Indian Cooking Unfolded & Uncomplicated By Raghavan Iyer | Recipes & Book Review

 

Hi!!

While I write this post, I must confess my heart is humming with joy. It is not always that you are sent a copy of your favourite cookbook author for a review and for that I need to thank John from Workman Publishing, New York, who are the publishers of the book.

I have been a proud owner of 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer and ever since then I’ve been an ardent fan of his cooking and teaching style. He is a pro at what he does and his new book is all about that.

Let me first begin with the appearance of the book. The appearance is quite unassuming. It does not have the customary glossy lushness but the book attracts you because of the smiling picture of the mentor, creator of the book Mr Raghavan Iyer, who is seen cooking on the cover page.

 

The book opens with an acknowledgment from the author where he has expressed gratitude by naming all the people who were involved in the making of this book and how their contribution had helped him. Next comes the contents, giving you a fair idea what the book comprises of and how the book has been split.

The book takes you through a culinary voyage of  recipes which are compartmentalized into ten chapters, of which eight are completely devoted to the recipes. The Indian Cooking Unfolded presents Raghavan’s system for learning to cook Indian food through one hundred basic recipes made using ten ingredients or less. Each chapter can be taken as a course of a meal where each recipe teaches a technique; which could be a cooking technique or a way to combine ingredients for exceptional flavours.

This book has been created keeping in mind the people living in USA, who are interested in learning about Indian food. But after trying recipes from the book I realized that it’s a book for anyone who would like to try their hands on Indian Cooking. The highlighted factor of this book is the fact that the author has tried to break the fallacy, that the Indian cooking needs a whole lot of ingredients, spices and condiments. He has created recipes in such a manner that for no ingredient in the book one needs to visit a specialised Indian grocery store and all recipes need, ten or less ingredients.

Each chapter opens with a lesson plan giving a small description of each dish in the chapter. The recipes have been arranged from easiest to complex ones. Each dish starts with an introduction from the author explaining why he likes that particular dish and where he tasted it first.

When I read the book, I realized, there are no major / complex recipes and those which are a bit tricky, the author has expounded them in great details that they appear to be easy. It also seemed that there’s simply no pruning on the illustration of recipes. There are no short cuts taken!!

Even if you do not cook, the book is informative and provides a thoughtful and insightful read. If you are fond of reading in details, this is the book to have. Meticulous research has been done on the history of spices and the extra credits added in each recipe provides a whole lot of information and knowledge; for example one of the extra credits mentions that ‘refined sugar is not vegan, as charcoal is used in the processing, which is derived from bone ash’. The extra credits also provides substitutes for ingredients where ever possible. One can find cooking tips for creating the recipe in this section. Also, in which section of the grocery store one can locate a certain ingredient, has been helpfully mentioned in the extra credits, which also indicates careful observation of the author.

There are seven step by step fold outs in the book. Other than that a few more recipes are explained step by step. Many recipes have pictures and I was happy to see them. Being a visual person, I definitely comprehend  better when a picture is associated with a recipe and if there are step by step pictures…you have won me!!

I decided to try a few recipes to resolve that my observations about the book are correct and I particularly wanted to crosscheck that the explanations are as much flawless, as they appear to be while reading... I decided to try a flatbread, a curry and a sweet.

Since, in India it’s peak festive season, I decided to try the Funnel cake or Jalebis as I’ve been wanting to try them for quite sometime and the recipe’s step by step foldout encouraged me to do so!! I also decided to try the Naan, which is an Indian flatbread. I’ve made Naan many times earlier and posted here too but I had never tried using an egg. The third recipe which intrigued me was the tamatar chana daal aloo, which is a fatless recipe and makes use of only three spices. I was curious to know how a fatless recipe would taste with minimum use of spices..

I decided to follow all the recipes verbatim. I wanted to see how well the directions were given and how precise the measurements are. If anything goes wrong with the recipe using the directions and measurements provided in the book, then I would use my experience and culinary knowledge to set it right..This would give me a fair idea how a novice in Indian cooking, would learn from the cookbook and also where one could go wrong..

