bowl-shaped base (the mortar) and a small bat-shaped stick (the pestle) that is used to crush the spices by repeatedly and forcefully pressing down on spices with the pestle and rotating it. Mortar and pestle come in different sizes and materials, from marble or other stone, to wood, porcelain or metals. I personally prefer to use an electric coffee/spice grinder because it is faster, but a mortar and pestle is ideal for small amounts of spices or nuts— amount that will not grind properly in a coffee grinder or spice grinder. You could also crush small amounts of spices or nuts by placing them in plastic bag with the bag on a cutting board and tapping it with a rolling pin.
Parchment Paper This is a nonstick paper that is used in baking. I place a small piece between hot breads before freezing them so they will not stick to each other and tear or break when separating them for thawing and reheating. Even if the breads are very hot, they will not stick to the parchment when frozen. Parchment paper can be found in the same section of the grocery store where aluminum foil is found.
Popsicle Molds Popsicle molds are fun to use to make Indian ice cream (kulfi). You can get different mold shapes, such as ice cream bar molds or rocket shapes, but I prefer the basic popsicle shape because it is similar to the kufli in India, although the Indian kulfi mold is much longer. After the kulfi is frozen, turn over the molds and run them under hot water for about 30 seconds or until you can feel that you can easily pull out the pops. Just make sure they do not fall out when you have them turned over!
Rolling Pin Rolling pins are used to roll out dough but I also use mine to crush nuts, cardamom seeds and roasted cumin seeds. Rolling pins come in different materials such as metals, marble, silicone and plastic. I prefer to use a wooden one because they are easy to find, relatively lightweight and easy to clean. It is best to wipe wooden rolling pins clean with a wet cloth instead of submerging them in water and then wiping them dry with a kitchen towel. Rolling pins vary in thickness and some have handles while some do not. I use a medium–thick tapered rolling pin that is about 1½ inches (3.75 cm) around the center. Tapered rolling pins can be pivoted and rotated while rolling out dough. This is very helpful when trying to roll out a perfect circle of dough. They are also very lightweight, which allows me to get a good feel of the dough when I am using it. The style and thickness of rolling pins is a matter of personal choice—you should use what feels most comfortable to you—some people prefer to use the thicker, heavier ones and some people use very thin ones.
Spice Grinder This handy gadget, also called a coffee grinder, can be used to grind spices and definitely beats using a mortar and pestle—the traditional tool for grinding spices. If you use a spice grinder for grinding coffee, it is best to have a separate one for spices, unless you like cumin-flavored coffee! From my experience, I have seen the motor can burn out if you overload the spice grinder or run it for a long time at one stretch. It is best to grind spices in small batches and frequently rest the motor for a few seconds while operating it. To clean a spice grinder, carefully wipe with a damp cloth or paper towel. You can also put uncooked white rice or a slice of bread and run the grinder as it will absorb some of the spice aromas.
Tandoor A tandoor is an outdoor cylindrical clay oven resembling a pit, either above or underground, that can be found in backyards or verandas of homes in India. It is fired with wood or coal and the open flames give excellent heat and smoky flavor to foods cooked in it. Both sets of my grandparents had a clay tandoor in their backyards in which they made delicious Indian breads. A tandoor reaches much higher temperatures than a western oven and is good for making breads and cooking skewered meats and fish. Breads, such as Oven-Baked Naan Flatbread (page 58) and Oven-Baked Whole Wheat Roti (page 60), are slapped against the inside wall of a tandoor, while meats and seafood are skewered and placed inside. Indian restaurants around the world have professional metal exterior and clay interior tandoors installed in their kitchens that are either coal-fired, gas-fired or even electric but none of these are practical to have in a western home kitchen.
Tava A tava, also spelled tawa, is a cast-iron rimless skillet used to make various types of Indian flatbreads as well as Crispy Dosa Crepes (page 44) and Savory Vegetable Uttapam Pancakes (page 53). I find that using my large lowrimmed American cast-iron skillet works just as well. A tava is commonly around 10 or 12 inches (25 to 30.5 cm) in diameter. If you feel this size is too small, you can use a cast-iron griddle pan and make several breads at a time! Also, see cast-iron skillet (page 10).
Wok A wok is a round-bottomed cooking utensil popular in Asian cooking for stir-frying. It can also be used to efficiently deep-fry since the round-bottom shape creates a deeper frying area that requires less oil than a flat-bottomed pot with straight sides does. Also see karahi (page 11).
Tips and Techniques
While compiling, perfecting and tweaking the recipes in this book over nearly a decade, I have accumulated lots of cooking tricks and shortcuts from trained cooks in India, America and of course, my family. These basic techniques and cooking tips will be of use to you time and time again and particularly if you haven’t spent a lot of time in a kitchen. For those busy and hectic days when you want to skip the cooking part and get right to the eating part, I give you time-saving tips to prepare the food days in advance and use freezing, refrigeration and reheating techniques without compromising the taste and texture.
Over the years, I’ve noticed that my cooking students often ask the same questions or run into the same problems when preparing a dish. This list of tips is meant to answer those questions and, I hope, keep you running smoothly in the kitchen without any snags.
▶ It is a good idea to be prepared at each step—so I recommend reading the entire recipe beforehand to make sure you have the right ingredients, cookware, lids and utensils close at hand before you get started rather than frantically searching for something in the middle of a recipe.
▶ Compared to typical American portions, you might think that the serving sizes in this book are small, but since a well-balanced Indian meal is comprised of a variety of condiments and dishes, including bread and/or rice, the serving sizes should be adequate. If you are in a rush and only have time to prepare one main dish and plain rice or bread, you may want to double the recipe depending on the number of people you are serving.
▶ For convenience and to save time, I recommend getting an Indian spice box (masala dabba)
▶ If you are using raw meat, chicken, fish or seafood that is chilled in the refrigerator, remove it from the refrigerator to allow it to come to room temperature or at least warm up a bit for faster and even cooking. This is most important for big, thick cuts of meat such as lamb rib chops or chicken thighs and drumsticks.
▶ When heating oil in a saucepan or skillet, heat it until it is hot, but not overheated and smoking. You can test the heat of the oil by adding a very small amount of the first ingredient to be added—for example, a pinch of chopped onions or a few cumin seeds. If the oil starts bubbling in tiny bubbles around the food, the oil is sufficiently heated. If nothing happens, the oil is not yet heated.
▶ To check the heat of a dry pan or skillet, hold your palm directly above the pan. You should be able to feel the heat.
▶ If you accidentally add cumin seeds to an overheated pan, or if you cook them too long in oil and they burn and turn black, simply discard them along with the oil and start again.
