How to Cook Indian (99 page)

1 tablespoon plain yogurt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Set a couple of tablespoons of the
maida
aside for dusting and sift the remaining
maida,
the baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.

2. Put 20 of the garlic cloves in a food processor with 1 tablespoon water, and process to a fine paste. Mince the remaining 10 cloves and set aside.

3. To the sifted
maida
mixture, add the confectioners’ sugar, milk, garlic paste, half of the minced garlic, the yogurt, and cilantro, and knead to make a medium-soft dough. Rub the oil over the surface, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside for at least 1 hour.

4. Punch the dough with your hands to make it soft and pliable, then divide it into 8 equal portions. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 1 hour more.

5. Flatten each dough ball between your palms, coat with a little melted butter, and dust with the reserved
maida.
Roll into a ball again, cover, and set aside for 15 minutes.

6. Preheat the oven to 475°F/250°C.

7. Roll each dough ball on a floured work surface into a 5- to 6-inch (12½- to 15-cm) round. Pull it from one end to shape it into an elongated oval. Sprinkle with the remaining minced garlic.

8. Bake (on baking sheets) for 7 minutes or until brown spots appear on the surface of the
naan.
(Alternatively, cook in a tandoor oven. Or cook on a preheated
tawa
or griddle, moistening the
naan
on either side with a little water as they cook.)

9. Drizzle with melted butter and serve hot.

Khaari Puri

A crisp bread prepared with a spicy chickpea-flour mixture

Khaari puri
means “bread with salt,” but there’s much more going on here. These breads are wonderful for a Sunday brunch with a pot of freshly made plain yogurt and a glass of hot masala tea (page 48).

Makes 16.

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon coriander seeds

¾ cups (110 grams)
atta
(whole-wheat flour)

2 tablespoons
besan
(chickpea/gram flour)

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1 tablespoon red chile powder

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon
garam masala
(spice mix; page 27)

1½ teaspoons table salt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons ghee (page 37) melted

2 green chiles, stemmed and chopped

1 quart (800 ml) plus 4 teaspoons vegetable oil, plus more for the dough

1. Place a small nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Let it heat for 2 minutes, then add the cumin and coriander seeds, and dry-roast until light golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool, then transfer to a mortar and crush with a pestle (you can use a spice grinder here if your grinder can accomodate such a small quantity).

2. Place the
atta
in a large bowl. Add the
besan,
ground coriander, chile powder, turmeric,
garam masala,
salt, cilantro, crushed cumin and coriander seeds, ghee, and ¼ cup (50 ml) water, and knead to make a stiff dough. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.

3. Divide the dough into 16 portions and roll into balls. Lightly coat each ball with a little oil and roll out into 3-inch (7½-cm) rounds.

4. Place a nonstick wok over high heat and add the 1 quart (800 ml) oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, lower the heat to medium. Gently slide in the dough rounds, one or two at a time, and cook, turning with a slotted spoon, for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown on both sides.

5. Remove with the slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

Khasta Roti

A crisp bread with sugar and
ajwain

Khasta
means “crisp,” and these
rotis
are just that. Is it this crispiness that endears them to me, or is it the pinch of sugary sweetness? Either way: They’re delicious! If you’d like, serve these as they do in India: Let the
rotis
cool to room temperature, then tell your guests to crush each one delicately in the palms of their hands.

Makes 8.

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon table salt

1 cup (120 grams)
maida
(refined flour) or pastry flour

2 tablespoons coarse
rawa/suji
(semolina flour)

¼ cup (50 grams) ghee (page 37), melted

½ teaspoon
ajwain

1. Put the sugar and salt in a small bowl, add ¼ cup (50 ml) water, and stir until dissolved.

2. Put the
maida,
semolina flour, ghee,
ajwain,
and the salt and sugar water in a bowl, and knead to make a stiff dough. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 15 minutes.

3. Divide the dough into 8 portions and shape into balls. Flatten each ball and roll out into a 6-inch (15-cm) round.

4. Place a nonstick sauté pan or
tawa
(griddle) over medium heat. Let it heat for 2 minutes, then place a
roti
in the pan and cook, turning, until both sides are crisp. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds.

