Food Stories episode 14 - Midlands
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00:00I've been a chef for over 50 years, but I've come to realise that the food we eat tells
00:08a story about who we are.
00:13So I'm on a mission to find out what we all like to eat today.
00:17Oh, that is good.
00:19From our traditional dishes.
00:21Long live the Yorkshire pudding.
00:23To those we've made our own.
00:25I mean, that is multi-faceted Britain on one page.
00:28Our meat producers.
00:29There you see a robot, he's picking them.
00:32I find a lot of craft beers too hoppy.
00:34I don't know why, but it tastes all right.
00:38Some of our best chefs.
00:40We're picking scurvy grass.
00:42Why pick it?
00:43We're tea-punching.
00:44Plus, those keeping traditions alive.
00:46We've just got to finish.
00:48I have no hope.
00:49I'll see how food brings us together.
00:52Dig in!
00:53Lovely, that sort of hot garlic, fabuloso.
00:58And from my home in Padstow, I'll bring you great dishes of my own.
01:02Love stuff like this.
01:04So join me as I unearth the stories behind the food we all love to eat today.
01:20Today I'm in the Midlands, a huge area across the middle of Britain with a rich and varied
01:28history.
01:32From the magnificence of Warwick Castle to Arnbridge, the birthplace of the Industrial
01:38Revolution, this is a region that has always been on the front foot.
01:46The opportunities for work here have helped it become one of our most culturally diverse
01:52areas.
01:54And nowhere is that more evident than in Leicester, a city which is home to the UK's largest
02:01Indian population outside of London.
02:08Flavours from India have had such an impact on our own cuisine that I've come here, the
02:14epicentre of the British Indian food scene, to meet a local food writer.
02:21But strangely, he seems to have given me directions to an industrial estate.
02:27Well I have to say, there's absolutely no sign of any food here, it's all factories
02:31and workshops, but I'm about to meet Leicester-born and raised food writer, Gurdiep Loyal, and
02:37this is going to be the start of his food tour of Leicester with me.
02:47Gurdiep, very nice to meet you.
02:49So good to meet you.
02:51This is our first stop on the Leicester economy tour and this place is just quintessentially
02:55Leicester.
02:56I mean, it's a drive-through that sells Indian chart snacks.
03:00This must be one of those hidden gems every town has, and I'm curious to know how it came
03:06into being.
03:07I guess this was just for all the local workers, wasn't it, originally, this?
03:11It is.
03:12I mean, Leicester's a town that's built on textiles and hosieries and biscuits and crisps.
03:17I mean, that's what we're famous for.
03:19And immigrants came to service all those factories and this is the kind of place that
03:22serves those immigrants still to this day.
03:23It's a sort of drive-through cafe where you pick up your bacon, butties and your chips.
03:27This is exactly that model.
03:28It's exactly what kind of a British food institution is, but done with a Gujarati twist.
03:34I can't wait to taste the food, but you must always respect the system in a place like
03:40this.
03:41Press the bell to order.
03:42Hello, sir.
03:43Hello.
03:45Hello, sir.
03:46Hello.
03:47Special mixed pani puri and we'll get the vada pav.
03:50That will be very hot.
03:51Okay.
03:52We'll be all right.
03:53Yeah.
03:54I mean, I do like it hot, but...
03:55This is Leicester Indian hot, which is even hotter.
03:56Oh, my gosh.
03:57Oh, wow.
03:58That's your mixed puri ready, sir.
04:01Yeah, let's sit down.
04:02Enjoy.
04:03Rest will be around five minutes.
04:04I mean, that is fast food.
04:06Very fast.
04:07It's like 10 seconds or something.
04:08Yeah, it's 10 seconds.
04:09But it looks so fresh.
04:11Pani puri are little pastry shells with a variety of fillings, including a tangy tamarind
04:18flavoured drink.
04:19Cheers.
04:20Cheers.
04:21And down in one.
04:22Okay.
04:23Mmm.
04:24Wow.
04:25An explosion.
04:26Explosion.
04:27Right, which next?
04:28I think that one, maybe.
04:29Okay.
04:30Go for it.
04:31Quick.
04:32It's a real kind of exploration of different flavours and tastes around kind of Gujarati
04:38snacking.
04:39It's kind of a flavour bomb, isn't it?
