Cooking Like Mummyji: Real Indian Food from the Family Home
224
Cooking Like Mummyji: Real Indian Food from the Family Home
224Hardcover(Updated)
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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781910690307 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Grub Street |
| Publication date: | 11/22/2016 |
| Edition description: | Updated |
| Pages: | 224 |
| Product dimensions: | 7.40(w) x 9.80(h) x 1.10(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
BASICS
I think it is much nicer to make your own clarified butter, but it can take over your kitchen and the smell can cling if you are not careful, especially if not well ventilated, so it is also found in Indian stores in various-sized cans. You can make a smaller quantity if you just want to try it first, just reduce the amount. I also sometimes like to use a mixture of mild and light olive oil with some melted butter in the place of ghee when serving over dhal too.
HOME-MADE GHEE/ CLARIFIED BUTTER
1. Melt 2.25 kg/5 lb of butter in a large, heavy-based pan and bring to the boil, stirring all the time.
2. Leave to simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Take off the heat and skim off all the scum from the top.
4. Leave to cool in the pan for about a couple of hours.
5. Place in a jar and discard any solids at the bottom of the pan (strain through kitchen paper).
6. Cover and store in a sterilised jar in the fridge. It will keep for one year.
This is the traditional method of making natural set yoghurt at home. We went through a phase of buying cartons from Indian stores for convenience but then my Mum reverted back to making her own at home and I also always have to have some in my fridge. It is a lovely, simple process and very satisfying, not to mention economical. The process starts off with using some ready-made yoghurt and then you continue the chain using your home-made yoghurt to make several further batches. Yoghurt becomes more sour after 4 days, but this is great for makingkhadhi.An airing cupboard is a perfect place to make it overnight, (or you could leave it sat in a switched-off microwave or oven) just don't kick it over when you reach in there, all bleary-eyed, for a towel the next morning.
DAHI – HOME-MADE YOGHURT
600ml/1 pint/2½ cups full-fat milk
2 tablespoons natural set low-fat yoghurt
1. Bring the milk to the boil in a large saucepan. Leave for about an hour to let it cool completely.
2. Beat the yoghurt with a fork and add to the milk.
3. Pour the mixture from one pan to another several times until a frothy surface appears.
4. Pour into a large plastic container, cover with a clean tea towel and leave overnight somewhere warm.
Garam masala is the most used of spice blends in my family's cooking and therefore of vital importance to have a good quality one. Indeed, when I bought my first home and literally had nothing but an airbed in it, the first thing my Mum swiftly dispatched to me was a huge jar of freshly groundmasala! It is much better to make your own as then you know exactly what has gone into it and, as some people are sensitive to certain spices you can tailor it to perfectly suit. This is our recipe and spending a Sunday enveloped in the earthy aroma of the fragrant whole spices slowly roasting away is one of life's little pleasures.
The original recipe was for the exact recipe that we use at home i.e. for mammoth quantities. And then a lovely chap called Dave wrote to me, saying that he was terribly confused as the quantities per spice were seemingly vast. Welcome to Punjabi family consumption. However, I, of course, helped him out with a slightly less mental amount for his first attempt, so that is the first recipe I have used here, which makes around 50g or about ½ cup, for a small jarful. I have then also included below the old skool, family-sized measurements too.
We use a separate coffee grinder for spices at home. You don't necessarily want coffee-tasting garam masala or garam masala-tasting coffee, although if that floats your boat more power to you. You are welcome to grind the spices manually by hand in a pestle and mortar, but the grinder I like to use for small amounts is the De'Longhi KG49 90g Electric Coffee Grinder.
