Weave a Thousand Flavors

Cauliflower and Peas in aromatic spices from the kitchens of Gujarat, India

Haven't you found that some of your favorite foods are also some of the simplest?

They don’t have a long list of ingredients or even a longer list of steps.

In fact, they involve taking the freshest of nature’s bounty and adding a few spices to enhance their natural sweetness and flavors. 

This creation from my grandmother’s kitchen, with fresh cauliflower tempered in mustard seeds, peas & a sprinkle of spices does exactly that and is wonderful in its freshness and simplicity.

In fact the only thing you can do wrong to this dish is over do!  

Indian Pantry Essential ~ Homemade Garam Masala

Garam masala is used extensively in North Indian and Pakistan cuisine is a spice blend that is as organic as it is singular. Garam masala ~  garam (hot) and masala (spices) is a blend of whole spices that are roasted and ground to a powder.

A spice blend that is fragrant and pungent and hence the term 'garam' here refers not to heat i.e. capsaicin content but rather to the intensity of the spices as they come together.

I consider it organic because it is a recipe that has evolved with each family.

Though varied in composition of spices and each family uses its own signature recipe its foundation remains intact. It is not unheard of that in some family recipe as many as 36 whole spices are used to blend their garam masala.

In mine we tend to stay with the masala in its classic form - coriander seeds, cumin seeds, whole cardamom pods, whole dried kashmiri red chillies, cinnamon sticks, cloves & black pepper corns.

I do add a bit of fennel seeds in mine though my mother does not and I know others who substitute it with nutmeg.

Tweak to your heart's content but know this, store bought garam masala can never come close to homemade and since it can last fragrant for up to a year if refrigerated in an airtight container, now there's simply no excuse to grind up some of your own.

And don't forget - a little goes a long way!

Dum Aloo ~ Simply Spiced Baby Potatoes from India

When baby red potato globes grace my supermarket bins in large mounds, it invariably means that Dum Aloo is about to make an appearance on the dinner or brunch table.

Dum Aloo is yet another example of how simple kitchen staples from Kashmir and North-India have been mostly over-done, over-spiced and over-creamed to point beyond recognition.

It is also the reason why I hold traditional cooks like my mother, my mother-in-law and my grand-mother who hold on to authentic recipes with hoops of steel in such esteem and reverence. I think they represent a dying breed - the last of the stalwarts who continue to carry forward recipes of their mothers and grandmothers resolute against tv-chef-doms that seems to be changing the face of traditional Indian cuisine into cream based-tomato paste versions of everything.

It therefore is startling when at a dinner party the one thing that gets rave reviews and numerous recipe requests are these potatoes from my mother-in-law's kitchen. So simple is this recipe that when I recite it in person, it is looked upon with disbelief.

A sense of - "how is it possible, that some thing so simple tastes this good? surely she's holding out on us".

Except that I am not.

It far more difficult to cook simply, to be simple and there-in lies true art.

A tale of 3 lentils - 'Traveti Dal' from Gujarat, India

There are some that things synonymous with our childhood. For me, its weekends spent at my grand parents home.  My Grandmother is a phenomenal cook and weekends at their home always meant wonderful treats and little made- from-scratch afternoon snacks. It was a time for playing, swinging from trees and listening to the National news on the radio. More often than not,  punctuated by my Grandmother's voice rising above all others as she hollered at my Granddad who invariably fell asleep reading the newspaper in the middle of the day.

Those days remind me of pyjama afternoons.

Except for meal times. Now these  were always an event as a parade of dishes would make their way into the dining area. There are certain dishes that almost always served in Gujarati meals. Chach which is a thin butter milk (hand churned of course) a selection of vegetable dishes, various pickles, steamed rice, super thin rotis  embellished with 'ghee', papads and always a dal.

In my Grandmother's home that dal would invariably be 'Traveti dal' - A wonderfully simple creation, incensed by the process of tempering (a selection of whole spices, cast into hot oil) and infused with flavor. Here, once again,' less is more'!

Srikhand ~ An Indian Treasure! Saffron & Cardamom infused Yogurt, Pistachios & Almonds

Today is cleaning day and that means I am elbow deep in chemicals that are doing God know what to my insides.

