the spicy hot bird’s eye chili pepper (also sometimes referred to as the “Thai chili pepper”). The bird’s eye chili pepper is thin and can be found in ethnic markets and some American grocery stores. You can also use fresh chili de arbol, Serrano chili pepper or the easy-to-find jalapeño pepper. Slicing or halving the chili pepper exposes the seeds and allows it to release more flavor and heat. When green chili peppers are left on the plant long enough to fully ripen, they turn red and are then plucked and dried for use in cooking. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling a chili pepper so you do not irritate your eyes, nose or lips if you touch them afterward.
Chili peppers, red (dried, whole) (sabut lal mirch) Red chili peppers are green chili peppers that have been allowed to fully ripen and turn red on the plant. Afterwhich they are plucked and dried. Because the dried bird’s eye chili pepper is not typically available in regular grocery stores, I use the easy-to-find dried red chili peppers of the chili de arbol variety, which are usually found in small clear bags in the spice section or the Mexican international section of a regular grocery store. Sometimes these dried peppers are even found in the fresh produce section. When cooking with dried red chili peppers, I sometimes first dry roast them (See "Roasting and Grinding Whole Spices," page 16.) to release their flavors. I also sometimes tear these chili peppers before tossing them in the hot pan to expose the seeds, which release more heat into the dish. Usually, dried red chili peppers come with the stems removed but if they are not, just tear them off. Different types of dried red chili peppers are also ground into a fine red pepper and used frequently in Indian cooking. In American grocery stores, the closest substitute is ground red pepper (cayenne). Dried red chili peppers can be stored for at least up to six months in an airtight jar in your pantry.
Cilantro See “Coriander leaves,” page 21.
Cinnamon (dalchini) Cinnamon sticks are intensely flavored woody rolls of inner bark from the cinnamon tree. When using cinnamon sticks, it is important to use just a small piece because it gives a very strong flavor. You can break a cinnamon stick with your hands but to get smaller pieces, lay the stick on a cutting board and hit it with a rolling pin to break it up. Ground cinnamon is also used in Indian cooking—from meat dishes to spiced teas and vegetable pickles. When making Garam Masala (page 36), I first dry roast the cinnamon stick to develop its flavor more and then grind it.
STORAGE AND FOOD HANDLING TIPS When purchasing ingredients, try to buy the smallest packages available so items can be used quickly and stay fresh. You can store all of your individual spices and rice in airtight jars in a cool, dry place and out of direct sun, such as your kitchen pantry, for up to at least six months. However, lentils and flours are best kept up to three months in the pantry to ensure they are in their optimal state. Flours may also be frozen up to six months. Roasted and ground spice blends, such as Biryani Masala (page 72), lose their flavors more quickly and are also best if kept up to three months only. When handling spices, rice, lentils and flour, always use dry hands and utensils when removing them from or adding them to storage containers.
Citrus (nimbu) Citrus fruit, such as green limes and yellow lemons, are used commonly in Indian cooking to add zing to dishes and also to make paneer, a homemade Indian cheese. Limes tend to be less expensive than lemons, and they are easily found, so I use them. But if you have lemons on hand, you can use them instead. Limes come in different varieties and sizes from the small key lime to the common lime, and all are usually smaller than lemons. If limes are left on the tree long enough, they will eventually turn from green to yellow (but they are still limes!), but they are usually plucked before this happens. To add confusion to the lime/lemon discussion, limes are sometimes called “lemons” in India, but in the end it does not matter if you use a lemon or lime when making the recipes, or what variety you use. If a recipe calls for the juice of one lime and you’d like to substitute lemon juice, use the juice of one-half lemon. And if you use key limes, you can use two of them to equal one lime. Before cutting open a lemon or lime, if you press on it while rolling it back and forth a few times on the counter, it will loosen the fibers inside and allow the juice to come out easier and in greater quantity. Then cut the citrus in half crosswise and squeeze it over a small sieve to catch the seeds or use a citrus squeezer to squeeze out the juice. You can keep citrus fruits in your refrigerator for up to two weeks. Unused portions of lemons or limes should be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Cloves (long) Cloves have a very distinct flavor and aroma and should be used sparingly so as not to overpower a dish. A clove is a small brown woody piece with a pronged, rounded tip, which almost resembles a tiny nail. Cloves are grown on tropical evergreen clove trees and are actually the unopened flower buds that grow in clusters. After the green buds are fully grown and just about to open, they are picked off the tree and sun-dried until they become dark brown and woody. Cloves are sold whole or ground, but I prefer to buy the whole cloves so that I can grind them when I need to make Garam Masala (page 36) and Biryani Masala (page 72). I also use whole cloves to flavor Vegetable Rice Pilaf (page 75).
Coconut milk (nariyal ka dood) Coconut milk is extracted from the white pulp of coconuts. It is not the coconut water or “juice,” which is the liquid that you can hear when shaking a coconut and that leaks out when you crack it. Coconut water is clear and thin and should be quite sweet. The milk, instead, is white and creamy and makes an excellent rich base for coconut curry dishes, providing a hint of sweetness. In India, people traditionally extract coconut milk from fresh coconuts, but this can be a lengthy process. I simply buy canned coconut milk, which is available in the Thai international section of grocery stores. Coconut milk is somewhat fattening; a light version is available, which I personally think is a suitable substitute. Coconut milk curries are common in the southern coastal regions of India, where coconut trees are commonly grown in people’s backyards. Unopened canned coconut milk can be kept for months in your pantry but keep an eye on the expiration date. If you open a can and have leftover coconut milk, transfer it to a glass or plastic container, cover it and refrigerate it for no more than three days.
Coriander leaves (cilantro) (dhania ka patta) Fresh coriander leaves, commonly referred to as “cilantro” in America, are used in Indian cooking both as a garnish and as an ingredient. Bunches of fresh coriander leaves are easy to find in the produce section of grocery stores. It keeps just about a week in the refrigerator before it starts discoloring and wilting. I store the bunch in a plastic bag in the refrigerator and tear off a handful or chop off a small quantity when I need to use some. Since there is no need to destem the leaves, you may chop the leaves and stems together. Coriander leaves should be thoroughly washed before being chopped.
Clockwise from top: coriander seeds, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, cardamom pods, black peppercorns and cloves.
Coriander seeds
