Long-time cooking

CURRIED egg and potato/aloo was a frequent meal at the dinner table when I was young, accompanied with hot sada roti and one which I remember enjoying.

The dark golden eggs sat comfortably nestled close to the tender saucy curried potato. Once cut into, the buttery yellow yolks quickly absorbed the curry sauce and made for a good scoop with the roti. The taste was quite delicious. The tender curried potatoes, contrasting with the fried white of the egg and the creaminess of the yolks, made for a wholesome and satisfying meal.

This week we made curry eggs and aloo once again after a very long hiatus, and Adara reminded me how much she loved this dish and how seldom I made this dish for her when she was growing up. She is correct, yet I cannot understand why I seldom made it.

Maybe I thought it was just not enough, or maybe I simply never thought about making it, as it factored in so frequently at dinner time, when I was a youth in my parents' home. Yet this was one of the first dishes I made for my housemates when I was living off campus at university.

I ponder how many of us are guilty of not recreating some of the simpler meals we grew up eating. I know the older millennial generation cooks less, and their parents cook less as well. Many choose to buy food and some rather prepare more American-type meals.

I’m not guilty of not cooking, and I also do create a lot of the meals I grew up with but I am guilty of not making this dish enough.

Here are some simple delights from the past which I hope are still a part of your repertoire or can become part of it.

Bon appetit!

Curried egg and aloo

6 tbs coconut or vegetable oil

4 cloves garlic

1 onion sliced

½ hot pepper. seeded and chopped

3 tbs curry powder, mixed in ¼ cup water

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 hard boiled eggs, peeled

Heat 2 tbs oil in a heavy sauté pan, add garlic, onion and pepper.

Cook until fragrant for a few minutes.

Add curry powder and cook until mixture is almost dry.

Add potato, stir well.

Add about ½ cup water and cook on a simmer until potato is tender, 20 minutes.

Meanwhile dry eggs on a clean towel to remove any excess moisture.

Heat the balance of the oil in a frying pan, place eggs into oil and fry until the surface becomes bubbly and a dark golden colour.

Be careful as the eggs will tend to spit oil.

Remove and drain then add to the curried potatoes, simmer for another 10 minutes adding a bit of water to make a good gravy.

Serves 4

Curried cabbage

1 lb cabbage

1 tbs vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

½ small onion, sliced

2 tsp curry powder

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Shred cabbage.

Heat oil in frying pan, add garlic, onion and cook for a few minutes, add curry and cook until mixture is almost dry, add cabbage, and stir well.

Cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.

Season with salt.

Cook for a few minutes more.

Remove.

Serves 4

Jhingi

A thin long green vegetable resembling a cucumber. It has a flavour resembling christophene or zucchini, and is a member of the melon family.

2 tbs vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic

1 onion sliced

1 hot pepper, seeded and chopped

2 jhingi, peeled and sliced

Heat vegetable oil; add garlic, onion and pepper, sauté until fragrant.

Add jhingi and stir and fry for a few minutes, then lower heat to simmer, cover for about 10 minutes, remove lid, increase the heat and cook until any liquid has dried.

Enjoy with any meat, fish or chicken dish.

Curried seim and pigeon peas

1 tbs vegetable oil

1 lb fresh seim, cut into one-inch pieces, string removed

1 cup cooked pigeon peas

1 onion thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 hot pepper, seeded and chopped

1 tomato

2 tbs curry powder, dissolved in ⅓ cup water

Heat oil in sauté pan, add garlic, onion and peppers, cook until fragrant and onion begins to turn brown, add curry paste and cook until water has evaporated, add seim and stir to combine.

Add pigeon peas and stir, add a small amount of water and cover, cook until tender, stirring occasionally and only adding water when necessary.

Cook for 30 minutes until tender.

Serves 4 to 6

Spicy fried ochro

18 okra

2 tbs vegetable oil

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 hot pepper, halved, seeds removed

Salt

Remove stems and tips from ochro.

Thinly slice, set aside.

Heat oil in sauté pan, add garlic, onion and pepper, cook until onions are translucent.

Add sliced ochro and season with salt.

Turn and cook until okras begin to soften, lower your heat and leave the okras uncovered.

Cook stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, do not add water.

Cook until ochroes have reduced in volume and have become browned through the edges.

This should take about 20 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasoning and serve hot.

Enjoy with sada roti.

Serves 4

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