Bowled over by Chaat Masala

For somebody who has already written three cookbooks,Matthew Haydan is all set to explore the joys of healthy organic food. In an e-mail interview,he talks about his effort to achieve a more self-sufficient and enriched lifestyle,and discovers what is best to grow and graze in order to live a good life.

Gardening and cooking are a total change from cricket. How easy or difficult was the shift?

Interestingly,whenever I travel in India,I get more questions about cooking than about cricket! Earlier when I visited here,I would go down to the kitchen and talk to the staff, and I was learning all these great things about cooking. To me,that was a wonderful way to take a break from cricket. As for gardening,that was a way of life,but something that I actually left behind for the better part of the last 20 years. So,to be able to reconnect to it was outstanding. I love being able to bring value to my family and also reveal to people as well that it hasn’t been all about cricket for the last 20 years.

How did you become interested in gardening?

I grew up on a beautiful farm,with extensive veggies,all of which I’d tend to when I was six. Between eight and ten,I was propagating my own seeds and then planting up from them. By the time I was in my teens,I was managing the plot.

What is it about gardening that appeals to you the most?

It is a therapeutic. It’s a privilege that I’ve got a choice as to what I connect to. Whether that be the Brisbane Heat,my own company,reaching out to India where I’ve got a huge fan base,or in my garden where I supply fruit and veggies to my family,it is quite a connection. It’s the simple things in life that I really admire and enjoy. These are the things I explore in this TLC series.

Do you cook? What kind of cuisine are you really fond of? Does your family enjoy what you prepare?

On the show I cook up a chicken curry and also do a really simple cut/diced vegetable dish with chaat masala on it. I love cucumber,tomato and chaat masala. My wife’s favourite food is Indian,so I’ve become quite a gourmand of healthy tasty Indian food! I cook with a lot of curd and a lot of spice. I enjoy spicy food and we have natural healthy products which I grow in my backyard. I grow galangal,ginger,turmeric,curry leaves,even kaffir lime leaves.

Will you take up more behind-the-scene kind of roles in cricket now?

I’ve been on the board of directors of Cricket Australia for two years and it’s an opportunity to expand and grow,and also to grow my business and invest in a platform for cricket. I’m playing the Big Bash League for my team,Brisbane Heat. And so,for me this is also a little bit like the IPL.