Vegan | Dairy Free

The first thing I decided to try was the Jalebi or Funnel Cake in saffron Syrup, as the recipe asked for a resting time of 1-2hrs for the batter to ferment. I followed the procedure verbatim. On mixing the batter using the amount of water mentioned in the book, the batter appeared watery but I overlooked my doubt at that point of time, thinking that the batter might thicken after fermenting and it did but not as much. I was extremely doubtful of how to squeeze out a perfect shaped funnel cake using such a watery batter…

At that point, where I felt that the measurements provided in the book failed, I used presence of mind and added more APF to the mix and kept it aside for ten more minutes and then used it..I had seen the halwai’s in India piping out hot jalebis many times and had also noticed that the batter was thick, that observation helped me solve my problem but I did realize that the book needs to mention the consistency of batter and also to indicate that the water needs to be added gradually to get a thick consistency, as the absorption capacity varies from flour to flour..

 

The temperature mentioned for frying in the book is apt and yields crisp Jalebis. I made the first batch exactly following Raghavan’s instruction and in the second batch I followed how the halwai’s do, so fried the Jalebis first on a low flame till half done and then increased the flame to a medium high and fried till done. I realised the second batch tasted better than the first.

Squeezing out perfect jalebis is an art which comes out of practice, fortunately after one or two wrong shapes I managed decently later on. Another thing that one should take care while making jalebi and is not mentioned in the book, is to keep mixing the batter after every batch. On resting, the batter froths up and air pockets are formed, which needs to be removed before squeezing out the jalebi. If one squeezes out without removing the trapped air, the jalebis will have small air holes on it.

Recipe for Funnel Cake in Saffron Syrup (Jalebi)

For Funnel Cake

1/2cup APF/ maida

1tsp chickpea flour/besan

1/2tsp active dry yeast

1tsp warm water

1/2tsp sugar

1/2tsp refined oil

1/4cup– 1/2 cup water

For Saffron Syrup

1cup refined sugar

1/2cup water

1tbsp lemon juice

1/2tsp cardamom powder

1/2tsp saffron threads

Oil for deep frying

Special equipment required

a squirt bottle/ ketch up bottle

flat fry pan

Method  For Jalebi

Activate the yeast using warm water and sugar and add it to APF and chickpea flour mix. Add water gradually to make a thick, lump free batter, if required add more water. Let the batter rest for 1-2hrs and then mix again. Fill in the squirt bottle or a disposable plastic bag cone (cut it at the end).

Using all the ingredients of the syrup make a one string consistency syrup. A drop of syrup when pressed between thumb and finger should produce a string. At this stage remove it from fire. Warm the syrup just before adding fried jalebi.

Heat the oil in a flat pan (2inches of depth) to a temperature such that if a drop of batter is added it should gradually float to the top. Reduce the flame to the lowest mark and squeeze out jalebis, 3-4 at a time. Fry on low flame till half done and then fry on medium-high flame till done.( the book mentions to fry at 275F). Remove them using slotted spoon and transfer them in saffron syrup.

Completely coat them with the syrup and then transfer them to a cooling rack. Keep a plate under the rack to collect the extra syrup.

The jalebi can also be fried in clarified butter/ ghee but then it will not be dairy free or vegan.

Serve hot.

Naan –Tamatar Chana Daal

The chana daal aloo curry turned out awesome and I never missed the fat in it. The aroma of the roasted spices gives  a nice smoky flavour to the curry. My only input to the curry when I cook it the next time will be, to soak the lentils for an hour before cooking,  as it fastens the cooking procedure and reduces consumption of LPG. I was surprised that the book doesn’t ask for soaking the lentils in fact it says that does not require pre soaking..

I made the Naan in the tandoor and slightly overdid my first Naan as I was removing the jalebis that time. Anyhow, the Naan turned out flawless and was soft, the only flaw was in the procedure. The procedure asks to divide the dough into 4 parts. The pictures in the cookbook show small sized naan, whereas if the dough is divided into 4 parts, it makes 4 big naan of about 12”-15” size. Also, the book says roll naan to 3”-5” diameter but does not speak about the thickness of the flatbread. For a novice, it is very important to know the thickness of the flatbread as on cooking it can turn chewy, if it’s too thin. And if it’s too thick, it takes longer time to cook and doesn’t look like a Naan.

