Indian Dessert Coconut Balls These yummy coconut balls are a well-known Indian dessert. Make them, and you'll find out why!
Blend: Put all the coconut in a blender or food processor and pulse quickly to get a slightly finer textured coconut. Don't over process; you don't want coconut powder. Dough: in a heavy saucepan over low heat, combine milk, 1 C coconut, and 1/4 C sugar. Stir continuously till mix becomes sticky and clings together, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in remaining 1/4 C sugar, and add cardamom. Keep mixing to blend thoroughly. Cool. Assemble: form mixture into walnut-sized balls (use a little butter or ghee on your hands, if it's too sticky). Roll balls in remaining 1/2 C coconut. Chill and serve with slices of watermelon or peeled orange wedges. * The classic recipe calls for dessicated coconut, which is like shredded coconut but finer and unsweetened. It's hard to find the dessicated variety in the U.S., so use sweetened shredded. Just pulse it in a blender as this recipe suggests. |
Tips & Glossary Many of the ingredients used for Indian cooking probably aren’t in your spice shelf. And you may find them only at specialty Indian stores. So to avoid frustration, make a list of the items you need before trying out the recipes. Watch out for those chilies! Unless you love the real hot stuff, reduce the amount of chili called for in the recipe. Asafoetida: a powdered spice related to the fennel family. Basmati Rice: literally “Queen of fragrance." This rice, cultivated in India, is known for its delicate flavor and fragrance. Besan: also known as “gram flour,” made of ground chana dal, like chickpeas, only smaller and lighter in color. Cardamom: related to the ginger family. Pods (green, brown, or black) are the best way to store cardamom. But high-quality ground is also available. A rule of thumb: 10 pods = 1 1/2 tsp. ground. Chili: any small hot pepper, as opposed to larger, milder bell peppers; widely used in Indian cuisine. Coriander: aka cilantro, Chinese, or Mexican parsley. Both fresh leaves and dried ground seeds are used in Indian, Asian and Mexican cuisines. Cumin: an aromatic, kin to parsley and carrot plant; an important ingredient in chili powder. Used especially in Indian curries. It has an earthy, peppery flavor. Curry: a generic term for a soups and stews flavored with variety of spices—most often cumin, coriander, and tumeric, but others as well. You can make curry powder or buy it commercially. Garam Masala: literally, “hot spice,” usually a mixture of cinnamon, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, and green cardamom seed or black cardamom pods. McCormick makes it; even Cooks Illustrated rated it highly. Ghee: clarified butter. Melt 1 lb. unsalted butter over low heat for 20 minutes (careful not to burn), remove from heat and skim away solids. Strain through cheesecloth into a separate container and keep…forever. It doesn’t need to be refrigerated. If you buy commercial ghee, make sure it comes from real butter, not hydrogenated oils. Saffron: stigma from the crocus family; it’s the most expensive spice in the world. Buy saffron threads; before using them, steep in a little hot water for 10 minutes to release flavor.
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Indian Dessert Pistachio Ice Cream Creamy homemade ice cream made with chopped pistachio nuts.
Pistachios: put pistachios in a blender or food processor and pulse once or twice till coarsely chopped. Don't over process; you don't want it grainy or powdery. Set aside. Sauce: in a heavy saucepan, combine whole milk with half-and-half. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring continuousy. Reduce heat and simmer on medium heat about 1 hour* till sauce is thick and reduced by half, to 3 C. Remove from heat and add sugar, cardamom, and all but 4 T of pistachios. Stir on low heat for 5 more minutes to dissolve sugar. Serving: remove from heat, cool, and place in individual ramekins or in a large flat pan. Cover tightly and freeze at least 4 hours till set. Before serving, sprinkle with rose water and remaining 4 T pistachios. * As the sauce cooks, it will develops a skin on top. That's good. As you stir, push the skin down into the sauce and scrape around the sides, too. The skin adds to the final texture. |
Tips & Glossary Many of the ingredients used for Indian cooking probably aren’t in your spice shelf. And you may find them only at specialty Indian stores. So to avoid frustration, make a list of the items you need before trying out the recipes. Watch out for those chilies! Unless you love the real hot stuff, reduce the amount of chili called for in the recipe. Asafoetida: a powdered spice related to the fennel family. Basmati Rice: literally “Queen of fragrance." This rice, cultivated in India, is known for its delicate flavor and fragrance. Besan: also known as “gram flour,” made of ground chana dal, like chickpeas, only smaller and lighter in color. Cardamom: related to the ginger family. Pods (green, brown, or black) are the best way to store cardamom. But high-quality ground is also available. A rule of thumb: 10 pods = 1 1/2 tsp. ground. Chili: any small hot pepper, as opposed to larger, milder bell peppers; widely used in Indian cuisine. Coriander: aka cilantro, Chinese, or Mexican parsley. Both fresh leaves and dried ground seeds are used in Indian, Asian and Mexican cuisines. Cumin: an aromatic, kin to parsley and carrot plant; an important ingredient in chili powder. Used especially in Indian curries. It has an earthy, peppery flavor. Curry: a generic term for a soups and stews flavored with variety of spices—most often cumin, coriander, and tumeric, but others as well. You can make curry powder or buy it commercially. Garam Masala: literally, “hot spice,” usually a mixture of cinnamon, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, and green cardamom seed or black cardamom pods. McCormick makes it; even Cooks Illustrated rated it highly. Ghee: clarified butter. Melt 1 lb. unsalted butter over low heat for 20 minutes (careful not to burn), remove from heat and skim away solids. Strain through cheesecloth into a separate container and keep…forever. It doesn’t need to be refrigerated. If you buy commercial ghee, make sure it comes from real butter, not hydrogenated oils. Saffron: stigma from the crocus family; it’s the most expensive spice in the world. Buy saffron threads; before using them, steep in a little hot water for 10 minutes to release flavor.
