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A Modern Rose

Light Meals and Weekend Treats from an English Woman in Berlin

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Friday Night Curry Night: Baked Samosas

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Another weekend treat! A lot of us enjoy a Friday or Saturday night curry and a decent curry is one photo of the things I miss about not living in the UK. However, making your own curry can be easy. Try out my Rogan Josh recipe. Not only is this easy to make but it is also a lot healthier than ordering a takeaway. But should we forget about the takeaway altogether? I don’t think we can as long as we keep the takeaway Indian food down to a treat once in a while.

A great way to cut down on those calories is by limiting the side orders. Samosas, papadoms, bhajis and pakoras all tend to be deep fried. My homemade samosas are baked in the oven with fresh ingredients and spices….

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Asian style cooking in Berlin: Thai Green Curry

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I love Asian food. It can be light, fresh and reasonably healthy. I also find it quick and easy to make after work. I made a Thai green curry last night and any meal that involves cooking with one pan (apart from the rice) is a winner for me!

Finding fresh spices and ingredients can be quite limited in a German supermarket. You can of course find your standard root veg and basic salad ingredients but finding anything that may appear ‘exotic’ is a no go I am afraid.

If you are hoping to find some thai sweet basil in your nearest large supermarket you can forget it – standard basil can sometimes be hard enough to come by!

Yet cooking with these spices and herbs can really make a dish that something special and more importantly it is healthy and fresh. The good thing about Berlin is that there are a few local Asian stores dotted around the city. One of my favourites is Asia Mekong located here at Hackesher Markt:

Henriette-Herz Platz 1, 10178 Berlin

You will find all packets of spices you can imagine, pastes, fresh herbs and vegetables and packet and tinned goods. Also, for any of those missing a cup of ‘proper’ tea over here in Berlin they also sell PG Tips….

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Thai Salmon with Chili Potatoes

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I love mixing different spices together and having a real fusion meal. That is one of the things I love about British cooking in that we make use of all the spices out there and incorporate it with our own style of cooking. This is the same in the US with Tex Mex as a prime example. Fusion cuisine is an important part of British cooking – just look at coronation chicken (a creamy curry chicken in mayonnaise) which was first made in 1953 for the Queen’s Coronation to celebrate all the different spices from the Empire. …

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