That's it! I can't cook Indian food. No matter how much I try, I always seem to fail. It's a pity because I love Indian food, specially the one served at restaurants in California. I could eat the food from Favorite India every day.

This time I made balti lamb tikka, lamb marinated on yogurt with chili powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, garlic, cilantro and tomato paste. It was a failure. Edible, don't get me wrong, but in no way good. The recipe came from the Best Ever Indian Cookbook, which my brother and sister in law got me for Xmas a couple of years ago. I don't think I'd used it more than once before.

Perhaps it's my choice of recipes, perhaps it's my technique, perhaps I'm just doomed. But I think I will keep trying.