Authors: Hari Nayak
DEEP-FRYING (TALNA) Talna refers to deep-frying, Indian style. Generally, for deep-frying, Indian cooks use a khadai —a deep pan with a rounded bottom similar to a wok. Unlike a deep fat fryer, the size and shape of the kadhai does not allow large quantities of food to be fried at one time, which results in even frying. When deep-frying, oil should be heated to between 325° and 350°F (160° and 180°C). This is crucial—if the oil is too hot, the outside of the food will brown very quickly, leaving the insides uncooked; and, if the oil is not hot enough the foods will absorb oil and become greasy. When frying, do not over crowd the pan; fry the food in batches, if necessary. Use a slotted spatula or spoon when removing fried food from the oil, and hold each piece against the edge of the pan for a few seconds. This allows excess oil to drain back into the pan. Place fried foods on a tray lined with paper towels to drain. To re-use the oil, turn off the heat under the oil as soon as you’re finished frying and let it cool completely. Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain the oil into an airtight container. Store the oil at room temperature until next use.
ROASTING (BHUNNANA) Traditionally, in Indian cooking roasting is done in a charcoal-fired tandoor (clay oven), which gives a unique flavor to roasted meats, breads and vegetables. The juices of the meats drip on the charcoal which sizzles and the smoke that is created gives the food its unique flavor. For home cooking, an open charcoal grill is good substitute for cooking meat kebabs, vegetables and paneer, though the flavor is milder than that achieved in a tandoor. An oven can be used to make breads and to also roast marinated meats and vegetables. A few of the recipes that use the roasting technique are Tandoori Chicken (page 112), Masala-Baked Red Snapper (page 96) and Marinated Roast Leg of Lamb (page 118).
TEMPERING (TARHKA) This technique is very unique to Indian cooking. Oil is heated until it is very hot. A mixture of whole spices with or without chopped garlic and ginger is added to the oil. Hot oil has an extraordinary ability to extract and retain the essence, aroma and flavor of spices and herbs. This process is performed either at the beginning of cooking a dish or after. If done after a dish is cooked, the prepared tempering is poured sizzling hot over the dish to add a burst of flavor (this sometimes done when preparing dals). The seasonings that are most commonly used for tempering include cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, fennel seeds, dried red chilies, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves as well as chopped up ginger, garlic and fresh or dried curry leaves. The ingredients are usually added in rapid succession, rarely together. The purpose of adding tempering ingredients sequentially is to ensure that each ingredient is fully cooked, and thus its flavor fully extracted into the oil, before the next ingredient is added. This method also allow for longer-cooking ingredients or spices to be added first, and shorter-cooking ingredients or spices last, which would otherwise have a tendency to burn if added earlier. The crackling of the spices or a change in their color indicates that the process is complete, unless fresh herbs and vegetables are also being used. A few of the many recipes that use this technique in this book are Carrot Yogurt Slaw (page 46), South Indian Coconut Chutney (page 40), Fiery South Indian Tomato Soup (page 67), Spicy Urad Beans (page 70) and Tamarind Rice (page 131) .
BROWNING Most Indian recipes require browning of onions fried over medium-high heat. Evenly browned onions are more flavorful and give sauces a desired rich, deep reddish-brown color. The same goes for garlic—the flavor of garlic is quite amazing if it is fried in oil until it turns golden brown in color. For the best flavor and color, meat is also browned. Browning also sears the meat, which makes it juicy. I like to brown marinated meat before combining it with other ingredients. If I am cooking larger quantity, I brown a few pieces of meat at a time in hot oil and set them aside. I then add the browned meat and all the cooking juices back into the pan with the other ingredients and let it finish cooking in the sauce.
STEAMING (DUM) Dum cooking has been described as the “maturing of a dish” as in this technique the food is very slowly cooked in its own steam. Traditionally, the lid was sealed to the cooking vessel with a flour-and-water paste to make sure moisture is trapped within. The vessel was slightly buried in hot coals and, to ensure the food is evenly surrounded by heat, some hot coals were placed on top of the lid. Today the modern oven is used to perform the function of providing even heat. The dish is first cooked on a stove top and then well sealed and placed in the oven to continue to cook in its own steam. The advantage of dum cooking is that since the vapors cannot escape, the food retains all its delicate flavor and aroma. One of the most common and popular dishes prepared using this technique is the famous rice dish called biriyani. (See Saffron Chicken Biriyani, page 128, and Fragrant Lamb Biriyani, page 126).
