When I were a mere scrap of a lass, many family occasions were heralded by the plonking on the table of a large vat of a spicy, beefy
But, a few centuries later, with the twist of a screw cap, it seems our celebratory dinners were more akin to’real’ African flavours than we ever expected. Bim’s Kitchen aims to deliver authentic, home-style sauces and condiments and, with a raft of Good Taste Awards to the name, seems to be making a pretty decent fist of it. Bim’s‘Bean and Nut’ curry sauce may use roasted groundnuts rather than peanut butter, but saucing up some beef it was a dead ringer for my childhood family favourite. Rich and smooth from alligator pear, refreshingly non-oily, even lacking that unpleasant whiff of’ambient product’.
The’Chickpea and Melon Seed’ sauce ignited similar levels of ardour. Pairing like with like, this sauce made a debut in a dish of tiny kala channa- so-called’black’ chickpeas, the oh-so-more-flavoursome counterparts of those large pale beige numbers. The inclusion of the melon seeds may seem surprising,’til you consider they share a family tree with pumpkins, the seeds from which are best known as the health food nut’s drug of choice. And what would that luscious Indian sweetie, gajar halwa, be without a sprinkling of that mix of tiny seeds known as’char magaz’?
Being a fan of Gurpareet Bains‘ medicinal use of ingredients, the Baobab Pepper Jam appealed from the off. More so once I opened the jar and, in one smooth manoeuvre, deployed a fingertip full mouthwards. Swiftly followed by a whacking great spoonful. The remainder found its way onto cheese on toast, served as a fruity glaze for gammon, and made for a pretty tasty fruit chaat. The’African super-fruit’ makes for a most excellent, versatile condiment with an unusual,’spiced-but-not-hot-spicy’ flavour. Tastes good, looks good, and,
Pickles and chutneys are often a sickly, gloopy bunch, more suited to oozing sweetly from a Swiss roll than piquing the appetite. Bim’s Coconut and Chilli Relish is having none of that- announcing itself as a toothsome condiment, high on flavour and texture, with a pleasingly hot prickle. Good tossed with diminutive prawns in a sambal, as a hot dressing for green beans and chunks of paneer, or even an intriguing topping for bitter chocolate ice cream. In Britain we’re always banging on about Africa Pride- and, employing a triumvirate of tradition, innovation and sheer love to spectacular effect, Bim’s Kitchen is the embodiment of just that.
For more on the range and to order online, visit http://www.bimskitchen.com