My Indian Kitchen. Hari Nayak
Potatoes with Spices 81
Spicy Coconut Green Beans 82
Paneer Cheese 83
Smoky Fire-Roasted Eggplant 84
Pumpkin with Coconut 84
Mushrooms and Corn in a Spicy Curry 85
Cauliflower with Ginger and Cumin 86
Stir-Fried Okra 87
Puréed Spinach with Cheese Balls 88
Zucchini with Lentils and Roasted Garlic 89
Stir-Fried Paneer Cheese with Bell Peppers 90
Mangalore Spiced Potatoes 91
Chapter 6
Fish Tikka 94
Salmon Kebabs 95
Masala-Baked Red Snapper 96
Masala-Crusted Tilapia 97
Malabar Crab Curry 98
Tandoori Skewered Shrimp 99
Stir-Fried Telicherry Mussels 100
Spicy Scallops with Grilled Pineapple Chutney 101
Goan-Style Squid 102
Chili Shrimp with Curry Leaves and Coconut 103
Stir-Fried Shrimp 103
Five Spice Blackened Salmon 104
Mangalore Fish Curry 105
Chapter 7
106 Poultry and Meat
Pepper Chicken 108
Lemon and Saffron Chicken Kebabs 108
Chicken Curry in a Hurry 109
Coconut Chicken Curry 110
Chicken Tikka Masala 111
Tandoori Chicken 112
Madras Chicken 114
Traditional Lamb Curry 115
Kerala Coconut Beef 116
Spicy Lamb Burgers 117
Marinated Roast Leg of Lamb 118
Spicy and Fragrant Lamb Curry 119
Pork Tenderloin with Mango Salad 119
Pork Vindaloo 120
Masala Lamb Chops 121
Chapter 8
122 Bread and Rice
Plain Basmati Rice 124
Coconut Shrimp Biriyani 125
Fragrant Lamb Biriyani 126
Black-Eyed Peas and Rice 127
Saffron Chicken Biriyani 128
Lemon Rice with Peanuts 129
Indian Fried Rice 130
Tamarind Rice 131
Basmati Rice with Whole Spices 132
Mint Rice with Potatoes and Toasted Cumin 133
Baked Garlic Naan 134
Whole-Wheat Griddle Breads 136
Fried Puffed Bread 138
Flaky Paratha Breads Stuffed with Potatoes 139
Chapter 9
Watermelon Mint Ice 142
Sweet Mangoes in a Creamy Custard 143
Sweetened Yogurt with Saffron and Pistachios 144
Pistachio Mango Ice Cream 145
Pistachio Biscotti 146
Chai Crème Brûlée 147
Almond Butter Cookies 148
Creamy Rice Pudding 149
Mumbai Fruit Punch 150
Mint Lime Cooler 151
Sweet Mango Yogurt Lassi 152
Ginger Cardamom Chai 153
Indian Lemonade 154
Memories From My Indian Kitchen!
You know what is truly universal? No matter where you go, what you do, who you meet, or what you eat—you can never forget your roots and the soil on which you grew up! While writing this book, I cannot help but get nostalgic about all the yester-years and all the people in my life who—sometimes even unconsciously—have been instrumental in making me who I am by helping to develop my strong sense of smells, tastes, likes and dislikes, which guides every decision I make at the kitchen counter today!
I grew up in Udupi, a small town nestled amidst the lush green of the southwestern coastal region of India. I can never forget the sounds, sights, tastes and aromas of our typical South Indian household: the spicy chutneys and rice flour being ground at wee hours of the morning by my grandmom, steaming hot idli and dosa served instantaneously at breakfast, the tinkering sound of spices tempering in a kadhai, which would later be part of a hot bowl of sambar, and the sound of women in the household—their chatter, the sound of their bangles, trinkets and the murmur of their never ending gossip! Lunch and dinners were always elaborate. One of our favorites was a slow-cooked coconut chicken curry accompanied by piping hot dosas and white bread. The early evening snack time usually consisted of hot cups of cardamom-spiced chai with platefuls of warm samosa and a variety of snacks. Lucky for us, every town in India has their unique offering in street food as well. If Delhi boasts of its delectable ‘chaats’, Mumbai has its vada-pao and Kolkata has its famous kaati rolls. Some of my memorable childhood evenings have been well-spent on short-eats around the street corners of Udupi as well as. Mom would give me a rupee or two, and I would dash out to buy snacks from the road-side!
And then there was the rainy season, and the accompanying sounds of the flirty breeze playing with the leaves of the mango tree in our backyard, the rustic smell of wet earth, and the thud of mangoes falling to the ground.
We kids often dashed out to pick them up before the sky broke loose! This priceless robbery of ours would mean that soon a spicy green mango chutney would be on our dining table! Rains meant hot fritters served with chai, and how we loved that! But this was not all! The day would not be complete without a late dinner—one of my favorites being masala fried fish with a bowl of steamed rice and vegetables loaded with fresh shredded coconut, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Dinnertime was important for our family—everyone had to be at the table. All of our meals were served family style and never rushed, even if it meant missing our favorite shows on television. (There was no concept of TV dinners.) I still follow that tradition today. There’s simply no better way to truly and fully enjoy a meal than to share it with the people you love.
Throughout my childhood I felt very comfortable in and around the kitchen, and I am fortunate