How to Cook Indian (68 page)

Indian cooks have perfected the art of tenderizing meat with marinades and slow cooking. Lamb and goat have been essential ingredients in the cooking of most regions in the country since the early days of Mughal rule. While royalty in Hyderabad feasted on
burrah masaledaar
(page 356), the average family slowly cooked
dal gosht
(page 358) and then stretched it with lentils. You can make the elaborate
lagan ka kheema
(page 381) as it would be served at a Parsi wedding or the simple
tariwala
meat (page 401) as it is made in the roadside eateries along the highways of Punjab.

Chicken is an incredibly versatile ingredient, and some of the most deliciously spiced Indian dishes use it. Chicken curries have become the mainstays of menus at Indian restaurants all over the world—from the robust
murgh zafrani do pyaza
of the Mughals to the spicy
kozhi thengai kozhambu
from the south. There are recipes for every taste, occasion, season, and budget in this chapter.

Bangda Udad Methi

Mackerel curry

Fried and ground rice adds a thickness and texture to this aromatic and fiery mackerel curry. If you cannot find fresh grated coconut, look in your Indian grocer’s freezer aisle. Frozen grated coconut can be used instead; be sure to purchase the unsweetened variety. Serve with steamed rice.

Serves 4.

4 (3 ½-ounce/100-gram) mackerels, scaled and cleaned

2 teaspoons table salt

3 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons raw rice

2 tablespoons
dhuli urad dal
(split skinless black gram)

½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

5 whole black peppercorns

4 onions, sliced

1 cup (120 grams) grated fresh coconut

4 teaspoons tamarind pulp

8 dried whole red chiles, stemmed

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1. Cut each fish horizontally into 4 pieces. Sprinkle the pieces with 1 teaspoon of the salt and put in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Wash under running water and put in a colander to drain.

2. Place a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of the oil. When small bubbles begin to appear at the bottom of the pan, add the rice and sauté until dark brown. Remove with a strainer and set aside on a paper towel to cool. To the oil remaining in the pan, add the
dal
and sauté until lightly browned. Drain and set aside with the rice to cool to room temperature.

3. Add the fenugreek and peppercorns to the oil remaining in the pan and sauté until fragrant. Drain and set aside.

4. Transfer the sautéed rice and
dal
to a spice grinder and grind to a coarse powder; set aside.

5. In a spice grinder, grind the sautéed fenugreek and peppercorns with 1 tablespoon water to a fine paste; set aside.

6. Return the pan to medium heat and add 2 teaspoons of the oil. When small bubbles begin to appear at the bottom of the pan, add ½ cup (100 grams)of the sliced onions and sauté until golden brown. Add the coconut and sauté until browned. Set aside to cool.

7. In a spice grinder, grind the cooled sautéed coconut and onions along with the tamarind, chiles, and turmeric to a coarse paste and set aside.

8. Place a medium nonstick saucepan over high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the remaining sliced onions, lower the heat to medium, and sauté until the onions are soft. Add the ground coconut paste, 5 cups (1 liter) lukewarm water, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and stir. Add the fenugreek-peppercorn paste, stir, and bring to a boil.

9. Add the mackerels and the ground rice powder to the curry. Stir and lower the heat to low. Cook for 3 minutes or until the fish is cooked through (it should be flaky). Serve hot.

Bhapa Ilish

Steamed fish

Hilsa
fish steamed with a tangy paste of mustard and green chiles is a Bengali specialty. Since
hilsa
is hard to find in the United States, you can use shad instead. Serve with steamed rice.

Serves 4.

2¼ pounds (1 kg)
hilsa
or shad, scaled and cleaned

1 teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

2 or 3 green chiles, stemmed

1-inch (2½-cm) piece fresh ginger

1 tablespoon refined mustard oil (see Note page 87)

1. Wash the fish well under running water. Cut horizontally into 1-inch-thick (2½-cm-thick) slices. Put in a bowl and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the turmeric. Set aside for 5 minutes.

