Substack diary no.163: Monday, 25th. May 2026

Late to my diary and, perhaps more importantly, for my cappuccino this morning, which I am enjoying more than usual after a good deal of quite hard work. By lunchtime it will be hot – over 25 degrees celsius – and, since I find it difficult to cope with such temperatures, I started cooking dinner early-ish this morning whilst it was relatively cool. All pots and pans and utensils are washed and back where they belong, and I can relax now that dinner is in the slow cooker.

‘Chana chicken’ is a bit of a luxury for me these days as it is quite expensive compared with my usual fare. Not so much expensive to buy – the ingredients are quite cheap – but expensive to cook. It is quite energy intensive; not as energy-costly as a roast dinner (which is beyond my financial means) but more expensive than a simple pasta dish. It will be ready by mid-afternoon but I have no idea if it will be any good. It is one of those meals that would appear to be good for a slow cooker but I have my doubts.

Chana chicken is essentially chana dhal with added chicken, although I also add squash and spinach. My preference would be to cook it in a Dutch pot although, as I mentioned in a recent diary, I gave my Dutch pot away some years ago. I could do with a wok – with a lid – for this type of dish and also for stir-fry’s. I might need to bite the bullet and dig into what remains of my savings!

I could not bring myself to rely on the slow cooker alone. Chana dhal had to be boiled (having been soaked overnight) in one pan and onions, my own curry spice mixture and the chicken fried to bring out the flavour of the spices and slightly brown the chicken – hence having to wash pots and pans!

So, I may be late to my diary and coffee but at least I can sit back and relax for the rest of the day, provided my cooling strategies work, with windows, blinds and doors all opened or closed to minimise solar gain and maximise coolth. All my energy training is paying off!