I would suggest to divide dough into 8-10 parts and then roll out 3-5 inch diameter naan of 3-4mm thickness.

For Smoky Yellow Split Peas/  Tamatar Chana daal aloo

1cup Yellow Split peas/ Bengal gram/ Chana daal

5 medium sized potatoes

1/4tsp turmeric powder

4dry red chillies

1tbsp coriander seeds

1tsp cumin seeds

1 medium sized tomato

salt to taste

1tbsp chopped cilantro

Method For tamatar Chana Daal

Wash the lentils 3-4 times and add 4cups of water to it. Transfer in a thick bottom pan, bring it to a boil, remove the froth. Add turmeric and potatoes and mix it thoroughly. Cook covered for 20-25mins (on a medium-low flame) or till the potatoes are done and lentils are cooked. Stir in between.

Meanwhile roast the red chillies, coriander seeds and cumin seeds in a fry pan on a low flame till it produces an aroma. Cool and grind them together. Now add tomatoes and grind to a paste.

Add the tomato melange and salt to taste, to the curry and mix. Cook for 10-12mins or till the sauce thickens. If required, one can crush a few potatoes by pressing the backside of the ladle. Mix the cilantro. Serve hot with rice or phulka. I served  it with naan.

For Naan

3cupsAPF

2tsp baking powder

1tsp salt

1 egg,  lightly beaten

oil, for brushing the dough

butter or ghee, for the finished naan

1 cup warm water

Method For NaaN

Take APF in a bowl and  add  salt and baking powder. Mix it thoroughly.

Make a well in the centre and put the egg and quickly mix it. You may feel the flour dry with a few wet spots.

Using the warm water knead a soft dough which might feel sticky but still manageable. Knead for a few minutes to make a smooth, soft ball.

If you want big Naan, then break the dough into 4parts and lightly grease them with oil. Keep covered with a damp cloth. Rest it for 30mins.

Lightly flour the work area and roll out the Naan and cook it in a tandoor or even on a griddle. Smear some butter or ghee and serve hot.

Smoky Yellow Split Peas- Vegan | Gluten Free | Dairy Free; Naan- Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian

 

After trying the recipes my opinion about the book swayed a bit, as I realized that the procedures and measurements had flaws here and there but the recipes are really good and worth trying. What matters is the flavour and that’s uncompromised.

I am still amazed at the meticulous and detailed work Mr Raghavan Iyer has put up. As a teacher he knows where the students go wrong and has explained procedures in great details to avoid complications and failures. But as the teacher would say, there’s always some scope of improvement..

After reading the book, I’ve become knowledgeable in terms of spices and their use. I can also proudly say now, that I’ve learnt the eight ways of using a spice. Yes, you heard it right, eight ways…read the book to believe it!!

I liked this book for one more reason. It is a book which has a plenty of vegetarian options to try and I’m so looking forward to try the Cardamom scented Cheese with Peppers, The Cashew-Pistachio Burfi and the Sweet scented Pilaf of the many recipes..

I loved the last section of the book as much. This section is devoted to Menus for Great Indian Meals. There are menus for various occasions for example, menu for picnic,  a winter menu, Indian soul food, Gluten Free gala or a Vegan table.

I appreciate the fact that each recipe has been categorised into Vegan/ Lacto-OvoVegetarian/ Gluten Free etc. This is a deciding factor for many to choose recipes.

All in all, I would just conclude that it is a good book to learn basic Indian cuisine. It will hold a special place in my heart for not only the recipes but also the immense knowledge that I attained by reading the book.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Jeerige Kattu- Version I ( Traditional Karnataka Style Jeera Daal)

 

Hi!

Today I’m posting a traditional Kannadiga preparation which is very popular at my place. It is an excellent accompaniment with spicy curries and is S’s and my elder son’s favorite. In recent days now that the elder son was around, I made this several times for him.

It’s an easy lentil preparation has a strong aroma and flavor of Jeerige (cumin seeds/ Jeera). The word kattu in Kannada means daal from which all the excess water has not been removed, basically it is the excess water in which the daal has been cooked. Ideally it should be a thin lentil preparation which resembles a lot to the rasam but my family likes it a little thick. I made it along with Alasande Palya and Aloo Gadde Hurda Uperi which are again  family favorites and  I’ve posted them earlier. This daal can be just had in a bowl in the winter as a soup too.

