Tag Archives: indian

Mustard Seeds In My Spice Cupboard

Posted on by

Mustard Seeds

Mustard Seeds (rai) have a pungent and slightly tangy flavor. Mustard seeds are used extensively in Indian cooking to flavor many dishes. 

There are 3 types of mustard seeds – white, brown and black. I use the black variety, the smallest and the most flavorful. Brown mustard seeds can be used instead. However, they don’t have as much of the pungent bite as the smaller black seeds.

Black mustard seeds primarily used in Asian cooking tend to lend a good bite to the food. These dark little orbs are mostly used as a tempering spice either at the very beginning or the at the very last stage in the cooking process.

Continue reading →

Fenugreek In My Spice Cupboard

Posted on by

Fenugreek Seeds (methi seeds) have a bitter taste and distinct sweet aroma. This little but mighty flavorful spice is largely associated with Indian cooking.  The seeds tempered in hot oil, release a pungent yet sweet maple syrupy fragrance. They are hard little angular nuggets of mustard yellow with a little indentation in them. 

Often, fenugreek is dry roasted and ground to a powder. It is then added to pickles to balance out the tart and spicy flavors. Alternatively, it can be added to curries during the cooking process. The hard seeds are sometimes soaked over night and made into a dry curry seasoned with spices.

Continue reading →

Turmeric and Cumin Spiced Potatoes

Posted on by

IMG_1052
The potato craving usually hits hard in the winter when I need some good ol’ comfort food that will stick to my ribs and satisfy my need for warmth… if only for a while. These potatoes, spiced with turmeric and green chilis does just that.
I would have to agree, sweet potato is the healthier option as it contains a tonne of good stuff, especially vitamins A and C.  I cook with these naturally sugary potatoes often, but for this recipe only a good old fashioned potato will do.  I occasionally cook potatoes much to my husband’s dismay, as he loves them in his curry.  Every now and then I make a potato dish I call ‘batata fry‘. Continue reading →

Indian Spices 101 Cooking Class

Posted on by

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


Continue reading →

Masala Eggplant in Jersey City

Posted on by

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 →