My Indian Kitchen (21 page)

4 Cover the pan and let simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Add the salt, chopped tomatoes and cook until the lamb is tender, about 10 to 15 minutes more. Serve hot garnished with the chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Pork Tenderloin with Mango Salad

Even though large cuts of meat, such as roasts or tenderloins, are not traditional in Indian cooking, I like to serve them when I want to impress a special someone! Large cuts of meat always make for an elegant and dramatic presentation—something for holidays and special occasions. I like this recipe because the flavor of Indian spices and seasonings marry well with the tender pork, and the fresh mango adds a touch of sweetness to balance the spicy heat. Here I use my favorite combination of spices and herbs to marinate the pork.

Serves 6

Prep time: 15 minutes plus 1 hour for marinating

Cook time: 15 minutes

Two 1-lb (500-g) pork tenderloins, trimmed of fat and skin

4 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon Asian chili powder or cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons Home-Style Garam Masala (page 35)

2 teaspoons plus 1 pinch of salt

Juice of 2 limes

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger

2 ripe mangoes (about 2 lbs/1 kg total), peeled, pitted and diced

1 small red onion (about 1/4 lb/125 g), chopped

1 fresh green chili pepper, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

Fresh coriander sprigs (cilantro), for garnish

1 Preheat the grill to high. Rub the pork tenderloins all over with 3 tablespoons of the oil, and then sprinkle evenly with the Asian chili powder or cayenne pepper, Home-Style Garam Masala and 2 teaspoons of the salt. Rub the tenderloins well with half of the lime juice, the garlic and ginger. Allow the tenderloins to sit, refrigerated, for 45 minutes to 1 hour before cooking.

2 Place the diced mangoes in a medium mixing bowl. Add the red onion, remaining lime juice, a pinch of salt, green chili pepper, and coriander leaves and stir to combine. Set aside.

3 Place the tenderloins on the hottest part of the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Reduce the grill temperature to low and continue to cook, turning occasionally, until a thermometer inserted into the center registers 145°F (62°C). Remove the tenderloins from the grill and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

4 Slice the tenderloins on the diagonal and serve with the mango salad and fresh coriander sprigs.

Pork Vindaloo

The term vindaloo derives from the Portuguese dish “Carne de Vinha d’ Alhos,” a dish of meat, usually pork, prepared with vinegar and garlic. This curry is one of the many tasty HOT pork dishes originally from Goa, where the cooking style combines Portuguese influences, among them the eating of pork, with fiery Indian flavors. What makes this dish unique is the combination of hot spices and vinegar. It tastes better if it is allowed to “pickle” for an entire day. Vindaloo dishes generally require an elaborate cooking process, but they are worth the effort. Though traditional vindaloos do not include potatoes, I have added some in this recipe because I feel the combination works well. I recommend that you ask your butcher to leave some fat from the skin on the meat, which imparts a good flavor into the sauce. When I was in school, I had a friend whose family had roots in Goa and they often made this pork dish—something quite ordinary to them but fascinating to me. Needless to say, I did not decline a single invitation to lunch at my friend’s house. Vindaloo is traditionally eaten with steamed rice cakes (idli) and rice pancakes (dosa), both of which, though delicious, are very time consuming to prepare. I usually don’t bother to make them and instead serve Plain Basmati Rice (page 124) or crusty French bread, which is just as tasty.

Serves 4

Prep time: 30 minutes plus at least 6 to 8 hours to marinate the pork

Cook time: 30 minutes

11/2 lbs (750 g) leg or shoulder of pork, cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) cubes

2 tablespoons malt vinegar

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons Aromatic Spice Mix (page 33)

3 fresh green chili peppers, minced

1 teaspoon salt, plus more if needed

1/4 cup (65 ml) oil

1 onion (about 1/3 lb/150 g), chopped

1 cup (200 g) Vindaloo Curry Paste (page 34)

1/4 cup (65 ml) tomato purée

4 cups (1 liter) water

1 large potato (about 2/3 lb/300 g), peeled and diced

4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

1 Place the pork cubes, vinegar, black pepper, sugar, Aromatic Spice Mix, green chili peppers and salt in a large mixing bowl. Let the pork marinate for a minimum of 6 hours in the refrigerator, preferably overnight.

