How to Cook Indian (126 page)

And thank you to Natalie Kaire, who has been incredibly supportive, helpful, and passionate since the start, and to the entire team at Stewart, Tabori & Chang.

Ajwain:
Also known as carom seeds,
ajwain
smells almost exactly like thyme because it contains thymol. However, it is more aromatic and less subtle in taste as it is slightly bitter and pungent. Even a small amount can dominate the flavor of a dish, so use it sparingly.
Ajwain
is also valued for its antiflatulence properties.

Amchur:
Dried unripe green mango,
amchur
is usually ground into a fine powder, but it is sometimes available in large pieces.
Amchur
features the acidic, tart, and slightly spicy flavor of unripe mangoes, and it is added to curries, vegetable dishes,
dals,
and
paratha
fillings, and sprinkled over
chaats.
A little goes a long way, and cooks should remember to use
amchur
in moderation.

Anardana:
Made of dried pomegranate seeds or arils, this spice is used in Indian and Pakistani cuisines to add tartness to dishes, and sometimes it replaces pomegranate syrup or molasses in Middle Eastern and Persian dishes. The dried seeds are usually lightly dry-roasted and ground just before being used in curries such as
chole
(chickpea curry). Be sure to grind the seeds well before adding them to a dish; otherwise they can add a gritty texture to the food.

Anise seeds:
These crescent-shaped seeds of a flowering plant in the parsley family are used in sweet and savory dishes. The flavor resembles that of licorice, fennel, and tarragon. Anise seeds are used as a digestive and in after-dinner candied-spice mixtures much like the more commonly used fennel.

Asafetida:
This gummy resin, usually sold as a fine powder, has a strong, heady aroma. A pinch is enough to make its presence known in a dish. Essential in many
dals,
asafetida also adds its garlicky zing to meat dishes and pickles.

Ash gourd:
A mottled pale green squash with a chalky white fuzz coating the outside, ash gourd is the fruit of
Benincasa hispida,
a vine. It is also called winter melon.

Atta
(whole-wheat flour):
Indian
atta
flour is finely milled whole-wheat flour—that is, it contains not only the endosperm but the germ and bran of the flour, and is therefore somewhat more healthful than white or all-purpose flour. It is also finer than U.S.–style wholewheat flour. If you can’t find
atta
(which is available from any Indian grocer), either substitute half fine wholewheat flour (preferably not “stone-ground,” as those flours tend to be quite coarse) and half all-purpose flour, or sift your whole-wheat flour through a fine-mesh sieve before measuring it, to remove some of the larger pieces of bran.

Banana leaves:
The large, wide leaves of the banana tree are commonly used in India and Southeast Asia both as a natural serving plate and as a wrapper for steamed or grilled foods. Frozen, folded leaves are widely available in Indian and Asian markets and in many general supermarkets as well.

Bay leaves:
The leaves of the laurel tree are usually sold dried, and they add a gentle, sweet flavor to dishes.

Besan
(chickpea/gram flour):
Made from finely ground chickpeas,
besan
is gluten free and high in protein. It is available from Indian grocers and can sometimes be found in the bulk section of health food stores.

Bitter gourd:
Also called bitter melon, this lumpy, warty green gourd with pointed ends
(Momordica charantia)
can be found in Indian and Asian markets. To tame the bitterness a bit, the gourd can be sliced, salted, and rinsed before using, much like eggplant.

Black cardamom:
These seed pods have a smoky character, a strong camphorlike flavor, and a pleasant aroma. The seeds inside the pods are used for flavoring vegetable and meat dishes, and the whole pod is often added to stewed dishes and removed before serving.

Black pepper:
This popular spice is made from dried ripe berries and is used ground or as whole peppercorns. Most Indian cooks use black peppercorns in
pulaos
along with cardamom, cloves, and bay leaves. In South India, black peppercorns are the basis of the hot curries and are ground into masala pastes.

Black salt:
A pinkish or purplish salt whose particular mineral impurities give it its distinctive color, flavor, and sulfurous aroma. It is sometimes labeled or referred to as “rock salt,” but do not substitute regular rock salt—the salt sprinkled on sidewalks and roads to melt ice—or “ice cream salt,” as these are inedible and not the same as Indian black salt,
kala namak.

Black sesame seeds:
These small, flat seeds are dark in color and used in cooking for their medicinal properties.
They are high in calcium, iron, copper, magnesium, and phosphorus, which help to maintain healthy bones, muscles, and blood.

Boondi:
These fried chickpea-flour puffs are about the size of green peas. Look for packages of them in the snacks and
chaat
-ingredient sections of Indian grocery stores.

Caraway seeds:
Caraway is smaller, darker, and more expensive than its close relative, cumin. It is grown in Kashmir and is used in
pulaos
and meat dishes.

Chironji/charoli:
Not melon seeds (but regularly translated as such),
chironji
are round, light brown seeds from a small tree fruit
(Buchanania lanzan).
They are soft and nutlike, and their flavor is reminiscent of almonds (blanched almonds can be substituted for chironji). They should be refrigerated for long-term storage because of their high oil content.