HOME-MADE GARAM MASALA
Makes roughly 50g/ ½ cup
25g/ 5 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
25g/ 3 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon broken pieces of cassia bark
1 brown cardamom
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cloves
Alternative family-sized measurements:
2 kg/4½ lb coriander seeds
500g/1 lb 2 oz black peppercorns
2 kg/4½ lb cumin seeds
250g/9 oz cassia bark
100g/3½ oz brown cardamoms Handful of bay leaves
100g/3½ oz cloves
1. Place all the spices in a sieve and wash thoroughly under running cold water.
2. Spread the wet spices onto a foil-lined baking tray and pat so that you have an even, single layer.
3. Roast gently in the centre of the oven (or under a very low grill) at 160°C/140°C fan/325°F/gas mark 3 for 1 hour until dry and roasted, raking a fork through every 5 minutes and then gently shaking the pan to make sure they are evenly roasted and in a flat, even layer.
4. The spices should be bone dry and not stick to the fork when they are done, and I use the coriander seeds as my guide, as they should be a nice golden colour when fully roasted.
5. Take the tray out of the oven and leave to cool completely before grinding to a powder in a clean coffee grinder.
6. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark place. It should keep up to 6 months. I love to give little pots of this wrapped in ribbon as a gift for Christmas, Diwali, New Year, birthdays, thank yous, housewarmings and to take to dinner parties.
GINGER PASTE
50g/5 oz fresh root ginger,
peeled and roughly chopped
75ml/5 tablespoons water
30ml/2 tablespoons mild and light olive oil
GARLIC PASTE
150g/5 oz garlic cloves,
peeled and roughly chopped
75ml/5 tablespoons water
30ml/2 tablespoons mild and light olive oil
Put the ingredients into a food processor and combine to a smooth paste.
This is our Indian cream cheese, with a mild, quite bland flavour that is a great foil for spices and has a texture like halloumi or tofu, so it is brilliant to cook with, as it doesn't melt.
HOME-MADE PANEER
Makes a roughly 200g/7 oz block
1.25 litres/5 cups whole milk
250ml/1 cup double cream
15ml/1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
1. Pour the milk and cream into a very large, heavy-based pan – bear in mind that it will boil up, so you need enough depth in the pan. Stirring all the time so it doesn't stick to the bottom, bring the milk to the boil.
2. Turn down to a very low heat and add the vinegar or lemon juice to curdle the milk, stirring all the time. It will now be in clumps and look like clusters of snow.
3. Drain into a colander lined with muslin and then wrap in the muslin tightly by gathering the remaining cloth, then place the muslin-wrapped paneer in a bowl of cold water or gently rinse the muslin with clean cold water to remove the vinegar or lemon from the paneer inside it.
4. Either tie the muslin and suspend over a bowl for 20 minutes to drain the whey or unwrap and place the soft cheese in the middle of a clean cloth (a new, clean cotton tea towel will be perfect), gather the four corners together, squeeze out all the water and press into a single solid shape, folding and wrapping the tea towel neatly around it like a pillow.
5. Place the wrapped paneer, either in the muslin or tea towel, on a dinner plate and place another dinner plate on top of it. Place a heavy weight, such as a large bag of sugar, on to the second plate to press down on to the cheese for at least 10 minutes. We sometimes leave overnight.
6. Cut into slices or cubes or knead well until it is a soft and smooth dough and becomes oily in your hands, if you are using to make a dessert. It will keep for a couple of days in the fridge in cold water.
I have used a very simple sugar syrup in the recipes for ease, but if you want to make a syrup that is like the one they use in Indian sweet stores, this is the one to go for.
SUGAR SYRUP
620g/3 cups white granulated sugar
250ml/1 cup water
1 teaspoon milk mixed with a teaspoon of water Squeeze of lime
1. Place the sugar and water in a heavy-based pan and heat, until the sugar is dissolved, and stirring continuously.
2. Turn the heat up and bring to the boil, do not stir. When it is boiling, add the milk mixture. Skim off and discard any scum that rises to the top.
3. Boil for 10 minutes and then strain through muslin. Return to a clean pan and bring to the boil, then add the lime, skimming off any further scum.
4. The syrup will be at the correct consistency when you test as follows: place a tiny amount between your thumb and forefinger and pull apart and it should form 1 thread.