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Indian Entree Lamb Madras A wonderfully flavored lamb stew garnished with shredded coconut.
Heat oil over moderately low heat. Fry onion, chilies, and chili powder for 2 minutes. Add garlic and fry 2 more minutes. Stir in garam masala. Add the lamb, vinegar, salt, and tomatoes. Stir thoroughly. Cover and cook over medium low heat for about 25 minutes until the meat is tender. Stir occasionally. If necessary, add a little water to prevent sticking or burning. Sprinkle with coconut and serve immediately. Serve Basmati rice as an accompaniment. |
Tips & Glossary Many of the ingredients used for Indian cooking probably aren’t in your spice shelf. And you may find them only at specialty Indian stores. So to avoid frustration, make a list of the items you need before trying out the recipes. Watch out for those chilies! Unless you love the real hot stuff, reduce the amount of chili called for in the recipe. Asafoetida: a powdered spice related to the fennel family. Basmati Rice: literally “Queen of fragrance." This rice, cultivated in India, is known for its delicate flavor and fragrance. Besan: also known as “gram flour,” made of ground chana dal, like chickpeas, only smaller and lighter in color. Cardamom: related to the ginger family. Pods (green, brown, or black) are the best way to store cardamom. But high-quality ground is also available. A rule of thumb: 10 pods = 1 1/2 tsp. ground. Chili: any small hot pepper, as opposed to larger, milder bell peppers; widely used in Indian cuisine. Coriander: aka cilantro, Chinese, or Mexican parsley. Both fresh leaves and dried ground seeds are used in Indian, Asian and Mexican cuisines. Cumin: an aromatic, kin to parsley and carrot plant; an important ingredient in chili powder. Used especially in Indian curries. It has an earthy, peppery flavor. Curry: a generic term for a soups and stews flavored with variety of spices—most often cumin, coriander, and tumeric, but others as well. You can make curry powder or buy it commercially. Garam Masala: literally, “hot spice,” usually a mixture of cinnamon, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, and green cardamom seed or black cardamom pods. McCormick makes it; even Cooks Illustrated rated it highly. Ghee: clarified butter. Melt 1 lb. unsalted butter over low heat for 20 minutes (careful not to burn), remove from heat and skim away solids. Strain through cheesecloth into a separate container and keep…forever. It doesn’t need to be refrigerated. If you buy commercial ghee, make sure it comes from real butter, not hydrogenated oils. Saffron: stigma from the crocus family; it’s the most expensive spice in the world. Buy saffron threads; before using them, steep in a little hot water for 10 minutes to release flavor.
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Indian Main Curried Chicken & Lentils A savory chicken and lentil stew with a delicous curried sauce. Serve over rice.
