When her father passes away from a heart attack, Nina returns home after 3 years of being estranged and living in London on her own. It's then that she discovers the restaurant is in financial trouble and will most likely be sold to another local Indian family of restauranteurs, which includes the son Sanjay, the man she was supposed to be married to. Remembering all of the memories in the restaurant, particularly learning to cook with her father, she is determined not to let that happen.
She joins forces with Lisa, the woman who she finds out is actually now owns half of her family's restaurant, to enter "The Best of the West Curry Competition", a competition near and dear to her father's heart. He won the competition 2 times in the past, and his goal was to set a record by having 3 wins for the restaurant. She believes that winning will be enough to save the restaurant.
A flurry of cooking and romance ensues on screen. Yup, other wanting to marry for love, another reason Nina didn't want to be married to Sanjay was that she likes girls. She and Lisa get close while preparing for the competition. But they are not the only love match in the film. Nina's brother Kary is in love with a woman who is not Indian...and secretly marries her. Both are worried that their mother will not accept their choices.
In the end, love conquers all, and Nina and Kary learn that maybe they should have just given their parents a chance to accept their choices instead of hiding them. I won't tell you whether or not Nina and Lisa won the curry competition or not...I don't want to spoil everything!
Trying to decide what recipe to make inspired by the film was difficult, since everything that graced the screen looked so tasty. Of course I wanted to make a curry, but I wanted it to be a nod to their Scottish "situation", as well. When I googled "Scottish Curry", I learned that Chicken Tikka Masala originated in a restaurant in Glasgow. At least that's one claim. Glasgow!
I also found another recipe from the site British Food in America for a Scottish Curry, originally Scots Rabbit Curry, that caught my fancy. It contains unlikely curry ingredients like bacon, porcini mushroom powder, and flour...but it sounded really delicious. And if you watch the movie, you'll see that "curry" is actually not so set in its ways or in expectations that others may have. I did change it up a bit, but stayed fairly true to the recipes particular uniqueness. And we actually really loved it. Like Nina's father said...
I also found another recipe from the site British Food in America for a Scottish Curry, originally Scots Rabbit Curry, that caught my fancy. It contains unlikely curry ingredients like bacon, porcini mushroom powder, and flour...but it sounded really delicious. And if you watch the movie, you'll see that "curry" is actually not so set in its ways or in expectations that others may have. I did change it up a bit, but stayed fairly true to the recipes particular uniqueness. And we actually really loved it. Like Nina's father said...
No matter what the recipe says, always follow your heart.
Join us next month as we head into the kitchen with our host Kimberly of Coffee and Casseroles with her pick, The Films of Tim Burton.
For inspiration, check out the Food 'n Flix website (click on any of the roundups listed to see what participants have been inspired to make by the movie choice), all of my past Food 'n Flix posts, or my Food 'n Flix Pinterest board!
Scottish Curry
Yield: serves 6
Prep time: 15 MCook time: 55 MTotal time: 70 M
A Scottish twist on curry, this recipe features chicken legs instead of the original rabbit the recipe was inspired by. Not traditional, but entirely delicious.
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4" strips
- 10-12 chicken legs (~5 pounds)
- 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 head roasted garlic, cloves squeezed from their skins
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated turmeric
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- big pinch of ground Cayenne pepper
- 2 heaping tablespoons curry powder, homemade or storebought
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1-2 tablespoons finely ground Porcini mushrooms (Porcini powder), optional
- 3 cups chicken feet stock (or any chicken stock)
- 1 cup peeled pearl onions (slightly thawed if frozen)
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Instructions:
How to cook Scottish Curry
- Cook the bacon in a large, wide, heavy skillet big enough to hold the chicken legs. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate, leaving the fat in the pan.
- Increase the heat to high, brown the chicken legs in batches, then remove to a rimmed dish. If there is more than 3 tablespoons of fat in the bottom of the skillet, remove the excess.
- Reduce the heat to medium low again, add the sliced onions, garlic, turmeric, pepper, and cayenne, then saute until the onions have softened.
- Stir in the curry powder, flour, and ground Porcinis (if using). Next, add the chicken stock and pearl onions, as well as the reserved chicken and bacon.
- Bring the curry to a boil, cover, then reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is done. Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar.
- Serve with veggies, rice, chutneys, flat breads, etc.
©allroadsleadtothekitchen
