An Afternoon With Mo

The rainy season started early this year and for the past 2 weeks we’ve had
major storms in our area. When it rains in Guanacaste, it’s like natures’s cue to thrive, a real beautiful sight. It’s also a time to stay indoors and cook!

Mo invited me to spend an afternoon in the kitchen while he prepares an Indian banquet for a bunch of friends the next day. He warns me, “ It will be very hands-on”. And I’m ready and excited! There’s nothing better than an afternoon in the kitchen during a summer storm.

My friend Mo and I share this amazing love for food, especially Indian Cuisine. We could talk about spices and herbs, cooking memories, where to buy this and that ingredient…for hours! He’s also my go-to person for any general question, like literally anything! So yes, this man has an amazing amount of knowledge and very quickly, within seconds of meeting him you’ll know he’s a man with the biggest heart. And loves to cook barefoot! –A trait that speaks loudly to me of true heart-cooking.

Mo’s Indian influence is deeply engrained through his parents, both Indian. His Caribbean charm comes from growing up in Guyana and then later he moved to the United States. His love for cooking comes from spending memorable times in the kitchen with his mom from a very young age and her beautiful recipes are still alive in his kitchen today.

As I arrived, he greeted me with a smile. No time wasted, aprons on, and we set out on our little afternoon journey through beautiful India. On the kitchen counter he had set up his little stash of spices specially brought by his sister last time she came to visit. Oh, the smell of Garam Masala, Curry, Turmeric, Jeera, Cinnamon and Cumin! Nutty, sweet, warm, smoky, pungent scents that take you hundreds of miles away. It’s a Bollywood dance happening right in front of your eyes! And you know, when the music starts to play, I dance!

He chose chicken curry for the main dish so he showed me how to marinade the chicken just like his mom used to:
In a big recipient with lid, he added the chicken pieces. He then added fresh coconut milk, greek yogurt, salt, garam masala, tumeric, curry, cumin and a blend of fresh coriander, garlic and onions he had previously chopped in the food processor. Mixed everything and left it in the fridge for a few hours. To be slow cooked later and left to rest over night and reheated the next day to be served.

As I watch him do his magic, I notice how Mo’s sense of smell is constantly on high alert: by just smelling he determines the balance of the seasoning. This reminded me how cooking is very much a full experience of the senses. He asks me to smell as he adds the spices and it’s magical how it all comes together and just by using my sense of smell my mind goes back to the streets of Delhi. It’s a crazy thing and one I love about cooking.

Anthony Bourdain, a great influential chef and adventurer, showed us the world through his eyes. He loved food fearlessly but it was clear that for him the sharing of food had a deep connection with people and their journey in life. He once said: “ Context and memory play powerful roles in all the truly great meals in one’s life.” His words ring true in me as I write this.

For the chickpea salad, the blend of spices (curry, cumin, masala) is first fried in hot olive oil together with the salt until their fragrance fills the kitchen. This step is important as it enhances flavor making it bold and intense. He then tosses in the canned chickpeas, diced carrots, green, yellow and red capsicum and a big spoonful of the coriander-garlic-onion blend. Adjust seasoning and done! It can be reheated to be served warm.

We then prepared to make the Beryani. Beryani is spiced rice that originated among the Muslims of India and is now popular across the Indian subcontinent, from Pakistan to Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Basmati rice is used for this dish. It’s firstly cooked in coconut milk until fluffy. In a separate pan he heated olive oil and added a few cinnamon sticks. Fried until burnt and removed. He then added: minced garlic clove, a small chopped onion, salt, a small handfull of cloves, chopped fresh ginger and chopped almonds. Fried for a minute or so while mixing. Finally added a pinch of clove powder, cinnamon powder and nutmeg powder. Switched off the heat and mixed in the cooked rice in small amounts, making sure it is well mixed. He finished by adding a handfull of raisins and chopped dates.

get a spoonful of his work of art and it just melts in my mouth. I can taste a
dance of spices with the sweetness of dry fruit and the crunch of nuts, and how the coconut carries them through in a very subtle way. He proudly smiles and hands me another spoonful. I could have gone for a bowlful of this glorious rice! The perfect side dish for this feast. Fluffy and luxuriously tasty.

Mo then tells me that we are done for today and to come back tomorrow early to enjoy this exquisite banquet with friends.
I went home happy, inspired by Mo’s realness in the kitchen, spices still lingering in my clothes and hair and I just couldn’t wait for the next day. I was going to witness the most exciting part of the preparation…the making of Naan Bread.

I will tell you all about it in my next post, so stay tuned! You’ll get a peak of his special technique to get that soft, airy, leafy texture you’re looking for in Naan. It will make you want to grab your rolling pin and make history in your kitchen!