1,000 Indian Recipes (43 page)

Asafoetida

Hing
or
heeng
. Asafoetida is the dried milky sap (resin) from the rhizome or root-stalk of a giant fennel-like perennial herb. It is dull yellow-brown, has a bitter taste and a very strong, pungent, and disagreeable odor—almost like rotten eggs—from the sulfur compounds that are present in it. But after cooking, this aroma adds a surprisingly pleasant garlic-onion flavor to the foods. Loaded with therapeutic benefits (carminative, digestion-stimulating, and antibiotic, to name just a few), asafoetida is indispensable to Indian cuisine. Buy your asafoetida in lumps (or fine granules) and then grind them at home. (That is what I have used in my recipes throughout the book.) The commonly available ground version has a mild flavor, because it comes mixed with rice flour and turmeric to mellow it.

Bay Leaves

Tejpatta, tejpat
, or
tej patra
. Bay leaves come in two types: the leaves of the bay laurel found mostly in the Western world, and those of the Indian cassia tree. Used in much the same way as their western cousins, Indian bay leaves are deep green, long, and elliptical with pointy tips. They have a delicate and sweet, cinnamon-like fragrance, a bitter taste, and are valued as an appetite stimulant and for gas relief. The bark of this tree is often dried and used as cinnamon in many parts of the world, including the United States. (True cinnamon, however, is made from the bark of a different tree—see the entry on
cinnamon
.)

Black Salt

Kaalanamak
. Black salt, a rock salt, comes in irregular rock-candy-type pieces, with smooth facets. The pieces are actually grayish-pink and almost odor-free but it has quite an unpleasant odor when ground—almost like hard-boiled egg yolks, from the sulfur and other mineral compounds in the salt. However, when it is added to foods, it dramatically heightens their flavors and imparts a pleasant tang and fragrance. Black salt is prized for its digestive and anti-gas properties. Do not use interchangeably with table salt.

Cardamom Pods

Illaichi
. Cardamom pods, a signature Indian spice and also the world's third most expensive spice after saffron and vanilla, are the dried capsules of a perennial herb in the ginger family. There are two distinct types of cardamom pods in India: the small green and large black. Green cardamom pods (
hari
or
choti illaichi
), are small triangular ovals,
¹
⁄
₃
- to
¹
⁄
₂
-inch long, each containing 3 segments with 18 to 20 tiny, sticky, mildly fragrant, brown-black seeds. When crushed or ground, they release a highly aromatic perfume with a hint of eucalyptus and camphor. Their initial bite is very strong, but mellows into a delicate and refreshing fragrance.

Black cardamom pods (
kaali
or
bari illaichi)
, are large black, somewhat hairy, triangular ovals
¹
⁄
₂
- to
²
⁄
₃
-inch long. Each pod contains 3 segments, with 30 to 40 sticky seeds. When crushed, they have a strong, nutty and delicate woody-smoky aroma and are much milder than green ones.

Both cardamom pods are considered carminative (gas-relieving) and digestive, and are a popular home remedy for nausea and vomiting. Chewing the green pods also refreshes the mouth and sweetens the breath.

Chiles, Fresh Green and Dried Red

Mirch
or
mirchi
. Chile peppers—fresh green (
hari mirch
) and dried red (
laal mirch
)—are part of the capsicum species. There are more than 150 varieties of chile peppers in the world, and as a general rule, the smaller ones are hotter than the larger ones. Most chiles start off green and turn to a shade of red as they age. The red ones are dried (in the shade or the sun) until all their moisture evaporates, leaving behind the wrinkled and brittle red chiles that we are familiar with. Indian cuisine uses both, the fresh green and the dried red.

When dried red chiles of any type (such as cayenne, chile de arbol, or those from the Indian markets) are finely ground the result is called
pisi hui laal mirch
, or dried red chile powder. In your cooking, you can use any pure ground chile powder. My recipes specify cayenne powder because it is easily available.

Chiles stimulate the taste buds and aid digestion. They are considered potent sinus, cough, and cold remedies. Common knowledge though this might be, it bears repeating: Basic common sense should be used when preparing or cooking with the hot chile peppers. Capsaicin and other oils in chiles will make the hardiest soul miserable if they come in contact with delicate membranes around the eyes and nose or skin. Wear plastic kitchen gloves or protect your hands in some way before handling them, and be sure to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

Cinnamon and Cassia

Dalchini
or
darchini
. Cinnamon, known to cooks in ground or stick form, is the dried inner bark of the branches and young shoots of a tropical evergreen tree. There are 2 types of cinnamon: true cinnamon with tightly rolled "quills" or tubular sticks, with a rich fragrance and a warm and sweet aroma and taste that comes from Sri Lanka, the Seychelles Islands and southern India; and cassia-cinnamon, with thicker, loosely rolled, almost flat quills and a less sweet and an intense and mildly bitter flavor and aroma. (This cinnamon comes from the Indian bay leaf and other cassia trees.) Cinnamon imparts a pleasant fragrance to foods, and aids overall digestion and other stomach ailments, such as gas and nausea.

