One Giant Masala

Anyone who’s tried to make true Indian curry at home knows that it’s difficult work. First, there’s the matter of procuring all the various spices – cardamom, anise, coriander, red chilies, turmeric, mustard seed, and fennel, to name a few. And for any chef used to coaxing a roux into a béchamel or whisking a finicky hollandaise, the procedure itself is also quite different. There’s no real thickening base (other than slowly-caramelized onions), and getting all the spices to marry without drowning each other out is like walking a tricky tightrope. Still, a dozen failed attempts leading up to one perfectly concocted batch of spicy, fragrant curry are worth the effort. And that’s sort of how most of life’s delicious surprises work, right?

Well, Nina Shah is learning that lesson the hard way. In Nina’s Heavenly Delights, the Indian-Scottish beauty receives an urgent message to return home to her family in Glasgow, only to find her father has passed away. Now, she’s been tasked not only with running the family curry house, The New Taj, but entering it into the “Best of the West” curry competition. Add to that a little secret Nina’s been keeping from her family (pssst! It ain’t about cooking!), and it’s clear this curry queen has her hands full. Will the recipe come together for Nina? Find out when Nina’s Heavenly Delights screens this week at Sunrise Cinemas Gateway (1820 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale). Tickets cost $6 to $8.50. Call 954-763-7994.
Feb. 22-March 5, 2008