DRINK Celebrating local food & drink

INDIAN FOOD ISN’T JUST CURRY!

By Khrishma Preston, The Alternative Indian

We, the British, love a curry, so much so that the sector was worth more than £5bn to the pre-pandemic UK economy. Confidence of recovery is incredibly low and comes after years of restaurants shutting at least twice a week because of a shortage of skilled chefs. The skills shortage, as well the drop in revenue, is now being echoed across the whole of the food and drinks industry as more and more businesses shut their doors. I take solace in that we can still trade for the time being.

I am lucky in that aspect; I am the chef for my business, but I also wear every other hat there is, from marketing and social media, and content writing, to recipe development and more. So last month when I took part in the Somerset Food and Drink Trail, I was honoured to be the only Indian business to be selected.

As part of this, I got to participate in the Yeovil Eco Fair, where I could directly interact with customers on the day. It definitely made a change to being stuck in the kitchen, away from the main buzz. On the day I got to demonstrate that Indian food isn’t just curry, but a flavour profile that can be adapted to any type of food.

It was during this event that so many people came over to us expecting to be able to buy curry and I didn’t have any (oops!). Instead, they got to try some Indian-inspired salads, spiced sausage and aubergine chutney or paneer rolls, cheddar, and asparagus frittata, to name some of the items. During the event, I met a lady who asked me if I had any jalebi. She was curious to try it after reading about it in The Conduit Magazine. This one interaction made my day, as I do not often get feedback from my articles or the recipes themselves – so a massive thank you to her and every reader out there.

Over the last couple of years, I have often been asked to give friends recipes for a basic curry. This is so hard to do. Everyone likes something different, from the base sauce to the spice level so there is no one standard recipe that fits all. So, with this month’s issue I thought I would give you my adaptable Gujarati Shaak recipe.

Adaptable Gujarati Shaak – Have a play and don’t be scared!

INGREDIENTS METHOD

• 1 tbsp oil

• 2 cloves

• A bit of cinnamon stick

• 2 cardamom pods

• 1 bay leaf

• ½ tsp mustard seeds

• ½ tsp coriander seeds

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• Pinch of asafoetida

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 3/4 garlic cloves, chopped/minced, or 1 tbsp ground garlic

• 2cm fresh ginger, chopped/minced, or 1½ tsp ground ginger • 2 tbsp tomato puree or 3 tomatoes, chopped

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 2 tbsp cumin-coriander powder

• Chilli powder to taste

• 3 dried curry leaves

• Salt to taste

• Juice of half a lemon

• 1 tsp sugar or jaggery

• 1kg meat or fish or vegetables

• 1 cup water or 1 x 400g can chopped/plum tomatoes or 1 x 400g can coconut milk Add the oil to a large thick-based pan on medium heat. As soon as the oil starts to heat up, add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaf.

As the spices brown, add the mustard seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and asafoetida*. Warning: You may want to stand back a little as the mustard seeds pop as they temper in the oil. As the mustard seeds finish popping, add the onions and cook until they soften and start to brown, then add the garlic and ginger. Make sure you stir the mixture occasionally to stop it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Don’t worry too much if it does a little. It all adds to the flavour later! Add the tomatoes and cook them through. curry leaves, salt (to taste), lemon juice and sugar or jaggery to the pot. Fry off for 30 seconds to 1 minute, so that they cook through.

Add meat, fish or vegetables, whichever you prefer, to the pot. If using a mixture of these, always brown off the meat first and add the vegetables in order of cooking time, longest first. Once these are cooked through, you can make your gravy using whatever base you like: water, tomatoes or coconut milk. If you want to thicken up the gravy slightly, add boiled potatoes to give a creamy texture without using cream, or the standard trick with cornflour works just as well.

*Asafoetida is a unique spice. It has a rather pungent aroma that would contaminate the other spices, so make sure it’s stored in an airtight container.

THE TRADING POST

Just off the A303, nestled amongst the Somerset countryside, The Trading Post Farm Shop is a hidden gem that delights with its selection of farmgrown organic vegetables, locally sourced food and drink, and unusual locally crafted gifts.

Open seven days a week, the Trading Post Farm Shop, set on a working organic farm, supports over 150 local suppliers bringing you the best that the West Country has to offer.

The Trading Post is much more than a farm shop – it is a wholefoods market, a greengrocer’s, a deli and a treasure trove, all rolled into one.

Fresh bread daily, cakes, biscuits, organically grown fruit and veg, preserves (jam, chutney and pickles), local beer, cider and wine, and a stunning selection of West Country spirits.

