Building blocks of Indian Curries - The Additives

One Page Cookbooks Building blocks of Indian Curries (3 of 3) – The Additives All recipes copyrighted. No reproduction / commercial use without permission. Siramki@Gmail.com
1.: Fresh Vegetables Bitter gourd, Snake gourd, Ridge gourd, Bottle gourd, Pointed gourd, Ash gourd, Squash, Egg plant, Cluster beans, Broad beans, Okra, Cucumber, Radish, Carrot, Drumstick, Yam, Tapioca, Colacasia, Spinach, Fenugreek leaves, Beetroot, Turnip etc have been used in Indian cuisine for thousands of years. Potatoes, Cauliflower, Tomatoes, Cabbage, French beans, Sweet potato, Mushroom, Bell peppers, Baby corn etc came to be used in the past 500 years and are still not used in orthodox / temple cuisines.	Indian Curries: This cookbook lists the common additives used in Indian curries. Traditionally most additives are simmered in the curry till they are cooked. However, precooking them before adding to the curry greatly reduces the cooking time. Cooking Vegetables Easy cook vegetables like carrot, capsicum, mushroom, spinach, ridge gourd etc can be stir fried for a few minutes. Hardy tubers like potato, colocasia, sweet potato, tapioca are pressure cooked. Other vegetables like eggplant, gourds , squash etc can be stir fried etc can be cooked in boiling water or microwaved before being added to the curry. Vegetables like radish, ash gourd, turnips, cauliflower can be directly cooked in the curry or can be boiled / microwaved and then added. Cooking Paneer Raw paneer disintegrates when simmered for long. So it is chopped and stir fried for a minute before being mixed in with the curry. Cooking dry pulses: Chickpeas, kidney beans, black eyed beans etc are soaked overnight, drained, and pressure cooked for 2-3 whistles with water. Fresh pulses cook fast and can be added straight to the curry. Sprouting pulses: Most dry pulses are soaked overnight in water, drained and bundled in a cloth, which is sprinkled periodically with water to keep it moist. They start germinating in a day and can be used raw in salads / curries. Kidney beans however are toxic and cannot be eaten raw. Cooking fish / sea food.: Fish / sea food cook fast and can be added directly to the simmering curry and cooked for 5 – 10 minutes. They can also be briefly stir fried and added to the curry. Cooking Chicken: Add a cup of chopped chicken to a pressure cooker and pressure cook for two whistles. Cooking Mutton :Add a cup of chopped mutton and half a cup of water and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Beef / pork can be cooked like mutton. Marination :Meats / seafood can be marinated in yogurt- ginger garlic – garam masala paste before being cooked. This tenderizes them and adds an extra layer of flavour. Lemon juice / papaya paste and a variety of spice powders can also be mixed in the marinade . Tougher meats can be marinated overnight. Fish / seafood need under an hour of marination. Before pressure cooking meats can be stir fried for a few minutes, which caramalises them and makes them flavourful. Marinated / raw meats can also be added directly to the curry and simmered for 30 – 45 minutes. Using Cooked stuff: Sun dried lentil paste is usually fried and added to curries. Papads can be torn and added raw to curries or roasted / fried and then added. Koftas can be steamed / fried first. Pakodis are deep fried. Spiced lentil balls are steamed / microwaved before being added. Special techniques: Vegetables like colocasia, some tubers & eggplant are cooked with a bit of tamarind without which they may irritate the mouth. Banana stem is chopped, steeped in water and swirled with a stick, which collects the inedible fibers. Banana flower is peeled from the bracts, the stick like portion removed, chopped up and boiled/ stir fried. Spinach and a whole range of edible greens are stir fried or boiled before being used. Bitter gourd is smeared with salt, which draws out the bitter juices. It is then washed and cooked. Many beans have their fibrous edges peeled before being chopped.
2.: Paneer When an acid ( lemon juice / vinegar) is added to milk brought to a boil, the milk solids separate. These are filtered and pressed in blocks to make the Paneer. Milk was considered holy and ‘spoiling’ it by adding an acid was not accepted. So India had to wait till Paneer was brought in by the moguls. It is chiefly used in North India, which shows the most Moghul influence. Paneer is usually cut into thick chunks, stir fried and mixed in with the simmering curry.
3.: Fruits Mango ( both raw and ripe), pineapple and apple are the most common fruits used in Indian curries. Muglai cuisine uses a lot of dried fruits like figs and raisins.
