1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover's Life List (220 page)

South Indian breakfast.

Traditional breakfast favorites in the Indian provinces of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, these paired dishes also appear as appetizer options on the menus of restaurants inspired by those regions, especially those specializing in vegetarian food. They may be ordered separately, but together they offer an alluring contrast between light, steamed dumpling and crullerlike, savory deep-fry.

At their simplest and most traditional, the ivory, soufflé-light
idlis
are based on a dough made of a combination of rice and split black lentils; the dough ripens for about twelve hours, the lentils acting as a mild leavening, before it is poured into palm-size molds and steamed. Less common but far more complex are the richer idlis that combine semolina-like wheat flour, grated coconut, flecks of fiery green chiles, and the touch of yogurt that renders them moist and satiny. Either version must be served steaming hot and accompanied by dipping sauces such as the yellow lentil dal, a nicely acidic tamarind sauce, or an aromatic and verdant cilantro chutney.

Alongside the steamed starter, the
vada
provides a crisp contrast as a sort of doughnut, albeit one made of lentils. It begins as a thick, white
urad dal
that is mixed with chopped coconut, cilantro, green chiles, and grated fresh gingerroot. Shaped into doughnutlike rounds, complete with center holes or indentations, the dumplings are lightly deep-fried in neutral vegetable oil. As soon as they turn a toasty golden brown, they are briefly drained and served red-hot. They, too, can be dipped into the sauces that enliven idlis, as well as in a version of
raita
that is pungent with cilantro, coconut, chiles, and cumin. Alternating bites of each is highly recommended.

Where:
In Delhi and environs
, Sagar Ratna,
sagarratna.in
;
in New York
, Madras Mahal, tel 212-684-4010,
madrasmahalnyc.com
; Tulsi, tel 212-888-0820,
tulsinyc.com
;
in Cambridge, MA
, Punjabi Dhaba, tel 617-547-8272,
royalbharatinc.com
;
in Chicago
, Udupi Palace, tel 773-338-2152,
udupipalacechicago.net
;
in Los Angeles
, Mayura, tel 310-559-9644,
mayura-indian-restaurant.com
;
in Artesia, CA
, Woodlands, tel 562-860-4000,
woodlandsartesia.net
;
in Toronto
, Udupi Palace, tel 416-405-8189,
udupipalace.ca
.
Retail and mail order:
For vada mix and rice flour,
at multiple locations across the U.S.
, Patel Brothers,
patelbros.com
;
in New York
, Kalustyan’s, tel 800-352-2451,
kalustyans.com
.
Mail order:
For vada mix, idli cooker, and rice flour, Indian Blend, tel 888-753-4299,
indianblend.com
.
Further information and recipes:
Madhur Jaffrey’s World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking
by Madhur Jaffrey (1981);
The Cooking of India
by Santha Rama Rau (1969);
indianfood.about.com
(search medu vada; idli)
food.com
(search medu vada);
seriouseats.com
(search idli).

The varietal world of doughnuts does not begin and end with the powdered sugar, chocolate, cream fillings, and jam of Dunkin’ Donuts and Krispy Kreme. In the
jalebi
, India’s exquisitely sweet fried dough, that spectrum encompasses the flavors of rosewater and saffron. With a form reminiscent of funnel cakes, it’s a classic Indian dessert that could be described in Western terms as “squiggly fried crullers in thick, flavored syrup.” But such a description does little justice to an appealingly slippery treat that is elevated by its exotic perfume.

The basic jalebi dough is made with flour, baking powder, and water, although some cooks add yogurt and semolina as well. Allowed to rest for a short time in order to ferment slightly, the dough is formed into loops as it is poured through a nozzle over a pan of hot ghee. As soon as the dough sets in the pan, it’s scooped out and dropped into the fragrant syrup.

Singularly delicious, the treat also has a real provenance. Scholars believe the recipe has Persian origins, and that it was adapted by Indian cooks as long ago as 1450. Fittingly, similar confections appear throughout the Middle East, particularly in Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Iran, where glazed and sticky hot dough pieces are made for special occasions as well as given to the less fortunate at Ramadan.

Where:
In Dehli
, Old Famous Jalebi Wala in the bustling old market, Chandni Chowk;
in Washington, DC
, Rasika, tel 202-637-1222,
rasikarestaurant.com
;
in Chicago
, Indian Garden, tel 312-280-4910,
indiangardenchicago.com
.
Further information and recipes:
Sanjeev Kapoor’s Khana Khazana
by Sanjeev Kapoor and Alyona Kapoor (2002);
Indian Cooking Unfolded
by Raghavan Iyer (2013);
Street Food of India
by Stephi Bergenson (2010);
epicurious.com
(search jalebi);
indianfood.about.com
(search jalebi);
food.com
(search instant jalebis).

There are no eggs or cream in this cool treat.

A delectable frozen dessert is an extra blessing in a country with such sweltering summers and generally spicy food. This Indian delight is an unchurned milk-based dessert, making it more akin to the layered “semifrozen” wonder that is the Italian
semifreddo
than to your typical ice cream.

