Week 52 and we finally arrive at the end of our journey… 52 Weeks – 52 Meals – 52 Countries, done! What a year it has been juggling the burdens of 3 lockdowns, work, business, home-school and all the emotional ups and downs that life has thrown at so many of us. A year ago, the idea of this challenge popped into my head. I thought it would be a great way to celebrate diversity through food, to get the kids cooking and learning and to give us something to focus on as a family of 5, cooped up in a small house in Tooting. Whilst I did underestimate the size of the challenge, it has been one of the most rewarding experiences and everything that we set out to achieve, we did. It has been incredible to connect with people of so many nationalities across our local community, and heart-warming to see the joy it brings them to talk about their country’s food – often with references to their own childhoods. In times of lockdown, and when confined to our own 4 walls, to be speaking to people across Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East and beyond, has given us a real sense of unity. Sharing anecdotes from our own travels has always been fun, and recognising and dedicating posts to people along the way, some of whom are no longer with us, has been an honour and a privilege. The stars of the show have of course been the little chefs, Sam, Abigail and Joe, and they have simply been awesome. They have seen, smelt, touched and tasted so many foods that they had not even heard about a year ago, and have embraced the challenge wholeheartedly. I hope that it sets a course for the world of opportunity that awaits them. So, whilst I now have to sign a contract with my wife, agreeing to discuss any new projects FULLY, before jumping in headfirst…I would do this challenge again in a heartbeat!
The question of what country was going to be the final destination, is something that I have been asked many times throughout the challenge, but not by those who know me best. I love a good curry, so much so that on occasion, my good friend Paul calls me Al-Frezi, a take on Allister and the Indian dish, Jalfrezi. It is fair to say however, that in the early days my relationship with Indian food was certainly love/hate! I always felt I loved curry, and the very thought of going to an Indian restaurant with ‘the lads’ filled me with excitement, and yet…I can rarely remember having a curry I enjoyed or a night out that didn’t rapidly deteriorate after a trip to the local Indian restaurant. You see, going to the Indian back then was like some kind of ‘man challenge’ and ordering anything less hot than a Vindaloo?… well, I would have been letting myself down! “How’s the curry Al?” … “lovely mate, thanks” … “is it hot?” … “it’s got a little kick to it, not too bad” … would be the usual conversation as we sat there red faced and sweating profusely. And of course, drinking 10 pints of water to try and contain the heat, albeit seemingly making it hotter, is not the best way to start a night on the town. Invariably, when we would eventually leave, we would be clutching our bloated bellies, just wanting to go home, sit on the couch and feel sorry for ourselves. Fortunately though, I was a quick learner and the pattern of behaviour only lasted 10 years. I have now seen the error of my ways and have matured…unless of course I hear someone ordering a Korma, when I cannot help letting out a little stifled laugh! We all do that right?
Not all curries were bad however and I was (and am) fortunate, to be best mates with Anish, ‘Uncle Anish’ to the kids, since our early school days in Bournemouth. I can remember to this day, the first taste of authentic Indian food cooked by Anish’s mum Rui, and his Auntie Jenny…I was addicted…and I wasn’t sweating or drinking 10 pints of water, saying…” I’m fine, I’m fine”. From that day I just had to get back to Anish’s house on a regular basis, to raid his fridge and devour that chicken curry alongside a huge pile of chapatis. I have spent many years asking Anish for his Mum’s chicken curry recipe and never succeeded until now. We are delighted to cook it for part of our Indian Banquet today which really marks for me where it all started! Where the scene had been set for a lifetime of curry explorations and one which, perhaps indirectly, led me to live in Tooting, the home of the best Indian and Pakistani restaurants outside of India and Pakistan!