Ingredients

2 katori cooked tuvar daal

1/2-3/4tsp turmeric

2tsp cumin seeds

3-4 green chillies finely chopped

1tsp ginger chopped

1tbsp coriander leaves chopped

1tsp cumin pwd

salt to taste

oil for cooking

Method

Cook tuvar daal in a pressure cooker with a pinch of turmeric and a drop of oil. Both turmeric an.d oil help cook daal faster.

Let the pressure drop, remove the daal and mash it.

Heat about 2tbsp oil in a pan and once it is hot, lower the flame and add cumin seeds. This prevents the cumin from burning and turning black in color.

Once the cumin has spluttered add chopped green chilies, chopped ginger, coriander and saute for a few seconds.

Now add the cumin pwd, cooked daal and mix properly. Season the daal with salt and add about 1-1/2cups water.

Bring the lentil/daal to a boil and simmer.

Let it boil for 7-8mins.

Serve hot garnished with ginger juliennes.

I personally love this daal with a dash of lime.

Sending this to my event ‘Only’ Vegan Cooking hosted by PJ at Seduce Your Tastebuds and to Home Maker’s Diary e Giveaway sponsored by Cuponation.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Multi Purpose Daal Palak ..Dry Version

 

Hi all!

Go Green is the slogan for winter with so many greens available abundantly. Today I’m posting a healthy version of daal/curry. I’m using both names, daal and curry as it is made using lentils and greens. The version that I have made is a dry one but the same after adding more water can be made as a daal too and can be had with rice. The dry version tastes best with bread, paav, phulka or can be used as a filling to make sandwich too which I did, and one can check the post here.

It is very tasty as has no extravagantly used spices. It has natural flavours of the spinach, lentils and the other added veggies. The version I’ve made has more of a Noth Indian touch but the same curry can be given a South Indian touch by adding Curry leaves and Asafoetida (heeng) during tempering.

Daal Palak-

Serves-3

Preparation Time:30mins

Cooking Time:15mins

Ingredients

6oz  Pigeon Peas/ Tuvar Daal

2big handfuls Spinach (finely chopped)

1big onion (finely chopped)

1large tomato (finely chopped)

1 piece ginger

2cloves garlic

3-4tsp refined oil

1tsp mustard seeds

a large pinch of kasuri methi

Spices

1-1/2tsp coriander powder

1tsp cumin powder

1-1/2tsp red chili powder

1/2tsp +1/4tsp turmeric powder

1/2tsp Amchoor (dry Mango) powder

Method

Wash the lentils and soak it in water for half an hour.

Add a drop of oil and 1/4tsp turmeric pwd. Cook it in pressure cook till the grains are cooked but not mushy.

Heat oil and add mustard.

Once the mustard splutters, add crushed ginger and garlic . Fry them till the aroma is produced and it turns golden in color.

Add the chopped onions and sauté.

Tip in the tomatoes sauté. Add salt and the spices. Cook till the tomatoes are mushy. Add the kasuri methi.

Remove the excess water from the cooked lentils and add it to the onion-tomato mix.

Also add the spinach. Mix properly and cook till done. Do not cover the pan at any point of time and cook on high flame.

 

Serve hot with pav.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Maavinkaayi Touvve...a Lentil Preparation From Karnataka

Hi all!!

This is a very tasty and traditional preparation from Karnataka, which is very commonly seen in summers on any festive occasion, when the complete spread of food is served on a banana leaf. During my recent visit to S’s hometown, where I attended my nephew’s thread ceremony, in one of the elaborate meals, this version of touvve was also served.

Touvve is nothing but a thick daal which is tempered with mustard seeds and Bengal gram. The addition of the word Maavinkaayi to the Touvve simply indicates the addition of raw mango to the cooked lentils. The raw mango adds a nice tang to the preparation.

S, loves the touvve and so do I. A regular daal when is served thick tastes much better and the best example to that is the touvve.

