Bear Cuisine

More North Indian Cooking: Street Food

Pat Harrington also offered a class on street food.

Pat Harrington

Here are a pair of recipes for foods that are often served together Bhatura (risen fry bread) and Channa Masala (Chickpea Curry).

BHATURA

BHATURA (RISEN FRY BREAD)

1. 4 cups all-purpose flour
2. 2 teaspoons baking powder
3. 1 tablespoon (in package) instand dry yeast
4. 1/2 cup yoghurt
5. 1 tablespoon sugar
6. 1 tablespoon salt
7. 1/4 cup oil
8. 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

Sift flour, baking powder, and yeast together in a large bowl.

Whisk together yoghurt, water, salt, sugar and oil. Add to dry mixture

Knead by hand for about 10 minutes, until dough becomes a bit smoother. It will remain tacky; this is okay.

Let rest for 1-2 hours, until about doubled in size.

Using oiled hands, pinch off the dough in 2-4 ounce batches, depending on how large you want your bread. Roll it out on a floured cutting board.

Fry in 350 degree oil for about20 seconds on each side, using a skimmer to pressthe rounds into the oil. Drain and eat while still warm.

CHANNA MASALA (CHICKPEA CURRY)

CHANNA MASALA

1. 1/4 cup vegetable oil
2. 1 tablespoon cumin seed
3. 1 tablespoon coriander seed
4. 1 cinnamon stick
5. 3-4 onions, diced
6. 1-4 chiles, diced
7. 4 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
8. 1 tablespoon tomato paste
9. 1 28-ounce can tomato sauce
10. 1 tablespoon gaarm masala
11. 1 tablespoon turmeric
12. 1-4 teaspoon chili or cayenne powder
13. 2 28-ounce cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
14. 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
15. 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
16. 1 knob ginger, thinly julienned

Heat oil over high heat for a minute, then add the whole spices, Cook the spices alone until they just start to pop.

Add the chopped onions and a spoon of salt. Fry the onions until limp and grown and starting to caramelize; about 15 minutes.

Add the chopped chiles then the ginger-garlic paste. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the paste starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add the tomatoes and the dry spices. Cook for about 5 minutes to reduce slightly.

Add the chickpeas and enough water to cover the chickpeas, if needed. Cook for 5-10 minutes, to incorporate the flavor into the beans.

Garnish with cilantro, onion and ginger.

 

You don't need to be eating this on the street to enjoy it.

North Indian Cooking for the Home Cook

Indian Spice Box

If you like cooking Indian food, this will be one of the most useful posts I have ever published. Pat Harrington, currently a chef at the Palace Restaurant in Santa Fe, spent his college year abroad in India. While he was there, he learned to cook from the locals and he shared that knowledge with us in several class at Las Cosas. He not only gave us recipes, but he gave us the template for making a North Indian curry. Once you have this in mind you are free to create your own recipes and you can understand not only how, but why, certain procedures are followed.

Pat Harrington

Turka (sometimes spelled tadka)

Turka is a Hindi word that means a few diferent things when it comes to cooking, but in our context, it refers to the flavor base that is built up to become the final dish. Still, even in that context, turka can take a nearly unlimited number of forms. However, it will always follow the same basic formula, in nearly always the same order, which is detailed below. Any ingredients that can't be found in the grocery store can be found in an international market, especially the spices.

OIL--usually vegetable oil, any kind of vegetable oil found in stores. For more depth of flavor, you can use mustard oil for part of the recipe, or all of it. But it is extremely pungent. Also, use more than you think you need. A lot more. The goal is not saute or sweat the vegetables, but fry them. It can only be done with a lot of oil.

Whole Spices--Cumin and coriander are a must, and always whole. Whole mustard seed (all colors) and fenugreek seed go with most dishes to add a litle bit more depth of flavor. Black cardamom and cinnamon go with chicken dishes, fennel with some lamb recipes. Experiement with which flavors you like. Cook the whole spices in the hot oil over high heat until they start to pop. Don't let them burn! Burnt spices are extremely bitter and if you burn at this stage, you might as well start over. They can't be saved.