So as I was busy wiping down the counter tops, I look down and sniff only to realise that the kitchen paper towel I was using for cleaning was the same I had used to soak up the bacon grease from  breakfast....UGH!

How do these things happen to me?

Now left with the task of scrubbing the counter tops yet again, my mind drifts to a humongous bowl of yogurt that has been sitting in the refrigerator since the day before and I know that no matter how I am feeling at this moment, it is impossible to not feel instantly elevated when I am just a few steps away from my favorite dessert.

Srikhand is one of the main desserts in the Indian states of Gujarat and Maharashtra and since I have Gujarati blood flowing through my veins and Maharashtrian by geography, can there be any doubt, that I imbibed the love for Srikhand before I took my first steps?

Another reason for my addiction - my Mum! While many buy this dessert ready-made or at restaurants (phooey to that) are used to thick, cornflour hardened, somewhat sour tasting Srikhand, I grew up on my Mum's which is as sweet and smooth as silk.

Thick sweetened yogurt, infused with the scent & flavor of saffron and lavishly bestowed with nuts, can you think of anything more refreshing on a hot day?

And like any true love, this one has had me in its clutches from cradle and probably to grave which for a change is a good thing. One bite of this devilishly simple dessert and you may be joining in the chorus line singing its praises as well!

Palak Pakoras ~ Indian Style Spiced Spinach & Chickpea Fritters

 
The fact that I am fixing Palak Pakoras must mean one and only one thing ~ it's raining cats and dogs & pails!

In fact it gets much much worse. Tonight's forecast reads verbatum from the National Weather Service is as follows....

.........WINTRY MIX OF RAIN AND SLEET CHANGING OVER TO SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS... 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW AND SLEET.

So you see, pakoras it is! Pakoras and rain (or sleet) go together like Jack and Jill, cucumber and dill, Lewis and Clarke....you get the drift.

Growing up in India, I urge you to find me one family that didn't wake up on a cold rainy morning to the words "Pakora aur chai ho jaaye" which loosely translates into " Pakoras and tea it is!". Call it cultural, I call it utterly delicious.

What's not to love of besan, a chickpea batter flavored with whole spices like coriander and carom seeds, red chillies and turmeric into which is nestled fresh spinach leaves, fresh ginger and onions, globs of which are dropped into hot oil just so they rise to the surface all light and airy?

Now imagine eating these hot off the stove with piping hot chai ~ see what I mean? Some traditions are just meant to be.

So why not I give you one of mine and you give me one of yours?

 

Nothing like Homemade Ghee

 
We had some acquaintances over to dinner the other night. They are some friends of friends and we had only met them a couple of times at community gathering events. They had heard of my cooking skills (not shy am I?) and they wanted some authentic home cooked Indian grub. So we invited them.

One of the ladies saw that I was using ghee and she started talking to the other women about how she picked up a bottle of fragrant ghee at this high end organic foods store (for something like 8 or 9 bucks). Now no offense,  but I have experienced some of these ready made ghee's available in  the high end markets and all I can say is - close but no cigar!

I realized as I was stirring the dal that as long as one can get their hands on sweet cream butter (I bought 2 lbs on sale at 1.59/lb just to make ghee)  and stir a pot, you can get the most awesome, liquid, golden ghee in 45 minutes flat, for one-thirds the cost and double the quantity!

Now for those of you unfamiliar with ghee, it is also known as clarified butter and it is fantastic in  rice dishes, Indian cooking and makes a mean steak au poivre to tow -- you think I'm kidding - try it and see for yourself.

I cook my steak with nothing but - and here's why. It has a much higher burning point, than  butter and I think of it as the 'clean fuel of cooking fat'. Good term, eh?

It has no strong discernible flavor so you can use it in just about anything - roasted veggies, roasted potatoes (to die for) and almost all Indian cooking - for which olive oil has too strong a flavor and scent. Do you what my favorite food in ghee is? Fried eggs! Yummy!

A Tale of Two Graters & Delicious Dessert with Calabash Gourd ~ Doodhi Halwa from India

Growing up I always heard my Mum say "You are sooooo hard on your shoes"!

That's 'coz she didn't know what I'd grow up & do to my box grater!

 Seriously you have to see to believe what is left is left of my couple of years old box grater. You'd think I have been placing my posterior on it for hours on end - everyday! No - this is the result of normal wear and tear.