04:41I think our next dish might be ready.
04:42Okay.
04:43Let's go for it.
04:44That's your vada pav.
04:45That's spicy.
04:46That's the spicy one.
04:47Yeah.
04:48Great.
04:49Let's sit down.
04:50Right.
04:51So this is the vada pav.
04:52This has got the fried potato fritter.
04:53Yeah.
04:54And then it's got the very super hot chilli sauce.
04:55What have I done?
04:56How is it?
04:57It is really hot.
04:58It's really hot.
04:59I just love...
05:00Oh, my gosh, that's hot.
05:01I am a silly Billy.
05:02I don't ever do that normally.
05:03It's really hot.
05:04It's really hot.
05:05It's really hot.
05:06I just love...
05:07Oh, my gosh, that's hot.
05:08I am a silly Billy.
05:10I don't ever do that normally.
05:11Where's the lassi when you want it?
05:13Where's...
05:14Exactly.
05:15Yeah.
05:16It is lovely.
05:17Hot but tasty.
05:18Yeah.
05:19I might be a little more cautious at our next stop, Chai Pani, a canteen-style eatery that
05:25recently won Best Vegetarian Restaurant at the English Curry Awards.
05:32They're famous for their dosa, a crispy pancake often with a spicy potato filling.
05:39Right.
05:40This is our masala dosa with that delicious potato right in the middle.
05:43Grab a good crispy bit from the end.
05:44Right.
05:45In with the potatoes.
05:46Potatoes, a bit of coconut chutney, a bit of coconut tomato chutney.
05:50Oh, that is so special.
05:56They're Southern Indian, aren't they?
05:57Are they all over India now or what?
05:59I guess they originate in the Southern India because there used to be this distinction
06:02between rice-based South India and then wheat-based North India, but that whole distinction has
06:07completely disintegrated.
06:08Has it?
06:09I do think, because you've got so much movement of people all over the continent, everything
06:13is just an amalgamation of all sorts of stuff.
06:15You know, because there's so many influences over the centuries have come into India, same
06:19as into Britain, really.
06:21There is no one Indian food.
06:23There are thousands of micro cuisines that are in themselves not static.
06:28They're constantly changing and evolving.
06:29And the Indian diaspora is one of the biggest diasporas in the world who take their cuisine
06:33with them and then remix it everywhere they are, whether that's Leicester or New York
06:37or Bangkok, and I find that really exciting.
06:43Our final destination is a family-run diner, Bobby's.
06:47I just hope I've got room for these dazzling desserts.
06:52Well, here we go.
06:54I hope you're hungry.
06:56Yeah.
06:57Amazing.
06:58These are all typical Gujarati and Indian savouries and sweets.
07:01Obviously, it's afternoon tea, so please dig in.
07:04Thank you so much.
07:07Right.
07:08This is afternoon tea, big-time Indian style, isn't it?
07:10I mean, you know, I thought there was going to be a few cucumber sandwiches and a bit
07:13of tea.
07:14No, no, no.
07:15I'd love you to try this.
07:16This is mango shrikhand.
07:17Shrikhand.
07:18Shrikhand.
07:19So what this is is a sort of strained yoghurt and cream, and then that's mixed through with
07:22some fresh mango puree and then pistachios.
07:24It looks lovely.
07:25It's really decadent, really delicious, really creamy.
07:28Oh, that is lovely.
07:31We're going to have to try some of this.
07:32So this is budfi.
07:33So budfi means snow.
07:35It's made with sort of milk powder, condensed milk, sugar.
07:38The idea is that it's turned into a crumbly snow.
07:40So this is a coconut budfi.
07:41Better give that a go.
07:42Oh, it's really nice.
07:43That's delicious, isn't it?
07:44And Bobby's is kind of famous for their budfi.
07:48But what I love about this is that it's taking something that's so quintessentially British,
07:51giving it that Indian twist.
07:52It's a sort of Indian version of the Ritz, really, isn't it?
07:55Lovely tea, loads of stuff, a sense of occasion.
07:59It's been such a great day.
08:00Thank you ever so much.
08:01Good evening.
08:02I'm in Leicester.
08:03Leicester.
08:05It's the place to be.
08:06It's the place to be for the best Indian food, honestly.