Diced onions-- the smaller, the better. This is where the extra oil is needed, because the onions need to cook a lot longer than western recipes. The goal is to fry them. It will take about 15 minutes, depending on the size and shape of the pot being used. Cook them until they start to caramelize and they turn a deep amber color. Stir frequently. If they start to stick to the bottom of the pot, it's because not enough oil is being used. Add more. And if the onions burn a little, that's okay. It'll actually develop the flavor really well. Also, add a little bit of salt to help bring out the onion's liquid.

Ginger, Garlic and Chiles--These three ingredients are usually added at the same time and you have a couple of options. For ginger and garlic, it is perfectly acceptable to mince both of those, but if you plan on making a lot of Indian food, consider making ginger-garlic paste. Take roughly equal parts of peeled garlic and peeled chopped ginger and blend them up with a little bit of water and oil with a blender, food processor or stick blender. they all work fine. Keep in mind, though, if you use the paste option, the ginger and garlic will cook faster, less than 3 minutes. As for the chiles, minced serranos  are closest to the variety commonly used in North India. Use whatever you like, however much you can handle.

Tomatoes--This is the step with the most variety, and it will dictate the final texture of your Indian dish, more than the flavor. In fact, don't use your good tomatoes here. use cheap or canned, because there's so much other flavor that the subltle flavors of good tomatoes are wasted. Tomatoes at this stage serve two purposes. The first is to caramelize some of the tomato sugars to develop a good flavor. The second is to use the inherent liquid of tomatoes to deglaze the bottom of the pot and provide the liquid needed to make a sauce. Varying the amount and type of liquid will help you control what kind of curry texture you want.

For a dry-ish dish, like Aloo Gobbi, that doesn't really have a sauce, simply chop some tomatoes of any variety and cook them for a bit after the ginger and garlic. Dry is okay, just make sure there's some liquid to deglaze the pot or use canned diced tomatoes and the can's liquid. For a smooth sauce, use canned tomato sauce, but try not to use a sauce with added flavor; use one whose ingredients list not much more than tomatoes and water. For a chunky curry, try canned crushed. For a thin, soup-like dish, use tomato paste and as much water as you want to get the texture you want. In fact, adding water at this stage or later is always okay. Try using vegetable stock too. Whatever you choose, you only need to cook this part of the curry for 5-10 minutes.

Dry Spices--These are added just after you finish caramelizing the tomatoes, but before the rest of the liquid for the curry is added. Garam masala, store-bought or homemade, should always be added because it contains many spices, some of which are already in the curry, which will help tie all the flavors together in the final dish. Turmeric is also almost always added, but doesn't have to be. It is a very palatable flavor that will help dull some of the more extreme flavors of of the other spices, making the curry more palatable. It's also a natural antibiotic, very good ground or freshly grated nutmeg or cinnamon go well with cream-based dishes. Again, spices are definitely an area where you'll have to experiment yourself to find our what you like.

Liquid--As mentioned before, some dry curries don't need any liquid. But if you do want liquid, you can add more tomato sauce, stock of any kind, or even just water. Just make sure to salt the dish accordingly.

Curry Fodder--Whatever you want! Meats, vegetable, legumes, lentils or paneer are all good idea. You don't have to keep it stricly Indian. Try beef or pork. Instead of paneer, which can be hard to find, try a similar non-melting cheese, like queso fresco orGreek halloumi. Make a curry out of whatever vegetables you find in your fridge that are about to go bad. Cutting bite-sized pieces ahead of time makes it easier to eat, but isn't necessary at all.

The trick is to cook the curry long enough to cook the fodder until it's the way you want it. For meats, it means you need to cook it long enough to cook the meat thoroughly. For vegetables and legumes, cook until its's soft. You'll get the hang of it quickly.

Depending on the dish, you may want to finish with chopped cilantro, dried fenugreek leaf, a bit of cream or nothing at all.