But we don’t just stock your ‘normal’ farm shop fayre, we also carefully select a very wide range of unusual items that make us the go-to place to find that obscure recipe ingredient.

We also boast a refill room filled with over 200 lines of zero-waste products from grains, rice, pasta and seeds, to dried fruit, nuts, cereal, herbs and spices.

Alongside our food refill room, we also hold a wide range of eco-friendly household cleaning products and toiletries, all available as refill, and our crowning glory in the race to zero waste – our organic milk and milkshake vending machine – Belinda!

With shelves stacked full of tempting treats, we haven’t forgotten those who have more restrictive diets – our selection of gluten-, dairy-, sugar-free foods is second to none.

Easy access from the A303 and with ample car parking, we look forward to your visit.

Kate x

THE KINGS ARMS, THORNFORD

Barry Brock visits the Kings Arms in Thornford to try their tasty summer menu

If it hadn’t been for the Covid lockdown, Mat Stayner wouldn’t have had a chance to apply five coats of varnish to the Kings Arms’ bar floorboards. ‘It gave us the chance to make things the way we wanted them to be’ he said. The walls are painted in heritage greens and blues; the tables in the dining-room are good-sized and the chairs comfortable. Sue was pleased to find suitable hooks to hang up her coat. The lighting was soft and the background music just right – not so loud as to drown out the odd bit of chatter about dog shows and pigeon shooting.

We pushed the button on the table when we were ready and Mat came to take our order. Sue started with halloumi strips with a sweet chilli sauce, which she enjoyed, and I had pieces of squid in a crispy salt and pepper coating, also with chilli sauce. While Mat manages the bar and front of house, his partner, Rob Robertson, looks after the cooking. The Kings Arms is proud of its beers, so I asked Mat what would go best with the squid, and we settled on a glass of Palmers IPA. Sue’s glass of water had ice and a slice of lemon.

For our main course, Sue ordered the vegetarian lasagne, made to Rob’s own recipe, and I had Wiltshire ham with free-range eggs and chips. Wherever he goes, my brother-in-law always has ham, egg and chips – ‘It’s a benchmark’, he says, ‘If they do that well, then you know you’re okay’. Rob had done it well. Mat recommended a glass of the Cerne Abbas Brewery’s Tiger Tom Ruby Mild, and that went down well too. Sue’s lasagne was really tasty, full of aubergine, tomato and other vegetables, and served piping hot. The portions were generous and the prices reasonable.

The Kings Arms offers a ‘lighter’ version of most of their main courses – ‘I’m pleased I plumped for that,’ said Sue, ‘or I would not have had room for a pudding’. Somehow or other, I can always find room for a pudding, and found the New York style baked cheesecake topped with some refreshing mixed berries and a scoop of ice cream to be just right. Sue had a coffee mocha ice cream, made by the award-winning Marshfield Farm.

We chatted to Mat and Rob afterwards, which was when Mat told us about his efforts with the bar floorboards. ‘Lockdown meant we could bring the place to life’, he said, ‘We went over everything, although I hope I never have to do those floorboards again!’ Lockdown also meant diversification and the provision of takeaway meals in the village. ‘We still do this’, said Mat, ‘there’s one lady we deliver to five days a week.’ The bar walls are covered in village mementoes, sought out by Mat and Rob, with an open invitation to anyone who can put a name to a face in a photograph. ‘We want to be a centre for village life’ – yes, and I’ll drink to that.

The Mitre Inn

Sandford Orcas Nr Sherborne, DT9 4RU 01963 220271

FREEHOUSE

Allen and Cheryl welcome you with a cosy bar and great food.

Wed to Fri - Senior Citizens 2 course lunch £12.95 Sunday Roast - £12.95 Adult, £11.75 OAP and £9.50 children 2 En-suite letting rooms and Shepherds Hut

The Kings Arms Thornford

DT9 6QD The Quintessential Village Pub

Local and West Country Ales, a fine wine and drinks selection, a menu using locally sourced ingredients Family and dog friendly.

Wed and Thur 12noon-2.30pm & 6.00pm-10.00pm Friday 12noon-2.30pm & 6.00pm-11.00pm Saturday 12noon-11.00pm Sunday 12noon-6.00pm

Conduit Discount Code – 'ConduitAugust10'

10% off your complete bill when you dine with us on Wednesday or Thursday throughout August. Offer only available for tables booked in advance and you must quote the discount code at the time of booking, offer not available for casual dining.