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The Essence
of India
At the heart of the latest American passion for Indian
cooking lies a very simple secret: spice.
By Bharti Kirchner, Photography by Randy Mayor - Cooking
Light,
August 2000
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Bharti
Kirchner:
a life with spice
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While
growing up in India, I used to watch my mother prepare
the daily meals. Of all the ingredients she assembled
before her, it was the collection of spices that she reached
for most eagerly. A pinch of this and a dash of that transformed
common ingreidnets into fragrant, colorful dishes we couldn't
wait to eat. Even something as familiar as eggplant took
on tasty and tempting guises in the magic of her herbal
artistry. One day she might roast it over an open fire
to give it a smoky flavor, then rub the flesh with ground
cumin. Another day she would cube an eggplant and add
it to a vegetable stew filled with minced ginger and hot
chiles. For yet another variation, she would dip eggplant
strips in a batter of chickpea flour enlivened with ground
red pepper, then fry them until crisp. Sweet, tart, hot,
even pleasant touches of bitterness - her meals abounded
with flavors, and our palates were never bored.
To
me, this excitement an variety are the essence of Indian
cooking, and at the heart of that essence are spices
- and the combining techniques that give them such presence
and power. I've always loved to observe as Indian cooks
sizzle whole mustard seeds in oil at the beginning of
cooking to draw out the flavor; as they grind turmeric,
mix it with water, and use the resulting paste as a sauce
base; as they dry-roast cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom
seeds and grind them together - garam masala being
the result - sprinkling the powder over a cooked dish
for a final finish. |
I came to the United
States as a young woman with memories of wonderful family
meals and the role of the spices that illuminated them. But
in India, there are so many - from seeds, roots, leaves, flowers,
or the barks of plants - I was unsure if I could ever find
what I needed in this land. But I was pleasantly surprised.
Local supermarkets, specialty grocery stores, and mail-order
catalogs gave me access to everything I needed. It wasn't
long - though not without trial and error - that I began preparing
with gusto the meals of my youth in my American kitchen, meals
that helped me adjust to my new environment.
But I made changes.
I drastically reduced the amount of oil and virtually eliminated
animal fat (mainly ghee, or clarified butter, which is widely
used in Indian cooking) by incorporating a larger amount of
aromatics such as onion, ginger, and garlic than traditional
recipes usually call for.
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These
days, because I love to travel abroad and collect new
recipe ideas, I frequently whip up dishes drawing upon
the cuisines and flavors of many other countries. But
guess what my friends always insist I serve when they
come to my home? "Nothing but INdian. Spicy as you
can make it." They also want me to accompany them
in Indian restaurants in town to satisfy "a craving
for Indian food," as I so often hear. Indeed, the
last several years have seen a resurgence of Indian food
in the United States as Americans rediscover the many
potential applications of the vast cuisine of the Indian
subcontinent. I think the popularity also has to do with
the vegetarian emphasis in Indian cuisine, which has
strong
roots in the country's culture. It's also healthful,
especially with some of the modifications I've made.
And always,
Indian food retains that specialness: The earthy taste
that lingers in the mouth, colors and textures that dazzle
the senses, the balance of nutrition that takes away
any
desire to stop for a cookie afterward. |
But there are more
practical aspects. Indian cooking techniques are easy to master,
the ingredients are a snap to purchase, and most dishes can
be made ahead of time.
I also think that
American kitchens can adapt to Indian fare on their own terms.
For example, you don't always need to prepare an elaborate,
multicourse Indian meal. One spicy dish can serve as a complement
to the kind of dinner you'd ordinarily prepare. Our Hearty
Kidney Beans and Spinach, for example, go well with rice and
an American-style green salad. You could also pair any leftover
Potatoes, Green Beans, and Carrots with Cashews with pita
bread in a lunch box for a filling midday meal.
As I learned firsthand,
shopping for an Indian dinner does not have to be an extra
burden. If you accumulate a basic set of spices such as cumin,
coriander, turmeric, and garam masala, along with
some staples handy in the kitchen, you're all set. Then when
the
mood arises - when you crave that spicy taste - you'll learn
what one of my friends means when he says, "I experience
Indian food with my whole being."
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