Palak Paneer

PALAK PANEER

1. 1/4 cup vegetable oil
2. 1 tablespoon cumin seed
3. 1 tablespoon coriander seed
4. 1/2 tablespoon fenugreek seed
5. 5 onions, chopped
6. 1-4 chiles, chopped
7. 4 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
8. 2 pounds frozen chopped spinach,thawed
9. 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
10. 2 tablespoons garam masala
11. 1 tablespoon turmeric
12. 1-4 teaspoons chile or cayenne powder
13. 1 pound paneer, or more to taste
14. Water or stock to cover
15. 1/4 cup dried fenugreek leaves

Heat the oil over high heat for a minute, and then add the whole spices. Cook the spices alone until they just start to pop.

1. Add the chopped onions and a spoon of salt. Fry the onions until limp and brown and starting to caramelize; about 15 minutes.

2.Add the chopped chiles, then the ginger-garlic paste. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the paste starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.

3.Add the crushed tomatoes and the dry spices. Cook for about 5 minutes to reduce slightly.

4.Add the chopped spinach, after thawing. Cook for 5 minutes, then puree with a stick blender.

5. Add cubed paneer and enough water or stock to cover and bring to appropriate consistency. Cook for 5 minutes to warm paneer. Garnish with the dried fenugreek leaves, ground lighly by hand. Serve with rice or chapatti.

PANEER

1. 1 gallon whole milk
2. 1/4 cup lemon juice or vinegar
3. 1 tablespoon salt

1. Bring milk to boil. Add lemon juice or vinegar and cook on a simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. The milk will curdle during this time.

2.Strain the curds from the whey and discard whey. Using a couple layers of cheesecloth and a colander, drain the curds in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Use a weight, like a can of tomatoes, to press the curds into shape.

3. Remove the cheesecloth the day and reserve the paneer for use.

Chef Geeta at Las Cosas

We are fortunate that so many wonderful cooks and chefs come to Las Cosas in Santa Fe. Recently we had the privilage of a class with Chef Geeta of the Hush Supper Club in Washington, D.C. The first thing she tells you about herself is that she is not a chef, but she was taught to cook by her mother and has thoroughly absorbed the principles of the cuisine of her family's native Gujarat. That is the second thing she tells you , that her family is from this region of India. Gujarat is a bit north of Bombay, now called Mumbai, and the modern state was created in 1960. The third thing she tells you is that she is a Jain.

Jainism is one of thee ancient religions of India; the other two are Hinduism and Buddhism. The core principle in Jainism is a complete commitment to non-violence(ahimsa) toward all living things. Thoughts of violence as well as overt acts are to be avoided and an attitude of respect towards other beliefs and viewpoints is to be cultivated. Jains believe that there are a multiplicity of truths. They work to see issues and situations from different viewpoints which leads to increased understanding and toleration of conflicting views. (As an aside, it seems to me that the Jains have much to teach us about how we might conduct our public debates.)

Culinarily, Jains are vegetarians and avoid eating root vegetables since the plant is killed in harvesting.So, there are no potatoes, garlic, onions, carrots, radishes or turnips in their cooking.They will,however, eat turmeric and ginger since these plants are rhizomes and are not killed in harvesting.

Jain cooks make up for the lack of onions and garlic by using specific spices which provide the sulfurous character that we associate with onions. One of the major spices used in Jain cooking is asafetida (hing). Th spice cames in four main forms:tears, blocks, pieces and powder. The powder is the easiest from to used and is readily available in Indian and international groceries. It smells like sulfur in its raw form, but calms down considerably in cooking. Adding it to food , especially the legumes which are so prevalent in this cuisine reduces flatulence.

Another spice that is used often is ajwain or Bishop's weed. It is a close relative of cumin and its seeds taste hot and bitter. Ajwain is often used in Indian snacks to give them some added punch.

Chef Geeta's spice box. Just as colors in a painters palette are essential to a painting, these spices provide the color for our palates in cooking.

Black salt is also used. From The Spice and Herb Bible,"Black salt is  true rock salt... which is usually ground into a fine pink powder.... Black salt has a particularly sulphurous aroma, much of which dissapates during cooking, is in my opinion the best salt for seasoning any Indian recipes. Black salt complements seafood and combines well with asafedtida, cumin, garam masala and amchur powder in that deliciously spiced salt blend, chaat masala."

