An Invitation to Indian Cooking - Madhur Jaffrey [73]
10 medium-sized onions, peeled and finely chopped
8 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
A piece of fresh ginger, about 2 inches by 1½ inches by 1 inch, peeled and grated
2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
4 teaspoons whole fennel seeds
20 whole fenugreek seeds
10 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Salt
4 teaspoons garam masala
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 pound fresh young okra
THE STUFFING
Since this dish is to be cooked in two 10-inch skillets to accommodate all the okra, divide the onions, garlic, and ginger into two equal piles. Make two separate equal piles of the cumin, fennel, and fenugreek seeds.
Heat 5 tablespoons of oil in each skillet over medium heat, and when hot, put in the cumin, fennel, and fenugreek seeds. As they begin to pop and change color (5 to 10 seconds), put half the onion, garlic, and ginger and ½ teaspoon turmeric into each skillet. Stir and fry over medium heat for about 12 minutes until the onions look a rich brown. Stir frequently.
Add ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon garam masala to each skillet and stir. Turn off heat under both skillets. Using a slotted spoon, remove onion mixture from skillets, leaving as much of the cooking fat behind as possible. You will need it later. Collect the onion mixture from both skillets in a bowl, add 2 more teaspoons garam masala and the lemon juice, mix, and set aside to cool.
THE OKRA
Wash the okra and pat it dry with paper towels. Trim off the head and the lower tip.
Since the stuffing of the okra takes a little time, place the okra, the bowl of stuffing, a clean platter, and a small sharp knife on a table, and settle yourself on a chair. Pick up one okra pod at a time. Make a slit along its length, being sure that you do not go through the opposite side and that you leave about ⅛ inch at the top and bottom unslit.
Assuming you are right-handed, slip your left thumb into the pod to keep the slit open. With your right thumb and fingers, pick up a little stuffing at a time and push it into the slit. You will need from 54 to 1 teaspoon of stuffing for each pod, depending on its size. As each pod is stuffed, set it aside on the platter.
Turn on the flame under both skillets and keep on medium-low heat. Divide the okra between the two skillets and lay them slit side up in the pans in a single layer if possible (a few overlapping won’t matter). Cook for 5 minutes, shake salt (about ¼ teaspoon to each skillet) over okra, add 2 tablespoons warm water to each pan, cover, lower flames to very, very low, and cook gently for 30 minutes or until the okra is tender.
To serve: Lift out gently and arrange on warm platter. Serve with Lamb Pullao or Rice with Peas, Pork Chops à la Jaffrey, and Potatoes with Asafetida and Cumin. It also goes very well with all Indian breads.
Whole pea pods with cumin
SERVES 4
This is an unusual dish which I have eaten only in my own family. The peas are not shelled, but cooked whole, and are eaten rather like artichokes. Each pea pod is picked up by its stem, placed in the mouth between the teeth, and then pulled; you are eating not just the peas but the fleshy part of the pod as well. All that you leave is the stem and the inner tough lining of the pea pod. Needless to say, the peas that you buy must be very fresh and tender and not too long or you might just gag! The peas must also look very green and undamaged.
1½ pounds fresh peas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
⅛-inch lump asafetida, or ⅛ teaspoon ground asafetida
½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½–1 teaspoon gar am masala
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Wash the pea pods, discarding any old ones.
Heat the oil in a wide 10–12-inch casserole-type pot over medium heat. When hot, add the asafetida and cumin seeds. In 10 or 20 seconds the cumin seeds will begin to change color. Put in the pea pods immediately and stir for a minute. Now add the lemon juice, ½ teaspoon garam masala, salt, and pepper. Stir, put in 2 tablespoons of warm water, cover, turn heat to very