wheat germ must have niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, and iron added, thus making them “enriched” as the label on the package might say.
All-purpose flour is white in color and is sold as either bleached (naturally as it ages or chemically) or un-bleached, and both can be used interchangeably for a recipe. I use non self-rising flour, which means baking powder and salt have not been added.
Storage and Food Handling Tips When shopping for ingredients, I tend to buy small quantities so they will stay fresh, but when shopping for rice, I buy big burlap bags of it since I cook it often. You can store all of your individual spices, lentils, dried legumes, and rice in airtight jars in a cool, dry place and out of direct sun for up to six months. I actually like to store rice in the freezer in order to eliminate any bugs in it, since rice is prone to bugs from the warehouse. Flours are best kept up to three months in the pantry, but they may also be placed in the freezer for up to six months. Roasted and ground spice blends, such as Garam Masala (page 109), lose their flavors more quickly and are also best if kept up to three months only. Nuts have oils in them, which can cause them to go rancid if stored at room temperature. It is ideal to store nuts up to three to six months in the refrigerator or up to one year in the freezer. When handling spices, rice, lentils, dried legumes, flour, and nuts, always use dry hands and utensils when removing them from or adding them to storage containers.
Basmati rice is a long-grained, fragrant, gluten-free rice that is grown in the cool foothills of the Himalayan mountains in India. In Hindi, basmati means “the fragrant one,” so the name seems to fit quite well. Basmati rice is commonly available in most grocery stores in small packages, and many international food stores sell big burlap sacks of basmati rice, which is more economical if you cook rice often like I do. Rice can be stored in a jar, plastic bag, or in the burlap bag it came in for at least six months in your pantry. But I like to store rice in my freezer so it keeps well and takes care of any bugs that may be in it from the store. It is a good idea to thoroughly wash the rice before cooking it to clean it and to remove any starchy residue so that the final result is less sticky. In general, the rule of thumb to cook basmati rice is to use twice the amount of water to rice. One cup of uncooked rice yields about three cups of cooked rice. Basmati rice comes in white and brown forms and you may use either for cooking, although I prefer to use white rice since I prefer its taste and texture. Rice is cholesterol and gluten-free, and a good source of fiber, which is good for a healthy and regular digestive system. See also Brown rice (page 25).
Bay leaves come fresh or dried, but dried bay leaves are easy to find and keep well, especially if one does not cook with them too often. When cooking, the leaf is added to heated oil or butter to release its sweet and woody aroma. I put bay leaves in my Vegetable Rice Pilaf (page 65). You may leave the bay leaf in your dish for presentation purposes, but with its sharp dried edges, it is best to avoid eating it. Drinking an infusion of bay leaves helps relieve upset stomachs and digestive disorders.
Black pepper (ground and whole peppercorns) is a berry that grows in grapelike clusters on the pepper plant. The berries can become green, black, or white peppercorns depending on how ripe the berry is when it is plucked and how it is processed. The black peppercorns have the strongest flavor whereas the white ones are milder and are used when you do not want the black pepper to show in food, such as a white sauce. The green berries are unripe when plucked and are commonly preserved in brine or pickled for a fresh taste. For everyday cooking, I use the finely ground black pepper that comes in a tin or I sometimes if I have time, I use freshly ground whole peppercorns. For some dishes, like Vegetable Rice Pilaf (page 65), I prefer to use whole black peppercorns that I temper in oil to release their flavors. Black pepper has antimicrobial properties that help destroy cold-causing germs. This spice also helps relieve congestion by breaking up excess mucus and clearing nasal passages.
Brown rice is a gluten-free whole grain rice with only the inedible outer husk removed, unlike white rice, which has the husk, bran, and germ removed. This makes brown rice more nutritious than white rice, and also more effective in lowering cholesterol levels. The nutritious, high-fiber bran coating to brown rice gives it a light tan color, nutlike flavor, and chewy texture. The presence of bran limits the storage life of brown rice to six months since it can go rancid, but it may be refrigerated to extend its life. Brown rice may be substituted for recipes that call for white rice, but it does require more water and it takes longer to cook since it is the entire grain. Basmati rice comes in brown rice as well.
Cardamom come from the cardamom pods that are the fruit of the cardamom plant, and they are plucked while they are still unripe and then dried. The common variety is the small green pods with its warm, fragrant, and spicy-sweet intensely flavored small black seeds inside, which is what I use. There are also big black cardamom pods. If you shop in ethnic markets, you may also see small white cardamoms, which are simply the green ones that have been bleached for aesthetic purposes. Cardamom is frequently used to add a special touch to Indian desserts and tea. (See page 20 for instructions on how to work with cardamom pods.) My two-year-old daughter loves to chew on cardamom pods! Cardamom pods make good natural breath fresheners. Simply pop a whole pod in your mouth and chew on it until you can swallow everything. Cardamom also provides relief from heartburn.
Chili peppers, green (fresh, whole) There are hundreds of varieties of chili peppers, varying in length, thickness and spice level. Generally, the smaller a pepper, the hotter it is because there are more seeds proportionally, and the seeds are the heat source. In Indian cooking, many types of chili peppers are used, but I use 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 now also in many American grocery stores. You can use any variety of green chili pepper, as I also frequently use the easily available Serrano chili pepper or jalapeño pepper. The Serrano and jalapeño are a bit bigger and plumper than the Indian bird’s-eye, but they will still do fine. Capsaicin, the active component of chili peppers that gives them the fiery hot flavor is mainly in the seeds, so cutting open and chopping a chili pepper exposes the seeds and allows it to release more flavor and heat. Always make sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling a chili pepper so you do not irritate your eyes, nose, or lips if you touch them afterwards. When green chili peppers are left on the plant long enough to fully ripen, they turn red and are then plucked and dried in the sun for use in cooking. Chili peppers provide pain relief, as studies have shown that capsaicin relieves and prevents headaches, including migraines.
Fresh green bird’s-eye chili pepper
Chili peppers, red (dried, whole) Red chili peppers are green chili peppers that have been allowed to fully ripen, after which they are plucked and sun-dried. Because the dried bird’s-eye chili pepper is not always available in regular grocery stores, I use the easy-to-find dried red chili peppers of the chili de arbol variety, found in small clear bags in the spice section or the Mexican international section of your grocery store. Sometimes these dried peppers are even found in the fresh produce section. When cooking with dried red chili peppers, I sometimes dry roast them first to release their flavors. I also sometimes tear these chili peppers before tossing them in the hot pan to expose the seeds, which releases more heat into the dish. If you leave them whole, the dish will not be as spicy. 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 six months in an airtight jar in your pantry. Chili peppers are beneficial to good heart health and have been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels. See also Red Pepper (page 30).
