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.