Authors: Hari Nayak
Star anise This dried, star-shaped, dark-brown pod contains licorice-flavored seeds. The pods grow on an evergreen tree that is a member of the magnolia family. Star anise is used to flavor and add an enticing aroma to both sweet and savory dishes. It is often used on its own or ground with different spices to make blends. This spice is available at Indian and Asian grocery stores, online (see Shopping Guide, page 155) and at many conventional supermarkets.
Sesame seeds These tiny seeds are harvested from a flowering that is widely adapted in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds. Whole or ground white sesame seeds are used in savory Indian dishes, breads and many sweets. Sometimes the seeds are toasted to heighten their nutty flavor. They come in a host of different colors, depending upon the variety, including white, yellow, black and red. In general, the paler varieties of sesame seeds are used in the West and Middle East, while the black varieties are more common in the East. They are available in most grocery stores.
Tamarind This is the curved brown bean pod of the tamarind tree. The pod contains a sticky pulp enclosing one to twelve shiny black seeds. It is the pulp that is used as a flavoring for its sweet-and-sour fruity aroma and taste. It is used in chutneys, preserves and curries. Tamarind is available in South Asian grocery stores, natural foods stores, and some conventional supermarkets in one or more of the following three ways: in pod form, pressed into a fibrous dried slab, or in jars of tamarind “paste” or “concentrate,” which has a jamlike consistency. I use the tamarind paste in the recipes in this book simply because it is the most convenient form to use and is fairly easy to find.
Alternatively to create tamarind juice from the dried slab, soak a walnut-size chunk of the dried pulp (this is equivalent to 1 teaspoon tamarind paste) in ½ cup (125 ml) of warm water for 15 minutes. After soaking the pulp in water, break it up with your fingers, and then mash it with a fork until the liquid is muddy brown in appearance. Strain this mixture before use through a fine-mesh strainer. Using the back of spoon, mash and push the pulp through the fine-mesh strainer to extract any remaining juice.
Turmeric It is a rhizome of a tropical plant in the ginger family. The fresh root is boiled, peeled, sun-dried, and ground into a bright yellow-orange powder. Ground turmeric has a warm, peppery aroma— reminiscent of ginger—and a strong, bitter taste, which mellows upon cooking. It is used to color many curries and is sometimes used as a “poor man’s substitute” for saffron due to the similar color it imparts; however, the taste is quite different.
Yogurt Thick and creamy yogurt is made every day in homes across the Indian subcontinent and it is an important part of every meal. It is most commonly enjoyed plain as a mild contrast to spicy foods. Raitas—cooling salads made with yogurt and crunchy vegetables—are very popular. Yogurt is often churned into cooling drinks with spices, and is the base for many desserts. In savory coking, its main role is as a souring agent, though it also aids digestion. In India it is customary to end a meal with either plain yogurt mixed with rice or a glass of Indian spiced “buttermilk” (thinned yogurt with salt, green chilies, ginger and salt which is common in southern India). The best yogurt to use for the recipes in this book is a thick plain natural yogurt made from whole milk. Look for organic whole milk yogurt for the best consistency and flavor.
Indian cooking is all about spices and flavor. To the Indian cook, the two are one in the same: spice equals flavor. I learned this from my mother and grandmother, who often spent several of their afternoon hours preparing the spices to be used for our daily meals. And it is from them that I learned the benefit of grinding fresh spices and most importantly how the subtle flavors hidden within the spices are gently released when they are slightly roasted before being ground.
To understand Indian cooking is to understand how to use spices individually and in combination to enhance food. The specific mixture of spices in the food is referred to as a masala, which means a blend of spices or herbs. It is this unique combination of spices or herbs that creates the distinctive taste of each dish. This section includes recipes for masalas and other basic flavor components that form the building blocks of Indian cooking.
