Category Archives: India

“You had me at rhubarb”

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South Indian Rhubard Pachadi

This pachadi is a gorgeously light pink. The photo taken at night under poor lightly doesn’t do it justice in looks and flavour.

On my days off I often like to try out new recipes at home.  When successful I like to share the results with colleagues in my work kitchen.  One of them is a vegetarian.  She is also the most patient and most receptive in listening about my home culinary exploits.  The other day I went to work eager to share with her my recipe for Rhubarb Pachadi.  I explained to her that a pachadi, a South Indian version of raita, is a side dish where a singular vegetable or fruit is briefly cooked, in some cases raw, and added to spiced yogurt. In India it is considered to be a ‘salad’ where the yogurt is used as a dressing. However, I told her that it may be easier to think of it as a sauce and served with meals to contrast hot and spicy dishes.  A pachadi is great with rice and vegetables or for non vegetarians with pork, duck, chicken or even fish like halibut or pickerel.  Upon finishing my description of the recipe she told me how delish it sounded but that “you need to know you had me at rhubarb”.

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Rhubarb Pachadi
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups thinly sliced red rhubarb (do not peel)
  • 1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 green cayenne chile finely chopped
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup coconut, grated fresh or frozen
  • Tempering
  • 2tbsp vegetable or coconut oil
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 20 curry leaves
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
Instructions
  1. Heat a medium sized pan over medium high heat. Add rhubarb, ginger, chile and water. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes occasionally stirring and mashing with back of spoon. Add yogurt and coconut. Cook for 2-3 minutes then remove from heat and place in serving bowl.
  2. In a small frying pan heat the oil over medium high heat. Add mustard seeds and when they start to sputter add remaining ingredients. Stir fry for 3-5 minutes or until shallots are lightly golden brown. Spoon cooked onions and spices over yogurt. Serve at room temperature.
  3. The rhubarb pachadi can be stored, covered, in fridge for a few days. Bring back to room temperature before serving.

Ingredients for south Indian Rhubarb Pachadi

The Raja(n) of Butter Chicken

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The Best Butter Chicken in the World

On this Father’s Day, I would love to share a recipe from my own father but unfortunately the  kitchen was not his forte. Rather, it is my father-in-law, Rajan, who has developed an interest in mastering a small repertoire of dishes.  One of his most celebrated dishes in our family is the ever popular Murgh Makhani, or Butter Chicken.

During the early 1950s, my father-in- law’s Punjabi family, long settled in New Delhi, would head to the original Moti Mahal in Daryaganj to savour the tandoori fare of kebabs and rotis, dal makhani and their famous Murgh Makhani.  As a teenager he and his friends would visit the cheaper copycat dhabas along Pandara Road to get their Punjabi tandoori fix.

In1970, my in-laws moved to Canada. A big part of their culture shock (bigger perhaps than the ice and snow of their first Canadian winter) was learning how to cook their own meals for the first time in their lives.  Following my wife’s birth, each summer the three of them would return to Delhi and inevitably one of their first meals would be takeaway of butter chicken, dal makhani and rotis from Moti Mahal.

It wasn’t until the early 1990s that my father-in-law would actually attempt to make his own homemade version.  I have known him for over 15 years and have tasted the evolution of his recipe and even after living in India and travelling the country from top to bottom I can honestly say that have yet to meet a Butter Chicken which rivals my father-in-law’s. Perhaps it is the ‘andaaz’ (loose estimation) of his spicing; or the addition of whole cumin seeds which provide a randomly pleasant crunch; or that his recipe is based on bringing together his past and future communities- early taste memories of Delhi friends and family and later sharing his favourite meals with newly made friends in Canada.  The one thing that I am sure of is that when Rajan makes Butter Chicken ‘hat mai jadoo hain’, there is magic in his hands.

Happy Father’s Day!

