Old and New - Two Indian Recipes

"Don't ask ... don't tell." A workable philosphy, though by no means optimal. Particularly when it comes to the spices in my kitchen, and how long they've been there. When people comment on the apparent age of some of the bags, jars and cans they see on my shelves I respond variously. Three of my common replies may be one or two too many:

The Connoisseur- "These spices, they have aged like fine wine, no?"
Not true, alas .. it works more like the Basmati rice in the little brown zipper bag that advertises itself as 'aged.' My sources (the reliable ones anyway) tell me that - with rice in particular - age is no blessing. Like Beaujolais nouveau, fresh is essential.

The Historian- "The length of time I've had these approximates the duration of the caravan trip from Southeast Asia along the Silk Road at the time of Marco Polo."
Let me here state, without fear of contradiction, that some of the spices in my cupboard may have been around SINCE the time of Marco Polo. I know there is a jar of star anise somewhere around that has been on one shelf or another since Nixon left China.

The (Half?)-Wit- "Old Spice. Isn't that a well-known deodorant? I assure you, these taste better."
Uh, "ba-da-boom?" (though Major Bowes' gong would be more appropriate)...


I intend these remarks to fend off awkward comment, and freely confess they seldom work. But this stuff is expensive. I recently priced the box of saffron I used to get for $20 and it now costs $140. The little jars and cans are not cheap, either, and most of the uncommon ones are hard to find at My Local Grocery, which specializes in fifty house brands of seasoned salt.

Compromise takes several forms. I grow fresh herbs when I can. I generally use more of a spice than a recipe calls for. (Not always though. Indian 'hing' - in apothecary English, 'asafoetida' - adds a delightful dimension to certain foods when used in small quantities. Used in amounts larger than a small pea, it can make an otherwise wonderful dish taste like old, burned truck tires...) I seal the jars tightly when I put them back on the shelf. And I keep them around longer than I feel I should...

Let this apologia serve as an introduction to a pair of Indian recipes. They are both vegetarian - a subject I will take up at another time - and both are quite tasty in contrasting ways. The cauliflower is simmered in garlic, ginger and coconut; the eggplant dry fried with onion, cilantro, and garam masala.

Old friends - stalwart standbys

 My early exposure to (and love for) Indian foods has expanded my tastes eastward to Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia. I'm very appreciative that the Internet brings a selection of family recipes into my living room, and I enjoy cooking them. The prep work is time consuming, but the results taste amazing, and provide a variety never found on the cheap buffet lines. Not getting any more turmeric stains on the large, glossy pages of Charmaine Solomon's "The Complete Asian Cookbook" is a big plus too.

And, I would never have considered either of these dishes if I didn't have a palette of spices to draw from.


CAULIFLOWER IN COCONUT SAUCE

Ingredients:
1 cauliflower
1/2 Roma tomato, chopped small
3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1/2" ginger, smashed and chopped
1 can whole green chilis, sliced lengthwise
1 can coconut milk (15 oz)
1T vegetable oil
1/2t cardamom
1/4 stick cinnamon
10 whole cloves
1/4t cayenne
Salt to taste

Method:
separate Cauliflower into small florets
add 1/2t salt to the cauliflower florets and pour boiling water over them. Cover and set aside for 5 minutes, then discard water and retain the florets

saute cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, green chili, garlic, and ginger for 3 minutes
add chopped tomato, cauliflower, chili powder and coconut milk and continue cooking to reduce sauce
salt to taste
serve hot, garnished with chopped coriander leaves



EGGPLANT BURTA/ROASTED EGGPLANT COOKED WITH TOMATOES AND SPICES
(baingan ka burta)

Ingredients:
1 eggplant (large is good)
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 can green chili, chopped
1/2 Roma tomato, chopped
1 bunch cilantro
1/2t cayenne
1/2t turmeric
1T vegetable oil
1/2t garam masala
salt to taste
cooking spray

Method:
Spray a baking pan with cooking spray; halve the eggplant put in pan, cut sides down; spray skin generously and broil for 30 minutes
When cool, scrape pulp from skin and mash with a fork; set aside

saute onions, minced cilantro stems and green chili
add tomato, cayenne and salt
when tomato is soft, add mashed eggplant, roughly chopped cilantro leaves and garam masala and cook on low heat for 7 minutes

Serve hot, garnished with toasted sesame seeds

Notes to both recipes:
- I served both these dishes with steamed rice
- Indian flatbreads would make a nice accompaniment
- Making these two dishes together, I used one can of green chilis, one tomato and one bunch of cilantro
- Since I prepared this for company, I have not figured the calories and carbs for these recipes - I made a sensible amount of rice and trusted to luck.

modified from a wonderful website for Indian recipes:
http://www.ammas.com/ar/home.cfm?r=v_arec&id=44&topicid=2
http://www.ammas.com/ar/home.cfm?r=v_arec&id=142&topicid=2
I altered some quantities (less oil, more onion, 'a bunch' of cilantro rather than 'a couple of fistfuls'), changed names to those I typically use (cayenne for red chili, cilantro for coriander, eggplant instead of brinjal), chopped the cilantro stems and added them earlier (separate from the leaves), and used canned coconut milk.