Masalas can be in the form of a powder or a paste. Different Indian recipes may call for a different blend of masalas in either form. Often a recipe will call for a just a sprinkling of mustard seeds and ground turmeric, whereas some recipes may call for a masala that is a blend of over twenty different spices. Do not be alarmed! I have not included such elaborate spice blends in this book. In fact, even a minimal use of spices will lend a wonderful, aromatic accent to a dish. So do not hesitate to use just a few spices to create your masalas. Sprinkle cumin seeds when you cook potatoes or add a stick of cinnamon while boiling rice. Even a single spice can bring out the flavor of a dish.
The proportion of ingredients in these spice blends, as well as the amount used in a recipe, can be adjusted to suit your taste. I urge you to be adventurous with the spice blends in this book. Begin by trying the different blends in this section. You will soon be able to identify the unique flavor each brings to a dish. Then experiment with tweaking the spice profiles to arrive at your own personal versions. The only guideline I would suggest is to maintain a balance between the hot flavors (like peppercorn and cloves) and the aromatic flavors (like cardamom, cinnamon and mace).
You can also substitute many of these masalas with store-bought, premade spice mixes. However, for the best flavor, I recommend using freshly blended spices. When making masalas at home, you are able to slightly roast the spices before grinding them into a powder or a paste, an extra step that helps to release the flavors and oils of spices into the blend, thus adding more potency (and magic!) to the spice mixture.
Indian Five Spice Mix Panch Phoran
This is the Indian equivalent of Chinese five spice powder. It is a popular blend used in Bengali cuisine. Panch phoron is a colorful blend of equal quantities of cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds and nigella seeds. There are two traditional versions of this spice mix: one whole and one ground. When used whole, the spices are added to hot oil before adding the vegetables, lentils or legumes. This method, known as tempering, is a very common technique in Indian cooking. When used in its ground form, this spice blend is added at the very end of the cooking process to flavor dishes. My favorite technique is to coarsely grind the blend and use it to crust fish fillets and chicken breasts. In the recipes in this book I call for using it in its ground form only. But I encourage you to try using the whole seeds. Nigella seeds can be found in Middle Eastern or Indian food stores as well as specialty food markets. They are also known as black onion seeds. If you don’t have nigella seeds, substitute celery seeds.
Makes about 1 cup (125 g)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon nigella seeds or celery seeds
1 If you plan to use this spice mixture in its ground form, dry roast the whole spices over medium heat in a small, nonstick skillet, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 to 11/2 minutes.
2 Remove the spices from the skillet and set aside to cool completely.
3 Finely or coarsely grind the whole spices in an electric coffee grinder and store in an airtight jar. Note: Some recipes call for a coarsely ground blend. Remember to check the recipe you’re planning to make to see if this is the case before grinding the spices.
TIPS FOR USING WHOLE PANCH PHORAN If you plan to use the spices whole, simply mix all of the spice together and store in an airtight jar. To use this spice mix in its whole-seed form, you might sauté some of the whole spice mixture in ghee until fragrant and drizzle the mixture on food as a garnish to liven flavor. Alternatively, to make a simple Bengali vegetable dish, add 2 tablespoons of whole Panch Phoran to a tablespoon of hot oil and, when fragrant (about 25 to 30 seconds), add a teaspoon of minced fresh ginger, a pinch of ground turmeric and salt to taste along with a mix of diced, fresh seasonal vegetables (1 pound/ 500 g total). Sauté the vegetables until tender and serve hot as a side dish.
