Entice With Spice. Shubhra Ramineni
cheesecloth, I had washed it and placed it to dry over my counter dish rack. He saw it and thought it was a worn-out old rag and was going to throw it but I caught him just in time!
Citrus Squeezer Small-sized citrus squeezers, also called a citrus press, are used to squeeze lemons, limes and sometimes they are big enough to handle oranges too. My mother uses an old wooden citrus press she brought from India years ago but I use a sturdy metal one. If you do not have a citrus squeezer, you can squeeze citrus fruits by hand over a small strainer to catch the seeds.
Cutting Board My mother does not use a cutting board because she cuts and chops food quickly and skillfully by holding the fruit or vegetable and knife in her hand, but I prefer to use a cutting board. It is best to get one that is made with smooth plastic or composite material such as polypropylene rather than the glass ones with a grooved surface. The latter are bad for knives and can dull them quickly. A wooden board is also good to use, but it is not ideal to cut meat on because you would have to thoroughly immerse it in water to wash away the bacteria, and this is damaging for the board. Wooden boards should be wiped clean with a damp cloth. That is why I stick to a multipurpose composite board that can be washed by hand or in the dishwasher and is also easy on knives.
Garlic Press This tool makes fast work of mincing garlic. It is usually made of metal and presses peeled or unpeeled garlic cloves through small holes creating a close substitute for hand-minced garlic. Although this tool saves time, I have found that the downside is it can be hard to clean out since garlic can get stuck in the grooves. After using it, be sure to pry out any garlic stuck in the press so it does not go to waste.
Immersion Blender This handy tool is also called a hand blender. It has a stick handle and a small metal blade at the bottom. It is called an immersion hand blender because you hold it in your hand and immerse it directly in the food to be blended. This works great for puréeing soups and sambar because you do not have to wait for the hot food to cool down and you can avoid the step of transferring the hot food to a blender. Instead, you simply immerse the hand blender directly into the hot pot and blend until it becomes smooth. To avoid splattering, try to keep the blender deep in the pot fully immersed in the food while using it.
Indian Spice Box In Hindi, this common Indian spice box is called a masala dabba, with the word masala meaning “spice” and dabba meaning “box.” I think almost every Indian home around the world has one of these! A spice box is a round stainless-steel container with a lid and inside are about seven smaller containers for you to keep your most frequently used spices right at your fingertips. Spice boxes are very convenient and time saving, especially if you cook frequently and use a certain combination of spices repeatedly.
Karahi A karahi is an Indian wok that is used to deep-fry foods. The bottom of a karahi is not as rounded as a Chinese wok but it is still an efficient utensil to deep-fry food. If you prefer to get an Indian wok, they are sometimes available at Indian grocery stores or you can order them online. A Chinese wok (page 12) or deep stockpot both make excellent substitutes..
Microplane A Microplane is a very handy kitchen tool that I use for grating nutmeg and fresh ginger. It is a rectangular flat metal grater with sharp grooves throughout. They come in different sizes but I prefer to use one with small fine blades to get a very fine grating of ginger. I often use a Microplane because it is small and easy to clean but you can use a box grater instead for the same purpose.
Mini Processor This compact version of a big food processor is small and simple with just a basic two-prong blade. I can easily shred onions with it and make Mint Chutney (page 32) in a flash. Although some foods can be similarly processed in a blender, a blender is typically used to purée liquids or items with soupy consistency. A food processor allows for more options of cuts than a blender depending on the blade used. For the recipes in this book, a simple mini food processor with just the basic blade and a low and high speed button will do just fine.
Mortar and Pestle Mortar and pestle is the traditional Indian tool used to crush and grind spices. It has a bowl-shaped base (the mortar) and a small bat-shaped stick (the pestle) that is used to crush the spices by repeatedly and forcefully pressing down on spices with the pestle and rotating it. Mortar and pestle come in different sizes and materials, from marble or other stone, to wood, porcelain or metals. I personally prefer to use an electric coffee/spice grinder because it is faster, but a mortar and pestle is ideal for small amounts of spices or nuts— amount that will not grind properly in a coffee grinder or spice grinder. You could also crush small amounts of spices or nuts by placing them in plastic bag with the bag on a cutting board and tapping it with a rolling pin.
Parchment Paper This is a nonstick paper that is used in baking. I place a small piece between hot breads before freezing them so they will not stick to each other and tear or break when separating them for thawing and reheating. Even if the breads are very hot, they will not stick to the parchment when frozen. Parchment paper can be found in the same section of the grocery store where aluminum foil is found.
Popsicle Molds Popsicle molds are fun to use to make Indian ice cream (kulfi). You can get different mold shapes, such as ice cream bar molds or rocket shapes, but I prefer the basic popsicle shape because it is similar to the kufli in India, although the Indian kulfi mold is much longer. After the kulfi is frozen, turn over the molds and run them under hot water for about 30 seconds or until you can feel that you can easily pull out the pops. Just make sure they do not fall out when you have them turned over!
Rolling Pin Rolling pins are used to roll out dough but I also use mine to crush nuts, cardamom seeds and roasted cumin seeds. Rolling pins come in different materials such as metals, marble, silicone and plastic. I prefer to use a wooden one because they are easy to find, relatively lightweight and easy to clean. It is best to wipe wooden rolling pins clean with a wet cloth instead of submerging them in water and then wiping them dry with a kitchen towel. Rolling pins vary in thickness and some have handles while some do not. I use a medium–thick tapered rolling pin that is about 1½ inches (3.75 cm) around the center. Tapered rolling pins can be pivoted and rotated while rolling out dough. This is very helpful when trying to roll out a perfect circle of dough. They are also very lightweight, which allows me to get a good feel of the dough when I am using it. The style and thickness of rolling pins is a matter of personal choice—you should use what feels most comfortable to you—some people prefer to use the thicker, heavier ones and some people use very thin ones.
Spice Grinder This handy gadget, also called a coffee grinder, can be used to grind spices and definitely beats using a mortar and pestle—the traditional tool for grinding spices. If you use a spice grinder for grinding coffee, it is best to have a separate one for spices, unless you like cumin-flavored coffee! From my experience, I have seen the motor can burn out if you overload the spice grinder or run it for a long time at one stretch. It is best to grind spices in small batches and frequently rest the motor for a few seconds while operating it. To clean a spice grinder, carefully wipe with a