How to Cook Indian (8 page)

Ruby-red cooler

Kokum (Garcinia indica),
also known as gamboge in English, is a native fruit of India and is grown abundantly in Konkan, Karnataka, and Kerala along the western coast of India due to the availability of adequate rainfall, good sunshine, and fertile soil in these regions. It is found in the United States in Indian grocery stores in dried form. This drink is a healthy substitute for carbonated and caffeinated drinks.
Kokum
also aids digestion and fights acidity. You can replace the conventional
pani
in the
pani puris
(page 88) with this.

Serves 4.

¾ cup (190 grams) sugar

4 or 5 fresh
kokum
petals, or 8 to 10 dried pieces (see Notes)

¼ teaspoon table salt

½ teaspoon ground roasted cumin (page 32)

1. Place a nonstick saucepan over high heat and add 1 cup (200 ml) water. Add the sugar, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, until you get a syrup of one-string consistency (see Notes).

2. Meanwhile, put the
kokum
in a mini food processor, add ¼ cup (50 ml) water, and process to make a purée. Add the purée to the sugar syrup and boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Remove from the heat and add the salt and cumin. Stir well and set aside to cool to room temperature.

4. To serve, pour ¼ cup (50 ml) of the
kokum
syrup into each glass, fill it with cold water, and stir. Serve immediately.

If using dried
kokum,
soak it in ½ cup (100 ml) boiling water for about 20 minutes to soften, then blend it in the same water.
To test if the sugar syrup has reached one-string consistency, place a drop of the slightly cooled syrup between your thumb and forefinger and pull them apart. If the syrup forms a single string, it is ready.

Lassi with Honey

Sweet yogurt drink with honey

This is a perfect drink to help you cool off during a hot summer day.

Serves 4.

1½ cups (375 grams) plain yogurt

7 tablespoons honey

Pinch of table salt

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Ice

1. Put the yogurt, honey, salt, and lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth. Add ½ cup (100 ml) water and blend again.

2. Fill individual glasses with ice and pour in the
lassi.
Serve immediately.

Majjika

Rosewater and yogurt drink

Rosewater, known as
gulab jal
in India, is commonly used to add heady fragrance to recipes. Here it is paired with yogurt for a delightful summer drink.

Serves 4.

½ cup (125 grams) plain yogurt

2 to 3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon rosewater

4 scoops vanilla ice cream

1 teaspoon dried or fresh untreated rose petals

1. Put the yogurt, 1½ cups (300 ml) water, the sugar, and rosewater in a blender and blend for 1 to 2 minutes, until frothy.

2. Transfer to a deep bowl and refrigerate until very cold.

3. Pour into 4 individual glasses, top each with a scoop of ice cream, and sprinkle with the rose petals. Serve immediately.

Masala Soda

Spiced soda

This superb spiced drink makes a great mocktail. I first fell in love with it on the streets of the city of Meerut and would always make a point to try it whenever I saw it.

Serves 4.

6 tablespoons (90 ml)
kokum sharbat
(page 43)

½ tablespoon black salt

5 or 6 whole black peppercorns, crushed

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Crushed ice

1 quart (800 ml) cold seltzer

10 to 12 fresh mint leaves, torn

1. Combine the
kokum sharbat,
black salt, pepper, lemon juice, and about 2 cups crushed ice in a glass jar and stir well.

2. Pour into 4 individual glasses. Fill with soda and stir well. Garnish with the mint and serve immediately.

Masala Taak

Spiced buttermilk

This simple spiced buttermilk is a perfect cooler on a hot summer day.

Serves 4.

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 cup (250 grams) plain yogurt

1 green chile, stemmed and chopped

½-inch (1¾-cm) piece fresh ginger, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1½ teaspoons black salt

1. Place a small nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and roast until they turn slightly brown. Let cool and grind to a coarse powder.

2. Whisk the yogurt thoroughly in a large bowl. Gradually add about 5 cups (1 liter) cold water and whisk thoroughly.

3. Add the chile, ginger, cilantro, black salt, and cumin and stir thoroughly. Pour into individual tall glasses and serve cold.

Zafrani Sharbat

Cold saffron-flavored drink

Saffron is known as
zafran
in Urdu. Here we use saffron to prepare a delightful cold drink. Look for saffron ice cream
(kesar)
at Indian grocery stores; if you can’t find it, plain vanilla works well.

Serves 4.

10 to 12 saffron threads

7½ cups (1.5 liters) milk, plus 2 tablespoons warmed

¼ cup (60 grams) sugar

Pinch of ground green cardamom

10 to 12 almonds, blanched (see Note, page 40) and slivered

6 to 8 pistachios, blanched (see Note, page 40) and slivered

4 scoops saffron ice cream

1. Soak the saffron in the 2 tablespoons warm milk and set aside.

2. Place a nonstick saucepan over high heat, add the remaining milk, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.

3. Add the sugar, cardamom, and saffron milk and simmer for another 5 to 6 minutes, until thick and creamy.

4. Remove from the heat, add the almonds and pistachios, and stir well. Let cool to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator to chill.

5. Pour the milk into 4 glasses, top each with a scoop of ice cream, and serve immediately.

Masala Chai with Lemongrass

Hot lemongrass-flavored tea

This recipe comes from the west coast of India: The Gujaratis love it! Serve it on a rainy day with a plate of
pakoras
(fritters)—it is simply heavenly.

Serves 4.

2 cups (400 ml) milk

4 to 5 small stalks fresh lemongrass, chopped

4 teaspoons black tea leaves

½ teaspoon
chai masala
(spice mix for tea; page 25)

8 teaspoons sugar

1. Put the milk and 2 cups (400 ml) water in a nonstick saucepan. Place over high heat and bring to a boil.

2. Lower the heat to medium, add the lemongrass, tea leaves, and
chai masala,
and boil for 1 minute. Add the sugar. When it comes to a boil again, lower the heat to low and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Strain into individual cups and serve piping hot.

Pannagam

Cane jaggery-flavored drink

In South India, the birth of the Hindu god Lord Rama is celebrated during the festival of Rama Navami, and this drink is served to the devotees. It is served in small portions after the prayers are over. In some places, lemon juice is used instead of tamarind.

Serves 4.

¾ cup (150 grams) grated cane jaggery

2-inch (5-cm) piece dried ginger

6 green cardamom pods

18 to 20 whole black peppercorns

1½ tablespoons tamarind pulp

1¼ teaspoons black salt

5 or 6 fresh mint leaves

1. Put the jaggery in a bowl, add 1½ cups (300 ml) water, and soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir until the jaggery dissolves. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into another bowl.

2. Put the dried ginger, cardamom, and peppercorns in a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. Sift through a fine sieve to remove any large pieces.

3. Put the tamarind pulp in a small bowl, add the spice powder, and stir well. Add to the jaggery water along with the black salt and stir well.

4. Finely shred the mint and add it to the jaggery mixture. Stir and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Strain into small glasses and serve warm.

Ukala

Hot
chai masala
-flavored milk

Serves 4.

2 cups (400 ml) milk

8 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon
chai masala
(spice mix for tea; page 25)

1. Combine the milk, 2½ cups (500 ml) water, and the sugar in a nonstick saucepan, place over high heat, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low, add the
chai masala,
and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, until the flavors are well combined.

2. Strain into individual teacups and serve hot.

Kali Mirch Ka Drink