It just didn't seem right to put my favourite chicken curry recipe out there for all to see and not add my favourite accompaniment. This raita has some ground cumin in it, which you may have roasted and ground yourself. If you gave it a try, way to go! All this talk of chickens lately, and now of Indian food, reminds me of a story which I may have told you before but I think fits in nicely with these subjects.
I was told about a Rotary trip from friends of mine that were Rotarian's in Harrow. A "Group Study Exchange" is a trip that exchanges young professionals from one country with another country somewhere in the world. That year the trip would be to Southern India. I applied and based on my enthusiasm for Indian cooking at the time, was accepted to be a member of the 5- person team. It was a trip of a lifetime and we were each going to learn more about our respective professions, mine being cooking.
Before leaving Canada, we each filled out a questionnaire about the sorts of things we would like to see and do. This information was then sent out to all the Rotary clubs that would be hosting us as we made our way around the states of Karnataca and Andhra Pradesh. I seem to remember writing such things as spending time in home kitchens, restaurants, markets, farms... that sort of idea. For some crazy reason, about a week or so into the trip, I had a group of men that were insisting that I go to visit a chicken farm. I wasn't really into it, but I couldn't do anything without seeming rude, so I went. I figured out quickly there must have been a typo on my questionnaire and that everyone in India had me pegged for visiting chicken farms!
After the first one, I thought I was safe but then came another town and another chicken farm. They were pretty much what you would expect of chicken farms in India but after the first one, I was desperate to avoid them at all costs. At the next town, my host was a young man around my age, and I felt that I could speak my mind. A couple of gin & tonics later and I let my host know that I wasn't going near another chicken farm; two was more than enough for this girl. We had some laughs about it (he had already been calling around to find a chicken farm for me to visit!) and he certainly saw the humour in it. At the Rotary meeting we attended in his town, he got up to introduce me and after saying some lovely things, he couldn't help saying, "and she never misses a chance to see a chicken farm!"
After all that, I managed to go to only one more chicken farm. I persuaded one of my traveling companions to come along for the fun and at least there were other types of animals at this particular farm. In exchange for having her join me on this little expedition, I agreed to go to the local jail with her (her profession was social work but I wonder if she wrote down visiting jails on her questionnaire?). Somehow, I ended up visiting two different jails during the trip. Interesting experiences, but I am not sure whether I would recommend a jail tour or a chicken farm tour should you ever need advice on an upcoming trip!
Cucumber & Onion Yogurt Relish (Kheere Ka Raita)
From "The Bombay Cafe" Cookbook by Neela Paniz
2 c. plain yogurt
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 green serrano chile, finely chopped
1 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 t. ground roasted cumin
1 1/2 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1. Mix all ingredients together and taste for seasonings. Add a little more sugar or chile, if desired. Refrigerate for about 1 hour and serve.
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