2 Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the onion and sauté over medium-heat until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the Vindaloo Curry Paste and tomato purée and sauté until the fat separates from the masala, about 2 minutes. Add some water to prevent sticking, if needed.

3 Add the pork along with the marinade. Cook, stirring constantly, over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil. Add the potato, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the pork is tender and the potato is cooked, about 25 to 30 minutes. Check for seasoning and add more salt, if needed. Stir in the chopped fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.

Masala Lamb Chops Bhuni Chaamp

These chops are always a hit at barbecues. If you are looking for something spectacular that will impress your guests, but don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking, this lamb recipe is the perfect choice. The only real time to factor in is the overnight marinate, which makes the chops extremely flavorful. It takes minutes to make this simple marinade. Rub it on the chops and then let the marinade work its magic. Add a salad, potato dish or some corn on the cob and you will have an elegant summer meal in minutes.

Serves 4

Prep time: 5 minutes plus 6 to 12 hours for marinating

Cook time: 10 minutes

8 small lamb or rib chops (about 21/2 lbs/1.25 kg total), trimmed and cleaned

Salt, to season chops

Lime wedges, for garnish

Marinade

2 fresh green chili peppers

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic

One1/2-in (1.25-cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled

2 cups (100 g) fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) (from 1 small bunch)

½ cup (15 g) fresh mint leaves (from about 8 to 10 sprigs)

1 teaspoon Home-Style Garam Masala (page 35)

2 teaspoons fennel seeds, toasted and crushed

1 heaping tablespoon thick, Greek-style plain yogurt or sour cream

Juice of 1 lemon

1 Place the ingredients for the Marinade in a food processor or a blender and process to a smooth paste. Rub the paste over the chops, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

2 Heat a grill pan over high heat until almost smoking. Sprinkle the chops with salt and cook on the grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium doneness, or until lightly charred. Serve the chops with the lime wedges.

Served alongside an array of curries and dals, bread and rice are the staples of every Indian meal. Most food is eaten either with bread or rice, or both. Some rice dishes, such as biriyanis (page 125), are hearty enough to be considered the main dish, and served just with a raita or salad. Whereas rice is served in a separate bowl alongside curries and dals, Indian breads are used to sop up curries and dals and as wraps for all drier (non-curry) dishes—such as sautéed vegetables, stir-fries or kebabs. But either breads or rice can be served with both curries and dals (dishes with a “gravy” consistency) or drier dishes. When eating rice with curries or dals, many Indians eat the rice and main dish in alternating bites, using the rice to quell the heat of the food. Some spoon some of the curry or dal over the rice to flavor it. This is personal preference.

Indian breads are flatbreads, typically unleavened, and most are easy enough to be made fresh daily at every meal. With the exception of a few breads, like naan (page 134), they are made entirely or mostly with whole-grain flours and are great tasting and rich in nutrients. They are usually rolled on a flat surface with a rolling pin and cooked on a hot surface— the exception being poori (page 138), which is cooked in hot oil. The cooking skills of an Indian woman are usually judged on the roundness and the softness of the breads she cooks!

Rice is an important part of the Indian meal. For everyday meals, the type of rice used depends on which part of the country you are from. In the south, people prefer the locally available long-grain variety and the medium-grain red variety. The north Indians prefer basmati rice, which is grown in the foothills of the Himalayas. The main rice eating communities are based in the south and in the east of India, but they do serve breads along with rice. The length of the rice grain can be long or short, based on the variety of the rice chosen, but it is generally always white rice. However, brown rice is now making an appearance on Indian tables as a healthy alternative to white rice.

