The Cooking of India: Recipes

Notes on Indian Cooking - Section 1 of 1 (1 )

lndian cookery varies so widely from region to region, and from one cook to the next, that even the best-known traditional dishes have many variations. Moreover, some ingredients used by Indian cooks are not available in the United States. The recipes in this book therefore have been selected to present the dishes that are most practical for American cooks. Although some modifications were necessary, every effort has been made to preserve the authentic character of Indian food.

How to Use Indian Recipes

Thanks to the English colonizers and to the American clipper ships of the 19th Century, the curries add chutneys of India are popular throughout the Western world, and to many people the Indian cuisine has a familiar and appetizing ring.

The recipes in this book, of course, go far beyond the rudiments of a simple curry. There are roasted and grilled meats. deep-fried pastries, interesting vegetable concoctions and desserts of all kinds. The basic Indian blendings of spices are neither odd-tasting nor fiercely hot, and the finished dishes lend themselves easily to both Western and traditional menus.

As you will discover, Indian food is made to order for entertaining. The savory fried chiura and bhelpuris (Retipt lndex) are attractive cocktail snacks. The spectacular shahjahani biryani of lamb and rice or the tandoori chickens presented on a platter of salat are elegant pièces de résistaence for a dinner party. Furthermore, curries improve with age so that you can cook them hours before guests arrive and simply reheat them at dinnertime.

The simplest way to begin to fit Indian food into your menus is to stick with the familiar Western-style organization of courses. As a starter you can try one or two Indian recipes at a time and merely substitute them for equivalent Western ones. Then, more ambitiously, you may compose a whole meal of lndian dishes.

You might start an all Indian dinner with some kind of samosa or pakora; selection of several if , you have time to make them. Then use one of the curried meat, poultry or seafood dishes as your main course, accompanied by a simple rice and a fresh chutney. Try an Indian salat or let one of the raytas serve as salad. For dessert, experiment with an Indian sweet. Or, more simply, present your guests with fresh fruit - mangoes, papayas or bananas should all be appropriate.

The numbers of servings to expect from the recipes in this book are based on Western practice. Even the service described on platters or from large bowls - is designed for Western dining.

On some occasions you may wish to serve Indian food in the country’s own style. In India, meals are not formally, divided into courses. Instead, everything - even the dessert - is brought to the table at the same time.

An Indian hostess serves her guests small portions of many kinds of food rather than large portions of just, a few kinds. A menu composed of half a dozen or more different dishes is not unusual. This means preparing many separate foods, but the number of guests a recipe can serve will increase as your menu becomes more elaborate.

Food is ladled out into individual bowls or carved into bite-sized pieces in the Indian kitchen. Each guests portion is then arranged on a separate tray or thali, and brought to the table ready to eat.

Indians pick up food with their fingers or small pieces of bread. Your guests may be more at ease using a spoon and fork: place these to the left of the tray in front of the water glass. Finger bowls, though not traditional, would be useful after the trays are cleared away especially for guests who have chosen to eat with their fingers.

Because of India's great diversity of religion and regional traditions, authentic menus vary enormously. The menus on this page suggest some appropriate combinations of foods.

Vegetarian Menus

South India:
Chaval: plain boiled rice garnished with fresh whole green chilies
Samhar: dal with vegetables
Baingan pakora: deep-fried eggplant
Sabzi bhindi: dry okra, curried
Alu Aa ralta: yoghurt with poratoes
Imh chatni: tamarind chutney
Chapatis : whole-wheat bread

North and South India:
Nimbu ka chaval: lime rice
Mung ki dal: yellow dal
Tamatar salat: tomaro, onion and beetroot salad
Khumbi bhaji: mushrooms and peas
Dahi vada: lentil cakes in yoghurt
Dhanya chatni: coriander chutney
Firni: Cream of Rice with rose water

North India:
Sabzi ka chaval: rice and vegetable pilaf
Gobhi ki sabzi: curried cauliflower
Baingan ka rayta: yoghurt with eggplant
Dam alu: hot curried potatoes
Rajma: red kidney beans
Phulka: whole-wheat puffed bread
Pudine chatni: mint chutney
Khir: milk and rice and cardamom dessert
Lássi: yoghurt drink