Realistically the last 52 weeks and 52 meals could have represented a journey solely around India, exploring its regional cuisines and the diversity of its cultures, religions, and languages. From its vast Himalayan peaks to the stunning shores of the Indian Ocean, it truly is a land like no other. So overwhelmingly vast is the country that often statistics given as percentages can give the wrong impression. For example, only 15% of India’s population is Muslim. Only 15%? Yes, only 207 million giving it the 2nd or 3rd biggest Muslim population on the planet, depending on who is doing the count that day, and an almost identical sized Muslim population as Pakistan. Being the wettest country on the planet you don’t really associate desert with India and you would be right. Desert forms less than 5% of the total geographical area and yet this is still an area the size of the entire United Kingdom covered in sand dunes! The top 6 languages of Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil and Urdu are each spoken by the same amount or more than the entire population of England… another 122 languages are spoken by more people than the population of Gillingham…and there are still another 800+ languages! It’s difficult to argue with Mark Twain when he said, “India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.”
I am delighted to be able to share the final feast with my family, including my parents, who have followed the first 51 weeks 100 miles or so down the road. I learnt to cook watching my parents cook and always ate well as a kid, I hope now my kids can say the same. Thank you to everyone that has read our blog, supported us along the way, shared their recipes, stories and ideas and given us encouragement…we have been surrounded with positivity and it has been amazing ❤
Tooting Family Kitchen cooks an Indian Banquet
On the spices!
We are going to need a lot of paste!
Prepping dessert
Getting the samosas ready
On the monkfish
Cooking the naan breads
Checking on the lamb curry
Another busy stove!
Anish's Mum's Chicken Curry
What’s in it...
1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces, on the bone but skin off
¼ cup of vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 cardamon pod
2 cloves
4 whole black pepper corns
4 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tin of tomatoes
1 heaped tbsp of tomato paste
½ tsp ginger paste
½ tsp of garlic paste
1-2 green chillies, chopped
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander
What to do with it...
- In a large heavy bottom pan with lid heat the oil then add the cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cardamon, cloves and pepper corns. When the seeds start to splutter add the onions and gently fry until a deep golden colour – around 20 mins but keep stirring and ensure does not stick and burn.
- Add the ginger and garlic pastes along with the chopped chillies and stir until fragrant before adding the tomato paste and the cumin, coriander and turmeric powders and stirring for a couple of mins.
- Add the tinned tomatoes and cook down until it dries out slightly before adding the chicken pieces and stirring for 4 or 5 mins on high heat.
- Add 1-2 cups of water and bring to the boil before lowering the heat and simmering for around 20 mins or until the chicken is cooked through.
- At this point you can either thin out the sauce by adding a little more water or simmer for longer over a low heat to allow it to thicken.
- When desired consistency is reached check for seasoning and add garam masala, take off the heat and add chopped coriander.
Slow cooked lamb shank curry
What’s in it...
4 lamb shanks
4 tbsp vegetable oil
3 onions, finely chopped
2 tsp ginger, minced
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp asafoetida
3 tomatoes, finely diced
4 tbsp deggi mirch chilli powder
1 tbsp garamasala
3-5 cups of water or stock
Ginger match sticks to serve
Fresh coriander
What to do with it...
- Heat the oil in a large heavy bottom pan with lid and brown off all the lamb shanks before removing with a slotted spatula and outing to one side.
- In the same pan add the onions and fry until golden brown before adding the garlic and ginger paste and frying for another 30 seconds or so until fragrant and then add the turmeric, asafoetida and chilli powder and stir for a few seconds before adding the tomatoes and cooking down for a couple of mins until they have darkened in colour and dried out slightly.
- Add the lamb shanks back to the pan and add the stock or water. Bring the boil and then lower the heat and allow to simmer for around 3 hours or until the meat falls off the bone.
- At this stage depending on preference you can remove the shanks and use a stick blender to thicken the sauce slightly.
- Finely add the garam masala and take off the heat adding the shanks back to the pan and serving garnished with fresh coriander and ginger match sticks.
Tandori Monkfish
What’s in it...
800g of monkfish fillets cut into 3cm chunks
Salt to season
Squeeze of lemon juice
Marinade
2 heaped tbsp Greek yoghurt
1 tsp chickpea flour
2 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
1 tsp canelo oil
What to do with it...
