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Showing posts from August, 2015

Peanut Curry..A Case Study in "Next Level" Indian Cooking

Inspired by my own post earlier today, I made this nice curry for dinner with hot, steaming fulkas and ghee. Slice Japanese eggplants on a bias, and deep fry. Slice potatoes and deep fry and set aside. I made the same base and used the two veggies for the two people in the household. Soak tamarind (about the size of a lemon) in warm water. For the curry, in a pot, heat some oil, add a handful of whole, raw peanuts, one red chilly, a handful of sesame seeds,  a handful of fresh (frozen) coconut, a big pinch of cumin seeds, a big pinch of methi seeds, and roast on a low flame until sesame seeds are golden brown. Let cool on a plate for a bit, and then grind coarsely. Add Water and make a somewhat fine paste (not super smooth). Now, wipe the same pan, and add some more oil (3/4 of a tbsp should be enough). Add mustard seeds, Curry leaves, hing, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder, and the peanut paste. Stir constantly to avoid burning (it will stick a bit). Add a litt

Take Your Indian Cooking to the Next Level

To my non-Indian friends, who enjoy cooking Indian food..It's a rather long post, but it's meant for those who dream of exotic food all day long and constantly obsess over their ingredients.... Most of you have heard of Turmeric and Garam Masala and Ghee...But here are some ingredients that I think can help step up your game. If you want to move beyond naan, and greasy curries, and understand the beauty and simplicity of simple, home made Indian food, you need to get to know these ingredients. Some of these are short-cuts, but hey, every good cook has some dark secrets. Some of these ingredients sound really scary, but be brave, and just venture into your nearest Indian grocery store to find them, and you will be rewarded with new flavor awakenings. 1. Chaat Masala: It's a mixture of spices, usually sold in small cardboard boxes. I usually buy "MDH" brand, but most brands are good. "Chaat" means  "to lick". This spice is literally lip sma