Punjab:
Kesar chaval: saffron rice
Mattar pannir: peas and cheese
Bharta: curried eggplant
Manh ki dal: black lentils
Pakora ka rayta: yoghurt with pakoras
Puris: whole-wheat fried bread
Simla mirch: stuffed green peppers
Adrak chatni: ginger chutney
Gajar halva: carrot pudding

Non-Vegetarian Menu:

Parsi and Coastal:
Machli ki tikka: sole with dill
Jhinga patia: shrimp curry
Bhuna chaval: brown rice
Dhansak: lamb with vegetables
Same ki bhaji: green beans
Tamatar chatni: tomato chutney
Parathas: layered whole-wheat bread
JaIebis: pretzel like sweets

Goan and Coastal:
Jhinga kari: shrimp curry
Machli ki tikka: fish fillets vith dill masala
Chaxal: plain boiled rice
Sorpotel: pickled pork and liver
Cachumbar: salad of tomatoes, onions, lemon and ginger
Corom chatni: mango chutney
Beebeek: layered custard cake

North India Buffet Banquet:
Raan: roast lamb
Korma: lamb curry
Kesar chaval: saffron rice
Murg masalam: spiced chicken
Husaini kabob: skewered lamb
Simla mirch: stuffed green peppers
Naan: oven baked white bread
Puris: whole-wheat fried bread
Bainagn ka tikka: stuffed baby eggplant
Pudine chatni: mint chutney
Pudine rayta: yoghurt with mint
Tali machli: fried sole
Gulab jaman: sweets of milk

North India:
Kheema biryani: minced lamb rice
Murg ilaychi: chicken with cardamom
Machli aur tamatar: halibut with tomatoes
Alu mattar: peas and potato curry
Parathas: layered whole-wheat bread
Kheera ka rayta: yoghurt with cucumber

Bengal:
Nariyal ka chaval: coconut rice
Murgi kari: chicken curry
Sag: broccoli and spinach
Puris:whole-wheat fried bread
Nariyal chatni: coconut chutney
Roshgulla: cheese dessert

North India:
Shahjahani biryani: lamb, rice, nuts, raisins
Nimba tltanti: lemon and date chutney
Kela ka rayta: yoghurt with banana and coconut
Pakki hui machli: baked fish with tomato and chili masala
Parathas: layered whole-wheat bread
Khir: milk and rice cardamom dessert

Konkan Coast (Daman to Goa):
Chaval: plain boiled rice garnished with fresh whole green chilies
Shakootee: lamb curry
Am ki chatni: mango chutney
Jhinga kabab: shrimp cutlets
Chapatis: whole-wheat puffed bread
Alebele: coconut and jaggery pancake

Punjab:
Kaleja kari: curried calf's liver
Chana ki dal: chick-peas
Parathas: whole-wheat layered bread
Kheera ka rayta yoghurt with cucumber and tomato
Gobhi ki sabzi: curried cauliflower
Pudine chatni: mint chutney
Firni: Cream of Rice with rose water

How and When to Substitute Spices

Indians use spices lavishly and cook with an astonishing variety of them. Most spices, such as the cumin, cardamom and turmeric commonly included in the recipes in this book, are available at well-stocked supermarkets. Such unfamiliar spices as fresh ginger root or black mustard seeds can be found at Oriental stores like those listed on page 119. Avoid making substitutions; the entire character of a dish may change. It is always best to use the traditional form of a spice: whole spices tend to retain flavor longer than ground ones and the two forms are not of equal pungency. However, if you must, substitute equal quantities of ground spices for whole ones (or the reverse). In such a case, taste the finished dish carefully and correct the seasoning by adding more if necessary.

How to Handle Hot Chilies

Hot chilies are as essential to many Indian dishes as they are to the food of Latin America. The recipes in this book have been carefully adjusted to suit American tastes. While presenting the essential character of each dish. No recipe uses more than three chilies: most use only one. If you like their flavor, increase the chilies to your taste.

However many you use, chilies require special handling. Their volatile oils can make your skin tingle and your eyes burn. Wear rubber gloves, and be careful not to touch your face or eyes while working with the chilies.

