1,000 Indian Recipes (44 page)

Ginger

Adrak, taaza
, and
sookha
. Ginger is the knobby, buff-colored rhizome (underground stem) of a perennial tropical plant. Ginger rhizomes are dug out after the greens have died. When the ginger is young (often called green ginger), it is very juicy and has a transparent papery-thin skin that needs no peeling, but as it matures, the juices dry up and the skin hardens somewhat, losing its shine over time. This is the type we see most often in markets.

Choose large, plump pieces with as thin and shiny skin as you can find. Any shriveling, dryness, or mold on the edges is a sign of age and excess fiber. Fresh ginger has little or no aroma, but once you peel or cut it, ginger emits a refreshingly warm, woody aroma with citrus undertones and has a pleasantly fragrant and peppery-hot bite.

Topping the list of India's therapeutic spices—and called
maha-aushadhi
or the greatest medicine by the
Ayurvedic
school of natural healing—ginger is highly valued as a stimulant to the digestive and circulatory systems. It is believed beneficial for nausea, fever, muscle aches and pains, and respiratory disorders. It is also considered a home remedy for flatulence, colic, indigestion, vomiting, morning and travel sickness, and similar ailments.

Dried ginger, called
sonth
or
sund
, is the sun-dried ginger rhizomes. Available in pieces or ground into a sand-colored powder, dried ginger has a sharp, sweet, lemony aroma and a pronounced peppery bite.

Kalonji

This spice is known by various names—nigella, onion seeds, black onion seeds, black caraway seeds, and black cumin seeds, with no one English name as the standard. However, the name
kalonji
is widely recongnized, so that is what I call it throughout the book.

Kalonji
are tiny, charcoal black, triangular seeds strongly resembling onion seeds. They have a mild, oregano-like flavor and a fragrant, peppery, and slightly bitter bite which, after roasting or cooking, is transformed into a distinct nutty aroma and taste.
Kalonji
seeds are considered an appetite stimulant and are good for digestion.

Kokum

Also
cocum, cocamful
, fish tamarind.
Kokum
is the sun-dried rind of a
¹
⁄
₂
- to 1-inch fruit of the mangosteen-oil tree (not to be confused with other mangosteen trees or fruits). The ripe fruits are enjoyed locally, but most of them are dried into the somewhat sticky, sour, purple-black pieces of
kokum
, as Indians call the spice. Tamarind is a good substitute.

Mango Powder

Amchur
. Mango powder is a pale, finely ground powder made from sun-dried, unripe, tart green mangoes. As they dry in the sun, the flesh of the green mangoes shrivels up and turns buff-brown in color. Mango powder is extremely sour and acidic, with a touch of fruity sweetness and fragrance.
Amchur
is also available as small, thin, dried pieces and is considered a stimulating tonic for the stomach. Mango powder is a cooling spice that may also aid digestion.

Mint

Pudina
,
taaza
, and
sookha
. Mint is one of the most valuable and popular herbs in the world. Native to temperate Europe and now grown almost everywhere, mint is an aromatic perennial herb with dark green, oval leaves. With about 40 varieties of mint in the world, it is difficult to distinguish and classify each one of them. They all belong to the
mentha
family and all have essentially similar characteristics.

The fresh leaves (
taaza pudina
) are quite strong, pungent, and very aromatic, and the dried ones (
sooka pudina
) are somewhat mellow, yet full of minty flavor.

Prized as appetite stimulants and believed to be an indispensable home cure for indigestion and stomach disorders, mint leaves are a natural antiseptic that keep the mouth fresh and the taste buds healthy. Mint juice and mint tea are considered effective cold and sore throat remedies.

Mixed Melon Seeds

Char-magaz
. This special mixture of seeds comes from four different summer melons—cantaloupe, watermelon, cucumber, and pumpkin (
char
means four and
magaz
means brain). The seeds are almost fragrance-free and their taste is very delicate and mild, similar to pumpkin and sunflower seeds. As the Indian name suggests, this seed combination, rich in iron, zinc, and potassium, ranks high as brain food. It is believed to have body-cooling properties and considered to be mildly diuretic.

Mustard Seeds and Greens

Raayi
or
rai
, and
sarson
. Mustard seeds, the small round seeds of an annual plant of the cabbage family, are also one of the important Indian oilseed sources; that is, the seeds are widely used to make oil. Mustard seeds grow in small 1-inch pods that must be collected when they are ripe—but before they burst—then dried and threshed. There are many mustard varieties worldwide, though three—the black, brown, and white (or yellow)—are the most popular.

Mustard seeds in India are usually tiny—much smaller than the types found in the United States—and come in colors ranging from reddish brown to a dark brown and are generally called black. In this book, I refer to the Indian variety simply as black mustard seeds. However, in most recipes the varieties are interchangeable because they have the same essential oils. I often make a colorful mustard seed mixture, similar to multi-colored peppercorn mixtures. Mustard seeds are almost fragrance-free and taste somewhat sharp, bitter, and hot. Once pan-cooked, they impart a mild, tangy flavor and a toasty, nutty fragrance. They are considered a good overall therapeutic spice. They are believed to stimulate the appetite, act as a carminative (gas-reliever) and a diuretic, as well as relieve respiratory trouble.

