Learning to cook Indian: Texture and spice are key

Shredded coconut browns very quickly in a toaster oven. The seeds of fresh green chilies can make your fingertips burn. And frying whole cumin, coriander or cardamom seeds until they pop adds an intense flavor that far surpasses that of ground spices.

These are just a few of the lessons I learned recently during my first foray into authentic Indian cooking. I also discovered that what seemed effortless for a nimble Indian chef to create in his Center City restaurant kitchen is not so easy for the uninitiated to duplicate at home.

My quest to master Indian cooking took hold during a trip this spring to India. For 12 days, my daughter and I traveled through the "golden triangle" of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur, indulging in wonderful Indian meals that I was determined to re-create when we got back to the United States. In preparation, I thought I'd pick up some Indian spices. The spice shops in Jaipur's labyrinthine bazaars were not as obvious as what I'd seen on a previous trip to Morocco, where the vendors sat among burlap bags filled with colorful powders. Here, the spices were contained in glass jars piled up to the ceilings of the narrow shops that also sold candies, dried fruit, and herbal medicines.

Once back home, I perused the Indian cookbooks I'd bought and borrowed, and quickly realized that the handful of spices I bought in India would have to be supplemented by a far broader selection of seeds and powders. Luckily, there are a number of Indian markets in Philadelphia and South Jersey supplying the ever-growing South Asian population in the region. I made my way to Pardesh Farmers Market on Route 73 in Maple Shade, a supermarket-size Indian market that opened last year. Standing in the middle of a 40-foot aisle dedicated to spices and dried chilies, I received a primer on Indian flavoring from Sejal Patel, the store's manager.

Patel explained that the spicing varies greatly, depending on which region of India your recipe comes from, with southern Indian dishes relying more on hot chilies, while northern dishes lean toward garam masala flavoring. After reciting the medicinal values of several spices - turmeric for inflammation, fennel seeds for indigestion, and cardamom for cold symptoms - she delineated Indian cooks' use of whole vs. ground spice.

"We put the whole seeds in chutneys and in hot oil at the beginning, to infuse flavor into the whole dish, and use the powders as a seasoning at the end," Patel said. "And some people don't trust the powders so they buy the whole seeds to mix and grind themselves."

That is particularly true in the case of spice blends, such as curry powder, a mix of ground chili, turmeric, ginger, cumin, coriander and cloves, or garam masala, which combines clove, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon and star anise. On the dried chili front, some chilies are used more for color, like byadgi and kashmiri, while others add heat, such as mundu chilies.

I left Pardesh armed with a wide variety of whole and ground spices, dried and fresh chilies, plus other fresh ingredients, including Indian cuisine's holy trinity: coriander, ginger and garlic.

Intimidated by some of the recipes, I visited Rakesh Ramola, owner and executive chef of IndeBlue, for some hands-on instruction.

The 42-year-old chef began cooking in Mumbai, after graduating from a culinary school there, then in Kuwait, Cyprus and London before coming to this country and opening his first restaurant in Collingswood in 2008. Five years later, he opened his second IndeBlue, on 13th Street in Center City Philadelphia, where I met him on a recent Monday morning for a cooking lesson. Ramola shops for fresh produce every day, makes his own spice blends and paneer, India's staple cheese.

After putting up a pot of homemade chai, and roasting a wide variety of seeds for that day's garam masala, Ramola began making his fresh paneer. After boiling a gallon of milk, and adding lemon juice to make it curdle, he strained the curds through a cheesecloth until a firm mound of cheese emerged, and this he roasted in a tandoori oven before cubing and coating it in a subtle yet complex tikka masala sauce. While the cheese was roasting, he got started on chicken madras, another intensely flavored dish, with yogurt-marinated chicken bathed in a spice-laden tomato-ginger-chili-coconut sauce.

Correcting a common misconception that all Indian food is fiery, Romola noted that "the only thing that makes Indian food hot is the chili peppers. The rest are all spices that add flavor." When eating a properly prepared dish, he said, "you should feel the texture and taste the flavor of every individual spice."

With that exacting standard as a goal, I invited my friend Deborah Paredes, a more experimental cook who has also been to India, to give some Indian dishes a try. Together, we produced four dishes over four hours: chef Ramola's chicken madras, paneer with fresh spinach and cherry tomatoes by Indian home cooking author Meera Sodha, and two recipes by India's high priestess of cooking, Madhur Jaffrey: a simple potato and pea dish, and Punjabi seasoned roasted cauliflower that was everyone's favorite.

Beset by a number of mishaps, we will likely not be opening our own Indian restaurant any time soon. I burned a whole tray of grated coconut. Deborah was able to slice only three fresh chili peppers before feeling her fingertips start to smart. Because we had no tandoori oven to spit-roast the paneer, our pan-fried version lacked the creamy texture of Ramola's. And we overdid it on the ginger in our chicken madras.

Nevertheless, we had succeeded in creating quite a tasty spread, even if it was eaten at 10:30 p.m.

So now, with a cabinet full of Indian spices and some experience with a cuisine I once found thoroughly intimidating, I feel a bit more confident to try other Indian dishes. That is, as long as I've set aside plenty of time. Otherwise, I'll probably just head out to a local Indian restaurant the next time I have a craving.

For many venturing into Indian cooking for the first time, the plethora of spices listed in many recipes need not be a disincentive.

