Friends, Lovers and Spices

I grew up in Jamaica, where our national m0tto is “out of many one people.” This motto was coined based on the multiracial composition of our population, which, to this day, is a surprise to many who believe that all Jamaicans are of African descent. Despite having a population that goes beyond the perceived racial profile of the “typical” Jamaican, our culture is homogeneous for the most part. This meant limited exposure to cultural diversity throughout my life except for the times I travelled or lived in other countries. One such experience is my current one– living in Canada. Though I don’t live in the most diverse part of the country, I was still awarded the opportunity to meet and befriend individuals from different countries worldwide. I shifted from having a friend circle limited to Caribbean and US nationals to one that includes folks from the Philippines, Canada, China, Mexico, Uganda, Malaysia, India, just to name a few.

Initially, when I relocated to Canada for school, my goal was to complete my studies, get a job and put down roots. At the time, I didn't consider how potentially holistic this experience could be–and that is exactly what it was. Not only did I become friends with racially diverse folks, but I learnt about the nuances of different cultures, ate meals from different countries at multicultural potlucks, learnt how to prepare meals from several cultures and significantly increased my cultural competence. As a group, my classmates and I submerged ourselves in each other’s cultures as we attempted to form long-lasting bonds. Unsurprisingly, food was always the common denominator in these equations.

Interracial Friendships and Relationships

Growing up, I was always fascinated by the Indian culture. Though I had no firsthand knowledge of their ways of life, what I learnt in school and researched on the internet was enough to whet my appetite and keep me wanting to learn more. You can imagine how pleasantly surprised I was when I stepped into my classroom on day one and realized I had entered a cultural mosaic–one that consisted of several amazing folks from India, who would soon become my good friends. I consider myself an introvert, but I wasted no time getting to know them and their respective cultures.

My first time dating outside of my race was with a guy from India. I had never seen myself dating a non-Black person since I grew up in a predominantly black region. But, living in a city where Black folks are the minority to the point where I'd transform into a giddy school girl at any rare sightings of another Black person, I did not have a choice but to open my mind and venture outside of my dating comfort zone. I mean, I had done the same thing with my friend circle, and the experiences were enriching, so why would dating be any different? Now, there were challenges that stemmed from cultural differences, but there were many similarities too–one being a shared love for flavourful food.

My most recent dating experience is with a fellow who hails from Punjab, a state in Northern India known for its delectable cuisine. Cooking isn't necessarily his forte, so I do most of the cooking with recipes I've found on blogs by Indian home chefs and his guidance based on what he grew up seeing his mom do. One of the first Indian dishes I made was chicken malai tikka for his birthday, which was quite intimidating since I was a non-Indian person attempting to prepare an Indian dish for an Indian guy. Not to mention the fact that it took me days to make the malai and I was constantly questioning my technique. I was definitely out of my comfort zone and I loved it!

Since I learnt how to prepare his favourite meal, I figured, why not take it up a notch and learn his favourite calorie-packed dessert too. This is the kind of dessert that is so good, you can't help but cheat if you're on a diet, even when you know you'll feel guilty afterwards. Bread pudding is a staple in Jamaican cuisine, so I was thrilled to learn this Indian version called, shahi tukda. I was learning more in my kitchen about the Indian culture than I ever learnt in any classroom—all while making super flavourful meals. Sounds like a win-win, right? It was!

Did I Mention This Is My Favourite Cuisine?

(Well, maybe my second favourite since Jamaican food has the #1 spot in my heart)

Perhaps it would have been worth mentioning this earlier as it would also explain why I was uber excited to learn more about Indian cuisine firsthand. The difference between now and my time in Jamaica is that back then, I only went to the best Indian fusion restaurant in Kingston, Nirvana, but never cooked any Indian dishes. Now, when I am craving Indian food, I head to my kitchen and prepare it myself. I'd say that's growth, wouldn't you? I do occasionally dine out at a few pretty good Indian restaurants here to support the local Indian business owners. Still, it is quite rewarding being able to prepare my favourite meals myself.

I like to tell myself that all the amazing Indians in my life brought India to me. This encouraged me to visit the country upon completing my studies, but unfortunately, Covid-19 threw a wrench in those plans. However, the level of growth I experienced by interacting with only a few Indians made me crave what it would feel like to be submerged in the culture. My best friend's visit to the country only increased my interest. Her experience with the locals and their cuisine was one worth writing home about and an experience I hope to have very soon.