The city where I live in, getting raw mango with a good sourness is a tedious task. What’s usually seen is the ‘Totapari’ Mango. On one such rare occasion, I got hold of really sour raw mango and I decided to make Panha, green chutney and the touvve. My kids love the sour taste and they had a great feast eating these simple delicacies using the raw mango…

While making the touvve the lentils after cooking are not completely mashed and the grainy texture is retained, however, I had completely mashed my lentils, but I can assure you, there was no compromise on the taste!!! S, loved the preparation to the core and finished a bowl of it without any rice or chapati.

Maavinkaayi Touvve

Preparation Time:10mins

Cooking Time:30mins

Serves:4

 

Ingredients

1 cup Grated raw mango (adjust as per the sourness)

6-7green chilies,finely chopped

1/4tsp fenugreek seed/ methi dana

2-1/2cups cooked pigeon peas/ toor daal

1/2tsp turmeric pwd

2-3tbsp bengal gram/chana dal

2tsp chopped coriander stem

a pinch of heeng /asafoetida (optional)

4-5tbsp oil

1tsp mustard seeds

salt to taste

Method

Heat oil and splutter mustard seeds.

Reduce the flame and add the fenugreek seeds and Bengal gram, else they burn easily. Once the color deepens, add the green chilies and heeng.

Add the raw mango and saute.

Add the cooked lentils,turmeric and adjust the consistency with water. This preparation is a semi dry version.

Add coriander stem  and cook. Season with salt.

Serve hot with rice or chapati.

Sending it to my event ‘Only’ Mango, guest hosted by Anu.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Fresh Red Broad Bean Seeds & Shallots Sāmbhar

Hi! Wishing Every One a Happy Ugaadi/ Gudi Padwa.

I have always had a fascination for the broad beans especially the red ones with white marks on it. Living in North India, those beans were never available. During my visits to hometown I would ensure to pick up a packet of the dry version.  I love making curry with these beans and I’ve posted a spicy one here.

These days the vegetable market here is flooded with various kinds of broad beans and I was too ecstatic to notice and explore them. During one of such market visits, out of curiosity I opened the bean and beamed when I found my favourite red broad bean, that too raw and fresh.

I ensured to pick those beans and after reaching home, meticulously separated the fresh seeds from the bean pods. I made a dry curry with the bean pods and decided to make huli/sambhar with the seeds. I had a feeling that the seeds are perfect for making the Sāmbhar and will absorb the flavours.

My instinct was correct as the kid declared it the best Sāmbhar ever made and S savoured it as much. The addition of shallots was like ‘sone pe suhaga’. It very much enhanced the flavour of the sambhar. If you like trying various versions of Sāmbhar then this Sāmbhar is my personal recommendation.

Red Broad Beans and Shallots Sāmbhar
Serves:4
Preparation Time:15mins
Cooking Time:30mins


Ingredients
8-10 shallots
1cup fresh red beans
1-1/2cups cooked toor dal
1/4tsp good quality heeng/asafoetida
1tsp red chilli pwd
1/2tsp turmeric pwd
5tbsp sambhar pwd
10-15 curry leaves
1-1/2tbsp tamarind extract
salt to taste
2tbsp oil
1tsp mustard seeds

Method




Pressure cook the lentils with turmeric and heeng. Pressure cook the seeds too.
Heat oil, splutter mustard seeds and curry leaves.
Tip in the shallots and sauté.
Add the chilli pwd, salt to taste and sambhar powder. I used sambhar powder from Grand sweets and I must say it’s really good. If any of your friends are visiting Chennai , do ensure that you get a batch of this aromatic masala, the way I did.
Add the cooked beans and mix. Mix the lentils and tamarind extract and enough water. Bring the sambhar to a boil and simmer for 10mins. Serve hot.
Sending it to my event ‘Only’ South Indian held here.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Dal Muradabadi… a lentil preparation for a healthy breakfast

Hi friends!

I hope all of you had good time with friends and family in the summer and relished cool drinks and ice-creams. As for me, I had a good time relaxing at home and at my Mom’s place too but the best time was when I and DH took a short break in Uttaranchal and spent quality time together without the kids. The break surely re-energised us.

 

We tried a lot of food during this period and I was always looking forward to learn the interesting preparations  served especially during breakfast. After coming back I have been trying those and now I’m ready to post them one by one.

