Bloggerview with Maunika Gowardhan,

Maunika Gowardhan

Name and occupation – Maunika Gowardhan, Private chef & Food writer

What would you like to plug? – My blog www.cookinacurry.co.uk ( which I have to say is fantastic. JCC )

Name your three desert island ingredients – Salt, chilli powder and rice

Your best cooking tip – Brown onions well on a low flame for a curry. Caramelly onions lend a

really lovely colour and flavour to the final dish

What is your favourite snack? – Cake!

What would you have for your last supper? – My mother’s crab curry with rice and some

fried fish

What foodstuff would you banish to room 101? - None

What's your favourite restaurant? – Wahaca, Ping pong, Koba, Benares. The list is very long!

What's your favourite tipple? – Gin & Tonic

Which book gets you cooking ? – A lot of cookbooks written in local language in India in the

1960/1970’s

What comfort food comforts you when you are sick? – Khichdi; similar to a risotto but lightly

spiced and topped with a dollop of home made butter

Kitchen implement you can't do with out. – Blender a life saver for good ginger garlic paste

also my pressure cooker

What's your dream dinner party line-up? – The Queen, Chef Atul Kochhar, my grandmother,

Chef Terry Laybourne


What is your favourite cooking aroma ? – Indian spiced lamb stew

And what would you cook for them? – Biryani, Prawns curry, Chaat and some fresh breads

What was your childhood teatime treat? – We didn’t have any

What was the first thing you learnt to cook? – Chapattis and Indian spiced eggs

What was there first thing you taught your children to cook? - Brownies

What was your mothers signature dish and do you try to copy it? – Konkan Fish Curry I’m

still striving to emulate the precise flavours!

What would you make to impress your partner? – Aloo parathas; spiced potato stuffed

Indian bread

Where do you go for the best fish and chips? – Colemans in South Shields. Nothing comes

close I promise

What was your most memorable meal? – Street food I ate in Mauritius and also fishing in the

Indian Ocean followed by dinner cooked with the fish we caught

What was your biggest culinary disaster? – Making spiced yoghurt soup for the very first time

when I was learning to cook for my father in law. Needless to say it didn’t go down very well!

What's the worst meal you've ever had? – A really rubbish pizza in Venice. Far too overrated,

over priced & touristy.

What's the most outlandish thing you've ever eaten? - Crocodile

Who's your food hero/food villain? – Delia Smith; no villain

Nigella or Delia? Both

Gin or Vodka? Gin

Muesli or fry-up? Fry up

Wine or beer? Wine but Cherry beer is lush too

KFC or Burger King? KFC if I must. Nothing beats fried chicken.

What do you consider the best of the best of British? The local food produce; gorgeous, fresh

and the makings for an amazing meal

What's the best/worst thing about the British restaurant scene? Its evolving

What do you think will be the next big thing? Spanish food and Persian food too

What would you do if you could choose any other career? I wouldn’t

What do you have for Christmas lunch? – A massive feast!

Make a wish – I did!