The Café Spice Cookbook: 84 Quick and Easy Indian Recipes for Everyday Meals (28 page)

Heat a tava, griddle, or a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Divide the dough into 8–10 equal portions. Work with one portion at a time, keeping the rest covered with a damp cloth. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion into a circle about 6–7 in (15–18 cm) in diameter. Carefully shake off the excess surface flour prior to cooking.

Place each rolled bread on the tava, griddle, or skillet and cook for about 7–10 seconds, until brown. Turn the bread over to brown the other side, about 12–15 seconds. Turn it over and lightly smear the hot bread with the oil or ghee. Serve hot.

Semolina and Whole Wheat Dosai with Spiced Potatoes
Rawa Masala Dosai

What
chapati
is for northern India,
dosai
(a rice and lentil crepe) is for the southern part of India. When we opened up Dosateria (our new, Indian crepe concept restaurant) in 2012, these semolina crepes became an instant hit. Here, I have called for adding semolina and whole wheat flour to the grist, but you can use only rice flour instead, if you wish. To make it from scratch using the original version involves a long, drawn-out process that might prove onerous, but this timesaving method using buttermilk is much simpler. The basic and traditional version, filled with spiced potatoes, can be served along with South Indian Lentils and Vegetables (page
56
) to make a perfect meal.

Makes
12–15
dosai

Prep time:
15 minutes plus 30 minutes for resting

Cook time:
30 minutes

1 cup (150 g) medium-grain semolina

½ cup (65 g) rice flour

3 tablespoons whole wheat flour

½ cup (125 ml) buttermilk

1–1½ cups (250–375 ml) water (use as needed)

Salt, to taste

½ cup (20 g) fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), chopped

2 tablespoons shredded unsweetened coconut (freshly grated or frozen)

1 fresh green chili pepper, minced

½ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted

2 medium potatoes, about 1 lb (500 g)

3 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon split yellow peas (chana dal)

5–7 fresh curry leaves

1 red onion (about 4 oz/125 g), sliced

¼ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup (125 ml) clarified butter

To make the batter—Mix together the semolina, rice flour, whole grain flour, buttermilk, 1 cup (250 ml) of water, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside until the semolina absorbs all the water, about 30 minutes.

Mix in the coriander, coconut, green chili pepper, and cumin seeds and whisk for a few seconds, adding enough of the remaining water to make a thin batter of pouring consistency (slightly thinner than pancake batter). If the batter becomes too thin, mix in some rice flour.

To make the potato filling—Combine the potatoes with enough cold water to cover them in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil over high heat, and cook uncovered, until very tender.

Drain the potatoes well and set aside to cool. Peel the potatoes and chop coarsely.

Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the mustard seeds, and let them pop. Add the split yellow peas, curry leaves, and sliced onion and fry for 1 minute. Stir in the turmeric and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the potatoes and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Season with salt to taste and cool.

To assemble the dosai—Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Lightly brush the surface of the pan with the clarified butter. Stir the batter and pour a ladleful into the middle of the pan and quickly spread it out with the back of the ladle to form a thin pancake. Drizzle the clarified butter around the edge to crisp up the pancake.

Cook until small holes appear on the surface and the edges start to brown. Turn over and cook until brown (optional). Serve hot with a scoop of potato filling in the center or on the side.

Fried Puffed Bread
Poori

Deep-fried breads cannot be an everyday food, but these Indian breads are great for special occasions. You can add quickly prepared ingredients like chopped herbs to lend color and flavor to this dish. I like to serve this bread with a portion of Chickpea Curry with Sweet Potato (page
54
), the way it is served in the streets in India. It is a very popular breakfast food in India. Get your kids to stand and watch the bread puff up while being fried—it’s a lot of fun!

Makes
16
poori

Prep time:
10 minutes plus 30 minutes for resting the dough

Cook time:
15 minutes

1 cup (120 g) whole wheat flour

1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra to dust work surface

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons oil

6–8 tablespoons water

Oil, for deep-frying

Sift both the flours in a bowl. Mix in the salt. Drizzle the oil into the flour mixture and rub it in with your fingers. Slowly add the water to form a medium-soft ball of dough. Turn onto a floured work surface and knead the dough by pressing your knuckles lightly into the dough, spreading the dough outward, gathering the ends toward the center with your fingers, and pressing the center down. Repeat for about 3–5 minutes or until you have soft, pliable dough that does not stick to your fingers. Form a smooth ball, rub it with a little oil, and place it in a mixing bowl covered with a plastic wrap. Set aside for 15–30 minutes.

