpowering.
11:01And yeah, I would love to be able to create something like this at home one day.
11:05Graham, do you want to have a go?
11:07So I'm now about to try this, which I'm looking forward to because paneer is a lot like halloumi, which is one of my favourites.
11:28Oh, that's really nice.
11:29I did economics and finance at university.
11:32However, I grew up in Tharavadu.
11:35So since year 11, or since year 8 actually, I've been working here doing some pocket money, you know, a couple of hours a week.
11:42So I got into the rhythm of hospitality and I really was touched about what they were trying to achieve here.
11:47Not just my uncles and my dad, but what I mean is the vision they had, it wasn't a business, it didn't feel like a transaction.
11:55It was like a positive impact, showcasing our culture, bringing that to lead.
12:00So I was very touched by that.
12:01So then I did a year in finance, because I was in hospitality, I couldn't do the, you know, it's just alone in front of a corporate lifestyle.
12:11So I couldn't do that.
12:12So I left that and I came, joined the Tharavadu team and we had a team and yeah, so I kind of grew into my role a lot.
12:20I kind of knew I was part of the vision.
12:22I understood the vision and I wanted to be part of it.
12:26Oh, I really like that one.
12:34I like that one.
12:35I feel like it's got like a bit of a sweet sort of flavour to it.
12:39Also a hint of spice, but nothing too extreme.
12:41But actually I think out of the two, I prefer this one.
12:44It's a lot nicer, but they're both absolutely delicious.
12:47To be honest, I think this one is just more to suit my taste.
12:51But yeah, this is absolutely amazing compared to the stuff I've been making.
12:55But it does really inspire us, hearing about the stories and sort of the positive mindset towards cooking.
13:01Makes me think that one day I could make something definitely not to this standard, but maybe a lot better than what I've done on this episode.
13:07I'm going to try this one as well, which looks lovely.
13:12If I can like get it on me fork.
13:20Oh, yeah, that really sort of like melts in the mouth.
13:25Yeah, that's really excellent.
13:33So, question number one is what country is chicken tikka masala thought to originate from?
13:42This is really hard.
13:43I've never, ever thought about this before.
13:45My instinct would say Pakistan.
13:48I'm not really sure about Bhutan.
13:50But then I have considered the United Kingdom because I know we have quite a thriving curry industry over here.
13:55And obviously some dishes have been created here.
13:59But I'm going to go with Pakistan.
14:02So, the answer is the United Kingdom.
14:03I should have trusted that thought.
14:05But yeah, fair enough.
14:06Makes sense.
14:07The decade in which chicken tikka masala first originated is disputed.
14:11But it is thought to be A, the 1940s to 1950s.
14:15B, the 50s to the 60s.
14:17And C, the 60s to the 70s.
14:20I'm going to go with the 60s and the 70s.
14:25I think it's the later one.
14:28Yay, I got that right.
14:30That was a guess.
14:33Thindaloo is considered the hottest curry option.
14:36But another, even hotter one is really served in the UK because of its intensity.
14:41It is called A, fal, B, fo, and C, few.
14:46Now, I'm going to go with fal.
14:48And you know what my reason for this is?
14:50Fo just sounds like something to say of something spicy.
14:53And so is few.
14:53So, I think I've got the logic of this multiple choice.
14:56I think it's fal.
14:58I knew it.
14:59It's fal.
15:00Great.
15:02What is radhooni a type of?
15:04Oh, this is so interesting.
15:05Seed, stalk, or leaf.
15:07There's a restaurant near where I live that's called radhooni.
15:10So, I am going to go with seed.
15:16Yay.
15:17When and where was the world's first ever tandoori restaurant opened?
15:21Mumbai, 19...
15:22Mumbai, 1888, New Delhi, 1948, or Brixton, 1968?
15:28I feel like it's going to be...
15:31I want to say Mumbai, but I feel like that's a trick question.
15:35But I'm going to go with Mumbai, 1888.
15:37Oh, it was New Delhi.
15:41Makes sense.
15:43Approximately what figure does the UK spend per year on curry?
15:46250 million, 350 million, or 450 million?
15:50I'm going to go with the biggest one because I just know that so many people love curry in the UK.
15:57Wrong.
15:58I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go with the UK and I'm going to go
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