08:12Leicester's vibrant food scene shows the magic that can happen when two food cultures collide.
08:22And it's inspired me to travel back to where it all began in British Indian cooking and
08:28make my version of an adored crossover classic, chicken tikka masala.
08:35It's one of the most popular dishes in this country, but I think that just shows how very
08:39multicultural we are with food in this country.
08:43Right, that's very nicely ground up.
08:45The first thing I need to do is make the marinade.
08:48The cardamom and cumin seeds I've ground are added to a bowl of chicken chunks, along with
08:54chilli powder, paprika and turmeric.
08:59Then pop in some garlic, ginger, yoghurt, salt and a squeeze of lemon juice and give
09:09it a good stir.
09:10And I'm just going to leave that now to marinate for about 45 minutes.
09:16Onto my tikka masala sauce, fry up ghee, onion, garlic, ginger, garam masala, chilli powder,
09:30coriander, cumin, paprika, tomatoes, both tinned and pureed, and sugar.
09:41Then add cream, ground almonds and some salt.
09:47OK, that's my masala sauce ready now, so I'll just leave that because I'm going to make
09:53some chapatis now.
09:55Chapatis are the sort of thing that you really need to make at the last minute.
09:58I've got exactly 250 grams of this flour and then I've got some ghee that I've melted already,
10:04about two tablespoons of ghee, and I'm going to guess the salt, about half a teaspoon.
10:12And now for the water, it's about 120 millilitres, so just stirring that in now.
10:19OK, that's looking good, let's get my hands in there now, just knead that on my chopping
10:26board.
10:27You can see chapatis being made on any street corner virtually in the whole of India, I
10:32particularly remember seeing them being made in Calcutta or Kolkata, as it's now called.
10:41Leave your chapati dough to rest, and then cook the marinated chicken under a hot grill.
10:50Unless you're lucky enough to have a tandoor oven to hand, this is the best thing.
11:01Once cooked, with those yummy, crispy, charred edges, stir the chicken into the sauce.
11:07And while that simmers, cut the chapati dough into small chunks.
11:13Do little balls first and then come back and roll them out.
11:20First one in.
11:21Put the pan on a sort of medium to high heat, basically you can tell when they're done when
11:26they start to bubble up.
11:34With the chapatis done, chopped chilli, fresh coriander and lemon provide a finishing touch.
11:42And there it is, my take on our favourite curry.
11:46What's not to love about that?
11:56Don't you hate people eating things on telly, you wish you could be there, I wish you could
12:00be here too.
12:01Honestly, that is really nice.
12:04I know I'm saying it myself, the bread works a treat with it, and the chicken, just cooked
12:10under the grill like that, you don't need to be light a barbecue or anything, it's just
12:15wonderful.
12:18Perfect Indian food.
12:25Those chapatis are now almost as much a part of the UK's food story as a loaf of sliced
12:32white.
12:33So much so that they're fuelling a revival in one of the most ancient industries in the
12:40Midlands.
12:41And that's why I'm making my way to an old water mill, experiencing a new lease of life.
12:49Most of the wheat here is grown for flour, but as George Orville might have said, but
12:53didn't, not all flours are created equal.
12:58And there's a mill near here which has found a totally new market for its exceptional flour
13:04with the British Asian community.
13:08The cogs at the magnificent Childcote Mill in Warwickshire are kept turning by current
13:13miller Karl Gravatt.
13:15Morning.
13:16Hello, Rick, how are you?
13:18Karl, nice to meet you.
13:20Nice to meet you.
13:22Wow.
13:23What do you think?
13:24Oh, fantastic feeling of age and sort of time memorial, so yeah, love it, love it.
13:29It's a wonderful thing.
13:30Would you like to see how it works?
13:31Well, absolutely.
13:32Yeah?
13:33Let's go and have a look upstairs.
13:34I love mechanical bits and bobs, especially old stuff.
13:38Once, there were 20,000 water mills in the UK.
13:44Now Childcote is one of just ten operating commercially.
13:50It's thought that the mill was built in 1752.
13:55It was last used in the 1950s.
13:57Look at the wheat.
14:00It's ready to grind, I guess.
14:02Yes, all ready to go.
14:03I'm just going to try some.
14:04That's all local wheat, yeah.
14:06Love it.
