ELECTRIC FOOD PROCESSOR The traditional grinding stone of Indian kitchens, which is heavy and labor intensive, is now replaced with the modern food processor—a time-saving tool par excellence for busy cooks. Essential ingredients like onion, chili peppers, garlic, and ginger can be made into pastes very quickly in these electrically powered machines. The food processor can be used to chop or mince vegetables and fresh herbs, cutting down considerably on prep time. I recommend a food processor that has a capacity of 7 to 10 cups. To pulverize small quantities of ingredients, make sure the blades sit close to the bottom. However, when chopping very small amounts of fresh garlic, onions, chili peppers, or ginger, a chef’s knife is more practical.
ELECTRIC SPICE GRINDER OR COFFEE GRINDER I highly recommend investing in a spice or coffee grinder. It is one of the most important tools that you will use in Indian cooking. I use it to coarsely or finely grind dry whole spices. It works in seconds, and cleanup—not always necessary after each spice—is very simple. I personally use the Cuisinart Spice and Nut Grinder, which is available for under $40. The ability of electric coffee grinders to grind coffee beans also makes them ideally suited for a wide range of spices, such as cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks (broken up), cardamom, and bay leaves. They can grind as little as a teaspoon to as much as half a cup. For larger volumes of whole spices, a blender works surprisingly well. I strongly recommend that you invest in a spice grinder or coffee grinder as it will make your cooking process very simple and the results very flavorful. If do you use a coffee grinder, reserve it for spices only; otherwise, you will end up with cumin-flavored coffee.
CAST-IRON SKILLETS AND GRIDDLES Small cast-iron skillets are ideal for dry roasting spices because they brown them evenly without the need to add any cooking fat or liquid. Always preheat your cast-iron pan before frying in it. A large cast-iron skillet or griddle is excellent for making Indian flatbreads such as Whole Wheat Griddle Bread (page 122). Traditionally, these breads are cooked in a tava, a round, concave, cast-iron griddle that is available in South Asian grocery stores. New cast-iron pans should be seasoned before use. To season a cast-iron pan, rub a relatively thin coat of neutral oil all around the inside of the pan. Place the cast-iron pan upside-down in a cold oven with a sheet of aluminum foil on the bottom to catch any drips. Set the oven to 300°–400°F (150°–200°C) and let the pan heat for 30–60 minutes. Once done, let the pan cool to room temperature. Repeating this process several times is recommended. Never put cold liquid into a very hot cast-iron pan; doing so might crack and damage the pan. Cast iron is a great alternative to nonstick cooking surfaces. Cast iron can be pre-heated to temperatures that will brown meat and will withstand oven temperatures well above what is considered safe for nonstick pans. You can cook almost any food in cast-iron cookware. It is a natural nonstick surface, and if your pan is seasoned correctly, food will not stick to it.
KADHAI, KARAHI OR KADAI This is a deep pan similar in shape to the Chinese wok. A kadhai is traditionally made out of cast iron although other materials such as stainless steel and copper are sometimes used, and nonstick versions also exist. It is ideal for deep-frying, Indian style (talna), because the rounded bottom allows you to use a relatively small quantity of oil while providing enough depth in the center to submerge foods. The kadhai is also used for stir-frying vegetables. There are decorative ones that are best used for serving, not cooking. A small wok about 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter is a close substitute for a kadhai.
An Introduction to Indian Ingredients
The following is a description of some of the most commonly used Indian ingredients. Many of the ingredients and spices used in this book are found in well-stocked supermarkets. These include cumin, coriander, turmeric, mace, black pepper, ginger, paprika, cayenne pepper, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom. Some others are carried in South Asian or Indian food markets or are available by mail and on the internet (see Shopping Guide, page 140).
Indian cuisine has always been very receptive to spices and ingredients from other cuisines and cultures. For example, in India and in Indian homes around the world, it is very common to use Sriracha chili sauce or soy sauce to jazz up Indian stir-fry dishes or dipping sauces that are inspired by other Asian cuisines. (See Spiced Crab Cakes, page 82, and Dried Bombay Beef, page 106.)
In this book I use some ingredients that are not used in a traditional Indian kitchen. Olive oil is one of them. Even though in most cases Indian recipes call for any neutral-flavored vegetable oil (for example, canola, safflower, or corn oil), olive oil is a healthier alternative. I use it often to drizzle over salads (Sweet Potato and Sprout Salad, page 44) and sometimes for lighter cooking and simple vegetable dishes.
Traditionally whole-milk yogurt is hung in a muslin cloth to drain out all the whey to create the creamy, thick yogurt known as “hung curd” that is ideal for many authentic Indian recipes—particularly to marinate chicken or meats and make creamy sauces and dips. Rather than take the time to hang plain yogurt at home, I use either sour cream or the increasingly available thick, Greek-style plain yogurt. Both are perfect alternatives for the Indian thick, creamy yogurt.
Storage Tips for Spices and Herbs
Ideally, it is best to buy all dry spices in their whole form. Whole spices will stay fresh generally five to six months longer than pre-ground spices. It’s a good habit to smell ground spices before using them; if their smell is very faint, it’s time to replace them or grind a fresh batch. Both whole and ground spices should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place in tightly covered jars. Freshly ground spices are not the same as pre-ground, store-bought spices. Freshly ground spices are far superior in flavor and aroma to pre-ground spices. Another difference is volume: Freshly ground spices have less density tablespoon for tablespoon and less volume ounce for ounce than pre-ground spices, which settle over time. You might think you would need to use more of the freshly ground spice to compensate for the greater weight of the settled, and therefore denser, pre-ground bottled spice. But because pre-ground spices are so much less potent than freshly ground, the difference in volume is not of consequence. If anything, you might need to add more of the pre-ground spice.
To prolong the life span of fresh herbs, such as fresh coriander (cilantro) and mint, wash the leaves and dry with a paper towel until the leaves are mostly, but not completely, dry. Store refrigerated, wrapped in a paper towel, inside a zip-lock bag.
Asafetida The dried, gum-like resin from the rhizome of a giant fennel-like plant is sold in both lump and ground forms. It is used in very small quantities because of its strong and pungent flavor, which is somewhat like garlic. I use and recommend the ground version because it comes mixed with rice flour and turmeric powder to mellow the flavor.
Asian Red Chili Powder or Cayenne Pepper This is a red powder made from grinding the dried, red skins of several types of chili peppers. In India, it is simply called “chili powder.” You can substitute cayenne pepper, which is commonly available in supermarkets. The Indian chili powder, which is darker in color than cayenne pepper, is available in Indian grocery stores. It adds a spicy flavor to dishes.
Bay Leaves These are long, oval, pointed and smooth leaves of a hardy evergreen shrub. The leaves are dark green when fresh and turn olive green when dry. The fresh leaves are very mild and do not develop their full flavor until several weeks after being picked and dried. They are often used whole or sometimes ground in curries and rice dishes. They are an important ingredient in the Indian spice blend, garam masala. Bay leaves are also a common fixture in the cooking of many European