1,000 Indian Recipes (45 page)

Saffron

Kaesar
or
zaffron
. Saffron threads are the dried orange to deep-red stigmas and tips of the saffron crocus, a member of the iris family. Most of the Indian saffron comes from Kashmir. Saffron has a distinctly warm, rich, powerful, and enticing bouquet and a characteristic bitter taste. It imparts an exotic fragrance and a favored yellow color to all dishes. This color shows up best in the paler milk-based desserts and sauces, and in
pullaos
(pilafs). Saffron is believed to be cooling to the body and, in addition to other things, acts as a stimulant, especially for the heart and brain. In large doses, however, saffron is a narcotic.

Screwpine Essence

Kewda
or
ruh kewra
. Screwpine is the essence made from the flowers of a tropical tree with narrow, sword-like leaves. This concentrated clear liquid exudes a delicate floral or piney perfume, which is subtly different from rose essence but is used in much the same way.

Sesame Seeds and Oil

Til
or
gingelly
. Sesame seeds are the tiny, smooth, oval, flat seeds of an annual tropical herb. These popular oilseeds (they are used for making oil) come in white, brown, and black colors, are almost fragrance-free and mildly sweet, but when dry-roasted, they provide a rich, nutty fragrance and taste. They are high in protein and calcium and are believed to have a warming effect on the body. They are considered beneficial to the respiratory, digestive, and female reproductive systems.

Sesame oil, also known as
gingelly
oil, is a popular oil used in cooking in southern Indian cuisine and has properties similar to olive oil.

Silver Leaves

Chandi ka verk
or
vark
. Not a true spice, but used as a garnish the way some other seasonings are, silver leaves are an integral part of North Indian cuisine. These 4- to 6-inch squares, made with pure silver, are formed by sandwiching thin sheets of silver between layers of ordinary paper and pounding them until they are paper thin, weightless, and indescribably delicate. Today it is done with rollers.

When a recipe calls for
verk
, pick up one sheet of paper with its clinging silver leaf and carefully lay it, silver side down, on the dish to be garnished. As you do this, the silver will adhere to the dish and the paper can then be lifted off.

Star Anise

Badian, badiyan, dodhful, dodphul
, and
anasphal
. Star anise is the dried mahogany-colored, 8-pointed, star-shaped fruit of a large evergreen tree. Each of the eight tips of this star has a bead-like seed. Star anise has a sweet flavor, reminiscent of fennel and anise, even though it is no relation to them. Star anise is considered to be carminative (gas-relieving) and good for the stomach and intestines.

Tamarind

Imli
. Tamarind, also known as Indian dates, are the buff to dark brown, sticky fruits contained inside the bean-shaped pods of the evergreen tamarind tree. Covering the fruit is a brittle, buff-brown shell and inside the pulp are flat, shiny,
¹
⁄
₂
-inch seeds. Tamarind has a mild, fruity, sweet and sour fragrance, and a predominantly acidic, sour, and slightly sweet taste. Tamarind is rich in minerals and vitamins, especially vitamin C, and is considered a natural body cooler. It may aid digestion, and can relieve colds and throat infections (especially when used as a gargle). It is a mild laxative and stomach soother.

Turmeric

Haldi
. Turmeric, a bright yellow-orange powder in the form we know, is actually the boiled, peeled, sun-dried rhizome of a tropical plant of the ginger family. The rhizome, similar in size and shape to fresh ginger, has short "fingers" and bright orange flesh. Turmeric has a warm, peppery aroma, reminiscent of ginger, and a strong, bitter taste that really mellows upon cooking. This spice is also probably one of the most valuable everyday spices of Indian cuisine. Considered a natural antiseptic, an anti-inflammatory, and a blood purifier, turmeric is used as a home cure to relieve everything from upset stomachs to aches and pains.

Spice Blends

Authentic Indian cooking is about using spices to the dictates of your own taste, and about understanding how to combine them to create a variety of flavors, whether cooking with blends made from scratch or with pre-packaged blends. Indian cuisine features many, many different spice combinations, each for a specific purpose—to impart a specific flavor, or to provide therapeutic benefits, or even a little of both. This is the essence of Indian cuisine.

Here, I give you a few useful spice combinations—some classic, some of my own making—that will make life in the kitchen a little more interesting and a lot more convenient, because once you have the spices mixed and ready to go, you can use them whenever the need arises. Remember that all the recipes I've included here are meant to be guidelines. Once you are comfortable with making your own blends, feel free to improvise.

Curry Powders

Curries (dishes with a sauce) are characterized by unique flavors that are achieved by combining selected wet and dry ingredients. The "wet" comes from grinding fresh ingredients such as onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, and fresh herbs into a paste. The "dry" comes from dried spices, herbs, and nuts. Curry powder is not a single spice from the curry plant but a mixture of anywhere from 5 to 15 spices that adds flavor and interest to curries. The primary blend was put together by the British to recreate the flavorful curries they had come to enjoy during their stay in India. Indian cooks, however, prefer the creative freedom of adding spices by the spoonful, at different stages during cooking, to achieve a range of flavors which would otherwise be impossible. Be aware that there are plenty of curry powder blend possibilities and each one is different from the other.

Basic Curry Powder

Kari ka Masala

Makes about 1
¹
⁄
₂
cups

You can buy your curry powder at the market or make this simple mixture of spices that I use in my kitchen.

1 cup ground coriander seeds

¹
⁄
₃
cup ground cumin seeds

2 tablespoons ground turmeric

1 tablespoon ground paprika

1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tablespoon ground dried fenugreek leaves

Put all the spices in a bowl and mix them together with a spoon. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place, about 1 month at room temperature or about 1 year in the refrigerator.

15-Spice Curry Powder

Kari ka Masala

Makes about 2 cups

Try this fragrant curry powder when you want complex flavors in everyday home dishes, such as Minty or any other
Potato Curry
, Spinach or any other
Kofta Balls Curry
, or any chicken or meat curry. It starts with my
Basic Curry Powder
, but has a lot more spices.

1 recipe
Basic Curry Powder

1 tablespoon ground fennel seeds

1 tablespoon ground black cardamom seeds

1 tablespoon ground green cardamom seeds

1 tablespoon ground dried ginger

1 tablespoon ground fenugreek seeds

1 tablespoon ground black peppercorns

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Put all the spices in a bowl and mix them together with a spoon. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place, about 1 month at room temperature or about 1 year in the refrigerator.

Kashmiri Curry Powder with Fennel Seeds and Ginger

Kashmiri Kari ka Masala

Makes about 2 cups

Foods from the northern state of Kashmir tend to have a distinct taste, built upon the flavors of fennel seeds and dried ginger. Saffron, nutmeg, and mace are other favorite Kashmiri spices.

2 tablespoons mustard or vegetable oil

8 to 12 dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol, broken

4 to 5 large cloves fresh garlic, minced

¹
⁄
₂
cup fennel seeds