Mustard greens (
sarson
) are generously endowed with vitamins A and C, and with iron and calcium. They are very strong tasting and are generally combined with other mild greens, such as spinach, to balance flavors. Mustard oil (
sarson ka tael
) is a natural preservative and is used extensively in chutneys and pickles, and for cooking.

Nutmeg and Mace

Jaiphul
and
javitri
. Nutmeg and mace are two distinct spices obtained from the same apricot-like fruit of a tall evergreen tree. (The fruit itself is not eaten.) Nutmeg is a wrinkled, medium brown, 1-inch oval nut that lies nestled inside the thin, brittle, shiny outer shell of a ripe nutmeg seed. To get to the nutmeg, the shell has to be cracked open.

Mace is the lacy, web-like covering wrapped around the outside of the nutmeg shell. This brilliant scarlet-red aril is skillfully removed after the fruit bursts open, and is then flattened and dried to become brittle yellow-orange mace, as we know the spice.

Nutmeg has a rich, warm, citrusy, antiseptic fragrance and balances a bitter, yet sweet, flavor. Mace has a similar but much more defined and slightly more bitter flavor. Nutmeg and mace are both considered quite valuable in pharmaceutical preparations. They are narcotic and should not be consumed in large quantities. When used in moderation, they are considered a stimulant, carminative (gas-reliever), astringent, and aphrodisiac.

Paprika

Kashmiri degi mirch
or
rang vaali mirch
. Indian paprika is the brilliant red powder made from mild, non-pungent red chiles. Used mainly for its color, this powder is almost devoid of heat because, even from these mild chiles, all the seeds and veins are removed before they are dried and ground. Most of the Indian paprika comes from Kashmir, hence the name,
Kashmiri degi mirch
. The mild Hungarian paprika is a good substitute. Rich in vitamin C and considered an appetite stimulant, paprika holds a place of honor in the Indian spice rack. It has a sweet chile-like aroma and a bitter aftertaste, which mellows dramatically after it is sizzled in oil.

Peppercorns

Kaalimirch
. Black pepper, often known as the king of spices, is one of the oldest and probably the most popular spice known to humanity. The pepper plant is a branching evergreen creeper found mainly in the hot and humid monsoon forests of southwest India. The berries of this plant are called peppercorns. Ranging in color from green, black, and red to white, the peppercorns grow in clusters and are initially green. As they mature, they turn from green to yellow to orange to red. (They do not however, turn to black, as one would expect.) Black peppercorns are actually processed green peppercorns. This manual process involves picking the fully mature (but still unripe) green berries and drying them in the sun. As they dry, they shrivel up and take on the familiar brown-black color.

Green peppercorns are the small, soft, immature, caper-like berries, which are freeze-dried or brine-packed while they are still unripe and green. They have a very delicate flavor. White peppercorns are the fully ripe yellow-red berries, with their outer skin removed. They have a milder flavor but a stronger bite. Black peppercorns have a strong, fragrant, peppery hot bite and a rich, earthy aroma. Their heat, though, does not linger for too long. Their aroma and flavor increases dramatically after they are lightly dry-roasted and then coarsely ground. Prized as a home remedy for flatulence and sore throats (especially when mixed with honey), they are believed to clear the sinuses, stimulate the appetite, and aid digestion.

Pomegranate Seeds, Dried

Anaardana
. Pomegranate seeds, used as a spice, are actually the sun-dried or dehydrated, fruity seeds and the flesh of a wild pomegranate tree. As they dry, the juicy flesh around the seeds forms a reddish-brown, sticky coating with a tangy, fruity, sweet aroma and a predominantly sour, acidic taste. Pomegranate seeds are believed to cool the body, aid digestion, and relieve gas.

Poppy Seeds

Khas-khas
. Indian poppy seeds are the tiny, pale yellow-white seeds of the opium-producing poppy plant. Contained in a capsule-like head that develops after the flower dies, the best poppy seeds in India come from the capsules from which opium has not been extracted. (Opium is the milky sap that oozes out once the capsule is open.) The seeds, however, are opium-free.

Poppy seeds come in three different colors: the familiar blue-gray from Europe, the brown from Turkey, and the pale yellow-white from India. All these are very similar in taste and flavor and can be used interchangeably in recipes where color is not important. Raw poppy seeds have a light and sweet aroma, and a pronounced, nutty, almond-like flavor. They are cooling to the body, high in protein, and are considered cures for fever, thirst, stomach irritation, and insomnia.

Rose Water and Essence

Gulaab jal
and
ruh gulaab
. Rose water and rose essence are made from the petals of specially cultivated, highly fragrant, deep pink-red roses, called
succha
or pure
gulaab
. Rose water, as the name suggests, looks just like water but exudes a strong, sweet, rosy fragrance. Rose essence is a concentrated version of rose water and, like other flavors and essences, is available in small bottles. Two drops of rose essence are equivalent to 1 tablespoon of rose water.