14:08I love crunching wheat.
14:09Millers used to have a little notch in their teeth from sort of tattersolving the wheat.
14:14Oh, wow.
14:15Yeah.
14:16I mean, what really interests me is the fact that you're selling to the British Asian community.
14:19I mean, that is amazing.
14:21Chapati flour is the core of the business, absolutely.
14:24The previous miller restored the mill in the late 70s, early 80s, and he grew the business
14:28from scrap.
14:29So he basically got to speaking to an Indian lady when he was trying to start the business.
14:33She said, it sounds like flour used to get back in India, can I try it for chapatis?
14:36And it needs to be quite fine.
14:37So he said, well, leave that with me.
14:39He came back here, milled some flour, a bit finer than normal, took it back to her.
14:43She loved it.
14:44And then it grew through the families.
14:46So I'm supplying in the region of 600 families around Coventry, and then more locally to
14:50the mill.
14:51Suppose if it wasn't for them, would the mill have kept going?
14:55It's certainly been the stability and saviour of the mill, really, because it found that
15:00niche market so long ago now, and it's grown with the community.
15:04We find a lot of generations will use the same flour, because that's what their mum
15:08used, that's what their grandparents used, so that's what they like.
15:13Today the mill produces two and a half tonnes of flour each week.
15:17I can't wait to see the wheels in motion.
15:21Well, let's have a...
15:22Wonderful.
15:23Let's get it started.
15:24Great.
15:25With the opening of a sluice gate, water from the River Avon turns the two mighty 18-foot
15:31cast-iron water wheels that power the whole mill.
15:40And that power of the wheel also lifts the sacks of wheat to the very top from where
15:47the milling journey can begin.
15:50The wheat is released out of the hopper, and as the granite millstones turn, the grains
15:55are slowly crushed into flour.
15:59It falls down the wooden chute to the ground floor of the mill, where it can be bagged
16:04ready for a customer.
16:06How are you controlling this, because there's sort of a bit of string and a lever.
16:10Yes, that's very simple.
16:11I've got three controls as a miller.
16:13I've got the sluice gate, which regulates the speed, that's the tentering arms, that
16:17adjusts the running stones, that's the gap between the stones, and then that is the twist
16:22peg and the crook string, and they're the feed, so that's how much wheat is going through
16:25the stones.
16:26So everything in a mill is a balance, and it's my job as a miller to manage that balance,
16:31and everything will change as the humidity and moisture in the air changes, so will the
16:35grind.
16:36So I keep checking the flour, so I basically use rule of thumb.
16:41So I'm feeling the flour between my thumb and forefinger.
16:43The other thing is, you just plainly enjoy it so much, and I think it's a very heartening
16:47thing watching you work.
16:51It's an honour to be looking after it, really.
16:54I love it.
16:55Well, thank you very much.
16:56Thank you so much.
16:59Isn't it great that this 16th-century mill has found a new life producing flour for discerning
17:06bakers?
17:12Not far from Charcote Mill is Birmingham.
17:17Known for its many miles of canals, built during the Industrial Revolution, after years
17:23of neglect, they too have found a new life as a popular destination for drinking and
17:29dining.
17:30And one place I must visit is Chai and Crumbs, a cafe run by Sue Perveen, specialising in
17:40the spicy, milky tea known as chai.
17:45It's a drink with an international history.
17:49To challenge the Chinese dominance of the tea trade in the 1830s, the British East
17:55India Company developed tea gardens in India, but they had no local market for the product
18:01in a country where it was seen as a medicine, not a beverage.
18:08So in order to promote tea to the Indian community, they introduced chai wallows in places like
18:14railway stations, but the fact of the matter was, and this is really interesting, that
18:18tea was really expensive then.
18:21So they added milk and sugar to make it cheaper, but then they also added, being India, spices,
18:28and hence masala chai.
18:30It's just the way that food travels this way, that way, that way, and everybody adds a bit
18:35to it.
18:36Hello there, sir.
18:37Fabulous.
18:38Your 100 degree chai.
18:39100 degree chai?
18:40We've got you some sugar there for tasting.
18:41Well, I'll have a bit of sugar.
18:42Of course.
18:44Well, this is my mum's recipe, and my mum used to make it every Sunday morning.
