I am in Raageshwari’s house and after a refreshing summer cooler I am ready to enter her kitchen where she has kept all the ingredients necessary to begin cooking a Spanish Paella.
 
She begins by roasting peppercorns but it’s not for the paella: “Roasting peppercorns is considered a good luck omen down South, and I did it for you,” she says. So sweet.

Starting out by pouring olive oil in a wok she throws in roughly-ground garlic and stir fries for a while. Next she puts onions and cooks till they turn pink. Adding the pre-prepared sofrito (Spanish word meaning well cooked, fragrant sauce) paste she pours ½ cup of water and allows it to cook for 10 minutes till the colour deepens.

While the paste is cooking I ask her what’s keeping her busy at the moment. “Well, I am in the process of signing up for a television series as well as working on a kid’s album,” says the pretty lady adding, “I think there’s a vacuum in the segment for children who don’t only relate to a kaajra re or a crazy kiya re,” she says with a sigh. How true.

Putting in green peas she allows them to cook for four to five minutes before adding crabs, prawns, lobster meat and mussels. Allowing it to cook for 10 minutes she pours in some water to maintain a thick consistency.

While the dish is cooking she informs me she finds cooking therapeutic and has been doing so from the age of seven while her parents were away. Adding bell peppers, spring onions and tomatoes she leaves the mix to cook for five minutes stirring occasionally. Finally, she puts in boiled Arborio rice and salt to taste. “Voila! There you are, our Spanish Paella is ready,” says Raageshwari pleased as punch because the dish smells as great as it looks.

As the proof of the pudding lies in the eating, we proceed to try it. It’s delicious. As is the lady’s singing.