“The great challenge of parenthood: how you don’t cook pasta every evening.” Amol Rajan about the joys of cooking by chaos
Parentship, paneer and the whirlpool of modern life
Amol’s life is a whirlwind. “I have four, as far as I know. Yes, under nine,” he joked, referring to his young brood. “Five, three and one. I’m in the vortex.” Between the requirements of family, journalism and radio, cooking has become both a sanctuary and in the stage.
However, it’s not just about feeding hungry mouths. Cooking for Amol is a way to regain joy and connection in a fast -moving world. “Since I started on Instagram, my life has gotten much better,” he said to Claire. “You really have my evenings much better from a pretty crap.”
The anatomy of a favorite: Amols Paneer Curry
So what makes Amol’s Paneer Curry so special? The secret lies in simplicity – and the spice. “They create a base with a little tomatoes and onions, which they reduce with a nice mix of spices. Quite a lot of ghee,” he said. The paneer, “essentially an Indian cottage cheese”, is fried separately for these important, crispy edges before it is folded into the rich, seasoned sauce.
The kitchen barn was as lively as cooking. “Can I just say how happy I am here?” Amol beamed before starting a detailed discussion about Cumin’s citrus notes and the virtues of fresh and ground spices. “I am very Indian, I think in my food consumption and cumin for me … it’s so sharp. It’s so aromatic.”
Claire, always the chef, led the process gently and suggested coriander stems for the sauce and the leaves for garnish. “It is almost as if they really, really, really know what they are talking about,” joked Amol when the duo chopped, stirred and tasted the perfect curry.
A taste of home, a dash of nostalgia
Essen is deeply personal for Amol. He grew up in South London, the child of parents from various corners of India – his mother from Pune near Bombay, his father from Tamil Nadu. “My mother is actually the best cook in the world,” he said, remembering kind goods from Dosa, Idli and Saurer, spicy Rasam soup. “She only spends cooking all day.”
Paneer Curry is a family favorite, a dish that his mother always made while visiting. “There are certain things that mothers know … she does it, I love it. My mother does it in many different ways.”
Food, family and digital age
The conversation stormed from the joys from Ghee to the dangers of social media, whereby Amol thought about the challenges that young people – and parents – are faced with total. “I think it is more difficult to be these days. Smartphones and all of this Palava, I find it difficult.”
Cooking, he suggested, was a way to earth the chaos. “I like to structure a weekend for cooking … buying and cooking a few ingredients and being the main activity.” It is also a way to bring your children into the wrinkle, whether strawberry ice cream or they persuade them to try new flavors. “The great challenge of parenthood in modernity: how you don’t cook pasta every night.”
Spice, salt and the striving to taste
When the curry approached the completion, the conversation turned to the spice. “Salt brings taste, isn’t it?” Claire considered. Amol agreed and remembered a lesson from the cooking school: “Pepper is not seasoned. Pepper is a spice. If you put salt on chocolate, it tastes more chocolate.”
The last thrive? A pressure from lemon juice and a scattering of fresh coriander. “It’s delicious, isn’t it?” Claire explained and tasted the finished dish. Amol was also pleased. “This is absolutely delicious. I won’t lie, I could be humble, but I mean …”
A recipe for life
Food is more than food for Amol – it is a lifeline. With a family history of diabetes, he is aware of health, but never at the expense of taste. “I try to avoid starchy carbohydrates … but salt and fat are the key to make things delicious.”
When the plates were served and the last stories were divided, one thing was clear: in Amol’s kitchen, as in his journalism, curiosity, heart and a pinch of spice.
