Tag Archives: easy

Cumin in My Spice Cupboard

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Cumin, can be added to many curries as a seed or ground into a powder. In fact, one of the popular spices in most curries IS cumin, believe it or not.

Cumin Seeds

Cumin Seeds

Cumin Seeds

Cumin seeds are slightly crescent shaped with ridges appearing lengthwise around them.  Don’t let the seeds fool you, they may look dry and dusty but the magic is all inside.  In seed form they taste earthy with pungent undertones.

Cumin seeds are used either at the initial stage of cooking a curry or they are popped in hot oil and sprinkled at the end as a garnish.  The hot oil enhances the deep and nutty aroma of the spice. The flavor of the cumin really kicks in when it is cooked.

The most dramatic of techniques, to intensify its flavor, would be to fry it in a little oil or ghee, at a really high temperature until it starts popping. Becareful not to burn them at this stage. If you do, it is best to throw it out and restart with some fresh oil. Continue reading →

Indian Spices 101 Cooking Class

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Recently, I was fortunate enough to teach a class on Indian Spices to a bunch of very enthusiastic participants!  It was such a fun class to teach.  After sharing my knowledge of the various Indian spices with everyone, they made a curry in class and were confident enough to experiment with the spices at home too.

Here’s a couple of photos from the class.  Some photos are courtesy of the participants.

 

Masala table

A sample of spices

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Masala Eggplant in Jersey City

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Conjuring up this dish brings back fond memories of living in a highrise apartment in Jersey City, right along the Hudson River. The whiff of the nigella seeds toasting in oil, reminds me of floating blocks of ice gliding across the river in front of me as I peered out of the large windows framing the Manhattan skyline.

Masala Eggplant Close up

Usually in the evening, with my pots simmering away in my awesome little kitchen – I’d sit near the window and gaze across the river into the city, waiting patiently for my husband to come home. Now, now, don’t get carried away with your imagination, it was not like an Indian movie…and I was surely not wearing a sari. Well not on that day anyway 😉 Continue reading →

Dhokri or Dhokla – Steamed Savoury Cake

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Dhokri is my comfort food… I ate a lot of it whilst growing up and could count on there being a plateful of dhokri at any given event.  Apart from being a delicious mouthful Dhokri does make for the perfect finger food.  The lemony yellow snack would shine away as if peeking out from behind a cloud – heavy with rain. The tangy sponginess accompanied by the snappy crunch of the sesame seeds, laced with the herby aroma of the cilantro will have you salivating unapologetically.

Dhokri is a slightly spicy and tangy savory snack mostly made in Gujarati homes.  It has the texture of a light sponge cake.  The bulk of the recipe is made with chickpea flour and the dough is tied with either buttermilk or yogurt, along with several spices and left to ferment overnight.  It’s then steamed in trays, cooled, cut and garnished with fresh cilantro, sesame and black mustard seeds.  It does seem kind of daunting at first, but believe me once you get the hang of it, it’s ‘putsy peasy’. Continue reading →

Gulgoolas – Fritters Stuffed with Cherries and Dark Chocolate

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Gulgullas stuffed with cherries and chocolate

Gulgullas stuffed with cherries and chocolate

Summer is zooming by and I’m struggling to hold onto it’s tail strings. Ramadan is almost over and a single Ramadan celebratory food post has not appeared on Fortheloveofghee.  A friend suggested a Ramadan  post at the beginning of the month, which I was all for… well… in my head anyway!

So with out further ado and less than a week before Eid, heres a recipe you can indulge on in the next few days.  My recipe for gulgoolas, a fried sweet fritter, is eaten at the beginning of the meal after breaking fast with a glass of milk and fresh dates.

Gulgoolas are usually made sans the Cherries and Dark Chocolate, but I just couldn’t help myself…what?? with all the fresh cherries practically being thrown at me at the grocery store and my kids eternal craving for chocolate… I just had to succumb to what the season was offering… Continue reading →