Cloves

Laung
or
lavang
. Cloves are the air-dried, brown-black, nail-shaped, unopened flower buds of a tropical mid-sized evergreen tree. Cloves, usually used whole or ground, are highly aromatic, with a sharp and pungent, yet sweet and almost bitter bite. They are carminative (gas-relieving), and aid digestion, colic, nausea, and vomiting.

Coriander Seeds and Greens

Dhania, sookha
, and
patta
or
hara
. Coriander seeds are the peppercorn-sized, ribbed, spherical, pale-green to beige-brown seeds of an annual, fern-like plant of the parsley family. All parts of the plant are used in cooking—the seeds, leaves, stems, and even the roots of the young plants.

Two varieties of coriander seeds are available in the United States: the pale green-beige Indian variety that has a sweet, citrusy aroma (especially when crushed or ground), and the brown Moroccan variety, which is not quite as flavorful. Buy the seeds and grind them yourself, do not make them into a powder—a bit of texture remarkably increases the flavor of the foods. Coriander seeds are believed to be a body-cooling and strengthening spice. Like many other spices, they are also believed to be a carminative (gas-relieving) and digestive tonic, a diuretic, and a mild sedative.

Coriander greens (
haradhania)
, commonly called cilantro or Chinese parsley, are the leaves of the coriander plant. They are prized culinary herbs in Indian cuisine, as well as in other cuisines of the world. The greens have a distinctive, sweet and citrus-like flavor, and a pleasantly fragrant aroma. Although highly perishable and prone to wilting, I find that with a little care, cilantro keeps well in the refrigerator. Trim and wash the cilantro, then spin in a salad spinner and spread on kitchen or paper towels to air-dry until most of the moisture has evaporated. Transfer to zip-closure bags, toss in a small paper towel to absorb excess moisture, and store in the refrigerator about 1 week or longer if the leaves are fresh to start with. Chopped cilantro can be stored in a similar manner in airtight containers. Its best to use fresh leaves, the dried or frozen ones are totally flavorless.

Cumin and Black Cumin

Jeera
or
zeera
. Cumin seeds are the small, gray-brown, ridged, elongated, curved, dried fruits of a small annual herb of the parsley family. India grows two types of cumin seeds: the familiar brown seeds called
sufaid jeera
(
sufaid
is white) and the more exotic variety known as
kaala, siyah
, or
shah jeera
(
kaala
and
siyah
mean black and
shah
is royal).

Cumin seeds have a strong, musky, spicy aroma and a pungent, bitter taste. Considered to be another cooling spice, cumin aids digestion, and relieves flatulence, colic, and other stomach disorders, including morning sickness and diarrhea. Cumin seeds are rich in thymol, which is a powerful antiseptic. Black cumin (not to be confused with caraway seeds, even though it is sometimes mistakenly called black caraway) is a rare cumin variety that grows in Kashmir (India), Pakistan, and Iran. These seeds are thinner and much darker than regular cumin and have a delicate and sweet aroma.

Curry Leaves

Meethineem
or
karipatta
. Curry leaves are the small, oval leaves of a tropical shrub or small tree native to southern India and Sri Lanka. Lightly aromatic when whole, they release an exotic, warm, nutty, yet citrusy aroma when they are crushed, bruised, or chopped. In one of those interesting quirks of culinary terminology, curry leaves, while used in a wide variety of curries, are not indispensable to them.

Curry leaves are slightly bitter, and therefore they are believed to be a tonic that removes toxins from the body, helps digestion, and acts as a mild laxative. Their refreshing flavor is almost indescribable to the uninitiated, but unforgettable to those who try it. Once you get used to it, there is no turning back.

Fennel Seeds

Saunf
. Fennel seeds—the long, ridged, oval or curved, green-yellow seeds of a tall, annual, feathery shrub—belong to the anise, dill, cumin, and caraway family. There are many varieties of fennel around the world and within India, each different in color, size, and aroma. Fennel seeds look like plumped-up cumin, taste somewhat like anise, and have a licorice-camphor aroma. They have a pleasantly fragrant bite and are often eaten raw, dry-roasted, or sugar-coated to aid digestion, relieve gas, and ease other digestive ailments, including colic in infants.

Fenugreek Seeds and Greens

Daana-methi
or
metharae
and
patta
or
hari methi
. Fenugreek seeds are the dried, angular, yellow-brown seeds of a strongly scented annual herb of the legume family. Native to southeastern Europe—mainly the Mediterranean countries, where it is called Greek hay—fenugreek is now grown extensively in India and in other parts of the world. Fenugreek seeds, with their distinctive bouquet and a strong curry flavor, are very bitter when eaten raw. However, with a little stir-frying or dry-roasting, they are transformed into something quite unusual and exciting. These seeds are a natural home remedy believed to stimulate digestion and metabolism, purify the blood and to control sugar levels in diabetic patients.

Fenugreek greens (
methi patta
), the clover-like green leaves, though extremely aromatic and curry-flavored, are quite bitter. Despite this, Indians have a remarkable fondness for them. They are used fresh to make side dishes, added to other green purees, or air-dried (
sookhi
or
kasoorimethi
) and used as a flavoring herb. To dry, place rinsed, blotted leaves on towels and air-dry outdoors in shade until crisp.