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Rajan’s Butter Chicken
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 3 pounds bone-in chicken breast (each breast half cut into 2 or 3 pieces) or 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 2” pieces ** or substitute 2 pounds paneer, cut into large cubes
  • Marinade
  • 1 teaspoon Indian red chile powder, or cayenne
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • ½ cup plain yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala (homemade or store-bought)
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • Generous pinch of saffron threads
  • Sauce
  • 1 medium yellow or white onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala (homemade or store-bought)
  • 1 teaspoon Indian red chile powder, or cayenne
  • ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 2 cups pureed tomatoes, canned or fresh (if using fresh, peel and puree)
  • About ¼ cup butter
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional), ground into powder
  • Handful coarsely chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl stir together chile powder, lime juice, and oil, add chicken, and turn to coat. In a small bowl mix yogurt and remaining marinade ingredients, then pour over the chicken. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours or overnight.
  2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove chicken pieces from marinade (you can brush off excess marinade) and place on a large baking pan in the upper third of the oven. Roast for about 15 minutes; chicken will be starting to brown but not cooked quite through. Remove from the oven and set aside. Or better yet, grill chicken pieces on a barbeque.
  3. Put 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, for about five minutes, or until transparent. Add the garlic and ginger, the cumin seeds and powder, coriander, garam masala, red chile powder, and salt, and cook, stirring, for two to three minutes. Add the tomato puree, stir to blend, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
  4. Add the roasted chicken to the simmering sauce and cook over medium heat at a strong simmer for another 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
  5. Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons butter, and then add the cream and stir. Remove from the heat and taste for salt. Sprinkle the fenugreek powder and garnish with coriander leaves just before serving.
Notes
This recipe, Rajan’s recipe, is an improved version of the one I wrote for the film Cooking With Stella.

 

Summer is Here: Mango and Rhubarb Lassis

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Box of Alphonso Mangoes from IndiaRipe, deep orange Indian Alphonso MangoesTwo of my favourite fruits are currently in season albeit on different continents. In India, mangoes currently reign supreme, only rivalled by Bihari litchis at their peak. In Canada, glorious pink hued rhubarb is taking over neglected back corners of home gardens. I made my weekly visit to our neighbourhood Indian grocer to pick up a case of sweet Alphonso mangoes direct from Mumbai and to the Landsdowne Farmer’s Market in Ottawa for rhubarb and ripe ruby red Ottawa Valley strawberries. With the weather being hot and humid cooling afternoon drinks is a necessity. Here are two quick and easy lassi recipes; one sweet from the nectar of mangoes and the other shouting ‘summer is here’ with its refreshing sour and sweet flavour and gorgeous pink hue.

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Mango Lassi
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 1 Alphonso mango *see note*
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 1¼ cup milk or water
  • ½ cup ice
  • 1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
  1. Peel, pit and chop the mango. Place in blender with yogurt, milk or water, ice and sugar. Blend to a puree. Serve as is or over ice.
Notes
When I cannot get fresh Alphonso mangoes I often substitute canned Alphonso mango puree. I like to freeze the puree in smaller ½ cup or 1 cup quantities for easy access when needed.

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Rhubarb Strawberry Lassi
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup rhubarb, chopped
  • 1 cup strawberries, washed, hulled and roughly chopped
  • 4 tbsp sugar
  • 2 cups plain yogurt
  • 2 cup milk or water
  • 1 cup ice
Instructions
  1. Place chopped rhubarb and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. As the rhubarb heats up some juice will be released. Cook for about five minutes, occasionally stirring. Add the strawberries and cook for another few minutes. Set aside and let cool. Place rhubarb/strawberry mixture in blender with yogurt, milk or water, ice and sugar. Blend to a puree. Serve as is or over ice.
Notes
Substitions: If strawberries are not available, raspberries, blackberries or blueberries can also be substituted. If using raspberries you may want to puree the fruit mix first then pass it through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. If seeds do not bother you proceed as described above.

