1,000 Indian Recipes (56 page)

Bhiguna aur Cheelna

Makes
¹
⁄
₂
cup

Almonds (
Badaam
)

Blanching generally means to soften or lighten in color, but in the case of almonds, it means removing the brown skin to reveal the pure, creamy-white color underneath and a softness similar to that of pistachios.

In America you can buy blanched almonds, which are fine for cooking but are nothing compared to the real thing. In India, we peel each soaked nut individually. Luckily, in a country of almost a billion people, there are many hands! The entire process works your fingers to the proverbial bone, but the end result is, in itself, a reward. You may be inspired one day to try it, but if not, at least you know about the authentic preparation. There are two ways of blanching almonds.

Traditional Method

Soak
¹
⁄
₂
cup shelled raw almonds 8 to 24 hours in enough water to cover by at least 2 inches. (This allows the nuts to absorb the water and soften.) Drain and peel the skin from each one with your fingers.

Quick Method

Boil
¹
⁄
₂
cup almonds in water to cover until the skins absorb the water and loosen, about 5 minutes. Let cool, then peel. The skin of these almonds comes off quite easily, because the skin absorbs the moisture and expands, but the almond itself remains almost dry. Almonds blanched this way are fine for cooking, where they get a second chance to absorb the moisture.

Pistachios (
Pista
)

When the thin outer covering of shelled pistachios is removed, a brilliant green color is revealed. This process is not quite as labor-intensive as that for almonds, mainly because pistachios are a softer nut to start with and a quick boil releases the dull green skin, which can then be rubbed off.

Place
¹
⁄
₂
cup shelled, raw pistachios in a small stainless steel (not nonstick) saucepan, with enough water to cover by at least 1 inch, and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and set aside to soften, about 1 hour. Drain and place them on a clean kitchen towel. Cover with another towel (or fold the first one over) and rub on the towel with your hands. As you do this, the loosened skin will fall off.

Slivering Blanched Nuts

Mavae Kaatna

Makes
¹
⁄
₂
cup

In the West, nuts are slivered by machines, but Indians do each one by hand. Granted, this is a tedious process and is quite taxing on the hands, but what you get in return is delicate shreds of paper-thin nuts.

Start with 1 cup blanched almonds, pistachio, or other nuts. Hold each nut, one at a time, between the thumb and forefinger of your left hand (or the right hand, if you are left-handed) and scrape gently along the length with a sharp paring knife in very small top-to-bottom motions. As you do this, delicate slivers or shavings will fall from the nut. (Be very careful as you do this.)

Roasting and Grilling Vegetables

Sabziyan Bhunna

Indian home cooks routinely roast and grill their vegetables. These roasted vegetables are basically the first step of a recipe—not a dish in themselves. Vegetables that are popularly roasted are eggplants, summer squashes, pearl onions, fresh green chile peppers, unripe green mangoes, and sweet potatoes. In America, I also roast my garden zucchinis and bell peppers of all colors.

Eggplants (
Baingan
)

Makes about 1
¹
⁄
₂
cups of pulp from each pound of eggplant

No matter which type of eggplant you buy, choose young ones that are light for their size. These will have whiter flesh and fewer seeds. The skin of the eggplant should be shiny and silky smooth with no signs of decay. Also, as a general rule, choose smaller ones in every variety, because the smaller ones have more surface area to be charred, and hence will lend a smokier aroma to a dish, cup for cup.

Traditionally, eggplants are roasted over home-style coal-burning stoves (sigri or angeethi) until their skin is completely charred and the flesh is very soft. But today, people roast them directly over their gas burners. This process messes up the stove, which is why I nearly always char my eggplants over a grill.