- Season the monk fish with salt and squeeze over the lemon juice and set to one side whilst you combine all the marinade ingredients.
- 15 mins before cooking coat the fish well in the marinade mixture and thread onto pre-soaked wooden skewers – 3 pieces per skewer.
- Grill over hot coals for around 3 mins each side or until just cooked.
Tandoori Paneer and Sag
What’s in it...
Paneer
400g paneer, cut into 3 inch pieces
Marinade
2 heaped tbsp Greek yoghurt
1 tsp chickpea flour
2 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
1 tsp canelo oil
Sag
750g baby leaf spinach
3 tbps vegetable oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 dried red chilli
3 tsp garlic paste
3 tsp ginger paste
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tomato, blended
2 tsp garam masala
4 tbsp single cream
2 tbsp butter
What to do with it...
- Mix the marinade ingredients together and mix with the paneer. Refrigerate for a 2 – 3 hours before grilling.
- Blanch the spinach in boiling water before adding to iced water to hydrate and set to one side to drain and cool before blitzing in a food processor.
- Heat the oil in a pan add the cumin seeds, and dried chilli and fry for 30 seconds until the seeds start to splutter. Add the onions and continue to fry for around 10 mins or until a golden brown.
- Add the ginger and garlic pastes along with the chilli and fry until fragrant before adding the blended tomato and frying for another couple of mins. Then add the garam masala along with the cream and butter and then finally stir in the spinach and cook for a couple of mins.
- Grill the paneer for approx. 4 mins each side or until golden brown and serve in top of the sag.
Chana Masala
What’s in it...
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 dried red chillies
1 bay leaf
2 onions finely chopped
2 tsp garlic paste
2 tsp ginger paste
600g of cooked chickpeas
3 tomatoes
1 tsp salt
2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp paprika
Squeeze of lemon
Chopped coriander to garnish
What to do with it...
- Heat the oil in a large pan then add the cumin seeds, dried chillies and bay leaf and fry for 30 seconds before adding the onions and frying for around 10 mins until starting to brown and then add the ginger and garlic pastes and stirring until fragrant.
- Blitz the tomatoes in a blender and add to the onions along with the salt. Cook down for a couple of minutes before adding the chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder add the chickpeas and a cup of water and simmer for around 10 mins.
- At this stage you can mash some of the chickpeas to make thicker or add a little more water depending on the consistency you prefer. Add a squeeze of lemon and check for seasoning before serving garnished with the chopped coriander.
Dal
What’s in it...
1 cup chana dal, pre-soaked
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
Handful of curry leaves
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp salt
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 lime, juiced
Chopped coriander to garnish
What to do with it...
- Heat the oil in a large pan and then add the mustard and cumin seeds and curry leaves and fry for 30 seconds before adding the onions. Fry for 10 mins until translucent and then add the ginger and garlic pastes and fry for another 30 seconds before adding the chillies and continuing to fry for another minute.
- Mix in the turmeric, chilli powder and salt then add the tomatoes and cook down for a few mins until most the liquid evaporates.
- Add the chana dal and coat well in the mixture and add a couple of cups of water. Bring to the boil and lower the heat before covering and gently simmering for around 45 mins. Keep a check on the dal to make sure it does not dry out adding more water if necessary.
- Check on the dal consistency. Can mash a little if preferred or cook for longer if you prefer less bite and add more water. Add the lime juice and check for seasoning before serving with the chopped coriander.
Aloo Gobi
What’s in it...
50ml vegetable oil
1 cauliflower, cut into florets
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tsp asafoetida
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
Handful of curry leaves
2 tsp ginger paste
2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp powdered turmeric
Pinch garam masala powder
Chopped coriander to garnish
What to do with it...
- Heat the oil in a large pan and when hot add the cumin seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves and fry for approx. 30 second before adding the ginger and garlic pastes, turmeric, coriander and cumin powder, bay leaf and chilli powder and combine stir.
