Spice up your life

WHEN Anjum Anand decided to give up a steady career in business to become a full-time foodie, her parents weren't so sure. "They were horrified - they'd paid for my education, and they had encouraged me to make more of my life than be in the kitchen. They were supportive, but they weren't enthused by it," the cookery writer recalls.

After a few years' graft in professional kitchens and the publication of a debut cookbook, Indian Every Day, when she was 25, Anand won her mum and dad over. "They kept thinking, 'She'll come to her senses'. But then when my first book came out I think then they realised, 'Actually, this is great'," recalls Anand, now 45.

Anand's career change shouldn't have come as a big surprise though; the signs were there from early on that food was her true passion. One of three children, growing up in London (her parents had emigrated there from India) and Switzerland, she was "the only one who ever volunteered to go to the kitchen".

There, Anand developed her love of Indian cuisine and learnt the basics under her mother's watchful eye. "I loved cooking. I loved the craft of it, I loved the chemistry of it, how you take something which doesn't taste good and you add all these bits and you cook it and it tastes amazing," she says. "I've always found it quite meditative, so I would go into the kitchen and do whatever I wanted to do, with friends or without friends."

After attending business school and working in a small company, Anand realised it didn't fulfil her - "I was only happy when I was cooking".

Since Indian Every Day was published in 2003, she's gone on to land regular TV appearances, hosting the BBC series Indian Food Made Easy, and launch her own food range, The Spice Tailor. She's been compared to 'domestic goddess' and fellow glossy-haired TV cook Nigella Lawson, over the years - something she takes "with a pinch of salt".

Her eighth cookbook, I Love India, was recently published; Anand describes it as her "most personal" yet. Inspired by her visits to India, the beautifully presented book has sections on street-side tiffin, coastal curries and comfort food.

DAD'S FISH CURRY

(Serves 4)

For the spice blend:

¾tsp cumin seeds

1/3 tsp black peppercorns

1½ tsp brown mustard seeds

1tbsp coriander seeds, or ground coriander

For the curry:

3 large tomatoes, quartered

15 large garlic cloves

½ tsp chilli powder

¾ tsp ground turmeric

4tbsp vegetable oil

2 dried chillies

¼ tsp fenugreek seeds (available from good supermarkets)

¼ tsp brown mustard seeds

Salt

600g firm white fish, cut into steaks (Dad's favourite is rohu, or sea bream)

3 Indian green finger chillies, stalks removed, pierced with a knife

2 handfuls of coriander stalks and leaves, roughly chopped

Rice to serve

METHOD

Grind together the cumin, peppercorns, mustard and coriander seeds until fine. Blend together the tomatoes and garlic until smooth, add the spice blend, chilli powder and turmeric and blend once again.

Heat two-and-a-half tablespoons of the oil in a large non-stick karahi, wok or saucepan. Add the dried chillies and the fenugreek and mustard seeds. Once the popping starts to die down, add the blended tomatoes and some salt. Cook over a high-ish flame, stirring often, until the paste releases oil, 10-12 minutes.

Move the paste to the side of the pan, or remove it entirely, and add the remaining oil. Add the fish and fry for one to two minutes on each side. Then add enough water to cover the fish (around 500ml), the green chillies and coriander and bring to the boil. Cook for four to five minutes or until the fish is cooked through. The sauce will continue to thicken as it sits, because the fish absorbs the liquid. In the end it should be only a little creamy but not thick. Serve with rice.

SAFFRON YOGURT PHIRNI

(Serves 4-5)

40g basmati rice

1 litre whole milk

4tbsp sugar, or to taste

¼ tsp ground cardamom

Good pinch of saffron threads

2tbsp thick, set plain yogurt, not too sour

Chopped pistachios or almonds, to serve

METHOD

Soak the basmati for one hour in plentiful water, then drain and dry it completely on kitchen paper. Set aside.

Pour 900ml of the milk into a wide, heavy-based saucepan. Add the saffron. Place over a medium heat, then reduce the heat and gently simmer until it has reduced to 600ml. You will need to stir the milk often, scraping the base of the pan to make sure the milk doesn't catch and burn. If the heat is too high, the milk will rise up in the pan and spill, so keep an eye on it.

Meanwhile, set aside one teaspoon of the dried rice and, using a spice grinder, grind the rest to a coarse powder. Set aside.

When the milk has reduced, add the ground rice to the reserved 100ml milk and stir well. Pour this straight into the reduced hot milk with the reserved whole rice, stirring so it does not form a clump. Keep cooking and stirring for 10 minutes or so over a medium heat.

Add the sugar and cardamom and keep stirring until the mixture has thickened, another five to seven minutes. It will measure around 450-500ml.

Cool, then stir in the yogurt. Adjust the sweetness to taste, bearing in mind that as it cools the sweetness will be less pronounced.

Pour into individual bowls or a large serving dish, cover with cling film and chill overnight in the fridge. Serve sprinkled with the nuts.

I Love India by Anjum Anand, photography by Martin Poole (Quadrille, £20)