The Café Spice Cookbook: 84 Quick and Easy Indian Recipes for Everyday Meals Read Free Page A

See “Storage Tips for Spices and Herbs,” page 12 .

    Coriander Seeds are ribbed peppercorn-sized and-shaped, pale green to light brown–colored seeds of the coriander (cilantro) plant. They are extremely aromatic, with a spicy hint. Their taste and aroma, however, are in no way similar to the leaves of the coriander plant. I always keep them in small quantities in airtight containers, as they lose their flavor with exposure and age. Coriander seeds are also available in a ground form.

    Cucumbers Used widely in Indian kitchens, cucumbers can be served with any Indian meal. They can always be found in my refrigerator and are a summertime favorite. The cooling, clean flavor matches well with foods like chilies, cilantro, cream, garlic, lemon, lime, mint, olive oil, onions, sour cream, tomatoes, vinegar, and yogurt. I like to cut them into little finger-sized wedges and serve with a sprinkle of salt, black pepper, Asian red chili powder or cayenne pepper, and a heavy dose of fresh squeezed lemon juice.
    When purchasing cucumbers, look for a smooth, brightly colored skin. Cucumbers keep well in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to ten days. I prefer to use the long, seedless variety called “English cucumbers,” and though called seedless, they actually have very small seeds. They are usually sold shrink-wrapped. Unlike the common garden-variety salad cucumber, these cucumbers can be eaten without peeling or seeding.

    Cumin Seeds These seeds are the best-known and most widely used spice in Indian cuisine. They are either fried whole in hot oil or dry roasted and then used whole or finely ground, depending on the recipe. Cumin is warm and intense and has an almost nutty aroma.

    Curry Leaves Curry leaves originate from the kari tree, a sub-tropical tree native to India. They are used similarly to bay leaves—mainly as an aromatic and flavoring for most curries and soups. They are widely used in dishes along the southern coastal regions of India. When starting a curry or soup dish, curry leaves are placed in hot oil and fried until crisp, which makes the oil and the leaves intensely flavorful. In India, it is more common to use fresh curry leaves rather than dried ones. You can purchase fresh curry leaves in Indian grocery stores. Dried curry leaves can be purchased from specialty gourmet stores or online (see Shopping Guide, page 140 ). I recommend always buying fresh instead of dried leaves. The best way to store fresh curry leaves is to wash them and pat them mostly dry with a paper towel. Store refrigerated, wrapped in a paper towel inside a zip-lock bag. They will stay fresh for up to a month. For extended use, air dry them completely and store in an airtight container.

Dried Legumes (Lentils, Dried Beans, and Peas) In India, all types of dried legumes—be they lentils, peas or beans—are known as dals . They are an integral part of Indian meals, being economical; highly nutritious; very low in fat; and a good source of carbohydrates, proteins, fibers, minerals, and vitamins. Dals are a good substitute for meat, which has more fat and cholesterol. Many common varieties of dals, such as chickpeas ( kabuli chana ), kidney beans ( rajmah ), whole green lentils ( sabut moong ), and cow peas (black-eyed peas) are available in conventional supermarkets. Some not-so-common varieties used in Indian cooking include pigeon peas ( toor dal ), split black gram, aka “black lentils” ( urad dal ), split green lentils ( moong dal ), split red lentils ( masoor dal ), and split yellow peas ( chana dal ). For these, a trip to an Indian grocery store or an online purchase is necessary (see Shopping Guide, page 140 ).
Dal dishes come in various forms—thin and soupy (South Indian Lentils and Vegetables, page 56 ), thick and creamy (Homestyle Dal with Pumpkin, page 60 ), and hearty and comforting (Chickpea Curry with Sweet Potato, page 54 )—and may be the basis of a salad (Chickpea, Mango and Watercress Salad, page 45