Lentils: put lentils in a large saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour. Chicken: heat oil in a large skillet or wok and sauté onion till translucent. Add garlic and cook 3 more minutes. Add chicken pieces and brown till golden. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Assembly: drain lentils and add them, with broth, to skillet. Simmer (uncovered) till tender, about 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except fresh herbs. Cook & Serve: cook (uncovered) 30 minutes. Add chicken pieces to the lentil mixture and cook (uncovered) 1 more hour, till chicken falls off the bone. Spoon onto a deep platter or into a large bowl, sprinkle with coriander and mint leaves. Serve with rice. |
Tips & Glossary Many of the ingredients used for Indian cooking probably aren’t in your spice shelf. And you may find them only at specialty Indian stores. So to avoid frustration, make a list of the items you need before trying out the recipes. Watch out for those chilies! Unless you love the real hot stuff, reduce the amount of chili called for in the recipe. Asafoetida: a powdered spice related to the fennel family. Basmati Rice: literally “Queen of fragrance." This rice, cultivated in India, is known for its delicate flavor and fragrance. Besan: also known as “gram flour,” made of ground chana dal, like chickpeas, only smaller and lighter in color. Cardamom: related to the ginger family. Pods (green, brown, or black) are the best way to store cardamom. But high-quality ground is also available. A rule of thumb: 10 pods = 1 1/2 tsp. ground. Chili: any small hot pepper, as opposed to larger, milder bell peppers; widely used in Indian cuisine. Coriander: aka cilantro, Chinese, or Mexican parsley. Both fresh leaves and dried ground seeds are used in Indian, Asian and Mexican cuisines. Cumin: an aromatic, kin to parsley and carrot plant; an important ingredient in chili powder. Used especially in Indian curries. It has an earthy, peppery flavor. Curry: a generic term for a soups and stews flavored with variety of spices—most often cumin, coriander, and tumeric, but others as well. You can make curry powder or buy it commercially. Garam Masala: literally, “hot spice,” usually a mixture of cinnamon, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, and green cardamom seed or black cardamom pods. McCormick makes it; even Cooks Illustrated rated it highly. Ghee: clarified butter. Melt 1 lb. unsalted butter over low heat for 20 minutes (careful not to burn), remove from heat and skim away solids. Strain through cheesecloth into a separate container and keep…forever. It doesn’t need to be refrigerated. If you buy commercial ghee, make sure it comes from real butter, not hydrogenated oils. Saffron: stigma from the crocus family; it’s the most expensive spice in the world. Buy saffron threads; before using them, steep in a little hot water for 10 minutes to release flavor.
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Indian Main Curried Meatballs Kofta are balls of seasoned minced meat and/or vegtables. Ours are poached in a curried yogurt sauce. 1 lb. ground pork Meatballs: Combine pork with garlic and 1 tsp. salt. Mix well. Divide meat into 4 portions, then each portion into 4 again, for a total of 16. Roll into meatballs. Sauce: heat ghee over a moderate heat in a deep saucepan. Stir in cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, bay leaves, and cardamom, onion. When onion is golden, add tomatoes, yogurt, chili powder. Stir several times. Pour in water and remaining salt. Bring to a boil. |
Tips & Glossary Many of the ingredients used for Indian cooking probably aren’t in your spice shelf. And you may find them only at specialty Indian stores. So to avoid frustration, make a list of the items you need before trying out the recipes. Watch out for those chilies! Unless you love the real hot stuff, reduce the amount of chili called for in the recipe. Asafoetida: a powdered spice related to the fennel family. Basmati Rice: literally “Queen of fragrance." This rice, cultivated in India, is known for its delicate flavor and fragrance. Besan: also known as “gram flour,” made of ground chana dal, like chickpeas, only smaller and lighter in color. Cardamom: related to the ginger family. Pods (green, brown, or black) are the best way to store cardamom. But high-quality ground is also available. A rule of thumb: 10 pods = 1 1/2 tsp. ground. Chili: any small hot pepper, as opposed to larger, milder bell peppers; widely used in Indian cuisine. Coriander: aka cilantro, Chinese, or Mexican parsley. Both fresh leaves and dried ground seeds are used in Indian, Asian and Mexican cuisines. Cumin: an aromatic, kin to parsley and carrot plant; an important ingredient in chili powder. Used especially in Indian curries. It has an earthy, peppery flavor. Curry: a generic term for a soups and stews flavored with variety of spices—most often cumin, coriander, and tumeric, but others as well. You can make curry powder or buy it commercially. Garam Masala: literally, “hot spice,” usually a mixture of cinnamon, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, and green cardamom seed or black cardamom pods. McCormick makes it; even Cooks Illustrated rated it highly. Ghee: clarified butter. Melt 1 lb. unsalted butter over low heat for 20 minutes (careful not to burn), remove from heat and skim away solids. Strain through cheesecloth into a separate container and keep…forever. It doesn’t need to be refrigerated. If you buy commercial ghee, make sure it comes from real butter, not hydrogenated oils. Saffron: stigma from the crocus family; it’s the most expensive spice in the world. Buy saffron threads; before using them, steep in a little hot water for 10 minutes to release flavor.
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