Cardamon is another much-used spice. It comes in green and black varieties with green being the more prized variety. Whole cardamom seeds have a sweet flavor. When they are crushed they release a camphorous odor and the taste is bittersweet. Throughout India cardamom flavors both savories and desserts.

One of the most valuable tips I learned was how to judge the ripeness of a mango. Always when you find them in the grocery stores in North America, they are rock hard. I learned this evening that most often I had not let them ripen enough before using them.  Put them in a paper bag for 5 to 10 days until they perfume your entire house with their sweet floral aroma.

The skin of a perfectly ripened mango should be wrinkled and have changed to a deep golden color.

Another very important tip for all who aspire to cook Indian food is how to infuse the spices. You must heat them in the oil or butter so that their flavor will permeate the dish. Some cookbooks refer to this as blooming the spices. Whatever you call it, this is a most important step in all Indian cuisine.

Maiko no Chino (spicy creamed corn),Green Beans with Ajwain and Cucumber and Mint Raita

The Green Beans with Ajwain were very easy to prepare and perfectly seasoned. I could have made a meal out of this dish alone.

GREEN BEANS WITH AJWAIN

(serves 4 to 6)

1. 1 pound green beans, stemmed and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
2. 2 tablespoons grapeseed or similar high heat oil
3. 2 teaspoons ajwain seeds
4. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
5. 1/4 teaspoon asafetida
6. 1/2 cup raw peanuts
7. 4-6 small green chilies, minced
8. 1 teaspoon salt

Boil green beans for 5-7 minutes, or until slightly soft, but not too tender

In a medium skillet, heat oil for 1 minute on high heat

Once the oil is heated, add ajwain,turmeric, asafetida and 4 green chiles. Let cook for 1 minute, or until you can smell the spices infuse.

Turn down to medium heat and add peanuts. Stir and let cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add green beans and salt and cook for 5 minutes.

Add aditional green chilies if desired.

Turn heat to low, cover and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until beans are tender.

Chef Geeta is extremely personable and engaging. I can easily imagine her to be the perfect host who will tell fascinating stories of her people and heritage while at the same time being totally attentive to her guests. A note for my friends who live in Washington, D.C., check out the Hush Supper Club and make a reservation. I don't think you will be disappointed.

 

 

 

 

An Indian Dinner

We had friends over the other evening for dinner. There are two things they love in the food world, lamb and Indian (as in the subcontinent) flavors. We had a wonderful meal. Two of the dishes Lamb Vindaloo and Potatoes with Cauliflower are well-known standards. The third , Gujarati Cabbage, was a new dish to me. It turned out that they made a superlative trio.Worth adding to your repertoire if, like me and our friends, you enjoy Indian flavors and lamb.

 

I've offered a vindaloo recipe before, but this one is distinguished by being cooked in the slow cooker. The slow cooker is a wonderful invention and can greatly simplify meal preparation. This version is from America's Test Kitchens' Slow Cooker Revolution.

LAMB VINDALOO

1. 3 onions, minced
2. 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3. 3 tablespoons sweet paprika*
4. 8 garlic cloves, minced
5. 2 tablespoons tomato paste
6. 4 teaspons ground cumin
7. 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
8. 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
9. 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
10. 1 cup chicken broth plus extra as needed
11. 3 tablespoons Minute tapioca
12. 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
13. 2 bay leaves
14. 1 teaspoon sugar
15. 4 pound boneless lamb should roast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
16. Salt and pepper
17. 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Heat oil; add onions paprika, garlic, tomato paste, cumin, cardamom and cayenne in a bowl, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes, transfer to slow cooker.

Stir in tomatoes with juice, broth, tapioca, vinegar, bay leaves and sugar. Season lamb with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until lamb is tender, 9 to 12 hours on low or 5 to 7 hours on high.

Let stew settle for 10 minutes, then remove fat from surface. Discard bay leaves. Stir in cilantro, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with Basmati rice.

*If you want to increase the heat in this, use agridulce paprika and just a bit more cayenne.