4.: Fresh / Dry Pulses / Sprouts Smaller lentils like Tuvar dal / Mung dal are used as a curry base, whereas larger peas, beans and lentils are used as vegetable substitutes in many curries. Chick peas, green peas, Kidney beans, whole urad dal, black eyed peas are used. The dried ones are soaked overnight in water, pressure cooked and simmered with the curry Fresh dals are seasonal and when available they can be added straight to the curry. Many dals are sprouted and can be directly added to curries, without any cooking..
5.: Sun dried Vegetables In arid regions, sun drying is the easiest way to preserve food. The sun dried vegetables can be added straight to the simmering curry or shallow fried in oil and then mixed in.
6.: Eggs Chicken eggs are commonly used in many Indian curries. Eggs can be cracked into the simmering curry or hard boiled eggs can be chopped and used.
7.: Fish / Sea food Sea fish is much loved throughout the 7000 kms long Indian coastline. Fish / sea food cook fast and can be washed and directly added to the simmering curry. Coastal areas prefer sea fish (Kerala, West coast, Tamilnadu). Interior regions relish freshwater fish (Bengal, North East). King fish and pomfret are the most popular sea fishes.
8.:.Meat Mutton is the most popular ( and the most expensive) meat used in India, followed by chicken. Beef and pork are used in some regions ( Coorg, Goa, North east). The Portuguese popularized Pork on the west coast. Syrian Christians and Arab Muslims popularized beef throughout Kerala.
9.: Cooked Stuff Spiced lentil paste (fermented or plain) is sun dried in various shapes across India. They can be fried and added to the curry. Lentil dough or a mixture of lentil and cereal dough is rolled into thin circles and sun dried into papads. They are fried/ roasted, crushed and added to curries. Small dumplings stuffed with paneer / mashed vegetables ( Kofta), Pakodi( deep fried, batter dipped vegetables) are also popular additives. They are chiefly used In areas where fresh vegetables are scarce. Spiced lentil balls ( soaked Tuvar dal/ chana dal are coarsely ground with chilies and salt, shaped into lemon sized balls and steamed) is a popular south Indian additive .
10.: Others Regional specialties include Bamboo shoots ( Coorg, North east), Banana Stem, Colocasia leaves, Ridge gourd skin, Snake gourd seeds, Banana flowers, Neem flower ( Tamilnadu), Pumpkin flowers, Young jack fruit, Jack fruit seeds, Tapioca, Raw banana (Kerala), desert berries like Sangria, Ker, Rajasthan), Lotus stems , puffed lotus seeds ( north India), Fermented soy beans ( North east), Cashew nuts, Pistachio, Almonds, Raisins ( Muglai), Peanuts ( Maharashtra), a huge variety of fresh / dried local lentils, Leafy greens ( pan India) etc.. Cereal dough / cooked or raw gram flour dough / cooked and torn flatbreads are added to the simmering curry and cooked in it like fresh pasta in parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat ( Dhokli, Gatta, Pathod, Pathoondri).

Building blocks of Indian Curries - The Flavouring

One Page Cookbooks Building blocks of Indian Curries (2 of 3) – The Flavouring All recipes copyrighted. No reproduction / commercial use without permission. Siramki@Gmail.com
1.: Coriander Seeds These dried berries are widely used across India as a powder mixed in with the simmering curry, lending the curry a warm, nutty flavour. The powder also acts as a thickener. It is a key component of south Indian Sambar powder and north Indian garam masala, two of the most common spice mixes used in India. Mild spice - can be used liberally.	Indian Curries: It is humbling to know that most of the popular Indian flavourings came to us from Central Asia and the new world Most Indian flavourings come from just two plant families. The Apiaceae or Umbelliferae family (Hollow stemmed aromatic plants) gives us cumin, anise, coriander seeds, cilantro, caraway, royal cumin, asafetida & fennel. The ginger family (Zingiberaceae) gives us turmeric, cardamom and ginger. All these spices were once used across India, but north Indian cuisine lost the use of harsher flavourings like mustard, turmeric and asafetida, instead relying on milder (and more expensive) spices like cinnamon, cardamom, clove, saffron, and garam masala probably due to the Moghul influence. However, in pockets of north India (especially Kashmir, Gujarat, Bihar and Bengal), we still see the extensive use of mustard, turmeric and asafetida. General guidelines : # Whole spices always have a greater flavour when they are roasted and ground. # Ground spices lose their flavour dramatically on long storage. Buy them in small packets and use fast. # Fresh herbs are usually added to the curry at the very end, whole spices are usually fried in oil, and spice powders are usually mixed in with the simmering curry. # Do not burn spices. It is better not to use spices than to use burnt spices as a flavouring # A strange spice / oil can put people off a curry. Use them sparingly. # Using too much flavouring is the surest way to spoil a curry. # Usually a very strong spice ( say asafetida) is not used with a delicate spice (say saffron) # Delicate spices are not cooked for long. # Know regional preferences. Brahmins / Orthodox Hindus do not use elaborate flavourings. Moghul cuisine does not use strong flavourings like fenugreek / turmeric / asafetida. Curry leaves, red chilies, asafetida and mustard is used in almost all south Indian curries. Chopped cilantro can be used to garnish almost all Indian curries. Coriander seeds, Cumin. Ginger. Garlic &, Chili are used across India.