This refers to the stage of frying a variety and combination of ingredients, such as onions, garlic, ginger, spices, herbs such as curry leaves or coriander in hot oil and then either adding to a finished dish or using as the base for one, depending upon the recipe and regional style of Indian cookery.
A basic Punjabitarkato form the foundation of a dish is as follows:
PUNJABI TARKA
1. Heat the oil (do not add ingredients to cold oil in the pan).
2 If frying cumin, only fry until the aromas are released and they begin to sizzle. Cumin burns easily so keep a close eye.
3. Add the finely chopped onion.
4. When lightly golden, add the garlic. I usually use very finely chopped garlic as opposed to crushing.
5. Fry the mixture until the onions are golden brown for vegetable dishes and a deep golden brown for a more intense flavour for meat dishes, generally speaking. If the onions are not cooked properly and caramelised in this way, the dish will have a weak, insipid flavour and colour, but be careful not to burn, especially where the dish calls for quite darkly browned onions.
6. Reduce the heat and add the ginger, chilli, coriander leaf, salt, turmeric and garam masala and stir well. I used to add these in after the tomatoes, as that is what I was used to at home, but find that doing it this new way helps to release the properties of the spices before I then add any form of moisture or liquid to the pan.
7. I then add the tomatoes and stir well again, crushing everything together with the back of my spoon.
8. Now this is the vital stage of this type of tarka. It is referred to as raara. I keep it on a low heat and cook for about 5-10 minutes until the mixture has become shiny and the oil has separated. Keep stirring frequently, adding a tiny splash of water if it becomes too dry. Keep pressing the onions into the tomato mixture to help blend it together. Only when the mixture is shiny and you can see glistening beads of oil separating out and quivering in the pan do you add your next ingredients. This stage is so important, as the onions are melting down into the sauce, the spices are transforming and releasing their flavour, the tomato is cooking through, the ginger is softening and all the flavours are binding together. If you are hasty and rush this, you may as well forget the whole thing. Patience is a virtue, for which you will be rewarded upon tasting.
CHAPTER 2
CHOTI MHOTI CHEEJ (choh-tee-moh-tee-cheej) SOMETHING SMALL
Indians do not have starters, that is a western thing, sochoti mhoti cheejsimply means 'something small'. In this case, snacks.
These sensational triangular pastries are amongst my most favourite things in the world. Evolving from the Middle Easternsambousek,these treats were the thing I struggled most trying to find a decent readymade version of when I went to university. I was sure that, given their popularity, I would have little trouble. Not so. They were often very flat in flavour, with an oddly neon yellow filling, filled with ferocious red chilli powder and with an oily, flabby pastry. Nothing like these babies.
My Mum's have a light, aromatic and traditional filling of softly spiced nuggets of potato, slivers of translucent onion and shimmering, juicy peas, offset by just the right amount of fresh green chilli for bite and encased in a golden crisp pastry to form little treasure chests. There are no heavy spices, excess food colouring or powdered chilli to mask the natural flavours of the vegetables, just a touch of garam masala and cumin to keep the taste fresh and clean.
We usually make these for parties and special occasions, particularly birthdays and Christmas, as it involves a bit of work to make them, even better if there are a few of you to form a production line. They sound a bit of a faff, but it can be a joy sitting in the kitchen making them together. One person (my sister) 'glues' the edges, the other forms and fills the cones (me), another will fry up a batch (my Mum).
And when we have them in the house, I'll pretty much eat them 24/7 till they are gone as you can eat them with anything from a squeeze of ketchup, to chutneys,chaat,salad orchole,There is always a bit of a spat over eating an equal number each and who gets the last one. You can also make a batch and freeze them raw; all you then need to do is take them out of the freezer and deep-fry straight from frozen (we have never gotten that far though as we just decide to fry and eat them all!). However, once fried, please reheat in the oven or under a grill, as the pastry will go soft in the microwave.
