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Tamarind imparts a fruity sourness to dishes. To make tamarind juice, mash about 1 tablespoon of tamarind pulp in 2 tablespoons of warm water, squeeze and strain to remove and discard the seeds and fibres.
Turmeric is a root that looks almost like ginger, but has a bright yellow flesh and a pungent flavour. It is sold fresh or as a yellow powder that has a milder flavour.
Sweet Mango and Tomato Chutney
2 tablespoons oil
2 cinnamon sticks
5 cloves
5 cardamom pods
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely pounded
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 green finger-length chillies, halved
2 sprigs curry leaves
500 g (1 lb) semiripe tomatoes, chopped
2 unripe mangoes, pitted and chopped
50 g (1/3 cup) raisins
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
250 ml (1 cup) water
1 teaspoon salt
120 g (1 cup) caster sugar
125 ml (½ cup) thick coconut milk
Heat the oil over medium heat in a skillet. Stir-fry the cinnamon, cloves and cardamom until fragrant, 1–2 minutes. Add the fennel, onion, chilli and curry leaves, and continue to stir-fry for 2 more minutes. When the onion slices are soft and light golden brown, add all the other ingredients, except the coconut milk, and mix well. Leave to cook until the mango is soft, then pour in the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, transfer to a serving bowl and serve as a dip for other dishes.
Makes 3 cups
Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
Mango and Cucumber Raita
1 unripe mango
1 cucumber
2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
500 ml (2 cups) yogurt
1 finger-length red chilli, deseeded and sliced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
1½ teaspoons roasted cumin seeds, ground
1 Peel, pit and coarsely grate the mango. Do the same to the cucumber, then combine the mango, cucumber and mint leaves in a salad bowl.
2 Combine all the other ingredients in a small bowl, mix well and pour the mixture over the vegetables in the salad bowl. Lightly toss the raita to blend well and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
Makes 3 cups
Preparation time: 15 mins + 1 hour to chill
Home-made Paneer
1½ litres (6 cups) full cream milk
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
650 ml (22/3 cups) cold water
1 Bring the milk to a boil over high heat in a saucepan, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, combine with all the other ingredients and stir vigorously until the milk begins to curdle.
2 Strain the curdled mixture through a muslin cloth until all the liquid has drained. Gather the corners of the cloth and tie them together. Gently squeeze the wrapped milk solid to extract as much moisture as possible, then hang it up to dry for 2 hours.
3 Place the wrapped cheese on a flat surface and weigh it down with a heavy weight. Let it stand for 1 hour until the cheese is firm, then remove from the cloth and cut it into cubes.
Makes 350 g (12 oz)
Preparation time: 10 mins + 3 hours to dry
Cooking time: 3 mins
Mint or Coriander Chutney
120 g (3 cups) mint or coriander leaves, rinsed
125 ml (½ cup) yogurt
3 to 5 green finger-length chillies, deseeded
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Grind all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve as a dip for dishes such as Dal Fritters (page 10) and Egg Pakoras (page 13).
Makes 250 ml (1 cup)
Preparation time: 10 mins
Sweet and Sour Tamarind Sauce
3 tablespoons tamarind pulp, mashed in 185 ml (¾ cup) water and strained to obtain juice
3 tablespoons sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon chilli powder
3 cm (1 in) fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1 to 2 green finger-length chillies, deseeded and sliced (optional)
Makes 185 ml (¾ cup)
Preparation time: 15 mins
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve as a dip for Lamb or Mutton Samosas (page 8), or other fritters.
Lamb or Mutton Samosas
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