How to Cook Indian (105 page)

4. Add the salt, chile powder, and turmeric, and stir. Cover and cook for 2 minutes.

5. Add the yogurt and stir. Add ½ cup (100 ml) water and cook until the lamb is cooked through. Stir in the
garam masala.

6. Place another medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add the ghee. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the cumin. When the seeds begin to change color, add the garlic, ginger, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, and chiles, and sauté for 1 minute.

7. Add the lamb mixture, stir, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir well. Add the mint and cilantro, and toss to mix well.

8. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.

You can make this with ground chicken, which will take less time to cook than the lamb.

Murgh Biryani

Spiced chicken layered with rice

In a perfectly cooked
biryani,
each rice grain is separate yet bound by flavor, succulent meat is infused with tantalizing flavors, and the entire dish exudes heady aromas. Overall it is a pot full of flavors and marvelous textures. Serve this with
burani
(page 68).

Serves to 4 to 6.

4-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled

1 cup (250 grams) plain yogurt

2½ teaspoons table salt

6 cloves garlic, chopped

3 teaspoons red chile powder

1 1/3; pounds (600 grams) bone-in chicken, cut into 1½-inch (4-cm) pieces

6 green cardamom pods

8 whole cloves

2 (1-inch/2½-cm) cinnamon sticks

2 bay leaves

1½ cups (300 grams) basmati rice, soaked

1 quart (800 ml) plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 large red onions, sliced

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 teaspoons
garam masala
(spice mix; page 27)

4 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Generous pinch of saffron threads

½ cup (100 ml) warm milk

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

3 tablespoons butter

Atta
(whole-wheat flour) dough to seal (see Note page 482)

1. Chop 2 inches of the ginger and julienne the remainider.

2. Put the yogurt in a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt, half of the garlic, half of the chile powder, and half of the chopped ginger, and stir well. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator to marinate for about 1 hour.

3. Place a nonstick saucepan over high heat and add 5 cups (1 liter) water. Add 3 of the cardamom pods, 4 of the cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, the bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. When the water comes to a boil, drain the rice and add it to the pan. Cook until the rice is three quarters done. Drain and set aside.

4. Place a nonstick wok over high heat and add 1 quart (800 ml) oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, add 1 cup of the onions and cook, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, for

10 minutes or until the onions are golden. Remove with the slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. These browned onions will be used during the layering in step 9.

5. Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons oil. Add the remaining cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon, and sauté for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the remaining onions and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until light golden.

6. Add the remaining chopped ginger, the remaining garlic, the coriander, turmeric, the remaining chile powder, 1 teaspoon of the
garam masala,
the tomatoes, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Cover and cook for 2 minutes.

7. Add the chicken and cook over high heat for 5 minutes. Add ½ cup (100 ml) water and stir. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Add the cilantro and stir well.

8. Dissolve the saffron in the warm milk.

9. Spread the rice evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle with the saffron milk, the remaining 1 teaspoon
garam masala,
the julienned ginger, mint, and browned onions, and dot with butter.

10. Cover with a lid and seal the sides with a rope of
atta
dough.

11. Place a nonstick griddle over medium heat and let it heat well. Put the pan with the chicken and rice on the griddle and lower the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes.

12. Serve hot.

The dishes in this chapter are Indian comfort food: lentil and bean dals or stews, yogurt-based
kadhis
, and lentil sambhars. They are also good sources of fiber and protein (along with calcium, phosphorus, vitamin B, and iron). Here you’ll find authentic Punjabi
dals
like
dhaabay di dal
(page 492) and maa chole di dal (page 500).

Kadhis
are blends of yogurt and herbs that are helpful digestive aids. Every region adds its own signature spices and herbs to its
kadhis,
and so a variety of dishes are enjoyed across the Indian subcontinent. A Punjabi
kadhi
will be thick, whereas a tangy-sweet Gujarati
kadhi
is as thin as soup. Accompany them with
roti,
rice, or both.

Lentil
sambhars
can also be made in many ways, and these recipes are great jumping-off points for concocting your own distinctive versions.

Amti

Sweet-and-sour lentils

This sweet-and-sour lentil preparation originates from the Indian state of Maharashtra, and its secret lies in the
goda masala,
a spice mix that is very typical of that region. Serve with
chapatis
(page 438) or steamed rice.

Serves 4.

¾ cup (150 grams)
toor dal/arhar dal
(split pigeon peas)

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

1½ tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

5 or 6 fresh curry leaves

½ teaspoon red chile powder

1 teaspoon table salt

2 tablespoons tamarind pulp

1 tablespoon grated cane jaggery

1 teaspoon
goda masala
(spice mix; page 28)

1. Put the
dal
in a deep bowl, wash it in plenty of water 2 or 3 times, and drain. Add 2 cups (400 ml) water and soak for 30 minutes. Drain the
dal
in a colander.

2. Put the
dal
in a nonstick saucepan. Add 3 cups (600 ml) water and the turmeric. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes or until the
dal
is completely cooked and soft. Once it has cooled down a little, mix with a wire whisk or an immersion blender until smooth.

3. Place a medium nonstick wok over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles begin to appear at the bottom of the pan, add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, and chile powder. Lower the heat and when the seeds begin to sputter, add the dal. Stir briskly with a ladle to mix well.

4. As the
dal
begins to boil, add the salt, tamarind pulp, and jaggery, and stir. Add the
goda masala
and 1½ cups (300 ml) hot water and stir again. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a serving bowl. Serve immediately.

Cholar Dal

Coconut-flavored split Bengal gram

Some summer breaks during my school years were spent at my aunt’s home in Kolkata (Calcutta). She always served me delicious Bengali food that she had learned to make while living there, and this dish was among my favorites. This
dal
was served with thin refined-flour breads called
luchis
(see Note page 19), and I remember we used to marvel at the elasticity of the
luchi
dough. I think this
dal
with
luchis
is an excellent brunch option, filling and simple to prepare. But steamed rice goes well with it too.

Serves 4.

1¼ cups (250 grams)
chana dal
(split Bengal gram)

¾ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon table salt

2½ teaspoons sugar

3 tablespoons ghee (page 37), melted

¼ cup (65 grams) fresh coconut, diced

4 whole cloves

1-inch (2½-cm) cinnamon stick

1 black cardamom pod

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

2 bay leaves

2 dried red chiles, stemmed

2 green chiles, stemmed and slit

1 teaspoon fresh ginger paste (page 12)