Cooking with Anjum Anand

It is quite strange to see someone you know from television close-up. I don’t mean this in terms of seeing them on the street or queuing at the fish counter in Sainsbury’s. I mean seeing someone well-known from television doing what they do for their job.

Due to their experience and ability to be confident on camera, in real life they have an extra sense of presence. It is also quite reassuring to see someone well-known for a skill showing it off live, as it gives you a reassurance about the quality of what you are about to experience. The spectacle is all that more enticing when food is involved with a top-quality chef running the show.

The chef in question at this event was none other than Anjum Anand, as often seen on Masterchef and presenter of her own show. Even three months pregnant, she was a lively and engaging presence, rustling up all kinds of dishes with the help of Clawson’s paneer.

I am a keen admirer of paneer cheese as it does make a decent substitute for a lot of dishes. There has been many a time when a friend has popped round and I’m in the middle of preparing them a curry when they have announced they are going through ‘a vegetarian phase’. Out comes the chicken, in goes the paneer with no change needed to the rest of the ingredients.

Anand showed why her debut television series was a big hit, demonstrating the steps needed to be taken with a calm and decisive manner. She was able to showcase the versatility of paneer cheese, including it in a Thai noodle curry as well as a tikka masala. After these were cleared away, Anand lightly browned small chunks of Clawson’s paneer to get them ready for inclusion in a fajita. There was also the chance to sample a Clawson’s paneer and spinach curry, which had a delightful buttery taste to it.

After four dishes, I was begin to wilt a little under the weight of all this cheese. That was until I was presented with dessert. This being in the form of a layered berry and paneer cheesecake. It wasn’t as rich as most cheesecakes but was still a lovely way to round off the meal.

Anand’s new book Anjum’s New Indian is published by Quadrille and costs £20.