Tag: Indian
Madras Curry Powder
Madras Curry Powder
While the British claim to have invented madras curry powder in th 1960’s, it can be traced back to South India in the state of Tamil Nadu in the 1700’s. The spice was commercially produced and sold to the British army and government.To make the curry powder, I recommend individually toasting all of the whole spices, since they all toast at different rates. Once all of the spices are cooled, grind all of them in a spice grinder. You can use the curry powder in a variety of South Asian curries; pairing well with just about every protein.
Equipment
- Spice grinder
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp cumin seeds
- 3 tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
- 3” cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 tbsp fenugreek seeds
- 2 star anise
- 10 curry leaves
- 8 green cardamom pods
- 1 tbsp ground turmeric
- 4 dried Kashmiri chilies
Instructions
- Individually dry toast all of the whole spices. Grind everything together in a spice grinder.
Gobi Manchurian
Gobi Manchurian
Gobi Manchurian is a popular Indo-Chinese influenced dish eaten all over India. The sauce that the fried cauliflower is tossed in is reminiscent of sweet and sour pork, but less sweet and a lot more spicy. You can eat gobi manchurian as an appetizer or with egg fried rice as a main course.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower cut into medium sized florets
- 3/4 cup corn flour
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup water
- oil for frying
Sauce
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 5 green onions white parts only; chopped
- 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 3 tbsp chili garlic sauce
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- salt to taste
- 1 cup water
Garnish
- green onions green part; chopped
Instructions
- Mix together the batter ingredients.
- Toss the cauliflower into the batter. Make sure every piece is evenly coated.
- Heat up 3” deep of vegetable oil in a small pot over medium high heat. Lightly drop some of the battered cauliflower into the oil. Fry for 6-8 minutes until they are golden brown. You will have to fry the cauliflower in a few batches.
- Drain on paper towel and set aside.
- Heat up 3 tbsp of cooking oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the green onions for 2 minutes.
- Add in the ginger garlic paste and sauté for 2 more minutes.
- Stir in the chili garlic sauce, ketchup, and soy sauce. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 1 minute.
- Add in the vinegar, sugar, black pepper, salt, and water. Simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Turn off the heat Toss the fried cauliflower into the sauce. Garnish with green onions.
Saffron Pulao
Saffron Pulao
This recipe is exactly why I make large amounts of steamed rice. The leftovers are always turned into something else; whether it’s fried rice, rice stuffed omelettes, or this saffron pulao. Pulao is kind of the Indian version of fried rice, but with completely different ingredients. The saffron gives the basmati rice a nice color and aroma while the rest of the ingredients have a balance of sweet and savory that permeates throughout the pulao. What is also great about this rice is that it takes less than 10 minutes to cook.
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice cooked and cooled
- 1/2 tsp saffron
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 1/4 cup cashews
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Soak the saffron in 1 tbsp of warm water for 5 minutes.
- Mix it in with the cooked basmati rice. Set aside.
- Heat up cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves for 1 minute.
- Add in the golden raisins and cashews. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the rice. Sauté for 5 minutes.
