The Café Spice Cookbook: 84 Quick and Easy Indian Recipes for Everyday Meals (9 page)

1 tablespoon cumin seeds, roasted and ground

4 tablespoons dried green mango powder (
amchoor
)

2 tablespoons ginger powder

2 tablespoons ground
ajwain
seeds (optional)

1 tablespoon finely ground sea salt, preferably black salt (
kala namak
) or 2 teaspoons common table salt

2 teaspoons Asian red chili powder

1 teaspoon ground asafetida (optional)

In a medium, nonstick skillet, dry roast the ingredients, stirring and shaking the pan over medium heat, until heated through, about 2–3 minutes. Remove the spices from the skillet and set aside to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container. The shelf life is about 1 month at room temperature or it will last about 6 months if it is stored in the refrigerator.

NOTE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS—

Amchoor
is a green mango powder. Unripe, sour green mangoes are sliced and dried in the sun and then ground. Amchoor, a key ingredient in chaat masala, is one of the many souring agents used in Indian cooking.

Ajwain
, sometimes called
carom
, is a small, grayish, egg-shaped spice. It is commonly used in Indian cuisine. Raw ajwain smells almost exactly like thyme, however, it is more aromatic and less subtle in taste, as well as slightly bitter and pungent. It is only available in stores as a whole seed. Amchoor and ajwain are available at Indian grocery stores, specialty stores, or online (see Shopping Guide, page
140
).

Ginger-Garlic Paste

Although you can easily find ginger-garlic pastes at Asian markets, it is simple enough to make it at home and it keeps well in the refrigerator. Plus the homemade paste gives the dish a much better flavor than the store-bought one. Basically it is just equal amounts of fresh ginger and garlic pulsed together.

Makes
about 1½ cups (500 g)

2 pieces ginger (about 8 oz/250 g), each about 4 in (10 cm) in length, peeled and coarsely chopped

½ lb (250 g) garlic (about 6–7 heads), coarsely chopped

¼ cup (65 ml) water

Place the ginger and garlic in a food processor or a blender. Add the water and process to make a fine paste. Store the paste in a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator up to 3–4 weeks.

Indian Curry Basics and Tips

Unlike in Western cooking, flour is almost never used to thicken Indian sauces and curries. The dark, thick sauces in Indian cooking are achieved through a proper balance of ingredients and correct cooking techniques. For example, the body of Indian sauces very often comes from onions, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes, which may be chopped, creating a textured sauce, or made into a paste in a food processor or a blender. Once a paste is made, it is then cooked or browned in oil. The sauce is allowed to cook further until it is reduced and becomes thick. Sometimes cream, yogurt, coconut, or nut pastes such as those from almonds and cashews are added to Indian sauces to give a creamy texture.

SIMPLE HOMESTYLE CURRY CHICKEN CURRY—1 lb (500 g) Cornish hen, or 2 breast fillets, or 4 thighs, or 6 drumsticks

LAMB CURRY—10 oz (300 g) stewing diced lamb

FISH CURRY—2 fillets of cod, about 8 oz, or 2 salmon steaks

VEGETABLE CURRY—8 oz seasonal mixed diced vegetables

4 tablespoons oil

1 large onion (about 8 oz/250 g), minced

1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic Paste (page
22
)

½ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon Café Spice Garam Masala (page
22
)

1 teaspoon Asian red chili powder or cayenne pepper

2 tomatoes (about 8 oz/250 g), chopped

Salt, to taste

2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 10–15 minutes or until deep brown (browning). Add the Ginger-Garlic Paste and fry for 1 minute. Add the ground coriander and stir for a further full minute. Then add the turmeric, cumin, garam masala, Asian red chili powder or cayenne powder, and sauté for 30 seconds (
bhunao
). Add 1 cup (250 ml) of water and cook for 10 minutes. Put in the tomatoes, stir well, and cook for 5 more minutes. Add salt, to taste.

Add in the chicken, lamb, fish, or vegetables. Add 1½ cups of water for the chicken, 2½ cups (625 ml) for the lamb, 1 cup (250 ml) for the fish, and 2 cups (500 ml) for the vegetables. Cook until done. Sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves just before serving.

CHEF’S TIPS

•    Indian cooking tends to have many ingredients. Prepare all the ingredients before you begin to cook. Keep the spices handy by the stove.

•    If cooking for a special event, you can cook the sauce, marinate the meat, cook the lentils ahead of time, and finish the dish before serving. Vegetables can be cut and set aside, a day in advance. Bread dough can be made a day ahead. Chutneys and accompaniments can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Curries of meat and chicken can be frozen. Cooked lentils, chickpeas, and vegetables freeze well.

