Asian Vegetarian Cooking

Lesson 3: NORTH INDIA

Food and Techniques

In Indian cuisine, spices are used in various forms -- ground, whole, roasted, fried or soaked in vinegar. Each technique draws out a different flavor from the same spice. Except for a few, spices have to be cooked in order to release their full fragrance and flavor. The object of spicing is to use just the right combination in each dish so that no single spice overwhelms the dish, yet each harmonizes with the other to enhance the flavor of the main ingredient. In some dishes, a single spice may be accentuated and the quantity of other spices and herbs kept down to highlight this fact.

Spices are not just used in Indian cooking for their flavor. All have medicinal and digestive properties as well. Asafetida, the dried gum resin of the roots of certain Indian plants, is considered to be a digestive aid that relieves flatulence caused by bean and lentil dishes. It has a strong pungent aroma and is widely available in Asian grocery stores but it should be used sparingly in recipes. A judicious combination of different spices is used in each meal to help the body digest the food and heal itself.

Indian cooks do not use flour as a thickener for sauces. A lighter, more flavorful sauce with a richer color results from using onions, ginger, garlic, and yogurt or tomatoes. Yogurt is usually added after the onions, ginger, and garlic have been sautéed. It imparts a creamy texture and a subtle tartness.

Because yogurt tends to curdle at high temperatures, care must be taken to incorporate it properly into the sauce. The first step is to beat it lightly with a spoon for a few seconds until it becomes smooth. Then reduce the heat to low and add the yogurt to the other ingredients by the spoonful, stirring and blending each batch into the sauce before adding the next. Once all the yogurt has been added, the dish should be cooked for 2 to 3 minutes more to eliminate the raw flavor.

The ancient Aryan inhabitants of Indian used clarified butter, also called "ghee", and many recipes still call for it. Ghee adds aroma and a nutty flavor. If you cannot find ghee in your area (many Asian stores carry it), you may substitute butter or choose to make ghee at home.

GHEE

2 sticks (1 cup) of unsalted butter

1) To make ghee, melt 2 sticks of unsalted butter over low heat. Increase the heat and let the butter come to a boil. As soon as it starts foaming, stir it once, reduce the heat to very low, and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Particles of residue will settle on the bottom of the pan. Let the ghee cool a little, then strain it into a clean container through several layers of cheesecloth. The cheesecloth will remove particles.

2) Keep the ghee covered and in a cool place. There is no need for refrigeration since it has an indefinite shelf life.

  1  2  3  4  5