2.: Cumin The tiny seeds (actually fruits) of the plant Cuminum cyminum are fried whole or mixed in as a powder in many north Indian curries. Cumin blended with coconut and chilies is frequently used in South Indian curries. It lends a warm flavour and a strong aroma. Many Indian languages borrow the word from central Asian Dzira, through Sanskrit Jra (to digest) as cumin aids in digestion. Cumin is a popular spice across the world. (It is often confused with caraway (carum carvi / foreign cumin). A smaller, black fruit from the same family (Bunium persicum) called black cumin / royal cumin is occasionally used in North Indian curries. Mild spice - can be used liberally.
3.: Chili Introduced to India by the Portuguese 500 years back, chili was wholeheartedly embraced by Indian cuisine, almost totally replacing black pepper in most curries. Chili powder is mixed in with the simmering curry / chopped fresh green chilies / torn dry red chilies are mixed in with the simmering curry, or stir fried in oil. Different varieties of chilies with varying degrees of heat are used across India. The seeds pack most heat and smaller chilies have more heat than larger ones.
4.: Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is the underground stem (rhizome) of a plant in the ginger family. It is mostly used as a powder, especially in South Indian curries. It imparts a deep yellow colour and an earthy flavour to curries. It is anti bacterial and is used in many Indian pickles. Strong spice. Use sparingly.
5.: Garam Masala is the most popular spice mix used in north Indian ( especially Moghul) curries. It is a powdered mix of various combinations of toasted and ground cinnamon, peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, long pepper, cumin, royal cumin, cardamom (black, green), nutmeg, star anise, mace, dry ginger, fennel, caraway and coriander seeds. Each region has its own version, omitting some and emphasizing some ingredients. Prepackaged versions are commonly available. A few pinches of garam masala is usually mixed in with the simmering curry just a few minutes before it is taken off heat.
6.: Mustard Seeds is one of the oldest spices of India, used widely in Kashmir, Gujarat, East India and especially South India. Almost all south Indian curry recipes start with, "fry a pinch of mustard ". When fried it imparts a mild nutty flavour to curries. Mustard powder / paste is never used in curries (except in Bengal), but is widely used in almost all Indian pickles. Mustard oil is the preferred fat in East India. Mustard is also a part of the famous five spice mix of East India- the panch phoron.
7.: Oils Different regions prefer different oils, which impart different flavours to food. Sesame oil is preferred in south India, coconut oil along the west coast (and in all of Kerala), Peanut oil in Andhra & Maharashtra, Mustard oil in East India and Kashmir, Butter and ghee in Punjab and most of north India. Refined vegetable oils are now used across regions.
8.:. Asafetida is a resin extracted from the stem and root of the plant ferula asafetida (commonly called giant fennel) native to Iran. It is available as a hard resin and as a powder (mixed with rice flour and gum arabic to prevent caking). When fried in oil, it mimics the flavour of onion - garlic. Onion / garlic were considered aphrodisiacs and are not eaten by orthodox Hindus, nor used in any temple cuisine. Asafetida is used in their place. The Moghul influenced north Indian cuisine does not use asafetida as extensively as south Indian cuisine, where it is added to almost all curries. It is has a very strong odour and is stored separately in airtight containers. It is usually fried in oil or boiled with the simmering curry. It is antimicrobial and is used in many south Indian pickles. Strong spice - use sparingly.
9.: Ginger - Garlic Chopped ginger / garlic or the readily available ginger- garlic paste is stir fried in oil right at the beginning while cooking most north Indian curries.