To prepare chilies, first rinse them clean in cold water. (Hot water may make fumes rise from dried chilies, and even the fumes might irritate your nose and eves.) Working under cold running water, pull out the stem of each chili. Indian cooks sometimes leave the seeds (which are the hottest parts of chilies) intact in the pods. When the chilies are to be seeded, break or cut the pods in half and brush out the seeds with your fingers. In most cases the ribs inside are thin and may be left intact. but if they seem thick and fleshy, cut them out with a small, sharp knife. Follow the instructions included in the recipes for slicing, chopping or grinding chilies.

How to Buy, Open and Prepare a Coconut

Before buying a coconut, shake it to make sure it is full of liquid. The fresher the coconut, the more liquid it will have, so select one that is comparatively heavy, for its size. (Coconuts without liquid or those with moldy or wet 'eyes' are likely to be spoiled.)

TO OPEN THE COCONUT: Preheat the oven to 400°. Puncture 2 of the 3 Smooth, dark eyes of the coconut by hammering the tip of an ice pick or screwdriver through them. Drain all the coconut liquid-into a measuring if you plan to use it. Indians rarely cook with this liquid though they do drink it chilled.

Bake the empty coconut in the oven for 15 minute, then transfer it to a Chopping board. While the coconut is still hot, split the shell with a sharp blow of a hammer. The shell should fall away from the pieces of meat. If bits of meat still cling to the shell cut them away with a small knife.

TO GRATE COCONUT: Pare off the brown outer skin of the coconut meat with a swivel-type peeler or small, sharp knife. Then grate the meat, piece by piece, with a hand grater.

TO MAKE COCONUT MILK: Without removing the brown skin, cut or break the meat of the coconut into 1-inch pieces and place them in the jar of an electric blender. Add 1/2 cup of hot, but not boiling, water, cover the jar, and blend at high speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the jar with a rubber spatula. Continuing to blend uncovered at high speed, pour in an additional 1 1/2 cups of hot water in a slow stream, cover the jar, and blend until the coconut is reduced to a smooth puree.

(To make the coconut milk by hand, grate the unpeeled coconut, piece by piece, into a bowl and stir in 1 cups of hot, not boiling, water.)

Scrape the entire contents of the jar or bowl into a fine sieve lined with a double thickness of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a deep bowl. With a wooden spoon, press down hard on the coconut to extract as much liquid as possible. Bring the ends of the cheesecloth together to enclose the pulp and twist the ends tightly to squeeze out the remaining liquid. There should be 2 to 2 1/2 cups of milk. (This same technique is always used, although the proportion of coconut to water may vary from recipe to recipe.)

In most cases, coconut pulp is discarded after it has been squeezed dry. However, some recipes call for a second milk made by saving the pulp, returning it to the blender and repeating the entire process with 2 additional cups of hot water. The second milk is thin and less flavorful than the first.

DEEP FRYERS: TWO ORIENTAL VERSIONS

The recipes in this book suggest that the Indian karhai above and the Chinese wok at right be used as deep-frying utensils . The karhai is deeper and narrower than the wok, but both have rounded bottoms, so that as little as 3 cups of oil will fill them to a depth of 2 or 3 inches for deep frying.

Masalas

Spices are the key to Indian cooking. Though some foods, such as fried okra with cumin, employ only two or three spices, most dishes are made with the elaborate combinations of freshly ground seasonings called masalas. The masalas vary widely and each is designed for a special purpose. Garam masala, for example, is a basic blend of dried spices to be used alone or with other seasonings. (See page 13 for a typical recipe.) Other masalas, each devised to suit a particular dish, combine spices with herbs and may be ground with water, vinegar or another liquid to make a paste or ‘wet masala.' In some cases nuts, coconut, even onion or garlic may be added. The flavors may be balanced to create a harmonious blend, or a single flavor may be emphasized as in a ‘cardamom masala' or a ‘coriander masala.' To release its flavors, a masala is usually cooked-separately or with other ingredients before the appropriate meat, fish or other food is added to the pan. The traditional Indian cook uses various grinding stones as well as mortars and pestles to prepare dry and wet masala. A more modern and less arduous technique, used in this book, is to grind the seasonings in an electric blender. To ensure a fine grind and avoid overheating the blender, other liquids from the recipe, such as yoghurt and coconut milk, are sometimes blended with the masala.