How to Cook Indian (11 page)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

5 or 6 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup (150 grams) corn kernels, crushed

½ carrot, diced and blanched

4 or 5 small florets of broccoli

4 or 5 haricots verts or green beans, diced

¼ medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced

¼ medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 teaspoon table salt

5 or 6 black peppercorns, crushed

1. Make the vegetable stock: Place a nonstick saucepan over high heat, add 5 cups (1 liter) water, and bring to a boil. Add the cloves, bay leaf, peppercorns, salt, carrot, cauliflower stems, onion, and ginger, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes. Pour into a strainer set over a bowl; discard the solids. Set the stock aside.

2. Make the soup: Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the garlic and sauté for 5 seconds. Add the stock and bring to a boil.

3. Lower the heat to medium, add the corn, and cook, stirring continuously, for 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Add the carrot, broccoli, haricots verts, and red and yellow bell peppers, and stir. Add the salt and half of the peppercorns, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Ladle the soup into individual soup bowls, sprinkle with the remaining peppercorns, and serve piping hot.

Tomato Rasam

Tangy tomato soup

Called by various names in South India—
rasam, chaaru,
or
saaru—
this dish will always have the imprint of the cook, since everyone makes it differently. This version relies heavily on tomatoes and tamarind for the essential sour flavor.
Rasam
is traditionally served with rice, but I like to serve it as an appetizer. I strain it, pour it into small glasses, and garnish it with lemon wedges. It makes a lovely warm drink.

Serves 4.

¼ cup (60 grams)
toor dal/arhar dal
(split pigeon peas)

1¾ teaspoons ground turmeric

2½ tablespoons tamarind pulp

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1½ teaspoons table salt

1½ teaspoons
rasam
powder (spice mix; page 31)

¼ teaspoon asafetida

¼ cup (15 grams) chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons ghee (page 37)

½ teaspoon black mustard seeds

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

5 or 6 fresh curry leaves

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Put the
dal
in a bowl, wash in plenty of water 2 or 3 times, and drain. Add 2 cups (400 ml) water and soak for 30 minutes. Drain the
dal
in a colander.

2. Place a nonstick saucepan over high heat, add 4½ cups (900 ml) water and 1 teaspoon of the turmeric, and bring to a boil. Add the
dal
, lower the heat to medium, and cook for 15 minutes or until soft. Pour into a strainer set over a bowl. Discard the solids and use only the liquid.

3. Place another nonstick saucepan over high heat and add the tamarind pulp, the liquid collected in step 2, the tomatoes, salt, the remaining turmeric, the
rasam
powder, and 1/8 teaspoon of the asafetida. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until reduced by half.

4. Add the
dal
cooking water and the cilantro, and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. This is the
rasam.

5. Place a nonstick tempering pan or small sauté pan over high heat and add the ghee. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the mustard seeds. When they sputter, add the cumin, curry leaves, the remaining 1/8 teaspoon asafetida, and the black pepper. Add this tempering to the
rasam
and cover immediately to trap the flavors.

6. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Tomato Saar

A thin, flavorful tomato soup

Though this dish is typically eaten with rice, I prefer to sip it as a soup.

Serves 4.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

5 or 6 cloves garlic, chopped

2 bay leaves

15 whole black peppercorns

1-inch (2½-cm) piece fresh ginger, chopped

9 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

8 to 10 fresh curry leaves

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

3 or 4 green chiles, stemmed and slit

¼ teaspoon asafetida

1 teaspoon table salt

1 tablespoon grated fresh coconut (or frozen unsweetened coconut)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1. Place a nonstick saucepan over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the garlic, bay leaves, 10 of the peppercorns, and the ginger, and sauté for 1 minute.

2. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Add 1 quart (800 ml) water and bring to a boil. Pour into a strainer set over a bowl; reserve the liquid and let the solids cool.

3. Transfer the solids to a blender and blend to a smooth purée. Set aside.

4. Crush the remaining 5 peppercorns.

5. Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, crushed peppercorns, cumin, chiles, asafetida, and salt, and sauté for 1 minute.

6. Add the purée and the strained stock, and stir well. Bring to a boil. Add the coconut and cilantro.

7. Ladle into individual soup bowls and serve hot.

Chicken Shorba

Chicken soup

The aromatic chicken stock that we prepare in this recipe makes a great base for many other dishes. You can use this stock instead of water when making rice or couscous. It will add great depth and flavor to your dishes. The stock keeps well in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Serves 4.

1 pound (500 grams) chicken bones

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

1 medium carrot, roughly chopped

1 bay leaf

4 whole black peppercorns

2 whole cloves

4 green cardamom pods

1 black cardamom pod

1-inch (2½-cm) cinnamon stick

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

4 ounces (125 grams) boneless chicken, cut into ½-inch (1-cm) cubes

2 tablespoons
maida
(refined flour) or pastry flour

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds

10 cloves garlic, chopped

½ teaspoon ground white pepper

¾ teaspoon table salt

1. Place a medium nonstick saucepan over high heat and add 4¼ cups (900 ml) water. Add the chicken bones, onion, carrot, bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves, green and black cardamom, and cinnamon, and bring to a boil. Boil for 20 minutes or until the liquid is reduced to 2½ cups (500 ml). Pour into a strainer set over a bowl; discard the solids and set the stock aside.

2. Place the same medium saucepan over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the butter, and let it melt. Add the chicken and sauté until cooked through and tender. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Put the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the same pan over medium heat. Add the
maida
and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.

4. Place a nonstick saucepan over high heat, add the oil, and heat. When small bubbles appear at the bottom, add the cumin, fennel, and garlic. Sauté for 1 minute, lower the heat to medium, and add the
maida
mixture, the reduced chicken stock, white pepper, and salt. Cook over high heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture comes to a boil. Lower the heat to medium, add the chicken, and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Ladle into individual soup bowls and serve hot.

Kozhi Karuveppalai Soup

Chicken and curry-leaf soup

This comes as a refreshing change from regular chicken soup. Curry leaves are used extensively in the food of South India, and in this soup they lend such a dominant flavor that they are the star. I sometimes skip the coconut garnish because the little bits of chicken suffice.

Serves 4.

30 fresh curry leaves

1 pound (500 grams) chicken bones

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

4 to 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons tamarind pulp

1 small tomato, diced

4 ounces (125 grams) boneless, skinless chicken thigh

1 teaspoon table salt, or more as needed

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon red chile powder

¼ teaspoon asafetida

2 tablespoons
besan
(chickpea/gram flour)

½ cup (60 grams) shaved fresh coconut (or frozen unsweetened coconut slivers, thawed)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Roughly chop 25 of the curry leaves.

2. Place a nonstick saucepan over high heat, add 7 to 8 cups (1800 ml) water and the chicken bones, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium, skim the scum from the surface, and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add the onion, garlic, tamarind pulp, tomato, chicken, salt, turmeric, chile powder, asafetida, and chopped curry leaves. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and let the soup continue to simmer. Cool the chicken to room temperature, then chop into bite-size pieces.

4. Stir the
besan
into ¼ cup (50 ml) water and add it into the simmering soup. Add half of the coconut and stir well. Cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.