Heat 2 inches (5 cm) of oil in a kadhai, small wok, or large saucepan over medium heat to 325°F (160°C) on a deep-fry or candy thermometer. To gauge the temperature of the oil without a thermometer, drop a piece of bread about 1-in (2.5-cm) square into the oil, turning it often as the oil heats up. When the oil reaches 325°F (160°C), the bread will begin to brown quickly and turn golden brown all over—like a crouton—in about 40 seconds.

As the oil heats up, divide the dough into 12 balls. Roll each ball into a 5-in (12.5 cm) circle. Keep the rolled poori covered with plastic wrap until ready to fry. When the oil is hot, carefully lay each poori on the hot oil without letting it fold up. It should sizzle immediately. Using the back of a slotted spoon, gently push the poori into the oil with quick strokes. It should puff up in seconds. Turn the poori over and cook for a few seconds, until slightly brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

Chapter 9
DESSERTS AND DRINKS

Desserts, called
mithai
(sweets), have always been an integral part of Indian cuisine, with milk-based desserts being a predominant feature. An astounding variety of sweets is available from different parts of the country. While a whole serving may be a little too sweet for Western palates, a small portion of one of these exquisite desserts is the perfect ending to a meal.

Many Indian desserts are made with fruit, nuts, spices, and milk. Coconut is a natural ingredient for many sweet dishes in the southern and coastal parts of the country. Desserts are normally consumed after spicy meals, and some of them even contain ingredients like cardamom and saffron that often aid digestion. Indian desserts are very often decorated with cardamom seeds, raisins, almonds, pistachios, cashew nuts, and fruit such as mangoes, guava, pineapple, melon, red cherries, oranges, and bananas. In eastern India, where milk is ubiquitous, most sweets are made using milk and milk products.

Indian beverages are a popular part of the cuisine. The array includes drinks that are both unique and refreshing. Indian beverages, often referred to as “sherbets,” are non-alcoholic and specifically formulated to beat the heat of the sultry Indian summer. Try the Tamarind Cooler (page
136
), Chilled Mango Lassi (page
133
), or Tender Coconut Cooler (page
136
) to cool off on a hot day.

Tea, also known as “chai,” is the most common form of drink in India, especially in the north. As winters there are extreme, warming tea is available anywhere one goes. Tea can be prepared in many ways, including spiced tea, “masala chai,” and ginger tea. Coffee is a popular drink commonly consumed in the southern states of India.

The recipes in this chapter have been adapted from traditional Indian fare to focus on simplicity; nobody wants to wait for dessert!

Creamy Rice Pudding
Kheer

This creamy, cardamom-spiced rice pudding, known as
kheer
, can be enjoyed hot or cold and is probably the most popular pudding in India. It is often served during Indian festivals. When I was growing up, my mother would make it for the occasional, elaborate Sunday meal. The whole milk and cream can be replaced with nonfat milk for a lighter version. I have used basmati rice as I feel it makes the most flavorful Indian rice pudding. Kheer made with basmati is a northern Indian or a Punjabi specialty. In the south, they make a similar version using long-grain white rice and, in Bengal, they use Bengali short-grain rice. I’ve included a favorite twist on the traditional kheer using fresh, ripe mangoes. When making cardamom mango kheer, I like to use sweet mangoes like Champagne or Alphonso.

Serves
4

Prep time:
10 minutes plus 2 hours for cooling

Cook time:
40 minutes

⅓ cup (70 g) uncooked basmati rice

5½ cups (1.3 liters) whole milk

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream, plus more if needed

⅓ cup (55 g) golden raisins

¼ cup (50 g) sugar

1 tablespoon slivered almonds, toasted, for garnish

Combine the rice and milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring the milk to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once the milk has come to a boil, lower the heat and gently simmer for 35–40 minutes, uncovered, until most of the milk has been absorbed. Stir frequently while the rice is cooking to avoid scalding, which would add a burnt flavor to the pudding. (If you think the milk is beginning to burn, lower the heat and avoid scraping the bottom of pan.) Stir in the ground cardamom, cream, and golden raisins.

Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar. Let cool, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming. This pudding will be thick and creamy. Stir in additional cream if the pudding is too thick. Refrigerate until cold. Serve in individual serving bowls, garnished with the toasted slivered almonds.