18:55And I remember once a gentleman coming to our house and sort of saying, what are you
18:58guys drinking?
18:59We said, we're drinking our mum's special tea.
19:01And he took us a couple of sips and thought, oh my God.
19:03He meant to say 100%, but he ended up saying 100 degree.
19:06And then from then on, it was like, mum, can we have the 100 degree chai, please?
19:09I'd better taste it.
19:10And that's where it was born, 100 degree chai.
19:14That's lovely.
19:15You know, I've had lots of chai, but this one's got so much complexity.
19:21What's in it?
19:22It's actually a fennel-based tea.
19:24There is a little bit of cardamom in there.
19:26There's also black cardamom, which is a bit smoky.
19:28I love black cardamom.
19:29I can taste that in there.
19:30Yeah, it's got that smoky flavour.
19:31Yeah.
19:32Is that pistachio in there as well?
19:33I put pistachio in there as well.
19:34It's such a nice drink.
19:35Again, most teas will have pistachio or some form of nuts as well on top.
19:38I just love the way that food and chai even just spreads.
19:42I mean, 20 years ago, nobody in Birmingham outside the Indian community would have drunk
19:47chai, and now everybody's getting to love it.
19:50It's now available to the masses.
19:54It's just delicious.
19:57The rich and smoky flavours in that cup of chai show just how India has introduced us
20:03to new taste dimensions.
20:09It's all the encouragement I need to get out my own spice rack.
20:14I'm going to put it to full use to make a North Indian street food called mata kulcha,
20:20a delicious vegetarian dish made from white peas served with flatbread.
20:27It came from a trip I made to Delhi and other parts of Northern India a few months ago,
20:32and it's actually from the Chandru Chowk, which is part of Old Delhi, where all the
20:36food is, all the street food.
20:38And the guide that took me around said, this is the best dish in the whole of Delhi.
20:44So I'm going to make it for you, and I'm going to start by frying some spices.
20:48I've got very hot oil, and I'm now going to add, first of all, my cumin seeds.
20:53The whole point of frying these spices is just to bring out the flavour in a fried sort
20:57of way, which is distinctive.
20:59Chilli powder, and then next, ground coriander.
21:04Lots of it.
21:05Don't be afraid to put lots of it.
21:07And this chaat masala.
21:09This lovely taste of mango and black seeds.
21:13Oh, ho, ho, ho!
21:15That's the one reason for not getting your spices too hot, makes you sneeze and cough.
21:20That's smelling really lovely, though.
21:22So there's my fried spices.
21:25On to my second spice mix now, a great excuse to crack out my trusty spice grinder.
21:32Drop in mint, tamarind, fennel seeds, dried mango powder, cumin seeds, asafoetida, which
21:40is quite pungent and derives from fennel, black peppercorns, chilli flakes, and water.
21:48And give it all a good blitzing.
21:55Yeah, that looks pretty good.
21:58White peas are the base of the dish.
22:01I've soaked mine overnight, ready to steam in a pressure cooker.
22:05I'm just going to put enough water just to barely cover the peas here.
22:11There we go.
22:12And now I'm going to put them on for about eight minutes.
22:17That's all. That's how long it takes.
22:20Once the peas are softened, add both the spice mixes and give it a good stir.
22:27I'm very happy with that.
22:32Finally, add the all-important zing of fresh toppings, such as tomatoes,
22:38root ginger, coriander and lemon juice.
22:42And serve with kulcha, a popular soft leavened flatbread.
22:47That's a kulcha.
22:50It's absolutely wonderful.
22:52It's just a great dish and, of course, a kulcha.
22:55It's just a perfect meal.
22:57I just think we're so lucky in this country to have food like this.
23:01Not only in Birmingham, Leicester, and the Indian culture there,
23:05but all over, this is a really popular dish,
23:08and you can understand why. It's just superb.
23:14As the birthplace of the Balti,
23:17Birmingham has long been famous for curry.
23:20But the coming together of British and Indian ideas
23:23has rarely scaled more illustrious heights
23:26than in the city's only Michelin-starred Indian restaurant.
23:33Ofim is the restaurant of tomorrow,
23:35where chef Akhtar Islam is pushing the boundaries of Indian cuisine.
23:41Akhtar. Welcome.
23:43And I can't wait to try it for myself.
