Spice and Rice: An Exploration of Indian Cuisine

Spice & RiceAN EXPLORATION OF INDIAN CUISINE

BY MICHELE JACOBSON

Like many of you, I haven’t traveled internationally in quite a while. I miss the stimulation of experiencing different cultures and new foods which, for me, is the best part of the journey. When this longing hits I often find myself craving Indian food, with flavors that transport my taste buds to another place and spices that provide much needed solace for the soul. It’s just the ticket for these challenging times.

I know, I know…you don’t like curry. But it’s a misconception that Indian food is “just curry.” In fact, the word curry simply means a sauce or stew. It can be made from virtually any ingredient at all.

There is no one definitive Indian cuisine. The Republic of India has a land size approximately one-third that of the U.S., but a million more people within its borders. The cultural distinctions are manifold, with variations based on region and religion. Hindu’s do not eat beef, but they do eat pork and chicken, while Muslims do not eat pork. The more than five million followers of Jainism are but part of the twenty percent of India’s population that is vegetarian. That said, those Indians who do eat meat eat less of it, affording India one of the lowest rates of meat consumption in the world. All of this diversity creates unique micro-regions, each with their own ingredients, cooking techniques and diet.

The climate in India is also diverse, ranging from alpine to desert to tropical. This means different crops are grown throughout the country. Coastal states have a diet high in fish and seafood, but much of the country is landlocked. To categorize Indian food based on region allows for only a narrow interpretation, but it’s a start.

Northern Indian Cuisine:

Foods from the north are most well-known because that is what the vast majority of Indian restaurants serve, not just in this country, but worldwide. Staples include goat and lamb, lentils, vegetables and roti, any wheat bread cooked on the round griddle called a tawa. The cuisine is characterized by high dairy usage, as evidenced in gravies that are ghee- or yogurt-based, and paneer, a type of fresh, non-melting cheese. Dishes like aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower), palak paneer (cheese in a spiced, pureed-spinach sauce) and dal (a porridge-like lentil stew) are characteristic of this region.

Southern Indian Cuisine:

Foods of the southern region are less well-known, but no less delicious to explore. Signature dishes include sambar (a lentil and vegetable stew made with tamarind broth, buttermilk, herbs and spices) and biryani, (an Indian interpretation of rice pilaf, often including chicken, nuts, raisins and spices). Since much of the south is coastal, fish and seafood are everyday ingredients. Coconut is prevalent in all forms; fresh, dried, as milk or oil. The climate here is very hot and so the cuisine is lighter, but also sometimes spicier. (This may seem counterintuitive, but spice makes the body sweat, which is a cooling mechanism. Also, spices impart anti-bacterial properties to food, which saves them from spoiling in the heat.) A familiar south Indian food is the fried cracker called a pappadam, made from lentil or chickpea flour and often served in restaurants as a starter.

Especially interesting is Tamil cuisine, which originated in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Foods are classified according to six distinct tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent, with all of the tastes featured in each meal.

Western Indian Cuisine:

The west is known for its fish and coconut milk-dominant cuisine, as well as chutney, the ubiquitous and delicious condiment made from dried fruit, vinegar, sugar and spices. The world-famous curry vindaloo hails from Goa in the southwest.

Eastern Indian Cuisine:

Eastern Indian cuisine offers a range of contradictions; mustard seeds and oil are widely used, but in general this region has less spicy food. Rice and fish are dominant. But mostly, the east is recognized for sweets and desserts, such as kheer, a milky rice pudding flavored

with a combination of cardamom, rose water, saffron, and nuts.

Grasping the nuances of Indian cuisine was proving a lot to digest. For help, I turned to Jonake Bose and Yuti Bhatt, owners of Jonake and Yuti’s Kitchen, a San Francisco Bay Area- and Mumbaibased Indian cooking school. With their guidance I began to see that cooking authentic Indian food shouldn’t be intimidating for the home cook. Many of the pulse and rice varieties are already staples in American pantries and the spices are largely familiar to us. The key, according to Jonake and Yuti, is learning how these spices are prepared, blended and used. In Indian cooking, spices aren’t simply shaken from a jar. Oh, no.

The Masala Dabba

The words masala dabba literally translate to spice box, and it is key to the map of Indian cooking. The round, stainless steel container holds another seven or so smaller tins that fit snugly inside, like a puzzle. It also has a lid to seal in the freshness of the aromatics that the tins hold. Specific spices can vary, but usually include small amounts of basics such as coriander, chilis, turmeric, cumin and mustard seeds. A dish of the same name can not only vary by region, but from family to family. Spice blends are unique, and so is each masala dabba.

The word masala on its own can mean spice or mixture, and a spice blend (masala) can be either dry or wet, depending on the dish. For a dry blend, whole spices are first dry-roasted in a pan, then ground and mixed together. For a wet blend, spices are tempered in a hot vegetable oil, either mustard, sesame, groundnut (peanut) or coconut, though water, yogurt or coconut milk can also be used to create a wet blend. Jonake says that spice blends should be prepared in very small quantities - a few tablespoons at a time - in order to ensure that they are always fresh. As a general rule, dry spice blends are used in northern India while the southern region favors wet blends. Contrary to the concept that spices are actually what flavor a dish, Yuti says to consider it differently: the vegetables or meat provide the base flavor, while the masala elevates that flavor.