 

Fiddleheads: Himalayan Style

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Fiddleheads cooked with Indian spices

For my first recipe post I want to offer a seasonal recipe using fiddleheads, a vegetable which has been instrumental in shaping what I view as local and seasonal food.  Ten years ago I participated in a Canadian Food promotion in Tokyo. While visiting the famous Tsukiji fish market I explored the nearby vegetable stalls and much to my surprise saw in-season fiddleheads.  The host Japanese chefs were shocked to learn that this, a Japanese vegetable to them, was also Canadian.  We incorporated them into an asparagus, fiddlehead, morel and wild rice pilaf.

Six years later while driving the winding roads away from the Himalayan village of McLeod Ganj, headquarters of the Dalai Lama, I again caught a glimpse of this familiar spring vegetable being sold along the roadside. Wanting to make sure I wasn’t suffering from altitude sickness, I recall asking my wife for reassurance that I had just seen a bunch of fiddleheads. Soon I was chatting with the vendor trying to explain in broken Hindi that we had the same seasonal delicacy in Canada.

These experiences, seeing the familiar in a foreign context, provided me with both comfort and intrigue. My definition of “local” and “seasonal” food began to shift and now I constantly find myself searching for more ‘local’ food as I travel.

In rural communitites, where vegetable cultivation is scarcely practiced, villagers often rely on nutritious wild vegetables. Such as fiddleheads which are high in omega-3, omega-6 essential fatty acids and rich in iron, potassium andother minerals and vitamins. From Shimla to Sikkim fiddlehead ferns, known as lingra, lingri or ningro, can be found in the remote forests of the Himalayas.  During the Monsoon, women often harvest the tightly coiled fronds, for personal consumption, or to sell along the roadside. Often, the fiddleheads are simply boiled and eaten on their own.  In Himachal pickled fiddleheads, lingri achaar, are a local delicacy while in Sikkim, they may be sautéed with chhurpi, a local cheese.  I have added some new potatoes to a recipe shared with me by the roadside vendor along the route to McLeod Ganj. The fiddleheads pictured below are sourced from the nearby Gatineau hills.

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Sauteed Fiddlehead Ferns with New Potatoes
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 3 cups or ½ lb fiddlehead ferns* (or substitute asparagus, okra or green beans)
  • 8 to 10 new potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons mustard or vegetable oil
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon coriander seeds, lightly crushed
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 dried red chiles, cut in half (or good pinch of cayenne powder)
  • salt, to taste
  • fresh coriander for garnish
Instructions
  1. Trim cut end of fiddleheads. Place fiddleheads in a large bowl with a lot of water and gently shake to remove any dirt or grit. Drain and repeat again. Drain the fiddleheads and set aside.
  2. Place new potatoes in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are just cooked. Use a slotted spoon to remove potatoes to a plate to let cool. Cut into halves or quarters depending on size of potato.
  3. Bring the water back to the boil and add the fiddleheads and cook until just tender, about two to three minutes. Use the slotted spoon to transfer the fiddleheads to a bowl of iced water for 5 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
  4. Heat the oil in a karhai, wok or large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the cumin, coriander seeds and dried red chilies and cook for 30 seconds. Toss in potatoes, remaining spices and some salt. Reduce heat to medium and saute for 3-4 minutes until the potatoes are warm. Add fiddleheads and cook for another minute or so. Adjust seasoning and serve immediately garnished with some fresh coriander.
Notes
Fiddlehead ferns are like wild mushrooms in that some species are ok for human consumption while others are not. So, it's best to purchase them from a well known vendor. Fiddleheads should be boiled first in boiling water before proceeding with any recipe.

 

Amritsari Comfort Food at Kesar da Dhaba

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My original intention of visiting Amritsar, like the millions of other annual visitors, was to see the principle pilgrimage site for followers of the Sikh religion, the Golden Temple. Specifically, I planned to spend a couple of days in the vast kitchen complex to find out how the temple managed to feed over 100,000 people each day.

phirni at kesar da dhaba amritsar, punjab

A young boy carries phirni, a creamy rice pudding served chilled in earthenware pots.

My flight was delayed in Delhi making my arrival in Amritsar closer to 8pm. I hadn’t eaten since noon and was famished. A friend, Mayur Sharma, who co-hosts a television show in India called Highway on My Plate, suggested if I had time to make a stop at a well-known dhaba nestled in the crowded alleyways of the older part of Amritsar. I exited the airport, found a taxi and surprised the driver by asking in Hindi to take me to the famous Kesar da Dhaba. He smiled, gave me an approving head tilt and whisked me towards Amritsar.
Dhabas are roadside eateries dotted along the national highways of India. I like to consider that they are similar in concept to the traditional French country bistro, where many of them offer, cheap, plentiful delicious meals yet in a more rustic setting. All of them started out as poorly built shacks specializing in one or two items. If they gained popularity with locals and travellers, and possessed business acumen, a purpose built restaurant would be set up to cater to their future needs. Nowadays, if you were to travel from New Delhi through the state of Punjab to the Pakistani border and ask any dhaba or restaurant that has been around since partition the story would be similar to Kesar da Dhaba’s.

Kesar Da Dhaba takeout vegetarian food.

Customers wait for their vegetarian takeout. For them it was stuffed potato and cauliflower parathas, raita, green mango pickles and mint chutney.

 

Tadka Dal in the kitchen of Kesar Da Dhaba, Amritsar, India

Preparing the tadka; the final seasoning of the dal where spices are tempered in pure desi ghee.

Ma ki dal cooked in a deg at Kesar da Dhaba.

A deg is used to cook the ma ki dal. A deg is a traditional cooking vessel made out of brass or copper whose shape and thick bottom are essential in allowing for even heat distribution during long cooking processes. Ma ki dal cooks for close to 14 hours at Kesar da Dhaba.

In 1916, in Sheikupura, Pakistan Mr. Lala Kesar Mal and his wife Parvati opened a small food stall serving basic dal and paratha. When Partition occurred in 1947 the recipes for these two dishes travelled with them and settled in Amritsar. And ever since visitors to Kesar da Dhaba are treated to homemade, simple vegetarian food.
Ramesh Mehra is now the fourth generation managing the restaurant. He explained that as time passed they added more dishes to the menu to offer greater options to customers but have not changed the recipes of their main dishes specifically the popular tadka dal, ma ki dal and phirni. Since they need to make over 4,000 parathas each day they once tried to use a machine to mix the dough but they received too many complaints so they switched back to all of the breads being hand mixed and rolled.

Laccha parathas being shaped in Amrtitsar

The parathawallah who shapes flaky laccha parathas.

laccha paratha making at Kesar da Dhaba

Flattening some dough to ready for the coil like shaping.

shaping paratha dough

The paratha being coiled which helps give the flaky layers.

coiled laccha parathas

Flaky layers in waiting.

laccha parathas

Laccha parathas waiting for the warmth of the tandoor.

plain parathas as dough in Kesar da Dhaba

Dough being pressed and hand patted into plain parathas before heading into the tandoor.

plain paratha tandoor oven kesar da dhaba

Pillowed dough moments away from kissing the hot tandoor wall.

paratha tandoor oven

Plain parathas briefly nestled in the tandoor oven.

breads in tandoor oven at kesar da dhaba

baked parathas

Removing baked parathas using long skewers from the tandoor.

baked flaky laccha parathas

Flaky laccha parathas checking the Champion’s league results.

plain parathas baked at Kesar Da Dhaba Amritsar

Stacked plain parathas prior to their lather of melted butter.

The dining areas felt tired and tattered. A fresh coat of paint and some changes in lighting could help improve the setting. Whatever was lacking in décor was made up in the flakiness of the laccha paratha, the rich softness of the spicy tadka dal, the tanginess of a cooling lassi and the welcoming Punjabi hospitality.

Note: I took this trip to Amritsar in April 2010.

phirni in earthen ware bowls

Small earthen bowls being filled with Kesar da Dhaba’s popular phirni.

 

gulab jamun and phirni at kesar da dhaba

Desserts at Kesar da Dhaba: sugar soaked gulab jamun and rosewater sprinkled phirni

phirni at kesar da dhaba

Yes. There is someone under the phirni.