5. Serve hot.

Koki

A crisp Sindhi bread

This is a rich flatbread enjoyed at breakfast. The cream gives it its melt-in-your-mouth quality. A typical Sindhi
koki
is rather alarmingly large, but you can make them in any size. My mom flecks them with light knife marks in diamond shapes so that breaking the cooled bread into clean pieces is easy.

Makes 8.

2½ cups (375 grams)
atta
(whole-wheat flour)

2 small red onions, peeled and diced

2 teaspoons table salt

2 green chiles, stemmed and minced

1 teaspoon
ajwain

1 teaspoon
anardana
(dried pomegranate seeds), crushed

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup (50 grams) ghee (page 37), melted

¼ cup (50 ml) heavy cream

1. Put the
atta
in a large bowl. Add the onions, salt, green chiles,
ajwain, anardana,
cilantro, 1 tablespoon of the ghee, and the cream, and stir well. Add ¾ cup (150 ml) water and knead to make a stiff dough. Cover and let rest for about 15 minutes.

2. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Lightly dust with a little flour and roll out into a thick 5-inch (12½-cm) round.

3. Place a nonstick
tawa
(griddle) over medium heat. Let it heat for 2 minutes, then place a dough round on the
tawa
and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until evenly cooked on both the sides. Brush with a little of the remaining ghee and cook, pressing with a flat spoon, until both sides are light golden. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds.

4. Serve hot.

Makki Di Roti

A buttery cornmeal bread

Breads, in all their glorious variety, form the staple of an Indian meal. This bread uses cornmeal, which makes it the quintessential Punjabi bread. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this bread’s soul mate,
sarson ka saag
(mustard greens; page 254), which it always seems to accompany. Served hot with a dollop of white butter and cane jaggery on cold wintry evenings, it is absolute manna.

When I first learned to make this
roti,
my mother gave me this little tip for shaping the dough: “Just put your ball of dough between two plastic sheets and then pat it into shape.”

Makes 8.

1½ cups (200 grams)
makai ka atta
(cornmeal)

½ teaspoon table salt

¼ teaspoon
ajwain

1 cup (200 ml) lukewarm water

8 teaspoons vegetable oil

Butter

1. Put the cornmeal in a large bowl. Add the salt,
ajwain,
and lukewarm water, and knead to make a medium-soft dough. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and shape into balls. Pat each ball between moistened palms to make a 5-inch (12½-cm) round of medium thickness. (Alternatively, roll out each ball between two sheets of oiled plastic wrap.)

2. Place a nonstick
tawa
(griddle) over high heat and let it heat for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, place one dough round on the
tawa,
and cook until one side is half done. Turn over and drizzle ½ teaspoon of the oil over the top. Turn over again and drizzle 1 teaspoon oil over the second side. Cook until both sides are golden brown.

3. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds.

4. Serve hot with a dollop of butter on each
roti.

Missi Roti

A spiced Indian bread

Missi roti
is like a savory short-crust pastry; it’s easy to break and melts in your mouth. I love to serve this with
dal
(pages 488–515).

Makes 8.

2 cups (300 grams)
atta
(whole-wheat flour)

½ cup (50 grams)
besan
(chickpea/gram flour)

1½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon red chile powder

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon
garam masala
(spice mix; page 27)

2 medium red onions, chopped

4 green chiles, stemmed and chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon plus 8 teaspoons vegetable oil

1. Place the
atta, besan,
salt, chile powder, turmeric, coriander,
garam masala,
onions, green chiles, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large bowl. Add ½ cup water and knead to make a soft dough. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and roll into balls. Roll out each ball into a 6-inch (15-cm) round.

2. Place a nonstick
tawa
(griddle) over medium heat and let it heat for 2 minutes. Place one dough round on the
tawa
and cook for 30 seconds. Turn over and drizzle ½ teaspoon oil around it. Turn again and drizzle another ½ teaspoon oil around the
roti.
Cook until both sides are cooked and light brown specks appear on the surface. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds.