Entice With Spice. Shubhra Ramineni
the curry leaf—an aromatic leaf from the curry plant that is used as an herb in cooking. Many Indian homes around the world grow a curry plant in their backyards so they will have fresh curry leaves on hand. These plants can eventually grow into curry trees, but mine has stayed as a potted plant. (I use fresh curry leaves in some recipes, but have made their use optional because they are one of the few ingredients I use that do require a trip to an Indian market if you do not have a curry plant growing at home.)
Dried red chili peppers for sale at an open street market in India.
After curry, the term masala, which is the Hindi word for “spice,” is probably the second most commonly used word when discussing Indian food. Masalas can be “dry” or “wet,” but in either case they form the flavor base of a dish which is a key components in Indian cooking.
Dry masalas may consist of individual spices, such as turmeric, red pepper (cayenne), coriander, or be a special blend of spices that have been roasted and ground together. Garam Masala (page 36), Biryani Masala (page 72), Rasam Masala (page 80) and Sambar Masala (page 82) are all examples of the latter type of dry masalas. These roasted spice blends can be stored up to three months in an airtight container, but after that they lose potency.
Wet masala can refer to both the flavor base and also the cooking method, which consists of cooked and spiced onions and/or tomatoes. The “wet” masala cooking technique is common in the northern region of India, especially in the state of Punjab, and is used in many of the dishes from this region. It is the base that adds flavor to the fish, meat or vegetable. First, onions, if used, are shredded or finely cut and browned in oil until golden so that they no longer have a raw taste. Sometimes, garlic and ginger are added to cook with the onions for more flavor. Then tomatoes, if used, are added and cooked until they are completely mashed, and then the dry spices are added. When making a masala with tomatoes, the end result looks like a coarse paste. The longer the tomatoes and onions cook with the dry spices, the darker the masala will become, resulting in a darker base or “curry” for the dish, and the more the flavor of the spices will develop. When I was little, I used to watch my mom make masala. Before she would add the vegetables, I would ask her to save a small amount of the masala for me to enjoy with a slice of plain white bread!
Fire-Roasted Eggplant.
Wet masalas are customized based on the amount of onions, tomatoes and combination of dry spices, ginger and garlic that are added. Some are made with just tomatoes and dry spices, some are made with just onions and dry spices and some are made with both tomatoes and onions and dry spices. There is no definite ratio of the amount of onions to tomatoes—it depends on whether you like the taste of less or more onions or tomatoes. You will see that in my recipes the amount of onions and tomatoes varies a bit, but you can adjust if you like.
My mom usually just adds ground turmeric, ground red pepper (cayenne), salt and ground black pepper to most of her masalas. Even though she often uses a similar combination of spices, each dish has a unique flavor that comes from the main ingredients that are added to the masala. If she is really feeling fancy, she will add spices such as cardamom or carom seeds to the masala for added flavor.
To save time, you can make the onion and/or tomato masala in bulk and refrigerate or freeze it until you are ready to make a dish. When you are ready to cook a dish, lightly oil your saucepan or skillet, add the desired amount of refrigerated or defrosted masala and then add the rest of the main ingredients. (You can defrost the frozen masala in the refrigerator or directly in the lightly oiled saucepan.) This makes cooking more efficient for me, since making the masala takes a bit of time. If I already have it completed, I can quickly make any dish that uses a masala as a base. With practice, you will get a feel on how much masala to use for a dish and whether you want your dish to have more onions or tomatoes in the masala. You can also then customize what spices you want to add to the masala.
Enjoying Indian Food at Home
Whether a formal or casual meal, Indian food is typically served family-style—meaning everyone gathers around the table, the dishes are placed in the center and everyone helps themselves to a bit of each dish. In India, modern homes have dining tables but many families still sit on the floor gathered around the food. A sheet, large cloth or thin bamboo mat, is spread out on the floor and the food is placed in the center. Everyone sits on the sheet or on small floor stools or cushions with their plates in front of them on the ground. Small bowls may be given to everyone to put yogurt or any dish with liquid or curried base. In the southern part of India, giant fresh banana leaves are sometimes used as plates since bananas are abundantly grown there. When visiting my paternal grandparents in their village, I remember having delicious, fun and intimate meals with relatives in their open veranda on the ground while sitting on floor cushions. Sometimes, we would place the food on large tweed cots and sit outdoors on the cots and eat. It was like a fun family picnic right at home!
There are no special rules for eating an Indian meal except usually the food is only eaten with your right hand while your left hand is placed in your lap, but you can use it if needed. Since much of Indian food is eaten with your hands, washing your hands before eating (and of course after!) is essential. In the southern part of India, rice is traditionally eaten and mixed with other dishes with your hands. In the northern part of India, where breads are a common part of the daily diet, a piece of bread is torn off and then used to grab or scoop up the sautéed or curried dish. Other than that, basic table manners apply. If your guests can’t help but exhibit a burp after the meal, consider that the ultimate compliment … at least that is what they do in India!
What’s for dinner?
The easy-to-make yet elegant dishes in this cookbook are perfect for both casual meals or for special occasions. You can make just one or two recipes of your choice for a quick snack or simple weekday meal. You can also go all out and serve a formal Indian meal, beginning with appetizers and ending with dessert and an after-dinner Indian Cappuccino or tea. If you’re new to Indian cooking, the myriad of recipes and possible combinations may seem daunting. Don’t worry—there was rhyme and reason to the way I organized the chapters in this book. If you follow the simple blueprint (page 9) and select your favorite dishes from the relevant chapters, you can feel confident about serving a delicious Indian meal when you want to impress family and friends.
In daily home cooking in India, appetizers, soups and salads are not separate courses. Traditional Indian cuisine does not feature soups as they are thought of in the West—rather, we have soupy dishes, such as lentils, that are served with the main meal. A simple salad of sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and raw onions is typically eaten along with dinner to provide a refreshing crunch during the meal. You do not have to stick to this … if you enjoy lentils as a soup course or if you’d like to have a salad course—go for it! Though appetizers are not part of a typical everyday home-style meal in India, I enjoy serving an appetizer or two when entertaining guests, which are always a big hit.
If a formal Indian meal, complete with appetizer and dessert, seems too elaborate for a hectic weeknight, you can still enjoy a quick but well-balanced and satisfying Indian meal by serving just plain yogurt, rice or bread, a vegetable dish and a meat, chicken, fish or seafood dish (or a lentil or legume dish for a vegetarian meal), which is how my mom puts together a weeknight Indian meal for us. I will indicate when dishes, such as Dosa and Uttapam, do not neatly fit into the blueprint and will provide other suggestions instead. I understand that making traditional Indian breads can get a bit messy so you can save that for weekend meals or special occasions. Or you can use the shortcut that I use and that my mother also uses now—simply buy Mexican wheat tortillas and heat them up on a gas stove or skillet. You can use this in place of homemade Indian bread or even rice. The whole idea is to make it easy to prepare and serve delicious and nutritious meals.