- Add the potatoes and coat in the mixture and fry for about 5 mins before adding the florets and frying for another couple of mins. Then add the tomatoes, a pinch of salt and a splash of water. Lower the heat and cover and cook for 10 mins.
- Add a pinch of garam masala and check for seasoning before serving garnished with chopped coriander.
Vegetable Samosas
What’s in it...
1 pack of samosa wrappers
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 large sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
½ cup of frozen peas
1 tsp of cumin powder
1 tsp of coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric
2 tsp chilli powder
50ml of water/stock
What to do with it...
- Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion for around 10 mins until starting to go golden brown before adding the garlic paste and spices and mixing well.
- Add the sweet potatoes and coat in the mixture and continue to fry for a couple of mins before the water/stock. Bring to the boil and then lower the heat before covering and simmer for around 10 mins.
- Remove the lid and allow some of the water to evaporate and then roughly mash the sweet potato and stir in the frozen peas and leave to one side and allow to cool.
- When cooled add a tbps to each samosa wrapper as per instructions and deep fry for around 4 mins turning a couple of times to ensure they cook evenly.
Naan bread
What’s in it...
400g of plain flour
1 sachet of dried yeast
1 tbsp of honey
100ml of warm water
3 tbsp melted butter
4 tbsp natural yogurt
Melted ghee
Chopped coriander
What to do with it...
- Mix the yeast and honey in with the warm water and leave to one side for 10 mins.
- Sift the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the melted butter, natural yogurt and yeast mixture and whisk together with a fork and then start to mix in the flour from the edges. When combined well start to kneed with hands on a lightly floured surface. The mixture should be smooth and not stick to fingers. Add a lot more flour or water to get right consistency. Leave in large bowl covered for at least one hour or until doubled in size.
- When ready to cook cut the mixture into 6 even size portions and roll out to about 1cm thickness.
- Heat a pan over high heat and fry each nan for approx. 3 mins each side until bubbles start to appear and black spots. Turn a couple of times to ensure they don’t burn.
- Brush with melted ghee and scatter chopped coriander on top.
Gulab Jamun
What’s in it...
200g milk powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp ground cardamon
4 green cardamon pods
60g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
100g unsalted butter
2 tbsp natural yogurt
Squeeze of lemon juice
8 tbsp whole milk
1 litre of vegetable oil
What to do with it...
- Make the syrup by heating the sugar, water, cardamon and rosewater until the sugar has dissolved and then simmering for around 15 mins.
- Sieve the milk powder and flour in a large bowl and add sugar, cardamon powder and baking powder and mix before adding the softened butter with your fingers until you have crumbs.
- Add the yogurt, lemon juice and milk a bit at a time working into the mixture until you have a dough – add more flour if needed.
- Roll the dough into small balls, about the size of table tennis balls and deep fry for around 1 mins or until golden brown.
- Soak the balls into the syrup for at least 3 hours and serve.
Our Indian Banquet
Sun's out & time to eat!
Enjoying the monkfish
3 generations grabbing a ruby
Ladies lunching
Happy birthday Mum
Thank you India, that was epic!
What a way to finish out journey! Please do drop us a line with your feedback, questions or ideas for collaboration – we would love to hear from you!
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See you next week!
Tooting Family Kitchen
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What a great final final post! It also coincides also with the end of a lock down and our Mum’s birthday period and it was great to see you celebrating together.
I know I will use this as a reference in the future but more that, I am proud of you for seeing it through and making it entertaining along the way! Very well done!
What a Feast! Can’t wait for the cook book. Thank you for taking us round the world on this epic food journey with you…Congratulations on the 52 weeks completed!
Your family blog brought colour into our lives every week at a time when we so badly needed it, for you started when the pandemic was taking hold and now you have brought it in on time just as we seem to be beating it! To join you for the final feast was simply wonderful!
Love to you all, Mum & Dad
Wonderful 52 weeks of interesting recipes Allister …. so proud of you – my Godson x Come be my chef anytime! Love you and your family lots. Vx