Out & About Spring 2019

FOOD & DRINK

the recipes and wrote the words, her older son Aran did all the photography and Aran’s partner Janki created the artwork. When she was trying out recipes, friends and neighbours would bravely volunteer (Oh, how I wish I’d been a friend or neighbour) to taste them and get involved in the planning and preparation. The book is also in part a tribute to her youngest son Aman who died aged 15, 10 years ago. “Not a day goes by when I don’t think about Aman and what sort of adult he would have been, and this book is a small reminder of his vibrant personality and can-do attitude.” The title A Pinch of Spice comes from a piece of English work Balwinder found in her son’s school bag a couple of years ago. Aman was writing about the rugby union player Jason Robinson: “He brought a pinch of spice to each match. He injected fire into each of the 80 minutes. His trademark move cast memories of awe in my mind....” The dishes are mainly from the Punjab region of northern India, with Balwinder’s personal twist. Two-thirds of the recipes are vegan, certainly vegetarian. “I am a vegetarian myself, but I know instinctively what spices work with different foods, so I was able to create meat and fish dishes.” The book was finally published at the end of January. “We printed a run of 2,000 and because it arrived just before Christmas I was able to give copies as gifts to many of the friends who had been involved. “As a result, they then ordered copies for their friends and so on. I can’t believe how well it has done.” In fact, a second print run is already on order and Balwinder will be doing a book signing at The Bookstore, an independent store in Abingdon, and giving various cookery demonstrations in the area over the coming months. The book is a vibrant, enticing publication, filled with sumptuous photographs and pictures from Balwinder’s family album – of her as a child and pictures of her mother, grandmother and aunties. At the back is a montage of images of family, interspersed with many pictures of the friends who have had a hand in the making of the book. It is a weighty tome, with some 80-90 recipes.

“I say 80-90 because some of the recipes have added tweaks or slight changes you can make according to individual taste – so in some instances you get three for the price of one, so to speak.” At this moment Balwinder, who has been cooking a dahl while we are talking, hands me a bowl of the most delicious, steaming spicy heaven. It is clear from the first taste that Balwinder’s kitchen is going to continue to be a very busy place and I suspect a third print run of A Pinch of Spice may soon be required.

A Pinch of Spice , published by Matador, is available to buy from Balwinder’s website www.balskitchen.com

Turn to page 40, where Balwinder has given us some of the recipes from her book for you to try at home

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