Plain Basmati Rice

Saada Chaaval

This simple yet very flavorful preparation of rice can be served with any Indian meal and is very common in north Indian homes. First the rice, chaval in hindi, is soaked and washed to remove the starchy powder on the grains. This helps the grains to remain as separate, individual grains and unsplit when cooked. Because basmati rice has become quite pricey, many Indians now use less expensive long-grain rice and reserve basmati only for festive occasions and parties.

Makes 4 1/2 cups (450 g) cooked rice/Serves 4

Prep time: 5 minutes plus 40 minutes for soaking

Cook time: 15 minutes

11/2 cups (315 g) uncooked basmati rice

23/4 cups (685 ml) water

1 teaspoon salt

1 Soak the rice for 30 to 40 minutes. Carefully pour out the soaking water and wash the rice in several changes of water, until the water runs clear. Leave it to drain in a fine-meshed strainer for about 15 minutes.

2 Bring the rice, water, and salt to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cook until the rice is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not stir the rice while it cooks. Lift the lid, mix gently but quickly with a fork, and cover again. Remove from the heat and let the rice rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Coconut Shrimp Biriyani

Goan Jhinga Biriyani

Biriyanis are flavorful one-pot meals loved by all Indians. Created by layering rice and meat or vegetables, they are usually elaborate dishes full of enticing flavors, and a huge part of Indian festivities such as weddings and religious occasions, especially in Muslim communities. Since they are complete meals, they are considered a great traveling food, and are typically served for dinner on trains. Though seafood or fish is not typically used to make biriyanis, here I was inspired to create my own biriyani using shrimp—a sort of Indian paella. If you have the patience to peel shrimp, buy them with the shell on. The shells can be used to make a stock for cooking the rice, creating a richer flavor. I find this delicious and hearty rice dish satisfying eaten on its own or with either a simple green salad on the side or with raita such as Cucumber and Yogurt Raita (page 45) or Avocado and Roasted Cumin Raita (page 44).

Serves 6

Prep time: 10 minutes plus 40 minutes for soaking rice

Cook time: 15 minutes

1 lb (500 g) fresh, medium-size shrimp (30 to 35), preferably with shells on, peeled, deveined and cleaned (reserve shells)

2 cups (420 g) uncooked basmati rice

2 tablespoons oil

Two 1-in (2.5-cm) cinnamon sticks

4 green cardamom pods

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 large onion (about 1/2 lb/250 g), thinly sliced

1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 small fresh green chili peppers, chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 teaspoons salt

1 small tomato (about 3 oz/85 g), chopped

1/2 cup (125 ml) coconut milk, warmed

4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), for garnish

1 If using shrimp with the shells on, place the shrimp shells and 2 cups (500 ml) of cold water in a small pot. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Let simmer for about 40 minutes. Strain the stock and set aside.

2 Soak the rice for 30 to 40 minutes. Carefully pour out the soaking water and wash the rice in several changes of water, until the water runs clear. Leave it to drain in a fine-meshed strainer for about 15 minutes.

3 Heat the oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the cinnamon, cardamom pods and black peppercorns, and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the onion and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 5 minutes. Mix in the ginger, garlic, green chili peppers, turmeric and 1 teaspoon of the salt, and cook, stirring constantly, until the ginger and garlic is cooked, about 1 minute. Add the chopped tomato and cook for another minute.

4 Add the shrimp and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and stir-fry over medium-high heat for about 1 minute, until the shrimp change color. If using shrimp stock, reheat the stock.

5 Add the drained rice and sauté for 1 minute. Add 1 cup (250 ml) of the hot stock or hot water and warmed coconut milk and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until all of the water has been absorbed and the rice is done, 10 to 15 minutes. Top with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.

Fragrant Lamb Biriyani

Kheema Biriyani

This tasty rice dish often makes a great one-pot TV dinner at my home. It is excellent on its own or goes great with Pineapple and Beet Raita (page 46) Cucumber and Onion Chaat (page 42).

Serves 4

Prep time: 15 minutes plus 40 minutes for soaking

Cook time: 30 minutes