Aloo Curry, Chapatti, Coconut Chutney and Mango Lassi...

Every day this popular breakfast curry is eaten by millions of people across the Indian sub-continent. Its spices vary from kitchen to kitchen, region to region, each cooks hand lending secrets from their personal spice box.

I first encountered it in a place called Kozhikode, in the state of Kerala. An ancient, prominent trading place ever since Vasco de Gama and his 17 sailors landed on its exotic, coconut palmed-swathed shores. I found it a special place, comfortable and safe - predominately Hindi, it is inhabited by more women than men. The women resemble living goddesses dressed in colourful sari, their hair slicked with coconut oil and adorned with white, highly scented flowers. The hectic dusty streets smell of pepper, coffee, lemon grass and rubber.

My visit coincided with monsoon season, a time that I like in any part of the world. One minute you are in sweltering, searing heat and in the next moment a shower washes you with such force there is nothing you can do but succumb. I was en-route to deeper in the south of India. I sat in a hotel next to the bus station awaiting my connection. Breakfast time in India, especially in the southern states, is the real deal. So many choices to make, hot and fiery or fresh and gentle, they even have coffee to kick start your day instead of the usual chai. That morning I ate three little bowls of this potato curry, dipping fresh chapatti and sipping on a mango lassi, I did not much mind that the bus was 3 hours late.

This staple breakfast falls into the ‘gentle curry’ category with its warmth and mellow flavour, but don’t be fooled - it has great character in its layers of masala spices, with an almost buttery edge.  Served with the ubiquitous fresh coconut chutney that accompanies every meal in the south, and a fresh sweet mango lassi, it is to me a delicious start to any day. One mouthful reminds me of those intrepid days travelling through India, mostly eating and always in awe and wonder, filled with hope for my future. After a trip to India I believe life is never quite the same for anyone and I am one of those who has left a piece of my heart in ‘Mother India’ and share a love affair with her that will last a lifetime.

There is nothing prosaic about this very simple and comforting breakfast curry but it has the power to transport me back, right there onto the scented, dusty, goddess-filled streets of Kozhikode.

Aloo Curry

Serves 4

1 kilo potatoes

1 large onion finely chopped

2 tspns ghee

1 stem curry leaves

Large handful ripped coriander

3 large green chillis

4 cloves garlic crushed

Chunk of ginger peeled and chopped

1 tspn turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Popu Mix

1 tspn cumin seeds

1 tspn mustard seeds

1 tspn chana dal

1 tspn urad dal

Splash of water

Peel your potatoes and put in a pan of cold water bring to the boil and cook until soft, drain and set aside. Heat your ghee in a heavy based saucepan and add the popu mix, the curry leaves and cook for a few minutes. Next add your onion and stir and mix with the spices, cook until the onion is translucent. Add in your ginger, garlic and chillis and cook for 5 minutes. Season with some salt, just a little and add your turmeric to the pan. Chop your potatoes into chunks and add to the pan, add some water to loosen and cook for 10 minutes on a low heat. Sprinkle with fresh coriander.

Chapatti

makes 12

2 cups of wholewheat flour

Pinch of salt

2 tblspns ghee

Cold water to bind

Sieve your flour into a bowl with your salt and ghee, stir it all together. Add water to bind it into a ball. Knead this mix for at least 10 minutes, the more you knead the softer the chapatti will be. Place in the fridge covered for at least an hour. Then take out and roll into balls about the size of a small tangerine. Flour  a board and rolling pin and roll the balls into circles about the thickness of a 50p. Heat a large skillet and have it on a fairly high heat. Put your chapatti disk in and you will start to see it bubbling, cook for about 5 minutes and then flip to cook the otherside. Keep them warm wrapped in a clean teatowel until you have cooked all of them.

Coconut Chutney

1 Cup of freshly sliced fresh coconut

1 tblspn chana dal

3 green small chillis

1 small red onion

Handful of fresh coriander

Small chunk of ginger

1/2 tspn tamarind extract

Pinch of salt

Squeeze of fresh lime

Place all ingredients into a large stone mortar and pestle and grind together to form a paste adding in the lime to keep it moving, eventually it will form a paste. Simplicity itself. Hand ground food I think tastes different and so much better than using a food processor but it is still fine to use one if you want.

Mango Lassi

makes 4 glasses

3 ripe mango

500ml of thick natural yoghurt

2 tspn sugar

1 squeezed lime

2 handfuls of ice

Peel your mangos and put all the flesh into a blender with all of the other ingredients and whizz to a thick mix. Heaven. The riper the mango is the better the drink will be.