The Café Spice Cookbook: 84 Quick and Easy Indian Recipes for Everyday Meals (27 page)

5 cups (1.2 liters) water

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

Salt, to taste

Soak the rice for 30–40 minutes. Carefully pour out the soaking water and wash the rice in several changes of water until the water runs clear. Leave it to drain in a fine-meshed strainer for about 15 minutes.

Heat the ghee or oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, and cardamom pods. When they crackle, add the sliced onion and sauté until light golden brown. Add the drained rice to the pan and cook for another 2–3 minutes, taking care that the rice does not break.

Add the water, mint, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes until the rice is tender and the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and stir the rice gently to mix. Cover the pan and leave to rest for 15–20 minutes before serving.

Simple Rice Pilaf
Saada Pulao

This is a very simple way to turn an everyday rice dish into something exciting and flavorful. The flavor of roasted spices marries very well with any vegetable or meat dish, making this rice most convenient for any Indian menu fare. You can even make this dish with a single spice like the cumin or the peppercorns instead of using the entire array of combined spices.

Serves
4

Prep time:
5 minutes plus 40 minutes for soaking

Cook time:
15 minutes

1½ cups (315 g) uncooked basmati rice

1½ teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon whole cloves

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

5–7 green cardamom pods

1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter) or oil

2¾ cups (685 ml) water

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves

Soak the rice for 30–40 minutes. Carefully pour out the soaking water and wash the rice in several changes of water until the water runs clear. Leave it to drain in a fine-meshed strainer for about 15 minutes.

Place the cumin, cloves, black peppercorns, and cardamom in a medium saucepan and roast, while shaking the pan over medium-high heat until highly fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the drained rice and ghee or oil and sauté for 1–3 minutes, stirring gently with a wooden spoon—being careful not to break the grains of the rice.

Add the water and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover the pan, and cook until the rice is done, 10–12 minutes. Do not stir the rice while it cooks. Remove from the heat and let the rice rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with the fresh mint, and serve.

Naan Bread

This bread is by far the most popular variety served in Indian restaurants. Traditionally, naan cooks against the superheated clay wall of a cylindrical tandoor. Heat radiating from the coals below also chars the exposed side, so the bread never needs to be flipped. My challenge for the longest time in my test kitchen was to find the right heat to replicate a tandoor. I initially thought that a grill or preheated pizza stone would best approximate the intense temperature of a tandoor, which cooks naan mainly by heat conducted through its walls. I discovered that there is a better alternative. Try the trusty, heavy-duty, cast-iron skillet. A covered skillet delivers heat to the bottom and top of the bread, producing naan that are nicely charred but still moist. To maintain the soft interior of the naan, spray the dough with water before cooking.

Makes
5

Prep time:
15 minutes plus 1 hour for resting

Cook time:
15–20 minutes

1¾ cups (225 g) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup (125 ml, or a little extra) milk, warmed (about 110˚F/43˚C)

1 large egg yolk (optional)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Toppings (optional)—nigella seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, chopped garlic, and fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) or chopped mint

1 tablespoon butter, melted for brushing

Sift together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together the milk, yolk, and oil in a small bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquids.

Slowly mix together the dough by working outward from the center and incorporating the flour from the edges of the well to make smooth, soft dough. Knead well for 8–10 minutes, adding a little flour if the dough is too sticky.

Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp dish towel, and leave for at least 1 hour in a warm place to rise.

Punch down the dough, knead it briefly, and divide it into 5 portions. Shape each piece into a smooth, tight ball. Place dough balls at least 2 inches (5 cm) apart on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap that has been coated with vegetable oil spray. Let stand for 15–20 minutes.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400°F (200°C). Place a serving plate on the rack so that you can put the finished naan on it to keep them warm while the rest are cooking.

Transfer 1 ball to a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle with flour. Using hands and rolling pin, press and roll the piece of dough into 8-in (20-cm) oval or teardrop shape of even thickness, sprinkling the dough and work surface with flour as needed to prevent sticking. Then gently prick all over with a fork. Sprinkle on the seeds and/or toppings (if using) and press them into the dough.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a 12-in (30-cm) cast-iron skillet over medium heat until the oil shimmers. Wipe the oil out of the skillet completely with paper towels. Spray and mist top of dough lightly with water. Place dough in the pan, moistened side down. Mist the top surface of dough with water and cover. Cook until bottom is browned in spots across the surface, 2–4 minutes. Flip the naan, cover, and continue to cook on second side until lightly browned, 2–3 minutes. (Note—If the bread puffs up, gently poke with a fork to deflate.) Flip the naan, brush the top with about 1 teaspoon melted butter, transfer to the plate in the oven, and cover the plate tightly with aluminum foil. Repeat rolling and cooking the remaining 4 dough balls. Once the last naan is baked, serve hot.

VARIATION: ROYAL NAAN—
To make this exquisite, special-occasion stuffed naan, pulse together ½ cup (75 g) unsalted pistachios, ¼ cup (30 g) raisins, and 1½ teaspoons sugar to make a coarse powder. Divide into five portions. Roll the naan into thick circles, fill each with one portion of the filling and pinch the dough around it to close. Roll out the naan again into teardrop or oval shapes. Sprinkle with ½ cup (50 g) slivered almonds and then cook and serve as mentioned above.

Whole Wheat Griddle Bread
Chapati

This is a staple accompaniment to most Indian dishes. To give it an interesting variation, you could use any spice or chopped up greens to flavor the chapati. Dunk it with any vegetable or gravy dish, with a side of a pickle, and you can have a flavorful, wholesome meal right there.

Makes about
10
chapati

Prep time:
10 minutes plus 1 hour for resting

Cook time:
10 minutes

2 cups (250 g) whole wheat flour, plus extra to dust work surface

½ teaspoon salt

About 1 cup (250 ml) water

½ cup (125 ml) oil or melted ghee (clarified butter), for brushing

REHEATING TIPS—
Though chapati are best eaten hot off the griddle, they can also be refrigerated or frozen for later use. They can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5–6 days and frozen for as long as 2 months. To store the breads, make sure the they are first cooled completely. Then stack them one on top of the other and tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Then wrap them with aluminum foil or place them in freezer bags. They can be reheated, wrapped in aluminum foil, in a 450°F (230°C) toaster oven; on a hot tava, griddle or skillet; under the broiler; or in a single layer on an ungreased broiler-safe tray, 4–5 in (10–12 cm) from the heat source.

Sift the whole wheat flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the center. Slowly add the water in small quantities, while mixing, until a soft dough is formed. Turn onto a floured work surface and knead the dough by pressing your knuckles lightly into the dough, spreading it outward, gathering the ends toward the center with your fingers, and pressing the center down. Repeat for about 3–5 minutes, or until you have soft, pliable dough that does not stick to your fingers.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, and let rest for about an hour. (This allows the gluten to develop). If keeping for longer periods, refrigerate the dough.