The flavours of two nations - United and Divine

[et_pb_section admin_label="section"][et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text"] I sit here and write this post on the night of Pakistan's Independence Day, 14th August and the eve of India's Independence Day, 15th August. My lovely friend Sheba from Absolute Indian, who originates  from Kerala and myself (Pakistani, obviously) share one  recipe each  in celebration of our respective country's independence and most of all to celebrate our very different yet similar cuisines.We were once together one great nation and now we are two great nations apart. We share a food history steeped in legacies of emperors, warriors and conquers and divided we have developed a rich individual yet shared culinary tradition. For a sub-continent as big as ours, we have not just a vast number of varied people with different religions and traditions but also an extremely diverse way of cooking, eating and preparing food. There are amazing differences between Pakistani food and Keralan food (which is so very different from the rest of Indian cuisine!). Pakistani food is aromatic, rich, fragrant, bold, mostly slow cooked and reminiscent of the haunting aromas of the kitchen of the Mughal kings, with Persian influences from boarder cuisine and local regional food which is different than Indian - we use tons on fried brown onions, tomatoes, a large mixture of garam masalas, black cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, tons of coriander, mint - you feel transported to a royal banquet .... In comparison  Keralan food is light, fresh, islandy and aromatic - they use an abundance of coconut, mustard seeds, curry leaves, pepper and cardamom -  you can almost smell the sea breeze.  The use of many similar ingredients exist between our two cuisines - but the interesting part is how differently these are used resulting in individual aromas and taste!Sheba and I share one recipe each - We have styled the recipes and presentation to commemorate our countries flags - so colours of the food speaks for itself - Green, white, Pakistan , orange, green, white and bits of black - India... Unity of nations on a dining table, we break bread together - speaking of no fueuds, just friendship and mutual appreciation for food.To taste the marriage of these two divine cuisines - come join us for our imminent joint Supperclub soon - details to follow soon....Sumayya's Recipe:Green Masala Chicken CurryServes: 2-3 peoplePreparation time:  15 minutesCooking time: 20 minutes Make the masala paste by combining the following in a blender and make into a paste:1/2 large bunch of coriander leaves15 mint leaves1 thin green chilli1 tsp salt, or to taste1 tsp brown sugar or jaggery1/2 tsp turmeric1/2 tsp grated ginger1/2 tsp crushed garlicOther ingredients:500 g full fat natural yoghurt2-3 tbsp vegetable oil2 chicken breasts, diced into bite-size piecesWhole spices:1 cinnamon stick1 tsp whole coriander seeds1 tsp cumin seeds10 black peppercorns2-3 green cardamoms, bruised7-8 cloves1. Whip the yogurt and add the green masala paste.2. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan on medium head and once oil is hot, put in the whole spices and stir and cook until an aroma builds. Now add the green masala paste and fry until  the oil starts to rise on the top of the yogurty mixutre.3. Now add the chicken and stir, turn the heat low and leave covered to cook until chicken is done. You may need to give the chicken a stir every now until done. Add a bit of water to the curry if you think it is drying out a little.4. Serve hot with some pillau rice or plain boiled basmati rice.Sheba's recipe:Butternut Squash with mustard seeds and cuminServes 4 as an accompaniment

Whole spices

½ tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp cumin seeds

1 dried red chilli

Powdered spices

A pinch of turmeric

½ tsp ground cumin

¼- ½ tsp chilli powder

 

Fresh leaves & herbs

10-12 curry leaves

1 ½ tbsps. vegetable oil

800g butternut squash, peeled and chopped to 1 inch cubes

½  medium onion, finely chopped

1tsp garlic, crushed

½ tsp urad dal

4 tbsps. fresh coconut (desiccated coconut if unavailable)

1 cup water

¾ - 1 tsp. salt

1. Place the chopped squash into a heavy wide based pan and add enough water to just cover the pieces. Bring to the boil and cook covered for 25 minutes, until they are soft when pierced with a fork. Drain off the excess water and then transfer to a bowl and mash to a semi-smooth consistency.

2. Place the squash in a large non-stick pan along with the water and bring to a gentle simmer (you can always add more water if you prefer a thinner consistency. Add the ground salt, cumin, chilli powder and turmeric to the pan and cook for a further minute before taking off the heat.

3. Heat the oil in a small non-stick pan. Add the mustard seeds to the hot oil and fry for 4-5 seconds, until they burst. Add the cumin seeds, dried red chilli, urad dal and fry over a  medium heat for a minute or until the urad dal turns to a light golden colour. Finally, add the onions and curry leaves and fry for 2 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.

4. Transfer the fried mixture to the prepared squash and mix. Serve hot with a simple pilau rice and accompaniments.

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