As history suggests, tomatoes were not indigenous to India and were only available in the country, 16th century onwards, courtesy the Portuguese. They even at that time could not have thought of the culinary evolution which happened after their introduction to Indian cuisine. Not only did they become one of the famous ingredients in the Indian kitchen but so many dishes evolved around them ranging from chutneys, soups and to curries.

Tomato is a perennial plant grown outdoors in temperate climate typically reaching upto 2-10feet in height with weak woody stem that requires support once they start tilting towards one side.
Even though fresh tomatoes are readily available, people often take advantage of their good preserving properties. Some of the forms in which it can be found are fresh both raw green and ripe, sun-dried, pickled, paste and pureed.

Tomato Rice (Also known as tomato bhaat)
2 cups leftover long grain rice
2 tbsp refined oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 green chillies slit lengthwise
1 large red onion, chopped fine
4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into cubes
1″ piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
Salt to taste
¼ cup chopped fresh coriander leaves

Preparation:
Heat the oil in a kadhai/ deep sauté pan and add the mustard seeds and green chillies and allow them to crackle. When they stop spluttering add the onion and fry until translucent, about 2-3minutes.
Add the tomato and ginger and continue to stir. Cook until the tomatoes turn pulpy, about 5-7minutes.
Add coriander, cumin and garam masala powders (see the garam masala section in “The Ultimate Indian Curry Manual” )  and cook for another 2minutes. Add leftover rice and stir very gently to mix and heat at the same time. Season with salt.   Cook on a low flame for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle the chopped coriander just before serving. Serve with the South Indian chutney or pachdi of your choice.

- Kuntal

Tags: lentil, chana, dhokla, chicken, tandoor, kebab, tandoori, palak, naan, handi

In India, Cumin is known in as “Jeera or Jira”. The use of cumin is very common in Indian and Pakistani foods. Black cumin seed (also called black seed) should not be confused with the herb, cumin. It is know as Shahi jeera and is the essential spice for so many aromatic preparation.

It is an herbaceous annual plant, with a slender branched stem 20-30 cm tall. The leaves are 5-10 cm long. Cumin seeds are similar to fennel and anise seeds in appearance, but are smaller and darker in colour. Cultivation of cumin requires a long, hot summer of 3-4 months, with daytime temperatures around 30°C (86°F); it is drought tolerant, and is mostly grown in Mediterranean climates. It is grown from seed, sown in spring, and needs fertile, well-drained soil.

Today, cumin is identified with Indian, Tex-Mex, Cuban and Northern Mexican cuisine. It is used as an ingredient of curry powder. Cumin can be found in some Dutch cheeses like Leyden cheese, and in some traditional bread from France.

A few of cumin’s medicinal uses include treating asthma, tumors, colic, fever, and snakebite.
Additionally it also acts as a stimulant as well as a great herb for digestive disorders and even as a antiseptic of sorts. The seeds themselves are rich in iron and are thought to help stimulate the secretion of enzymes from the pancreas which can help absorb nutrients into the system. It has also been shown to boost the power of the liver’s ability to detoxify the human body.

I wish to recreate a simple recipe which is being used in India for centuries and is the real cold drink with all the goodness to fight the extreme summers of the sub-continent.

Jeera Pani
2 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted until fragrant
570 ml water
15 grams fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon rock salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method
Put water in a saucepan and bring it to boil. Remove from heat and allow cooling slightly.
Crush cumin lightly to release flavor, add to the water alongwith mint, salt, sugar and lemon juice. To have a smooth drink, you can also strain the water but for additional character, I like to serve with all the ingredients. If you wish to spice up the drink, you can also add finely chopped green chili. Chill and serve.

- Kuntal.

Tags: dosa, lentil, karahi, handi, kebab, gosht, roti, desi, idli, indian food

Question : I make Indian and Mediterranean dishes from time to time. I can’t seem to get the spices just right (comes out a bit bland). Is there a certain curry powder that I should use or is there a spice that I should with the curry?

Kuntal Answers : Curry powder is a generic term for a mixture of spices put together to flavour the Indian dishes, including the eponymous curries from various parts of India. It will mostly constitute cumin, coriander, turmeric, red chilli, fennel, hot spices like cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. Some of the special curry powders are special blends of more than fifty different spices in which many of them are not easily found with our neighbouring grocers. The most commonly found curry powder on the shelf is Madras curry powder which is on the spicier side.

While most of the curries are explained in detail with their recipes in the e-book available with us, I will give a simple recipe to make your own curry powder even though its usage will be limited to north Indian curries only.

Curry Powder Recipe

2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds, toasted until just aromatic
2 tablespoons whole cardamom seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds, toasted
1/4 cup turmeric powder
¼ tsp cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder (alternatively cayenne)

Method:

Combine all the ingredients in a dry air tight container and shake well to mix everything together. Use as required but use only dry spoon. It is advisable to make them at frequent intervals because the aromas do not last long.

Chef’s tip: sprinkle small pinch of hot spice powder alongwith with chopped coriander (cilantro) after finishing the dish for extra flavour.

Tags: curries, paneer, bhatura, gosht, dal, indian curry, roti, handi, kebab, palak