Some Helpful Tools
You do not need special kitchen tools or cookware to cook authentic Indian food at home. All you need is a well-equipped kitchen with sturdy skillets, pots and pans with lids, tongs, good knives, graters, mixing bowls, a rolling pin, a perforated spoon, a sieve, a strainer and a citrus squeezer. I like to use an Indian spice box to hold my most frequently used spices and spice blends. It sits on my kitchen counter where I can quickly grab a pinch of spice when needed. I generally use nonstick pots, saucepans and skillets when cooking Indian food at home because of the relatively long cooking time. Some ingredients, like spices, onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes, which are typically cooked in small quantities of liquid or fat, tend to stick to conventional pans. If you have regular pots and pans, to prevent sticking, make sure they are heavy bottomed and sturdy. Stir the food frequently. Add more cooking oil as needed. The following tools are not crucial but they will make cooking Indian food a lot simpler and quicker.
Cast-iron skillets and griddles Small cast-iron skillets are ideal for dry roasting spices because they evenly brown them without needing to add any oil or liquid. Always preheat your cast-iron pan before using. A large cast-iron skillet or griddle is excellent for making Indian flatbreads such as Whole-Wheat Griddle Breads (Chapati) (page 136) and Flaky Paratha Breads Stuffed with Potatoes (Aloo Paratha) (page 139). Traditionally, these breads are cooked in a tava, a round concave, cast-iron griddle that is available in South Asian grocery stores. New cast-iron pans should be seasoned before use. To season, rub a relatively thin coat of neutral oil all around the inside of the pan. Place the pan upside-down in a cold oven with a sheet of aluminum foil on the bottom to catch any drips. Set the oven to between 300° to 400°F (150° to 200°C) and let the pan heat for 30 to 60 minutes. Once done, let the pan cool to room temperature. Repeating this process several times is recommended. Never put cold liquid into a very hot cast-iron pan; doing so might crack and damage the pan.
Electric blender When it comes to combining liquids with fresh herbs or spices for sauces, pastes or purées there is nothing more effective than a blender. Blenders with a narrow, tapered base (or basically straight sides) work very effectively to purée thick sauces and pastes, unlike the blender jars with a broader base, which are ideal for blended drinks. Ginger-garlic paste can be made very fast and effectively in a blender. I also use it to grind large amount of whole spices. This works surprisingly well, which I discovered when I started making large quantities of my Home-Style Garam Masala (page 35) and Dhaba Spice (page 34) as takeaway gifts for family and friends. I prefer a glass blender jars in my kitchen as plastic absorbs aromas from the spices and herbs. I also have a handheld blender, also called an “immersion” blender or “smart stick,” which I often use to purée vegetables, lentils or beans. This tool is ideal when preparing puréed soups or dals, such as Spinach Soup (page 67) or Broccoli Soup with Walnuts (page 66), as you can purée the food directly in the pan. You need not wait for the liquid to cool, which is advisable when transferring hot liquids to a blender, and it saves you the task of cleaning up a messy blender.
Electric food processor The traditional grinding stone of Indian kitchens, which is heavy and is moved manually, is now replaced with the modern food processor—a time-saving tool par excellence for busy cooks. Essential ingredients like onion, chili peppers, garlic and ginger can be made into pastes very quickly in these electrically powered machines. The food processor can be used to chop or mince vegetables and fresh herbs, and cut down considerably on prep time. I recommend a food processor that has a capacity of between 7 and 10 cups. To pulverize small quantities of ingredients, make sure the blades sit close to the bottom. However, when chopping very small amounts of fresh garlic, onions, chili peppers or ginger, it’s more practical to use a Chef’s knife.
Electric spice grinder or coffee grinder
I highly recommend investing in a spice grinder or a coffee grinder. It is one of the most important tools that you will use in Indian cooking. I use it to coarsely or finely grind dry whole spices. It grinds spices in seconds and clean up is very simple, and it is not always necessary to clean up after each spice. I personally use the Cuisine Art nut and spice grinder, which is available for under $50. The ability of electric coffee grinders to grind coffee beans also makes them ideally suited for grinding a wide range of spices, such as cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks (broken up), cardamom and bay leaves. They can grind as little as a teaspoon to as much as half a cup. For larger volumes of whole spices a blender works surprisingly well. I strongly recommend that you invest in a spice grinder or coffee grinder as it will make your cooking process very simple and the results very flavorful. If do you use a coffee grinder to grind spices, reserve it for that use only; otherwise, you will end up with cumin-flavored coffee.
