The Hackney Butchers Association

Dhudi is an Indian vegetable. It's a member of the gourd family, and tastes like a slightly bitter marrow.  They come in various shapes and sizes, and confusingly have dozens of names in different countries.  The main names to remember are Lauki (India), Hulu (Chinese), and Calabash (USA/Europe). If left on the vine, they thicken up and are often hollowed out, dried, and used in place of bottles. For this reason, they are often referred to as bottle gourds. When young, they are eaten as a vegetable.  You just peel them with a normal peeler, dice & then boil or fry for about 5mins.  By themselves they are a bit bland, so they are usually cooked with lots of spices.  That's where I get interested! They are eaten all across India, Pakistan, in China, Korea, Vietnam and parts of South America, so there are no doubt a huge amount of recipes out there. To get the ball rolling, here's a recipe I tried last night which uses no oil.  I had it with some plai...

Asafoetida is a pungent spice that comes from the sap of Ferula roots.   In it's raw gum form it has a foul smell hence the name Devil's Dung! Once fried for 30secs in oil though, it gives a lovely onion/leek/garlic flavour.  Phew.  It is used widely in Indian, Persian & Arabic food. I found mine at a local asian store, where it was known as 'Hing' , but all the big manufacturers make it, so it will be in a lot of supermarkets.  You can buy it in bags of untreated resin, but it is very pungent & very smelly!  Far more often it comes in powder form in pots, mixed with a little rice flour to keep it dry and make the taste less harsh. Just in case, here are a few stockists.... GREENLIFE.CO.UK SPICESOFINDIA.CO.UK THEASIANCOOKSHOP.CO.UK For USA use  ISHOPINDIAN.COM For the rest of Europe use: INDIASTORE.DE Hope this helps!

This comes from an awesome book I recently bought from Amazon, "India" by Pushpent Pant. His name alone is impressive! It is the first recipe I've cooked from the book, but if it is anything to go by, I will soon be trying the remaining 999 recipes... This book is not cheap, but worth every penny, i'ts a lovely object (that comes in it's own bag) , published by Phaidon,  and packed with enough info, ideas and great images to keep you going for years. Wow. I've just seen they've just slashed the price on Amazon (after I'd bought 2 copies!) to £20.  That really is a massive bargain. Anyway here's the basic recipe with a slight twist as I couldn't get fresh fenugreek and used dried instead. I also added some chopped fresh mint at the end just to freshen it up.  Probably a mortal sin, but still damn tasty... RECIPE BELOW:

Gulf baharat 1 tbsp red pepper 1 1/2 tsp cumin 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 1/2 tsp ground loomi (dried lime) 1 tsp cloves 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp saffron threads

July Artichokes, Aubergines, Apricots, Buckler-Leaf Sorrel, Broccoli, Beetroot, Blueberries, Blackcurrants, Broad Beans, Cherries, Cod, Crab, Courgettes, Cucumbers, Clams, Cockles, Coley, Dover Sole, English Lamb, Fennel, Grey Mullet, Greengages, Gooseberries, Garlic, Green Beans, Haddock, Halibut, Herring, John Dory, Kohlrabi, Lobster, Langoustines, Lemon Sole, Loganberries, Monkfish, Mulberries, Mackerel, Nectarines, Onions, Peaches, Potatoes, Peas, Plums, Plaice, Raspberries, Rabbit, Rocket, Runner Beans, Redcurrants, Radishes, Raspberries, Strawberries, Squid, Sea Bream, Scallops, Sea Bass, Swiss Chard, Sardines, Salmon, Spinach, Salad Leaves, Tomatoes, Whelks, Watercress. Wild Foods for July Crab Apples, Chanterelles, Green Walnuts, Marsh Samphire, Sea Purslane, Wild Blackberries, Wild Mint, Wood Pigeon. This list comes from the brilliant website The British Larder. I always find their monthly list a great way to remind me of things i haven't eaten or cook...

June Aubergines, Artichokes, Asparagus, Apricots, Borage, Broad Beans, Beetroot, Blueberries, Blackcurrants, Broccoli, Courgettes, Cherries, Cod, Crab, Coley, Cockles, Carrots, Chicory, Cucumbers, Dover Sole, Fennel, French Beans, Grey Mullet, Green Beans, Gooseberries, Haddock, Halibut, Herring, John Dory, Lamb, Langostines, Lemon Sole, Lobster, Mange Tout, Mackerel, Nectarines, New Potatoes, Onions, Peas, Pollack, Plaice, Redcurrants, Rocket, Radishes, Runner beans, Rhubarb, Romaine Lettuce, Raspberries, Sorrel, Spinach, Spring Onions, Salmon, Strawberries, Sardines, Sea Trout, Turnips, Tomatoes, Watercress. Wild Foods for June Lime Flowers, Marsh Samphire, Nasturtium, Sorrel, Sea Purslane, Sea Beet, Wild Mint, Wood Pigeon. I bought a borage plant a few weeks ago, that despite the lack of sunshine seems to be doing really well.  The leaves are spiky like a thick stinging nettle.  Chopped really fine they can be eaten raw and taste mostly ...

Thanks to Amazon I am now the proud owner of four new curry books!  Very exciting stuff for me.  I've gone for quite a diverse selection, so it should be an interesting mix of old & new. The first to arrive is a very dated looking book called, "The Curry Secret: Indian Restaurant Cookery at Home" | PaperbackAuthor: Kris Dhillon It was a best seller at some point, but can now be picked up for the princely sum of 1p. Yes 1p.  I'm not sure there can be a better way to spend a penny.  Well, you know what i mean.  First published in 1989, it was updated & re-published in 2008.  Back by popular demand, so it must be good eh? It's written by an Indian restaurant owner & chef who spills the beans on restaurant 'tricks of the trade'. I'm yet to put it to the test but am already learning some top tips.  Loving it! For instance...I love the mint sauce that comes with onion bhaji & popadoms.  I have tried making it at home...