Cilantro:
This herb has wide, delicate, lacy green leaves and a pungent flavor. The seeds are known as coriander and are also used as a spice. Although fresh cilantro and coriander seeds come from the same plant, their flavors are very different and they cannot be used interchangeably. Fresh cilantro is used extensively in Indian cuisine as a garnish.

Cinnamon:
The bark, wood, leaves, buds, flowers, fruits, and roots of the cinnamon tree are used for different purposes, but the bark is the most commonly used, either in pieces or ground to a fine powder. It adds a delicious woody flavor to desserts and is widely used in savory dishes. Kerala, a state in South India, is the country’s major producer of the cinnamon used in Indian kitchens.

Cloves:
These unopened dried flower buds look like snails. Cloves have a sweet and strongly minty flavor, and can be purchased whole or finely ground. India is one of the largest consumers of cloves in the world. Full-grown flower buds are picked green and dried in the sun until they become dark brown. With a fine aromatic flavor and warming qualities, cloves integrate well with other spices in sweet and savory dishes.

Coriander:
The seeds of the cilantro plant are sold whole or ground. Coriander is mild, with an aroma similar to lemon, sage, and caraway. It is used in curry powder spice mixes, pickling, and soups. When young, the cilantro plant is used fresh for chutneys and sauces, and for flavoring curries and soups.

Cumin:
These long, dark brown seeds are very aromatic and are sold whole or finely ground. Cumin is widely used in spice mixes, curry powders, and in vegetable dishes, pickles, soups, meat dishes, and even in cheeses, sausages, breads, cakes, and biscuits.

Curry leaves:
This spice, which has a distinct lemon flavor, is used extensively in Southeast Asian cooking to add a very distinct flavor and aroma to dishes. Curry leaves are not related to curry powder at all. They are the leaves of the curry plant or tree,
Murraya koenigii.
They are used in a variety of soups, stews, chutneys, and sauces. Although they vaguely resemble bay leaves, curry leaves can be eaten and need not be removed from the dish before serving.

Dagad phool:
Also known as lichen stone flower, this fungus lends its dark color and musky flavor to many dishes, although it is rarely used outside the Himalayan and mountain regions of western and central India. An excessive amount can make curries very bitter.

Dal:
Dried beans, lentils, and peas all fall under the category of
dal
, and are used in myriad ways: as the main ingredients in soups and stews; soaked and fermented and ground for various pancakes; as a crunchy textural element in tempering with spices; and as a binding agent in meat and vegetable mixtures for ground-meat patties and kabobs. Following are commonly used
dals
that appear throughout this book:

chana dal
(split Bengal gram): Dried small chickpeas split in half, tan colored and larger than other
dals.

dalia
(roasted
chana dal): Dalia
is often ground and used to thicken sauces, in marinades, and to add texture to chutneys.

dhuli moong dal
(split skinless green gram): Mung beans that have been husked to remove the skins, and split in half. They are yellow.

dhuli urad dal
(split skinless black gram): Small lentil-like beans that have been husked to remove the black skins, and split in half. They are creamy white in color.

masoordal
(split red lentils): These skinned and halved red lentils, are salmon-colored and cook very quick.

sabut masoor
(whole red lentils): Red lentils with their brown skins left on. They are light brown, flat, and round.

sabut moong
(whole green gram): Whole mung beans with their skins. They are green.

toordal/arhardal
(split pigeon peas): Skinned and split yellow lentils.

Deghi mirch
chile powder:
Similar to paprika, this mild red chile powder is more sweet than hot. It is used in Indian food primarily for its color.

Dried red chiles:
These hot red peppers are sun-dried before use. Different regions of India grow and use their own type of red chiles—Kashmiri chiles in Kashmir,
begdi
in Karnataka,
guntur
in Andhra Pradesh, etc. We have used Kashmiri dried red chiles in most of our recipes because they are not too spicy and they impart an appetizing color to dishes.

Dried rose petals:
These are used to flavor and scent many
biryanis
and sweet dishes. If you dry your own, be sure to use roses that have not been treated with chemicals.

Drumstick vegetable:
The young, mild-tasting fruit of the
Moringa oleifera
plant, drumstick is used extensively in Indian cooking, almost as commonly as green beans or asparagus in the United States, but is fairly scarce here. Drumstick vegetables are long and green, with ridges running the length of the vegetable.

Edible sandalwood powder:
The dried wood of the sandalwood tree in powder form.

Fennel:
These oval, greenish brown seeds are from the fennel plant. They are aromatic, with a slight licorice flavor. They are similar to anise seeds, but are larger. Fennel seeds are available whole or ground. Fennel is an effective digestive aid, and raw fennel seeds are often chewed after rich meals in India.

Fenugreek:
These hard, yellowish brown, angular seeds are available whole, crushed, or roasted and ground. Fenugreek has a strong, aromatic, and bittersweet flavor. The leaves are used as an herb
(kasoori methi).
Fenugreek is cultivated worldwide in semi-arid areas. Fenugreek seeds are often paired with mustard seeds in tempering oil and are much in demand during pickling season.

Ganthia:
Crunchy fried chickpea-flour sticks about the width and length of your little finger. They are sold in the snack and
chaat
-ingredient section of Indian grocery stores. See page 16 for a recipe.