Garam Masala is the signature spice blend of Indian cuisine, akin to the French Herbes de Provence or Chinese Five Spice powder. Garam Masala translates to warming spices, and typically includes a unique combination of coriander, cumin, cardamon, black peppercorn and cloves. It is used to flavor a plethora of dishes, from curry to dal.

ARYUVEDA SIMPLIFIED

Aryuvedic Proverb: When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use; When diet is correct, medicine is of no need.

Aryuveda originated in India thousands of years ago and literally translates to the words life-science. The practice includes both medical treatment and diet, but its principles extend to a complete lifestyle that stresses balance and mitahara, or moderation.

Aryuveda states that a person enters the world with a dosha, which can be defined as a body-type or life-force. There are three distinct doshas, which are vata/air, pitta/ fire and kapha/earth and water. Each person has all three, but one (or sometimes two) dominates their constitution. The goal is to keep your doshas in balance in order to maintain a harmonious and healthy mind and body. Aryuveda recognizes two classifications of food; those that increase the energy of the body are rajasic, and those that decrease the energy of the body are tamasic. An Ayurvedic diet is not necessarily vegetarian, but meat consumption is based on your personal dosha, where it may either be allowed or restricted. The Saatvic diet is closely aligned with the Aryuvedic diet, yet it is slightly different. The Saatvic diet emphasizes fresh and seasonal foods, and thus changes throughout the year. It is strictly vegetarian, but dairy products, such as milk, are only encouraged when from a well-treated animal. Those who adhere to this diet seek to raise their levels of consciousness and mindfulness, also known as saatva. Both diets are frequently referred to as the Yogic diet.

About That Curry

Be it a rasam, sambar or dal, all fall into the broad category of curry, which simply means a spice-based sauce or gravy dish. Jonake and Yuti explained to me that the curry flavor comes from the accumulated juices of ingredients as they cook; either vegetables, meat or seafood. Liquid ingredients such as yogurt, coconut milk or water can be added to lighten the gravy. The curry spice blend in a jar that many people identify with Indian cooking doesn’t actually exist in India. The spices used in a curry is the cook’s own masala; their special blend. Is there a more unique way of cooking in the world?

It is also possible to make a dry curry, or bhuna, with no added liquid except the cooking juices and perhaps a bit of water. When roasted spices are combined with these juices, the result is a very thick sauce that clings to the meat or vegetables. Dry curries are generally eaten with roti bread or dosa crepes, depending on the region, while wet curries are eaten with both rice and bread. Street Snacks An overview of Indian food would not be complete without including chaat, the catchall word for Indian street food. Akin to the food truck culture in the U.S., India embraces food stalls that provide on-the-go food. Chaat specialties can vary widely between regions and cities, but here are some examples from this iconic food category: • Samosas - Popular in northern India, these pockets of dough are stuffed with potato, chickpea or meat mixtures, then deep-fried and served with condiments such as chutney or dipping sauce. • Dosas - These crepes from southern India are made from a batter of fermented rice and lentils. They are stuffed with a mixture of potatoes, peas and onions, or served plain alongside other food. • Kati roll - Unique to west India, a Kati roll is roti wrapped around spiced chicken, lamb or paneer, and served with a host of toppings and sauces. • Pakora - A deep-fried fritter made from meat or vegetables coated in a chickpea flour batter. Generally served with chutney. • As chaat has gained popularity around the world, Indian restaurants now routinely offer them as appetizers.

There is ongoing and supportive research that the active ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, contains a wide range of beneficial properties But…is it healthy? that are influential in Though not regarded as one of the worlds healthiest diets, Indian cuisine is nonetheless warding off Alzheimer’s, characterized by the dual nutritional as well as many other powerhouses of pulses and spices, for which it boasts the highest per capita consumption diseases. in the world. Pulses are the dried, edible seeds of legumes, a category that includes lentils, dried peas and chickpeas. These fiber-packed, nutrient-rich plant-proteins are also low in fat and sodium, as well as cholesterol-free, making them a heart healthy choice. Research shows that legume consumption can help reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as help prevent a host of other chronic diseases. While India has the highest rate of pulse consumption, U.S. adults fall towards the other end of the spectrum and do not eat enough of them. Indian people also consume a wide array of spices in almost all their food, reaping the benefits of the myriad micro-nutrients and antioxidants that these spices offer. An amazing health statistic is the comparatively low prevalence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in India; one of the lowest rates worldwide and half the amount than in the U.S., according to the World Health Organization. This low incidence is widely attributed to abundant spice usage, specifically turmeric. There is ongoing and supportive research that the active ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, contains a wide range of beneficial properties that are influential in warding off Alzheimer’s, as well as many other diseases. Oral supplementation simply does not provide the same benefit. Indian cuisine not only brings us turmeric, but a host of other spices with healing and disease-fighting properties, which are present in almost all food. For these reasons, says Yuti, physicians in India do not tend to advise against the traditional diet. An entirely unscientific poll I conducted confirmed that Americans are divided on Indian food; they either love it or hate it. Yet the cuisine is so vast and varied that it seems impossible to taste and judge it all in a lifetime. As Steve Jobs said, the journey is the reward. Open your mind and you will discover that Indian cuisine is surely not “just curry.” NOTE: Jonake and Yuti’s Kitchen can be found on Facebook, where there is a link to their website. They offer highly personalized, on-line classes to familiarize home cooks with Indian cuisine.