For now, I have decided to try as many recipes as I can find. The latest I have attempted is chole bhature, which is a popular Punjabi dish liked by people worldwide. The dish includes chickpeas simmered in a flavourful tomato and onion based gravy as well as fried bread. I will admit that I once made this three days in a row, and each day I ate it twice because it was that good! I eventually scaled back a bit since that was far too much fried bread being consumed in a week. I have instead committed to making this at least once per month, which will help with the guilt of eating fried foods.

Below is a meal consisting of palak paneer, roti and ghee rice. Paneer is essentially Indian cottage cheese made from cow or buffalo milk. It can be cooked similarly to how you would cook tofu, but I find it to be much better. I enjoy preparing palak paneer as I have never done a good job of willingly consuming greens. The palak paneer gravy is made with spinach and spices, and I cannot think of a better way to consume my daily serving of vegetables. The best part is you won't notice a strong spinach flavour as it is dressed up in spices. But, I guess this only matters if you dislike vegetables too.

On that note of paneer and my undying love for this cheesy blank canvas, I thought I'd share the recipe for one of the many paneer dishes I have tried. It is simple to make, but it requires the use of quite a few ingredients. If you don't usually use spices and different flavours you might be wondering if it will be overkill, but I promise you that when it all comes together and you taste it, you'll only ask yourself, "why haven't I tried this sooner?"

Chilli Paneer Recipe

Chilli paneer is my favourite of all the Indian dishes I have shared so far. It is an Indo-Chinese appetizer and can be eaten on its own as a snack or with sides of your choice to make it a full meal. I prefer the former.

Total Time: 25 minutes (7 minutes for prep + 18 minutes for cooking)

Ingredients

200 grams paneer

1 tsp kashmiri divided (1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp)

cornstarch divided (3 tbsp + 1 tsp)

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp black pepper divided (1/8 tsp + 1/8 tsp)

1/8 tsp salt

4 tbsp oil divided (3 tbsp + 1 tbsp)

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp soya sauce

2 tbsp ketchup

2 tbsp red chilli sauce

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp garlic

2 sprigs of green onion

1/2 cup green peppers

1 green chilli (hari mirch)

1 medium red onion

water (as needed)

Method

1. Add the 3 tbsp of flour and cornstarch, 1/2 tsp kashmiri, 1/8 tsp black pepper and 1/8 tsp of salt to a mixing bowl. Mix in enough water to make a thick batter (or thin if that is your preference).

2. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a frying pan. While the oil gets hot, add cubed paneer to the batter and gently coat each. If using store-bought paneer, soak it in warm water for fifteen minutes before using.

3. Once the oil is hot, gently place the battered paneer into the pan, ensuring they are spaced apart and the pan isn't crowded.

4. Fry the paneer cubes on all sides until crispy, then remove from the pan and drain on a paper towel or in a colander.

5. Prepare the sauce- Mix 1 tsp of cornstarch with 1/2 cup of water and stir until there are no lumps in the mixture. Add 2 tbsp red chilli sauce, 2 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp soya sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp kashmiri and 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar to another bowl and mix.

6. Add 1 tbsp oil to a frying pan, then add 1 tbsp garlic once the oil is hot. Sauté the garlic until fragrant and add the two chopped sprigs of green onion and red onion (separate the layers and cube them).

7. Add in the slit green chilli and half cup of green peppers. Sauté this for approximately two minutes.

8. Add the sauce to the pan, then slowly stir in the cornstarch slurry. Mix on medium heat until the sauce thickens. If it becomes too thick for your liking, add some hot water to make the sauce thinner, then turn off the heat.

9. Add 1/8 tsp black pepper and gently fold in paneer. The paneer is usually tender at this point, so you do not want it to crumble.

10. Serve the chilli paneer hot and garnish it with green onions!

This meal goes well with fresh homemade mango lassi. That is by no means an expert opinion, but rather coming from someone who loves mango lassi and makes it at home all the time. I think I will be trying a rose lassi recipe next, once I can get my hands on some roses!

If you have some leftovers when you make your mango lassi, feel free to turn them into popsicles as I did. However, be sure to use greek yogurt instead of regular (I used regular), so that your yogurt layer will come out creamy instead of icy like mine.

Though my plans to travel this year and last year have all been thwarted, it is still my hope that I will be able to travel to India as soon as we return to some semblance of normalcy with this pandemic. The first thing I intend to do when I get there (hopefully with an empty stomach) is to find the closest location with street food and order some aloo tikki, pani puri, dosa and kulfi.