10.: Other Flavourings Curry leaves, mint, cilantro, dry red chilies, fenugreek seeds, saffron, nutmeg, mace, pepper corns, fennel, nigella (nigella sativa) , lichens, ajwain (carom), black salt, mango powder, pomegranate powder and various spice mixes ( masalas) listed below are used across the country. South Indian Sambar powder : 2 : 1 mixture of coriander powder, chili powder with a bit of other spices. Bengali Panch phoran,: Equal quantities of whole mustard, cumin, fennel, fenugreek and nigella. Sindhi Dhan Jeera: Equal measures of toasted and ground cumin and coriander seeds. Marathi Goda masala : Roast & ground coriander seeds, cumin, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, bay leaves & lichens ( dagadh phool). Kashmiri vari / ver Masala : Fennel, caraway, bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, fenugreek, peppercorn, mace, star anise & nutmeg roasted and ground together. Chat masala : Roast and ground mixture of cumin, pepper, black salt, mango powder, ginger powder, garam masala, chili & coriander seeds. Goan Bafat Masala : Roast and ground mixture of dry red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon and peppercorns.

Building blocks of Indian Curries - The base

One Page Cookbooks Building blocks of Indian Curries (1 of 3) – The Base All recipes copyrighted. No reproduction / commercial use without permission. Siramki@Gmail.com
1.: Raw Yogurt Curries (North Indian Raita, Tamil Thayir Pachadi) The simplest curry of them all. Raw yogurt mixed with raw / cooked vegetables is consumed across India. Pan Indian Recipe: Mix in half a handful of chopped onions / cucumber/ tomato/ carrots and 2 pinches of salt in a cup (200 ml) of yogurt.	Indian Curries: Anything eaten mixed with Indian staples (rice / flatbreads) is referred to as a curry in this cookbook. Most curries are flavoured with Indian spices (chiefly coriander, cumin, chilies etc ). The bewildering array of Indian curries is built from just a handful of bases listed on the left. Combine these bases with a variety of flavouring & additives - you get a never ending variety of curries. Once you get this big picture, you can mix and match bases to your heart’s content and never go wrong. More Lentil Curries Paruppu thogayal : Roasted lentils are blended to a paste with chilies, tamarind and salt. Paruppu /Parippu : Boiled and mashed tuvar / mung dal or even urad dal ( Kashmir) is eaten mixed with rice and ghee. Mashed fresh lentils used as a base in curries like Uttar Pradesh’s Nimona. Podi : Roasted lentils are blened to a powder with red chilies and salt. Roasted & powdered dals are used as a curry base as in Chainsoo & Bhatwani. More Coconut Curries Kootu : Coconut- cumin- green chilies are blended to a paste and vegetables are simmered in this base. A huge variety of Kerala curries use coconut / coconut milk as a base. More Yogurt Curries Rezala : This mugal curry has a variety of meats / vegetables simmered in yogurt flavoured by Muglai spices. Onion curries Dopyaza : Meat / vegetables are cooked in a base of Onion paste. Tomato Curries : Tomato takes the place of Tamarind in many recipes, creating milder tomato curries like Tamil Tomato Kulambu, Tomato Rasam, Bengali Jhol etc., Other Curries : Mustard – chili paste mixed with tamarind / vinegar / lemon juice forms the base for a variety of Pickles, / Tamil Thokku. No base is required for a bariety of dry curries like Khoja muslim kachumber, Tamil, Poriyal, Tamil Sundal, Chettinad Perattal, Andhra Kura, Kannada Paalya or the North Indian Sukhi Sabji. A variety of vegetables / sprouts are create these no-base, dry curries. Sun dried lentil paste is crushed and used as a dry curry as in Tamil Vatrals, Vadam/ Orissa Badi Chura / Jain Papad Choori. A variety of stuff is blended to a paste with chilies and a souring agent to create innumerable chutneys across India like peanut chutney, Marwari Lashun Chutney, Mangalore Catholic Galambi Chutney, Mango chutney , street food chutneys , Kodava Ellu Paji etc North Eastern curries are very different from regular Indian curries and show the south east asian influence. Ghee and Yogurt are probably the most used ‘curries’ across India. They are used as a dipping sauce / spread for flatbreads or eaten mixed with rice.
2.: Lentil Curries (North Indian Dal, Andhra Pappu, Konkani Dali Toy, Tamil Paruppu masiyal, ) Tuvar dal and Mung dal are cooked to a mush and eaten with rice / flatbreads across India. Pan Indian Recipe: In a pressure cooker with the lid open, add a spoon of oil. Add two pinches of cumin and half a handful of chopped onion. Stir and cook for a minute. Add a chopped green chili, half a cup of tuvar dal, a cup( 200 ml) of water, three pinches of salt. Pressure cook for 3 whistles.