Kadhai, kadai, kadahi, karhai or karahi This is a deep pan similar in shape to the Chinese wok. A kadhai is traditionally made out of cast iron, although other materials like stainless steel and copper are sometimes used, and nonstick versions also exist. It is ideal for deep-frying Indian style (talna) as the rounded bottom allows you to use a relatively small quantity of oil while giving you enough depth in the center to submerge foods. The kadhai is also used for stir-frying vegetables. There are decorative ones which are best used for serving, not cooking. A small wok about 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter is a close substitute for a kadhai.
Mortar and pestle is a very common tool that is used to crush and grind. The pestle is a heavy bat-shaped object, the end of which is used for crushing and grinding. The mortar is a bowl, typically made of hard wood, ceramic or stone. The ingredients is placed in the mortar and ground, crushed or mixed with the pestle. In Indian kitchens mortars are also used in cooking to prepare ingredients such as ginger and garlic pastes, as well as grinding spices into powder. With the advent of motorized grinders, use of the mortar and pestle has decreased. I still recommend investing in a good stone mortar and pestle as it will come in handy to grind or crush small quantities of ingredients that are needed to flavor the Indian dishes.
A Brief Introduction to Indian Ingredients
This chapter gives a description of some of the most popular and commonly used Indian ingredients. Many of the ingredients and spices used in My Indian Kitchen are found in well-stocked supermarkets. These include cumin, coriander, turmeric, mace, black pepper, ginger, paprika, cayenne pepper, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. Some others are carried in South Asian or Indian food markets. It is also possible to order spices by mail and on the internet (see Shopping Guide, page 155).
Indian cuisine has always been very receptive to spices and ingredients from other cuisines and cultures. For example, in India, and in Indian homes around the world, it is very common to use soy sauce to jazz up Indian stir-fry dishes that are inspired by oriental cuisines. (See Indian Fried Rice, page 130, and Chili Shrimp with Curry Leaves and Coconut, page 103.)
In My Indian Kitchen I use some ingredients that are not used in a traditional Indian kitchen. Olive oil is one of them. Even though in most cases Indian recipes call for any neutral-flavored vegetable oil (for example, canola, safflower or corn oil), olive oil is a healthier alternative. I use it to often to drizzle over salads (Pomegranate and Mint Potato Salad, page 56) and sometimes for lighter cooking, such as seafood dishes (Fish Tikka, page 94) and vegetable dishes.
Pita pockets are another great nontraditional food to incorporate into Indian meals. I sometimes use them instead of a naan or paratha to make sandwiches (see Spicy Lamb Burgers, page 117) just because they are readily available in supermarkets.
Traditionally whole milk yogurt is hung in a muslin cloth to drain all the whey out to create a creamy thick yogurt, known as “hung curd,” that is ideal for many authentic Indian recipes—particularly to marinate chicken or meats and make creamy sauces and dips. Rather than take the time to hang plain yogurt at home, I use either sour cream or the increasingly available thick, Greek-style plain yogurt. Both are perfect alternatives for the Indian thick, creamy yogurt.
STORAGE TIPS FOR SPICES AND HERBS Ideally, it is best to buy all dry spices in their whole form. Whole spices will stay fresh generally five to six months longer than preground spices. It’s a good habit to smell ground spices before using them; if their smell is very faint, it’s time to replace them or grind a fresh batch. Both whole and ground spices should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place in tightly covered jars. Freshly ground spices are not the same as preground store-bought spices, neither in flavor nor volume. Freshly ground spices are far superior in flavor and aroma to preground spices. Another difference is the volume: freshly ground spices have less volume tablespoon to tablespoon, or ounce to ounce, than preground spices, which settle over time. You might think you would need to use more of the freshly ground spice to compensate for the greater volume of the settled, and therefore denser, preground bottled spice. But because preground spices are so much less potent than freshly ground, the difference in volume is not of consequence. If anything, you might need to add more of the preground spice.