An Invitation to Indian Cooking - Madhur Jaffrey [12]
CARDAMOM Two varieties are available in America: the greenish pod and the slightly plumper whitish pod. The seeds in the greenish pod are generally more fragrant. The cardamom pod is sometimes used whole, and at other times the skin is discarded and the seeds are ground (a clean pepper mill is excellent for this) and sprinkled over meats and desserts. There is also a large black cardamom, hard to find in America, which is used for certain rice and meat dishes. When this is unavailable, either variety of the smaller cardamom can be substituted. (More information about cardamom as a mouth fresher.)
CHINESE PARSLEY Called small cilantro in Spanish stores, fresh coriander or fresh dhania in Indian food stores, and Chinese parsley in Chinese stores, it is used in our food as an herb and a garnish. If unavailable, Italian or ordinary parsley can be substituted. If you have an herb garden, you can grow your own Chinese parsley by planting coriander seeds and waiting until the plants are about 10 inches high. Keep parsley refrigerated in a plastic bag. N.B. Dried coriander powder cannot be substituted for fresh parsley.
CINNAMON Indians use both stick and ground cinnamon. Stick cinnamon is used whole in certain meat and rice dishes, whereas ground cinnamon is used in meat sauces and vegetables.
COCONUT When you buy a coconut, make sure it is not cracked. Shake it to make sure it contains liquid. Even though this liquid is later discarded, it ensures a moist inside. To open, hit the coconut with a hammer and pry it apart. Get the meat out by sliding a sharp knife between the shell and the meat. Before grating the coconut, cut off the dark brown crust on the meat. To roast grated coconut, place it in a heavy skillet (iron is best) over a medium flame. Stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until it begins to turn brown.
CORIANDER Coriander seeds can be used whole, ground, or roasted. To roast coriander, place desired amount of ground coriander in a heavy skillet (iron is best) over a medium flame. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until coriander turns a few shades darker. Be careful not to burn it. When buying ground coriander, purchase in small quantities.
CUMIN Called comino in Spanish stores. Indians use this spice whole, ground, or roasted. To roast cumin, place desired amount of whole seeds in heavy skillet (iron is best) over a medium flame. Stir 2 to 3 minutes or until seeds turn a darker brown. Remove from heat. The cumin can now be ground on an Indian grinding stone if you happen to have one, or it can be crushed just as easily with a mortar and pestle or with a rolling pin. It is best when freshly roasted, but you could keep it a few days in a tightly covered jar. In North India, ground roasted cumin is sprinkled over many yogurt relishes, snacks, and cooked vegetables. When buying ground cumin, purchase in small quantities.
DRY RED PEPPERS Dry red peppers or dry red chilies are available in many sizes with just as many variations in their degrees of potency. The kind I have used in my recipes are about an inch long and very hot. I generally use them whole. Remember that red peppers are not essential to Indian food. If you don’t like them you can use fewer than suggested or none at all. If whole red peppers are used in cooking, it is a good idea to remove them before serving. They are deadly if bitten into!
FENNEL The fennel seed is really a larger, plumper sister of the anise seed. It is excellent in vegetables. It is also roasted and used as an after-dinner mouth freshener.
FENUGREEK Fenugreek seeds are yellow in color and rather flat. Since their taste borders on bitterness, very few are used at a time. They are excellent with eggplant and potatoes.
GARAM MASALA This is a mixture of several “hot” spices, generally prepared ahead of time in small quantities and used as needed to flavor meats and vegetables. It can be bought in specialty stores, but has a fresher taste if you grind it yourself. To make about a cupful, you will need:
25 cardamom pods (use seeds only)
½ cup whole black peppercorns