Coconut is a frequently used ingredient in curry across the Indian subcontinent and, consequently, Britain. In my experience, most British proponents of the coconut tend to use the desiccated variety, which perfectly acceptable. However, though acceptable, desiccated coconut lives up to its name through lack of moisture, passion and interest. Indeed, until you’ve dabbled in fresh, you’ve never properly experienced coconut.
Udon are a type of thick white Japanese noodle, made of wheat flour and most commonly used in soup – kake udon – though they have many other applications besides. Yaki udon simply means ‘fried udon’ and it can be made according to many different recipes – no two recipes for yaki udon that I’ve seen have been the same. This fact makes it a perfect candidate for culinary exploration and experimentation. However, in this case I thought it best to go for a simple seasoning of soy sauce, fish sauce and sesame oil as it has yet to fail in the flavour department.
There are many potential misconceptions one stumbles upon when writing about frugal food. The delusion that bothers me the most is that many people, frugal or otherwise, assume that to be economically prudent one must always eat the least expensive ingredients. Of course, such an approach will almost certainly allow one to attain their financial goals, however, it can also be an extremely dull path down which to venture. In fact, there are many ways to be thrifty but to also enjoy the finer produce in life. This salmon and prawn fish pie is a case in point – no one would immediately assume it is a frugal recipe, but that it is. As your school teachers no doubt informed you, one must never read a book by its cover.
This is another of my favourite curries, inspired by a recipe taken from a book called An Indian Housewife’s Recipe Book by Laxmi Khurana. I first encountered this astonishing recipe book when I was visiting my girlfriend’s parents’ house, which is where I cooked this delightful meal. I am now, however, a proud owner of a kindle based copy, which set me back a mere £1.99 – an absolute bargain. I strongly recommend the purchase of this book, particularly on the kindle – it really is surprisingly good for recipes, seemingly making the entire experience even more clear than it would otherwise have been.