The Café Spice Cookbook: 84 Quick and Easy Indian Recipes for Everyday Meals (30 page)

Carrot Pudding with Nuts
Gajar Halwa

I used to keep an eye out for a natural method to make this dessert as bright red here in the West as it is always made in India. Then, I discovered red, heirloom carrots! Use them to give this dessert a vibrant red hue. This dessert is a very popular dish for guests or a party. The pudding needs constant stirring while cooking for it to be gooey, fudgy, and absolutely delicious, but it’s worth it. Serve with vanilla ice cream on the side for a special occasion.

Serves
6–8

Prep time:
15 minutes

Cook time:
1 hour 50 minutes

½ gallon (2 liters) whole milk

2 lbs (1 kg) carrots, peeled and grated

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

½ cup (100 g) ghee or unsalted butter

1 teaspoon ground cardamom, preferably freshly ground green cardamom seeds (from about 5 cardamom pods)

¼ cup (25 g) slivered almonds, toasted

¼ cup (30 g) golden raisins, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes, drained

2 tablespoons unsalted pistachios, chopped

Pour the milk into a large wide saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer, stirring often, until reduced to almost half; this will take about an hour.

Add the grated carrots to the reduced milk and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for about 30–40 minutes until all the milk has evaporated.

Add the sugar and simmer, stirring to dissolve. Continue to cook, stirring, until the carrots are quite dry. Add the ghee or butter and sauté well for 20–25 minutes. Stir in the cardamom powder, toasted almonds, and raisins and then remove from the heat.

To serve, spoon the pudding into individual serving cups. Top with chopped pistachios and serve warm.

Steamed Yogurt Pudding

This is an inspired version of a very popular Bengali sweet called
mishit doi
(sweetened yogurt). This steamed version, served in a ramekin, is even more attractive when topped with raspberries or other fruit of your choice.

Serves
4

Prep time:
10 minutes plus 6 hours to drain the yogurt

Cook time:
30 minutes

2 cups (500 g) plain yogurt

1 cup (350 g) condensed milk

2 tablespoons golden raisins

¼ cup (30 g) finely chopped pistachios

Raspberries, to serve

Line a strainer with a double layer of muslin cloth and place over a large bowl. Pour in the plain yogurt, cover with a plastic wrap, and allow the whey to drain off for at least 6 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Whisk together the yogurt, condensed milk, and raisins until smooth. Divide the mixture between four small ramekins or ovenproof serving bowls. Cover each ramekin tightly with foil to prevent water from getting in. Place the dishes in a baking dish and pour in enough water to come a quarter of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully place in the oven and steam bake for 30–35 minutes.

Cool the desserts in their dishes and chill overnight. Serve in their dishes or turn out onto serving plates. Serve with the raspberries and sprinkle the nuts over the top.

Tender Coconut Cooler
Nariyal Pani Thandai

Coconut water has a slightly sweet, somewhat nutty taste. Surprisingly, it doesn’t taste like coconut. It has a flavor of its own. Coconut water has long been the most popular beverage consumed in the tropics, where it is considered not only a refreshing drink but a health tonic. Coconut water is a superfood filled with minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids, enzymes, and growth promoters. It is low in fat and has only a fifth of the sugar found in most fresh fruit juices. In my hometown of Udupi, we had more than thirty coconut trees in my backyard. Back then, buying was never a question for me! Here in the West, this beverage is gaining popularity. Some bottled varieties are available in stores, and it is served fresh in Asian markets. The addition of honey and salt makes it a refreshing drink for a hot summer day.

Serves
4

Prep time:
10 minutes

3 cups (750 ml) coconut water, chilled

½ cup (125 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

6 cups (1.5 liters), sparkling water or club soda, chilled

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons honey

1 cup (150 g) chopped fresh tender coconut meat, to serve

Lemon slices, to serve

Blend together all ingredients except the fresh tender coconut flesh.

Pour into four, tall 8-oz (250-ml) glasses. Serve garnished with fresh tender coconut and lemon slices.

Tamarind Cooler
Imli Paani

This is my take on a popular street drink that is known as
jal-jeera
or
jeera paani
. This tangy-spicy drink is served at roadside eateries around northern India. It is a much-loved summer beverage because tamarind is thought to have a cooling effect on the body. It’s best served as a before-dinner drink with any salad or snacks. Tamarind is easily available in Asian, Mexican, and Indian markets.