•    Always keep Ginger-Garlic Paste ready in your refrigerator; it will come in handy. Browned onions must be fried in batches and refrigerated or frozen.

•    Most of the recipes call for fresh tomatoes. Canned tomato purée can sometimes replace fresh tomatoes, but the resulting curry’s color won’t be as vibrant.

•    If onions burn while browning, remove the burnt bits, change the pot, and add a little fresh oil. If a burnt taste persists, you will have to start again.

•    If the dish has become too spicy and contains tomatoes and/or whipped yogurt, or coconut milk, add an extra tomato or two. Also add ½-1 teaspoon of sugar. Adding sourness sometimes helps to cut down the heat. On the other hand if the dish is not spicy enough, fry some chopped green chili peppers in hot oil in a small saucepan and add it to the dish.

•    If the curry has become too salty, add pieces of potato, which you must remove before serving. The potatoes will absorb the liquid and then you can top up with a cup of plain water to dilute the saltiness.

•    If the sauce is too liquid, boil uncovered for a few extra minutes, until it reaches the desired consistency.

Chapter 2
CHUTNEYS AND ACCOMPANIMENTS

Similar in preparation and usage to pickles, simple spiced chutneys, as they are referred to in India, can be dated as far back as 500 BCE. Originating in Northern Europe, this method of preserving food was subsequently adopted by the Romans and later by the British empire which exported this technique to its colonies, Australia and America. The first chutneys that arrived in India would have been sticky, fruit-based preserves. Chutneys add that little “something extra” to every bite of a meal. A different word
achar
(pickle) applies to preserves that often contain oil and are rarely sweet. Vinegar or citrus juice may be added as natural preservatives, or fermentation in the presence of salt may be used to create acid. Traditionally, chutneys are ground with a mortar and pestle made of stone. Spices are added and ground, usually in a particular order; the resulting wet paste is sautéed in vegetable oil.

There are also
raitas
—the most common and popular Indian accompaniment—which act as a coolant for curries and other fiery-hot Indian dishes. A raita is a simple preparation made by adding fruits, vegetables, or any other thing to beaten curds. Most Indian families enjoy curds either plain or in the form of delicious raitas as an accompaniment with lunch or dinner. Raitas are unique because they are cool and spicy at the same time. A delectable cross between a sauce and a dip, they act as a digestive element. Some are even cooked and tempered to give them a different dimension.

No Indian meal is complete without at least one accompaniment, and fancy meals may have five or more. Additionally, this is one element that can be played around with, without any remorse or regret. You can use regular vegetables like peas or carrots; use readily available dips like mayonnaise to flavor; or add a twist of magic into a raita with a dash of any Indian spice, for example, mustard or fenugreek. Although I have suggested a few sample dishes where these accompaniments can be used, I urge you to trust your culinary instincts wherever possible and try experimenting with seasonal fresh fruit or other produce, basic spices, and herbs that are readily available at the market.

In India, chutneys are usually freshly made each day. However, they preserve well. I often make them in batches and save them up for when I need that extra zing of flavor.

Spiced Pear Chutney
Nasapati Ki Chutney

Chutneys made with fruits are becoming popular in markets in the West as well as in boutique organic food stores. The sweet fruits of summer—peaches, plums, apples, and pears—are simmered with tangy vinegar, sugar, and spices to make this delicious version of chutney. Once you make a big batch of this, it is one of the finest preserves to keep in your cupboard year round. The chutney adds its mildly piquant and exotic note to creamy cheese on bread and crackers or to cold meats and curries. Another exciting idea is to store them in pretty bottles and give them as gifts on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Makes
about 2 cups (500 g)

Prep time:
15 minutes

Cook time:
35 minutes

3 tablespoons oil

5 dried red chili peppers, broken into pieces

1½ teaspoons fennel seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

¼ cup (25 g) dried fenugreek leaves (optional)

½ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon asafetida (optional)

6 Bartlett or Anjou pears (about 3½ lbs/1.5 kg), peeled, cored, quartered, and diced

1½ teaspoons kosher salt ¼ cup (50 g) sugar

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chilies, fennel seeds, and cumin seeds, stirring until the spices are slightly roasted and aromatic. Stir in the fenugreek leaves (if using), paprika, and asafetida (if using) and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the pears and cook until the they get juicy, about 3–4 minutes.

Stir in the salt, sugar, and vinegar. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the pears are soft, sticky, and deeply golden and caramelized, 30–40 minutes. Once cooled, transfer to a plastic container and refrigerate for up to 1 week or ladle into dry and sterilized jars.