23:46I've always wanted one of these. What's it called?
23:48It's called a Conroe grill. What are you cooking on it?
23:50Today we'll be cooking monkfish over it.
23:52What's the dish actually called?
23:54It's monkfish alipi. Why this dish, then?
23:56Well, I love that part of the world,
23:58you know, the flavour from Kerala, and then Cornish monk,
24:01you know, fish off our coast is beautiful,
24:03so it's a celebration of two of my favourite things.
24:05I've always thought that's absolutely really what Indian food is its best.
24:09It's using all the Indian flavours,
24:11but using local British ingredients.
24:15It's perfect.
24:17Akhtar starts by marinating monkfish loin
24:20with a mix of double cream, Attica vinegar and some signature spices.
24:27For the base layer of his dish,
24:29he fries garlic and shallots in a host of other spices.
24:35Next in are green beans,
24:38prawns and courgettes.
24:40It's given a thorough stir
24:42and left to simmer under a cartouche.
24:49A garnish of fresh coriander and lemon juice and it's done.
24:55Now for the sauce.
24:57Akhtar heats mustard seeds,
25:00dry chillies, curry leaves,
25:03garlic, ginger and onions.
25:06Then he adds turmeric,
25:08deghi mirch powder,
25:10coriander,
25:12tomatoes,
25:14tamarind pulp,
25:16unripened mango
25:18and to bring it all together,
25:20the star of all South Indian cooking,
25:23coconut milk.
25:25It's a bit like cream in sort of French cooking.
25:28It sort of richens everything up,
25:30makes it exciting,
25:32it makes a bit sexy.
25:34It's a beautiful medium to bring all those flavours together.
25:37It just conveys flavours really well.
25:40Once left to simmer and thicken,
25:43the sauce can be strained through a chinois
25:46and Akhtar can focus on the fish.
25:55The flames of the Conroe grill
25:57give the marinated loin a smoky searing
26:00and it's sliced, plated and served.
26:04And then topped with a shrimp and sea herb curried butter.
26:09It may look small,
26:11but it forms part of the show-stopping
26:1410-course tasting menu.
26:17So, here we have it.
26:19Well, here we go.
26:22I have to try the muck fish first.
26:24That's lovely.
26:26It's got that sort of tandoor oven taste about it.
26:28It's very clever.
26:30What is so interesting,
26:32it's not the sort of classic Indian food, is it?
26:34I'm a Brummie, born and bred,
26:36so like the British palette now,
26:38my approach to cooking
26:40and approach to ingredients and flavours,
26:42it's as diverse as everyone else's
26:44and I think that's the journey
26:46that we've all been on in the last 40 years or so.
26:48You know, because I remember in the 70s, 60s as well,
26:51it was Indian food,
26:53but it was very much pandering to the taste of people
26:56that didn't understand Indian food, particularly.
26:58One of the problems with, say, the British curry model,
27:01it stayed stagnant, but now what we're seeing
27:03is all these little Indian street food restaurants
27:05come with more livelier, smaller plates
27:07and it is moving on,
27:09it's diversifying and it's evolving
27:11to get ready for the next 30 years or 40 years.
27:13You know, The New York Times
27:15mentioned Birmingham as one of the places
27:17in the world to visit
27:19for its food offering,
27:21which I thought was incredible.
27:23I'm totally converted. I get what you're doing.
27:25It's absolutely delicious.
27:27So, congratulations.
27:29Thank you. Cheers.
27:36From its famous canal network
27:38to its notorious road junctions,
27:41the Midlands seems to me
27:43a place defined by movement.
27:47And the food here is testament
27:49to all that is great about
27:51sharing ideas back and forth.
27:55I, for one, can't wait to see what comes next.
27:59If you'd like to see more episodes
28:01of Rick Stein's food stories,
28:03press the red button now
28:05to watch on BBC iPlayer.
28:10Next time, I'm in the West Country.
28:13I want to farm in partnership with nature,
28:15I want to learn from nature,
28:17I want to be part of nature.
28:19Gosh, that's amazing.
28:21It's two-year-old cheese,
28:23got some of those quite funky volatiles.
28:25Funky volatiles. Sounds like a band.
28:27It's just got so much flavour in it.
28:30It's a real deal cheese pie.