Requiring little in the way of special equipment, the creamily dense and usually intensely sweet
kulfi
is made by simmering fresh milk—often mixed with sweetened condensed milk—over low heat for a long time. No eggs, no cream. Once reduced and thickened, the resultant cream is typically flavored with gently aromatic spices like cardamom, rosewater, or saffron, although it can also be combined with mango puree, pistachios, dark chocolate, or almonds. Poured into aluminum or stainless-steel conical molds and frozen, it emerges as a cold and creamy affair, one whose distinctively granular texture makes a virtue of the ice crystals that form when the ice cream mixture isn’t kept moving as it freezes.

The convenient technique is actually an ancient one, dating back to the days of the Mogul Empire, when ice was carried down from the mountains to the emperors’ homes by slaves. There, it was used to fuel a form of early air conditioning, and at the same time to create tempting desserts in which the ice was simply mixed with flavored milk or cream and poured into metal molds to set.

Ubiquitous in Indian restaurants today, the treat is also very easy to replicate at home, using Popsicle trays. The look may not quite duplicate what you’d see at a traditional Mogul banquet, but the taste will be equally luxurious.

Where:
In Delhi and environs
, Sagar Ratna,
sagarratna.in
; Karim’s Hotel, tel 91/11-2326-9880,
karimhoteldelhi.com
;
in New York
, Tamarind, tel 212-775-9000,
tamarind22.com
; Tulsi, tel 212-888-0820,
tulsinyc.com
;
in Washington, DC
, Rasika, tel 202-637-1222,
rasikarestaurant.com
;
in Chicago
, Jaipur, tel 312-526-3655,
jaipurchicago.com
;
in Houston
, Kiran’s, tel 713-960-8472,
kiranshouston.com
;
in San Francisco
, Amber India, tel 415-777-0500,
amber-india.com
.
Further information and recipes:
Mangoes & Curry Leaves
by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid (2005);
New Indian Home Cooking
by Madhu Gadia (2000);
Indian Cooking Unfolded
by Raghavan Iyer (2013);
cookstr.com
(search saffron kulfi; pistachio ice cream);
foodnetwork.com
(search pista kulfi).

A Goa colony specialty.

Despite its preparation at many a standard-issue Indian restaurant, there’s more to vindaloo than mere heat. The dish originated more than four hundred years ago in the Indian colony of Goa, on India’s southwestern coast, a region heavily influenced by Portuguese culture ever since Vasco de Gama first set foot there in 1498—and the word
vindaloo
likely derives from the Portuguese terms for the dish’s two most important ingredients: wine vinegar (
vinho
) and garlic (
alhos
).

While a vindaloo should indeed be hot, what’s paramount is its combination of the spices that de Gama came looking for in the first place. In addition to the wine vinegar and garlic, the sauce is based on an aromatic paste made of cayenne, black pepper, cardamom, mustard seed, fenugreek, ginger, coriander, and turmeric. The paste itself can be used to coat any number of proteins—the pork that is beloved by the large Catholic population in Goa, or chicken for the region’s Muslims and Hindus. Of all meats, however, lamb is the best foil for vindaloo’s powerfully fragrant, warming spices, the meat’s distinctive softness making it ideal for absorbing the sauce’s rich, dark essence.

Boneless and cubed, the lamb is tenderized by marinating in the wine vinegar for several hours, after which the meat is tossed with the paste, very lightly seared so as to seal the spices but not burn them, and cooked over moderate heat. Then water or stock is added and the meat is allowed to simmer for nearly an hour. The final result is an agreeably unctuous, stewlike dish that excites the palate with its needling interplay of spice, sourness, and slightly gamy meat. Welcome relief from the hot flavors comes from the traditional accompaniment of fluffy basmati rice.

An excellent introduction to vindaloo comes by way of Madhur Jaffrey, the Indian actress and cookbook author who is known for her special love of the preparation. You can sample her lamb vindaloo at Dawat, the Indian restaurant in New York City for which she is the chief consultant, or try your hand at one of her recipes in your own kitchen.

Where:
In New York
, Dawat, tel 212-355-7555,
dawatnewyork.com
; Tamarind, tel 212-775-9000,
tamarind22.com
;
in Boston
, Maharaja, tel 617-547-2757,
maharajaboston.com
;
in Cambridge, MA
, Punjabi Dhaba, tel 617-547-8272,
royalbharatinc.com
;
in Washington, DC
, Masala Art, tel 202-362-4441,
masalaartdc.com
;
in Chicago
, Jaipur, tel 312-526-3655,
jaipurchicago.com
;
in Houston
, The Bombay Brasserie, tel 713-355-2000,
thebombaybrasserie.com
; Kiran’s, tel 713-960-8472,
kiranshouston.com
;
in Los Angeles
, Mayura, tel 310-559-9644,
mayura-indian-restaurant.com
;
in San Francisco
, Amber India, tel 415-777-0500,
amber-india.com
.
Retail and mail order:
In New York
, for spices, Kalustyan’s, tel 800-352-2451,
kalustyans.com
.
Further information and recipes:
Madhur Jaffrey’s Quick & Easy Indian Cooking
by Madhur Jaffrey (1996);
Indian Cooking
by Madhur Jaffrey (2003);
100 Essential Curries
by Madhur Jaffrey (2013);
saveur.com
(search chicken vindaloo).