Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Losing the plot

The ongoing saga of photo sharing. So I thought I had it sussed with my new method. Then my old method started working again and I was on top of the world, so to speak.

Now neither of them works. Or they work sometimes but not when I want them to. It might be because all my storage space is full. Google, Microsoft, everything is full. But as I explained before I have a free 365 account as a trustee as well, and that gives me loads of storage space. 

Except I can't work out how to change the settings to make them go there rather than to my personal Onedrive, which is full. 

I was going to show you a photo - oh wait, I might be able to. Yes!


Have I mentioned I'm helping organise a curry and quiz night? I must have done; it's occupying a large space in my brain at the moment. And I'm beginning to think I am losing the plot. Let me explain.

When we go to Indian restaurants we always order the pickle tray and poppadoms. On the tray is a mango pickle, a minty yogurt stuff, a powerful pickle, and some dry red or green coconutty stuff. The coconut stuff is my favourite bit. It's a bit sweet and mixed with the yogurt on a bit of poppadom is perfect. 

Now I've googled to find out how to make it but Google shrugs its shoulders and offers me alternatives. Is it a peculiarity of Welsh curry houses? Even so you'd think it would get a mention. 

Today, after cooking in Zac's I visited two ethnic supermarkets and asked about it. The first man pointed at some desiccated coconut. I asked what to do with it. He made a face. "Food colouring?"
"Is that all?" (Because I tried that before and it was terrible.)
He shrugged, "A bit of sugar, syrup." He wasn't awfully convincing.

Second shop I asked the woman on the till hoping she'd know. She didn't have a clue. She picked up a green leaf and folded it. "Like this?" she said.
"No, not at all like this. A dry red sweet coconutty mixture." 

She asked the man. He said, "Coconut chutney?"

Google had come up with that previously and it was always too wetter so I wasn't hopeful but wondered if it was the Welsh version.

"Coconut flour, colouring, and some of those pickled fruits," he said.
"Okay, thank you very much." I left.

So I came home and tried adding a bit of icing sugar to desiccated coconut and food colouring. It was better than my previous attempt but not convincing. I think we will have to go back to my alternative idea of asking a restaurant to sell us a big bag.

I am honestly wondering if this condiment is a figment of my imagination. (Husband says not.)

* * * * *

As I walked into Zac's last night I gave a little sigh of pleasure. It was warm. In fact, it was so warm I had to remove my vest.

And the roofer is there today fixing our leaks - we hope - so things are going to plan for once.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is it a coconut sambol? there are recipes on line for it - basically grated coconut in a fresh curry paste?

jabblog said...

Is it coconut chutney, maybe?

Anvilcloud said...

Sometimes life can be a pickle, Sometimes not.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

I have no idea what that coconut dish might be! Then again, I don't eat a lot of South Asian food, so I'm definitely no expert!

Mum said...

Oh my gosh, I know exactly what you mean about the red coconut stuff. It is serves in some restaurants around here too (home counties). That, the mango chutney and the poppadums are my favourite bit of Indian meals! No idea what it is though but it is sweet, not at all spicy or tasting of curry sauce. And it is dry so not the coconut chutneys I can find online. You’ve made me want some now and I can’t remember where serves it 😆