While there is a certain liberating feeling making Indian food without the Royal Indian Mounted Food Control Police lurking around eye-rolling, tsking and harumphing at every turn, (that said, I’d rather him around than not) there is something to be said for the ability to ask questions when, for instance, you’re not sure if you can use low fat yoghurt or if it’s ok to temper the spices in chicken fat. Murgh kari for those of you not in the loop, is curried chicken (insert tooth sucking noise). It’s simple enough, and I had the ingredients on hand but there is always the nagging feeling I am doing it wrong. I used an apple which my mother always put in her curry. I know this would elicit a whoop of disapproval. The cashews I threw in might not have been a technical offense but the same cannot be said of the Worcestershire sauce (also a go-to in my mom’s curry) I tossed into it. I was a little frightened of the pepper (rightly so, I discovered the next night) so I didn’t use it.
It was good, if a little tame. I should have used that pepper and a lot more Worcestershire sauce. The raita was some of my finest but I neglected to eat it with dinner. Not to worry, I had it with the leftovers for lunch the next day.