Here are a few suggestions for working with Indian spices:

1. To save money, buy your spices at any of the numerous Indian or Asian markets or grocery stores in this area. You'll find large cellophane bags of spice that cost about a third of the price of those tiny jarred spices you'll find in American supermarkets.

2. Your staple supply of whole spices should include the following: cumin, coriander, black mustard, cardamom, and sesame seeds, plus cloves, bay leaves and dried star anise. For ground spices, you'll need turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala, chili powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

3. Try blending and grinding your own spices, using a mortar and pestle or a spice/coffee grinder.

4. Start with a smaller amount of spice and taste your dish, adding more to your liking. That said, be willing to push your boundaries, because it is the spices that largely distinguish Indian cuisine.

5. Store your spices in airtight jars or tins.

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Makes 4 servings

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1 pound boneless chicken breast (marinate chicken with plain yogurt, salt, pepper, turmeric and chili powder for 1/2 hour)

3 small green fresh chilies

3 tablespoons cooking oil

3 whole cloves

2 cardamom pods

1 tablespoon of black mustard seeds

5-6 whole red dried chilies

2 large onions, finely chopped

2-inch piece of root ginger, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1/2 teaspoon each: ground cumin, ground coriander

1 teaspoon each: turmeric, garam masala

Salt to taste

6 ounces of roasted grated coconut

2 cups of chopped tomatoes, pureed

Handful coriander leaves

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1. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces.

2. Finely chop the green chilies, and do not remove the seeds. (Use gloves to avoid stinging fingers.)

3. Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan, add the cloves, cardamom, mustard seeds and whole red chilies and wait till they sizzle.

4. Add the onions and fry until caramelized.

5. Add the green chilies, ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

6. Add the red chili powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala and salt and stir frequently.

7. Add the coconut and tomatoes.

8. Add the chicken and 1/2 cup of water and mix well for 2-3 minutes.

9. Cook covered for a further 20 minutes on a medium heat or until chicken is tender.

10. When ready to serve, sprinkle with fresh chopped coriander.

- From Chef Rakesh Ramola, Indeblue Restaurant, Philadelphia and Collingswood

Per Serving: 509 calories; 41 grams protein; 22 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams sugar; 30 grams fat; 97 milligrams cholesterol; 224 milligrams sodium; 8 grams dietary fiber.EndText

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Makes 4 servings

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Canola oil

1 pound paneer, cut into 3/4-inch cubes, and lightly seasoned with salt

2 medium onions, finely chopped

1-inch piece of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, crushed

1 fresh green chili, finely chopped

14 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved

1 tablespoon tomato paste

11/2 teaspoons ground coriander

11/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Salt, to taste

1 pound fresh spinach leaves

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1. Heat three tablespoons of oil in frying pan, and fry paneer cubes, turning regularly until golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Add a little more oil to pan; add chopped onions and sauté until soft and golden. Add ginger, garlic, green chili and stir well. Add tomatoes and tomato paste.

3. Put lid on pan and cook until tomatoes break down, 6-8 minutes. Add coriander, cumin, turmeric, chili powder, and salt to taste. Mixture should be paste-like.

4. Return paneer to pan, coat with sauce and heat through.

5. Add spinach leaves in batches until wilted and coated with sauce.

6. Cook for 5 more minutes with the lid on, until all spinach is wilted and cheese is softened.

- From: Made in India by Meera Sodha

Per Serving: 664 calories; 40 grams protein; 20 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams sugar; 49 grams fat; 119 milligrams cholesterol; 499 milligrams sodium; 6 grams dietary fiber.EndText

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Makes 4-5 servingsEndTextStartText

1 large head of cauliflower, broken into florets

11/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon peeled and finely grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

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1. Put cauliflower florets in a large bowl. Combine lemon juice, turmeric, and ginger and pour mixture over cauliflower. Add salt, cayenne, ground spices, and fresh cilantro, mix well and let sit for 2 hours, tossing occasionally.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put oil in small frying pan and when hot, add cumin seeds, cooking until they sizzle and pop, about 10 seconds. Pour the spice oil over the cauliflower.

3. Spread cauliflower in a single layer on a cookie sheet or roasting pan. Cook in oven for 20-25 minutes, turning them over midway.

- From Vegetarian Indian by Madhur Jaffrey

Per Serving (based on 5): 119 calories; 2 grams protein; 4 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams sugar; 12 grams fat; no cholesterol; 487 milligrams sodium; 2 grams dietary fiber.EndText

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Makes 4 servings

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2 tablespoons olive or peanut oil

1/2-1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

1 medium onion chopped

1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger

1-3 fresh hot green chilies, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

21/3 cups parboiled fresh or frozen peas, defrosted under running water

2-3 medium waxy potatoes, boiled, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes

Salt and pepper to taste

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1. Heat oil in medium frying pan and when hot, add cumin seeds and let sizzle for 10 seconds. Add onions and fry until golden and tender.

2. Add ginger, green chilies, and turmeric and stir for one minute. Add peas, potatoes, salt and pepper, stir for 2-3 minutes. Add a little water if too dry.

- Adapted from Vegetarian Indian by Madhur Jaffrey

Per Serving: 267 calories; 8 grams protein; 44 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams sugar; 7 grams fat; no cholesterol; 79 milligrams sodium; 10 grams dietary fiber.EndText