There are five of us students at The Kitchen Academy this morning, mainly local, amateur enthusiasts. On the breakfast island between us are an assorted medley of powders, liquids and whole spices piled in pots on trays. These are the main components of Indian cooking and her aim, she says, is to ‘demystify the spices”.
Beginning at chillies, of which she spreads a range from hottest to mild, Kumud explains how the heat of chillies is not, as commonly believed in the seeds but in the skin’s internal membrane.
Chillies are also a natural painkiller she says as I stub my toe on the chair leg. Both dried and fresh can speed up the metabolism by around 35 per cent. ‘If you have poor circulation, you should eat chillies,” she explains, because they work wonders with the blood and the immune system, apparently. Kumud adds that people who have bland diets can suffer from irritable bowel syndrome – pre-war Britain must have been a hive of irritability, I think.
Fifteen minutes later and we are still on chillies but hey, I’m not complaining, I eat these for breakfast. The heat of the chillies is determined by size, she says, tiddlers have little flavour but lots of heat while there is more flavour in the heifers. Paprika and dried chillies are good bedfellows, she tells us, adding that 95 per cent of chillies start life green before blushing red.
Fish Masala Marinade
Serves 2
2 pieces of salmon fillets
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp chopped garlic
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp Black Pepper
1/8 th tsp salt
End of a tsp red chilli powder
End of a tsp turmeric (just a pinch)
A small pinch fresh coriander
*This marinade is also suitable for other sea foods such as prawns
Method
Place all the ingredients except the fish in bowl, mix well – and taste. Add the fish
Set aside to marinate for 15 -30 minutes or several hours depending on taste
Reduce cook time if marinated for longer than 30 minutes.
Notes
To make a basic mix for long shelf life (refrigerates for up to 6 weeks) leave out the lemon juice if using freshly squeezed and fresh coriander; store in a glass jar in the fridge and use in the same way as pesto or a marinade sauce.
This marinade is also great with chicken which can be roasted, grilled or pan fried just like the fish. Though beware if you pan fry keep the heat fairly low so not to burn the spices especially if the marinade has just been made.
Cooking Instructions
Place on a tray under a hot grill about 3 inches away from the heat for approximately 10-12 minutes or place in the oven for 18 minutes at 180°. Or pan fry on a low heat for 15 minutes.