Christmas Ceilidh with The Gloworms & Cat Kelly

The publication of this vlog was fraught with difficulties - not least that the system prevented me loading images! The above link should work - sans image!
On Saturday 16th December BMM gathered with their friends and families for the annual Christmas Ceilidh in St Alban's Church Hall. This year we welcomed "The Gloworms" ceilidh band, with their caller Cat Kelly. Two thirds of the band and the caller were delayed on the M4 by an accident. Nick Cooke (with his Dad's amplification system) and Colin Cotter the Gloworms banjo player, together with caller Dave Leverton leaped nimbly in to fill the time gap until the band arrived - a little late - but well worth waiting for! Thanks folks and thanks Gloworms and 'Cat'! The party was well up to the standard that BMM expect!
My part in the festivities each year is too cook part of a Navrattan Pulloa rice dish, the large dish is assembled with the aid of two friends, Pippa Cooke and Paul Rosser. Pippa and Paul cook the "white" and "green" rices, and I cook the "red" and the core of the pulloa, then all three are combined at the ceilidh to produce the Navrattan Pulloa.

"The nine courtiers or the nine gems of the Emperor Akbar, the mightiest of the Moghuls. This pulloa is a pulloa amongst pulloas and a jewel amongst jewels - Mrs Balbir Singh, Indian Cookery, Fletcher & Son Ltd., Norwich, 1975"

The dish has evolved a little through the twenty or so years that we have between cooking it. It is very popular, many reckon that all one needs for the week of the ceilidh is a plate of Navrattan, coupled with Dave Byett's famed chick peas and Phil Butler's amazing black-eye beans (both Madhur Jaffery recipes). We have often been asked for the recipe for the Navrattan, it is on the web -try Googling it as well, but see my .Mac homepage for details, and some pictures to show how it is done - and of course this vlog.

A Happy Christmas and New Year to one and all. Don't forget the Keynsham Mummers Play on Boxing Day. 11.30am Keynsham Shopping precinct Clock Tower.