Serves
2

Prep time:
10 minutes

1 tablespoon tamarind paste

3 cups (750 ml) water, chilled

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice

3 cups (750 ml), sparkling water or club soda, chilled

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

1 tablespoon candied ginger chopped (optional)

1 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoons sugar

Crushed ice or ice cubes, to serve

Lemon slices, to serve

Place all the ingredients together in a shaker. Shake well, pour into highball glasses over ice, and serve garnished with lemon slices.

The Perfect Chai

We Indians love our chai! For some of us, it evokes memories of the gorgeous Indian monsoons, and for others, it’s simply a stress-reliever enjoyed since youth. Today, not surprisingly, even your local Starbucks has chai crème latte on its regular menu. Here, I’ve provided the traditional recipe. Try it once and you are sure to be hooked! I can’t get enough chai—it’s my best family-time beverage and the perfect start to a busy workday.

Serves
2

Prep time:
5 minutes

Cook time:
10 minutes

2 cups (500 ml) water

¼ teaspoon fennel seeds

1 piece peeled fresh ginger, 1-in (2.5-cm), lightly crushed

6 green cardamom pods, crushed

½ cup (125 ml) milk

2 teaspoons loose black tea leaves or 1 black tea bag, preferably English breakfast

Sugar, for serving

Bring the water, fennel seeds, ginger, and cardamom to a boil over high heat in a medium saucepan. Lower the heat to medium and continue to boil for another minute to extract maximum flavor.

Add the milk and bring to a boil once again. Add the tea leaves and remove from the heat. Cover the pan and set aside to steep for about 3 minutes.

Pour the mixture through a strainer into 2 teacups. Discard the spices. Serve hot with sugar on the side.

Shopping Guide

Indian markets can seem intimidating at first, but a trip to one is well worth it. The experience may encourage you to be adventurous and experiment with new ingredients. I always appreciate the range of fresh produce, spices and dry foods, such as rice and Indian lentils, available at such markets. These items also tend to be more affordably priced in an Indian market than at regular supermarkets. Here are a few of my favorite stores for Indian food and spices. Many of these stores also sell Indian clothes, specialized Indian cookware, and Indian music and Bollywood movies.

BHARAT BAZAAR
11510 West Washington Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90066
(310) 398-6766

BOMBAY SPICE HOUSE
1036 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 845-5200

BOMBAY BAZAAR
548 Valencia Street,
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 621-1717

COCONUT HILL INDIAN MARKET PLACE
554 South Murphy Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
(408) 738-8837

FOODS OF INDIA
121 Lexington Avenue #28
New York, NY 10016
(212) 683-4419

KALUSTYAN’S
123 Lexington Ave
New York, NY 10016
(212) 685-3451
www.kalustyans.com

PATEL BROTHERS
2610 W. Devon Avenue
Chicago,IL 60659
(773) 262-7777
www.patelbros.com

(The above location in Chicago is the flagship store, they have stores all over the US—see website for locations.)

ASIA IMPORTS, INC.
1840, Central Avenue North East
Minneapolis, MN 55418
(612) 788-4571

Some good online resources for Indian Ingredients are:

VANNS SPICES, LTD.
www.vannspices.com

In addition to the website, its spices are available at gourmet food stores throughout the country (check website for store locations).

PENZEYS SPICES
www.penzeys.com

In addition to the website, its spices are available at gourmet food stores throughout the country (check website for store locations).

MORTON AND BASSETT SPICES
www.mortonbassett.com

SHOP INDIAN
www.ishopindian.com

SPICE SAGE
www.myspicesage.com

ETHNIC GROCER

A great online resource for ethnic items delivered to your doorstep

www.theethnicgrocer.com

INDIAN BLEND
www.indianblend.com

To locate any Indian grocery store and a good resource for anything Indian, go to

www.thokalath.com

Index

Note: Page numbers correspond to the print edition.

A

almonds 23, 105, 118, 121, 126, 128, 134

apples 7, 26, 31, 44–45

asparagus 54

B

Baby Corn and Green Beans 71

basil 76

bean sprouts 31, 34, 44