Ginger-Garlic Paste Pissa Adrak Lahsoon
A lot of Indian recipes call for this smooth, flavorful paste. Although you can easily find this ginger-garlic paste 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 11/2 cups (500 g)
1/2 lb (250 g) ginger (2 pieces, each about 4 in/10 cm in length), peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 lb (250 g) garlic (about 6 to 7 heads), coarsely chopped
1/4 cup (65 ml) water
1 Place the ginger and garlic in a food processor or a blender. Add the water and process to make a fine paste.
2 Store the paste in a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator up to 3 to 4 weeks.
Red Masala Paste
Lal Mirch Masala
The flavor of this paste is something I grew up, and it’s one
of my favorite flavors. This masala paste is frequently used to marinate fish and is used when preparing bone-in coconut chicken curry with fresh curry leaves or a south Indian lamb stew. To make this masala, the spices and dried red chilies are tempered in oil first and then ground to a paste. Traditionally the masala ingredients are ground in a stone grinder, but for convenience I use a food processor or blender. I make this masala paste in large batches. And for a good reason! If you have some on hand, you can whip up a quick flavor-packed meal in minutes. I love to smear this on fish fillets like tilapia, sea bass or halibut and pan-fry them. Sometimes I make a quick curry by boiling meat or vegetables with coconut milk, Red Masala Paste and fresh coriander leaves (cilantro).
Makes about 1 1/2 cups (600 g)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 7 minutes
1 tablespoon oil
15 dried red chili peppers, broken into small pieces
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Two 1/2 -in (1.25-cm) cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (optional)
15 cloves garlic
One 1/2-in (1.25-cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled
1 tablespoon shredded, unsweetened coconut (frozen, reconstituted dried, or freshly grated) (page 24)
1 teaspoon tamarind paste
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric About 1/2 cup (125 ml) water
1 Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chili peppers, coriander, cumin, peppercorns, cinnamon, fenugreek, if using, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring until aromatic, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the spices from the skillet and let cool slightly.
2 Place the spice mixture in a food processor or blender. Add the coconut, tamarind and turmeric. Process the mixture to make a smooth paste adding water a little at a time. Stop occasionally and scrape down the sides of the processor.
3 Transfer to an airtight container. Store the masala in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
TIP For a longer shelf life always use a clean spoon each time you dip into your masala jar. It is a common habit for new cooks, especially those in training in busy professional kitchens, to use dirty spoons or double dip spice pastes or masalas, which will cause the blend to go rancid sooner than it would otherwise. It’s a shame to waste a large batch of this spice paste simply from a bad habit!
Indian Grilling and Roasting Rub
Making your own fresh spice blends and pastes makes a world of difference in your cooking. This is an aromatic blend that I created inspired by aromatic Indian spices and the western grilling rubs. This blend is ideal for marinating steak, fish or chicken. This can be used as a dry rub or can be mixed in oil to create a flavorful marinade. I like to blend this mixture into a coarse mix, where I can feel the crunch of the spices with the food.
Makes about 1 cup (125 g)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1/2 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried mint leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1 Dry roast the whole spices in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the spices from the skillet and set aside to let cool completely.
2 Coarsely grind all the whole spices in an electric coffee grinder with the powdered spices, dried mint leaves and salt. Store in an airtight jar.
Aromatic Spice Mix Bhuna Masala
This spice mix is ideal for mildly spiced dishes. I like to use it for a quick meal of grilled fish fillets or chicken breasts. I also use it for finishing sauces and stews.
Makes about 2/3 cup (75 g)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time:: 5 minutes
20 green cardamom pods
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/2 tablespoon black peppercorns
Three 1-in (2.5-cm) cinnamon sticks
6 whole star anise
1 Dry roast the whole spices in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the spices from the skillet and set aside to let cool completely.
2 Grind the whole spices in an electric coffee grinder to a fine powder. Store in an airtight jar up to 4 to 6 weeks.
Vindaloo Curry Paste
Vindaloo Masala
This spicy curry paste reflects the Portuguese influence in the western Indian state of Goa. Its primary flavors come from vinegar and dried red chilies. The term vindaloo derives from the Portuguese dish “Carne de Vinha d’ Alhos,” a dish of meat, usually pork, with vinegar and garlic. Vindaloo is a very popular restaurant curry among westerners who love hot and spicy Indian dishes. This paste is very versatile—use this with broth or water to flavor meat and vegetable curries.