I believe the most important ingredient in a samosa is laughter. Bear with me. The method truly does lend itself to that extra magical ingredient. They should not be made in a rush as the joy is in sitting around a table and making them with your nearest and dearest. (Although I often ended up filling my mouth instead of the cone with the mixture instead, getting a slap from my Mum!) All the energy created sitting together, talking and joking with messy, sticky hands, filters into each and every one and culminates in your mouth with that first piping-hot mouthful.
Other fillings are really up to your imagination (my cousin, Nina Bhenji, used to make lovely shredded white cabbage and sweetcorn ones) and people use chicken,keemalamb mince, prawn and even sweet ones with fruits and chunks of chocolate. Do try and make the pastry though, instead of using filo pastry, as they do taste completely different, and these Punjabi ones are also different to Gujarati samosa, which use a different pastry too.
SAMOSE
Makes 12
4 whole, unpeeled large potatoes
200g/1½ cups peas, frozen are fine Oil, for deep-frying and making dough, I use rapeseed
1 large onion, halved, halved again lengthways and then sliced Thinly widthways
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon garam masala A handful of chopped fresh coriander
2 green chillies, chopped finely
520g/4 cups plain flour
1. Place the whole potatoes with skin on in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and cook until soft (check by prodding with a sharp knife). Drain and rinse the potatoes in cold water then pat dry. Peel the skin off with a knife and remove any darkened areas of potato. Boiling them with the skins on keeps the potato flesh nice and dry.
2. Roughly chop the potatoes into a large mixing bowl, no need to be meticulous.
3. Add the peas to a pan of boiling water and simmer gently until cooked. Only about 3 minutes for frozen peas. Drain and add to the potatoes.
4. Place 20ml (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) of oil into a frying pan. This part is extremely important – make sure that you use the same type of oil for this part that you deep fry them in, so that the textures and flavours are consistent. Do not mix oils.
5. Once the oil is heated, add the onions and then, after 30 seconds, add the cumin seeds.
6. Gently fry the onions until they are translucent and the brown colour of the cumin seeds has slightly rubbed off onto the onions. The onions should not be golden but still white, just softened and translucent. Add the onions to the potatoes and peas.
7. Now add the salt, garam masala, coriander and chillies.
8. Mix with a fork to blend all the ingredients together, very lightly mashing the potato but not too much as you still want small pieces of potato and not a smooth paste. Cover and leave to cool in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. A couple of hours would be ideal.
9. Now make the pastry. Take 195g/1½ cups of plain flour and place in a large mixing bowl with a pinch of salt.
10. Using the same type of oil again, add 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon of oil to the flour. Mix with fingers and combine to a dough with cold water. Do not make the dough too soft. Add the water by running your hand under the cold tap and catching a few drops in your cupped hand, instead of pouring water in, to ensure that you do not add too much and end up with a sticky mess. Add water like this until you see the dough coming together into one singular mass. Then knead well with wet hands until the dough no longer sticks to your hands and just comes away, about 5-10 minutes, until no longer sticky but smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes (place in a container and cover with a lid if you are planning to make the samose in more than 15 minutes time, or just cover with kitchen roll if making sooner.
11. Mix 130g/1 cup of plain flour in a bowl with enough cold water to make a thick, sticky paste. Try to get the lumps out but do not make it too thick or too runny. This will be your glue to hold the samose together.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Cooking Like Mummyji"
by .
Copyright © 2016 Vicky Bhogal.
Excerpted by permission of Grub Street.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
FOREWORD,
THE SECRET TO COOKING LIKE MUMMYJI,
VICKY INTRODUCES HERSELF,
BEFORE YOU BEGIN,
BASICS,
CHOTI MHOTI CHEEJ – Something small,
SABJIA – Vegetarian dishes,
DHALA – Lentils and Pulses,
KUKKRI – Chicken dishes,
LAAL GOSHT – Red Meats,
MACHCHI – Fish,
CHAUL – Rice,
ROTI – Breads,
NAL NAL CHALNA – Accompaniments,
BRIT FUSION,
PINA – Drinks,
MITTHA – Sweets,
MENU PLANS,
GLOSSARY OF TERMS,