2. Combine the remaining ½ teaspoon turmeric, the yellow mustard seeds, black mustard seeds, chiles, ginger, and 2 tablespoons water in a spice grinder. Grind to a smooth paste. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and grind again. Transfer to a bowl. Add the paste to the fish pieces, turning them to coat evenly, and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to marinate.

3. Put water in the bottom of a steamer over high heat. Place the fish in the top of the steamer, drizzle with the mustard oil, and cover. Steam for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the steamer from the heat and let the fish stand, covered, for 3 minutes. Uncover, arrange the fish on a serving platter, and serve hot.

Chapa Pulusu

Andhra-style tamarind-and-fish curry

Fish curries in the South of India usually feature coconut or coconut milk, but this recipe uses the souring agents tomato and tamarind. While only tamarind is typically used with seafood in Andhra Pradesh, I added the tomato to give this dish a little bit of sweetness to take the edge off the sourness. Ideally, this fish should be cooked in an earthenware pot.

Serves 4.

14 ounces (400 grams) pomfret, cut into 8 fillets

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

3½ teaspoons fresh ginger paste (page 12)

3½ teaspoons fresh garlic paste (page 12)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1½ teaspoons table salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds

¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

10 fresh curry leaves

2 dried red chiles, stemmed and broken in half

1 large red onion, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1½ teaspoons red chile powder

¼ teaspoon ground roasted cumin (page 32)

½ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ cup (70 grams) tomato purée

1 tablespoon tamarind pulp

1. Wash the fish slices under running water and drain them well in a colander.

2. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups (400 ml) water, the turmeric, 2 teaspoons of the ginger paste, 2 teaspoons of the garlic paste, the lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Add the fish and set aside for 20 minutes.

3. Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek, curry leaves, and chiles, and sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant.

4. Add the onion and sauté for 4 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the remaining 1½ teaspoons ginger paste and garlic paste, and sauté for 1 minute.

5. Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and stir. Add the chile powder, ground cumin, and coriander, and stir well. Add 3 cups (600 ml) water and cook for 3 minutes or until the tomatoes are pulpy. Add the tomato purée and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.

6. Add the tamarind pulp and stir well. When it comes to a boil, cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes or until the oil comes to the top.

7. Drain the fish and gently slide the slices into the sauce. Lower the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.

8. Serve hot.

Chimborya Cha Kalwan

Spicy crab with coconut masala

The cuisine of Maharashtra is as diverse as the people and their culture. The dishes in this state range from purely vegetarian to an amazing array of highly spiced meat and seafood curries. This dish epitomizes the diversity of that cuisine. Serve the crabs with steamed rice.

Serves 4.

4 (9-ounce/250 gram) blue crabs

4 large red onions

8 tablespoons vegetable oil

5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 (½-inch/1-cm) cinnamon sticks

4 whole cloves

2 green cardamom pods

12 whole black peppercorns

3 tablespoons coriander seeds

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

1 teaspoon white poppy seeds

1 1/3 cups (110 grams) grated dried coconut

2 tablespoons table salt

1 tablespoon ground turmeric

2½ tablespoons red chile powder

1 star anise

4 fresh
kokum
petals (see Note page 588)

1. Separate the claws and cut each crab into 4 pieces. Wash and remove the gills and stomach sac from the underside. Crack the claws lightly, wash thoroughly under running water, and drain well in a colander.

2. Slice 3 of the onions and chop the remaining onion.

3. Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the sliced onions and garlic, and sauté for 12 minutes or until well browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl.

4. To the same heated pan, add another 1 tablespoon of the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, the cardamom, and 8 peppercorns, and sauté for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the bowl with the onion mixture.

5. To the oil in the heated pan, add the coriander and fennel, and sauté for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the bowl.

6. To the oil in the heated pan, add the poppy seeds and sauté for 30 seconds. Remove with a spoon and add to the bowl.