To Fire-Roast Eggplants

1.
Wash, dry, and lightly oil your hands, and rub them over the surface of each eggplant. Then, with the tip of a sharp kitchen knife, puncture the skin in a few places. Place them, preferably over the hot coals of a grill or over the direct flame of a kitchen stove burner (cover the bottom plate with aluminum foil), and roast, turning with kitchen tongs as the sides blacken, until the eggplant is very soft and the skin is completely charred, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

2.
When cool enough to handle, peel off the charred skin and discard. Work close to the kitchen sink, because you may need to rinse your fingers as you go along. Do not wash the eggplants. Mash the pulp with your hands or a fork until somewhat smooth but still lumpy. Do not make a completely smooth purée; a little texture is very desirable. Strain and mix in any juices that may have collected in the bowl. (Some people say these are bitter, but I hate to discard good juices.) Store in the refrigerator about 5 days or about 4 months in the freezer.

To Oven-Roast Eggplants

Lightly oil and puncture the skin in a few places with the tip of a knife and bake in a preheated 400°F oven until the eggplants are tender, 35 to 40 minutes. You can wrap them in aluminum foil before baking.

To Broil Eggplants

Cut into half lengthwise and place, skin side up, on a baking tray lined with aluminum foil. Broil 8 to 10 inches from the heat source until the eggplants are tender and the skin is charred. (Do not cover the eggplants, or there will only soften and not char.)

Bell Peppers (
Shimla Mirch
)

Makes about
²
⁄
₃
cup of pulp from each pound of pepper

Roasted bell peppers are not commonly used in Indian cooking. I learned about and came to love them in America, and found it easy to incorporate them into my Indian cooking.

For Indian readers who don't understand why I'm so passionate about them, I say try it once. Roast them, mash them, and then make your bharthas, raitas, salads, sauces, and dressings, and remember each different colored bell pepper will yield a visual variation and intrigue your guests.

To Fire-Roast Bell Peppers

1.
Place whole bell peppers, preferably over the hot coals of a grill or over the direct flame of the kitchen stove (cover the bottom plate with aluminum foil) and roast, turning with kitchen tongs as the sides blacken, until the skin is lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes. (There is no need to oil the bell peppers or poke any holes in them, or to char them completely.)

2.
Remove to a bowl, cover (or seal in a zip-closure bag), and set aside about 15 minutes. This allows the peppers to sweat and cool down, making them easy to peel. Peel the peppers, removing as much of the really charred skin as possible. ( I leave some lightly charred skin on for flavor.) Do not wash them in water, because this washes away most of the juices and flavor from the peppers. Rinsing your hands as you go along is adequate. Remove the stems and seeds and chop or purée the peppers; strain and add to the purée any juice that may have accumulated in the bowl.

To Oven-Roast Bell Peppers

1.
Wash, dry, and cut each bell pepper into halves or quarters, lengthwise. Place on a baking sheet, with the cut side down. Place the sheet on the center rack of the oven, turn on the broiler, and roast until charred, 7 to 10 minutes. Turn once.

2.
Put
¹
⁄
₄
cup water on the baking sheet to dissolve most of the browned juice and use it in soups, rice, breads, or vegetables.

To Broil Bell Peppers

Wash, dry, and seed the bell peppers, then cut them into 1-inch or larger pieces. Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat source, turning once or twice until the pieces are lightly charred.

Deep-frying, Indian Style

Talna

Makes 20 to 30 pieces

Deep-frying is cooking foods (such as cut vegetables or meats) by submerging them in generous amounts of hot oil. This is best done in an Indian
kadhai
-wok (or a Chinese wok).

1
¹
⁄
₂
to 2 cups oil

20 to 30 pieces of food

1.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 325°F to 350°F on a frying thermometer or put a small piece of food into the hot oil. If it takes 15 to 20 seconds before it rises to the top, then it is ready. This is crucial—if the oil is too hot, the outsides will brown quickly, leaving the insides uncooked and if it is not hot enough, the foods will absorb oil.

2.
Place food pieces in the wok; do not overcrowd. Fry until golden, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spatula, hold each piece against the edge of the wok for a few seconds, to allow excess oil to drain back into the wok. Then remove to a tray lined with paper towels.