Curry queen Maunika Gowardhan

Jun 26 2009 by Jane Hall, The Journal

MAUNIKA Gowardhan is running around the Brighton Oriental Food Store like a child let loose in a candy shop.

Her basket is filled with bunches of coriander and fenugreek, packets of yellow lentils, rice and exotic spices.

For the 31-year-old this is shopping heaven; taking in the sights and smells of this small Asian store in Newcastle’s Brighton Grove.

“Sometimes when I see friends they will say, ‘have you been shopping?’ They will mean clothes shopping, but for me shopping means food. I just love seeing copious amounts of food and all the different fresh ingredients. I love the way you can feel, touch and smell the food and see what you are buying.”

Maunika gives a broad grin and sweeps her left arm wide. “Isn’t this a wonderful sight?”

The vision in question is an impressive array of fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs. Many are familiar, many not. But what attracts the eye is the way the display is colour-coordinated – whether by accident or on purpose is unclear.

A green swathe of leafy herbs, mini gherkins, okra, spinach, spring onions and lemon grass fills one wall. Opposite, the produce is graded through the ranks of yellows, oranges and reds. Roots of fresh ginger give way to butternut squashes, apricots and nectarines, the fiery reds of chillis and the deeper hues of aubergines.

Maunika bags up her finds before moving to an aisle filled with spices: ground, whole and jarred. It’s a cornucopia of smells – the seductive warmth of ginger, the pungent tang of tamarind seeds and the wonderful aroma of cardamom. It’s like standing in the middle of a good curry. Maunika then dives off in the direction of the freezer cabinet where ready-made bhajis, samosas, chapatis, naans and parathas, ice cream barfi, and rice all jostle for space.

“I love making my own breads, but you don’t always have time.

“I have my lazy days. The other day I couldn’t be bothered cooking myself lunch so I had baked beans with melted Stilton cheese. It was wonderful.

“I could go on talking about food for hours – it is my great passion. I look at holidays as a way of seeing what the locals eat, sourcing ingredients, finding new recipes and working out how I can tailor them to my own needs.

“Food to me is a great leveler. Whether it is a coffee and cake or a meal – food is the thing that brings people together.”