Raghavan Iyer offers this recipe for

POTATOES WITH CAULIFLOWER (Aloo Gobi)

(6 servings)

1. 1/4 cup vegetable oil
2. 1 teaspoon cumin seed
3. 1 large onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
4. 5 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
5. 2 tablespoons gingerroot, finely chopped
6. 3 medium red potatoes (1 pound), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
7. 1 medium head cauliflower (2 pounds), separated into flowerets
8. 1/2 cup chopped fresh fenugreek leaves or 1/2 cup chopped watercress leaves
9. 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
10. 1 tablespoon coriander seed, ground
11. 1 teaspoon cumin seed, ground
12. 1 teaspoon salt,
13. 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
14. 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
15. 1 cup water
16. 2 medium tomatoes, chopped ( 1 1/2 cups)

Heat oil in wok or 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cumin seed; sizzle 30 seconds.

Add onion garlic and gingerroot; stiry-fry about 5 minutes or until onion is golden brown. Add potatoes; stir-fry 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook 5 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients except water and tomatoes; stir-fry 2 minutes. Stir in water. Cover and cook about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in tomatoes. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until tomatoes are hot.

To simplify preparation I made this dish up until "stir in the tomatoes" before company arrived. When it was time to get ready, all I had to do was add the tomatoes and heat the dish.

TIP. It is well worth investing in an electric spice grinder and grinding the amount of spice you need from seed. The flavors are more pungent and the seeds keep longer in your pantry than the already ground spices.

 

This recipe for Gujarati Cabbage was found in the archives of Saveur magazine.

GUJARATI CABBAGE

(serves 6 to 8)

1. 1 green cabbage, cored and shredded
2. Koster salt, to taste
3. 2 tablespoons oil
4. 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
5. 2 teaspoons asafetida
6. 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
7. 10 fresh curry leaves*
8. 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
9. 3 plum tomatoes, chopped
10. 3 Italian frying peppers, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise
11. 1 serrano chile, thinly sliced
12. 5 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro
13. 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
14. 2 tablespoons sugar

Toss cabbage and salt in a bowl. Let wilt for 1 hour. Squeeze excess liquid from cabbage; set aside.

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds, asafetida, cumin, and curry leaves; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add reserved cabbage, turmeric, tomatoes, peppers and serrano; cook, stirring, until cabbage is crisp-tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in cilantro, lime juice ad sugar. Season with salt; cook until flavors are blended, 3 to 5 inutes.

*Fresh curry leaves can be hard to find. If you can't locate any, just omit the ingredient. Fresh leaves can be frozen and then defrosted as needed.

The trick to cooking this dish is to have everything chopped or sliced ahead of time. Pre-measure the spices into small dishes and have them ready to go. Line up the ingredients in the order they will go into the dish and cooking will be a snap.

Ghee

A few days ago I was looking over my posts on Indian food and realized that, even though ghee is frequently called for as an ingredient in the recipes, I had never provided a recipe for it. Ghee is butter which has been cooked until the milk solids have been browned and the water has boiled off.  The remaining butter is strained through cheesecloth. It keeps indefinitely in the refrigerator and has a much higher burning point than regular butter. This recipe is from Jennifer McLagen's Fat--a wonderful cookbook that I have written about earlier in this blog.

GHEE

(makes about 3/4 cup)

• 1/2 pound unsalted butter

Cut the butter into small pieces and place them in a small, heavy saucepan over low heat. Once the butter has melted, increase the heat just until the butter simmers. As the butter simmers, a layer of white foam will form on the top and the butter will bubble and spit as the water boils off. After about 10 minutes, the spitting and bubbling will stop.

Now the milk solids on the bottom of the pan will begin to color. Watch the butter carefully at this point, using a spoon to push aside the foam to check the color of the milk solids. When they turn brown and you can smell a sweet, nutty aroma, remove the pan from the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes, allowing the flavor of the browned milk solids to infuse the ghee.

Carefully strain the ghee through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a double layer of sheesecloth into a clean glass jar, leaving the browned milk solids behind. When cool cover the jar and keep the ghee refrigerated. It can also be frozen.

Ms. McLagen suggests saving the milk solids and adding them to rice and vegetable dishes.