One such interesting preparation which I had at Kanatal Resorts and Spa was the Dal Muradabadi. It’s a very simple preparation made with the yellow moong dal and needs very few ingredients to make. The end result surely is a tasty, wholesome and nutritious breakfast which is high on proteins. The lentil itself is easy to digest and cooks very fast making the preparation ideal for breakfast. It is a perfect dish for people who do not eat onion, ginger and garlic as this is a Jain preparation.

This can also be served as a side dish and will make a filling lunch box item.

Ingredients

about 2 cups of soaked split yellow lentils ( dhuli moong dal)

about 3tbsp oil

3-4 green chillies sliced

a generous pinch of asafoetida

salt to taste

a pinch of turmeric

1tsp cumin seeds

Method

Wash about 1-1/2 cups of lentils and soak in water for half an hour.

Strain the water and keep it, do not throw it will be used later in the preparation.

Heat oil in a non stick pan and add cumin seeds, let them splutter. Now add green chillies, asafoetida and turmeric.

Tip in the lentils and mix well. Add salt to taste and enough water for the lentil to get cooked. Cover with a lid and cook on low flame till done.

Evaporate the water completely on high flame if some is still left as it is a dry  preparation. While doing this mix the lentils gently else it can turn mushy and the preparation requires each grain to be separate.

Serve it with a dash of lime and  some chopped cilantro.

Sending it to Sobha’s event

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Ram Laddoo..A Street Chaat From Old Delhi

Hi!

Delhi is a place famous for it’s food and especially it’s chaats. Tourists never miss an opportunity to taste the chaat at Chandani Chowk/ Purani Dilli. To top the list is surely paani-poori , aloo chaat and dahi bhalla but another chaat which is extremely popular here is Ram Laddoo.

When I heard this name for the first time I thought it’s a sweet dish as the name  laddoo suggested that but later when I came across this chaat in a local market here, I realized it’s a savory dish. We thought of trying it, so ordered  a plate and then the taste simply caught us, we could not resist ordering a second one. Since then, we do make it a point to have this chaat whenever we visit the local market. It’s best to be eaten in winter as the hot dumplings melt in the mouth or in monsoon, enjoying the rains.

The laddoos are golden balls of lentils which are light and fluffy, crunchy on the top and soft inside. They are served with a spicy, tangy green chutney and grated radish. An amazing and lip smacking combination. I had been planning to attempt making them at home and  thought it would be an apt entry for my event ‘ONLY’- CHAAT hosted here.

The laddoos turned out excellent and needed a few precautions while making them. The lentils are ground coarsely and then beaten vigorously to get a light and fluffy mixture. It is very essential that the lentil be ground using minimum or no water to get the perfect texture, the mixture is so light that while frying it fluffs to almost double the volume.

These can make a great appetizer for parties, in that case they can be fried partly in advance and then re fried in hot oil just before serving. It is essential that these laddoos be served hot with chutney to relish them completely.

Ingredients

For the Ram Laddoo

1/2 cup dhuli moong dal/  yellow lentils

1/2 cup chana dal/ bengal gram

salt to taste

oil for deep frying

For spicy and tangy Green Chutney

1/4 cup mint leaves

a cup of coriander leaves

3-4 tbsp onion

2 garlic pods

5-6 green chilies

a tsp lemon juice

1 Indian gooseberry/ amla chopped

1/4 tsp rock salt

salt to taste

1/8 cup water

and

grated radish

Method

Wash and soak both the lentils separately for 3-4 hours. Decant the water completely and grind the lentils to a coarse paste.

Mix the lentils and then beat them till the mixture attains a white color and becomes light and fluffy. I used my beater to beat and it took almost 3-4 minutes to become light. One can compare the colour of the mixture before and after beating.

 

The mixture should have a dropping consistency like that of a cake. Heat oil and using a spoon  put the laddoos in the oil. The oil should be hot enough (use medium flame) so that when the laddoos are put they immediately rise to the surface. Deep fry from either side till golden in color, in batches of 7-8 laddoos per batch and remove on a kitchen towel.

 

Grind together all the ingredients under green chutney using water.

Serve hot with green chutney and grated radish.

Sending it to my event ‘Only’ Street Foods of The World hosted by Archana of Mad Scientist’s Kitchen.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad