Trio of recipes puts myriad Indian spices to work
| • | Indian cuisine — secrets of success are in the spices |
Reno (Nev.) Gazette-Journal
Indian-spiced shrimp wrap
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 and 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (you can substitute thin chicken strips, if desired)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
8 (6-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
Combine first 8 ingredients in a small skillet, and place over medium-high heat. Cook 2 minutes stirring constantly; stir in salt. Cool. (Toasting the spices in a skillet brings out their flavor, but you can skip this step if you prefer.) Combine spice mixture and shrimp in a large zip-style plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 to 2 hours.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp mixture; saute 7 minutes or until shrimp are done.
Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/2 cup shrimp mixture down the center if each tortilla; roll up. Serves 8.
— Cooking Light magazine
• • •
Southern Indian spicy stew
This spicy stew, or ishdoo, is typical of the cooking of southern India because of its use of coconut milk, spices and lots of vegetables. The recipe is adapted from one by Lakshmi Nair, native of Kerala, India.
6 small new potatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon salt
4 carrots, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
5 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup cauliflower florets
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 piece (2 inches) ginger root, minced
1 small serrano chili, minced
6 whole green cardamom pods
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups coconut milk
10 fresh curry leaves
1/2 cup fresh or frozen sweet peas
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
Place potatoes and salt in a large saucepan; cover with water. Heat to a boil; cook 4 minutes. Add carrots; cook 2 minutes. Add green beans and cauliflower. Cook until all the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Set aside.
Heat oil in large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, ginger and chili; cook until softened (about 2 minutes). Stir in cardamom pods, cinnamon and cloves; cook 2 minutes.
Add potatoes, green beans, carrots and cauliflower; cook 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk, curry leaves, peas, pepper and salt; cook 7 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serves 4.
• • •
Chicken Vindaloo
This is a low-fat version of an Indian classic.
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 dried red chili pepper
2 cloves
1 green cardamom pod
5 whole peppercorns
1/2-inch piece cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
4 minced garlic cloves
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
For the onion mixture:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green chili pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
For onion mixture, feed onion and chili pepper into a running food processor. Add vinegar and process to a fine paste. Transfer to a bowl and add cumin, coriander, turmeric and pepper. Set aside.
Coat a nonstick 4-quart pot with cooking spray, add the oil and place on a medium heat. When oil is hot add red chili pepper, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon and bay leaves. Stir-fry to 2-3 minutes, until the spices are aromatic.
Add the garlic, ginger and onion. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook until onion is translucent. If it starts to stick, add 1 tablespoon of water. Toss in the chicken cubes and sear them.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the reserved onion mixture and stir-fry about 15 minutes, until the sauce begins to dry and stick to the chicken. Add water as needed.
Add the salt, sugar, lemon juice and water. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with rice. Serves 4.
— Recipe adapted from "Secrets of Fat-Free Indian Cooking" by Priya Kulkarni and Anita Ranade.