3.: Spinach Curries (North Indian Saag, Tamil Keerai Masiyal) A huge variety of spinach is stir fried / boiled, mashed and used as a base for many Indian curries. Pan Indian Recipe : In a pressure cooker with lid open, add a spoon of oil. Add half a handful of chopped onion. Stir and cook for a minute. Add a chopped green chili, three cups of chopped spinach and half a spoon of ginger garlic paste. Pressure cook for three whistles. Let cool and mash.
4.: Cooked Yogurt Curries ( North Indian Kadhi, Tamil More Kulambu, Andhra Majjiga Pulusu, Kannada Mosaru Baaji,) Pan Indian Recipe : Mix in two pinches each of chili powder, salt and a pinch of turmeric powder in a cup of yogurt. Simmer for 3- 5 minutes, with constant stirring. ( North Indian version uses gram flour for thickening and south Indian versions mix in coconut – cumin paste).
5.: Milk Curries (Muglai Korma, Tamil Kuruma, Kannada Saagu)) Cooking with milk is a mogul technique and many North Indian curries use milk / cream as a base. Replace milk with coconut milk / coconut paste and you get the south Indian version. Pan Indian Recipe: Heat a spoon of ghee. Add a pinch of fennel, a bit of cinnamon, a crushed cardamom, a slit green chili, a bit of ginger garlic paste and a handful of chopped mushrooms. Stir and cook for a minute. Mix in a cup of milk (North Indian version) or coconut milk (South Indian version). Mix in a pinch of garam masala and two pinches of salt. Simmer gently for 3 - 5 minutes.
6.: Onion - Tomato Curries ( Masala) Pan Indian Recipe :: Mushroom masala. Heat a spoon of butter. Add a handful of chopped mushrooms. Cook for a minute. Add a handful of chopped onions, tomatoes and a spoon of ginger garlic paste. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Mix in three pinches of garam masala, chili powder and salt. Let simmer for 5 minutes, adding more water if needed.
7.: Raw Coconut Curries (Andhra Kobbari pachadi, Kerala Thenga Chammandi, Tamil Thenga Thogayal, Tamil Coconut Chutney ) Coconut is a key building block of many south Indian curries South Indian Recipe : Take a handful of chopped coconut. Add a chopped green chili, three pinches of salt and blend to a paste.
8.:. Tamarind Curries (Tamil Kulambu, Andhra Pulusu, Kannada Gojju) Tamarind is another key building block of many south Indian curries. South Indian Recipe : Garlic Kulambu. Heat a spoon of oil. Add a handful of garlic cloves. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Mix a spoon of tamarind paste in a cup of water. Add three pinches of coriander powder, two pinches of chili powder & salt. Add to pan & simmer for 10 mins.
9.: Special Bases A variety of curry bases are used in different regions. Mustard paste ( Bengali shorshe jhol), Poppy seed paste ( Bengali / Orissa posto), Gram flour paste (Marathi Pithale), Fruit puree ( Rajasthani Mathira), Vinegar ( Goan Vindaloo), Lentil stock (Tamil Rasam , Andhra chaaru), Meat stock ( Muglai curries) , Nut paste ( Muglai Korma), Mashed vegetables (Tamil Masiyal. North Indian Bhartha, Bihari Choka), Raw Tamarind ( Kongunadu Pacha puli Rasam) etc.,
10.: Mixed bases It is a little known fact that any mixture of the above bases gives an authentic Indian curry. Some of the popular mixes are listed below: Lentil + Spinach : Kerala Molagootal, North Indian Daal Palak, Tamil Paruppu keerai Lentil + Coconut + Spinach : Tamil Keerai Kootu Lentil + Tamarind: Tamil Sambar, Marathi Aamti, Gujarathi Khatti Dal Coconut + yogurt : Konkani Tambli, Kerala Aviyal Coconut + Lentil : Tamil Kootu Lentil + Onion / tomato : North Indian Masala Dal, Andhra Tomato pappu Tamarind + Yogurt : Tamil Iru Puli Kulambu Spinach + Coconut + Yogurt : Soppina Tambli Spinach + Tamarind : Keerai Thuvaiyal Spinach + Coconut + Lentils : Tamil Keerai Kootu Coconut milk + Tamarind / Kokkum : Saraswat Sol Kadi, Tamil Thengapal Kulambu