CULINARY

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L

ook at the richly colored textiles

of India and you get a good

idea of the richness of its cul-

ture. And, with 15 official languages

and 1,568 dialects, this diversity is

also reflected in its cuisine.

The hallmark of all Indian cuisines

is the significant use of spices. These

are often layered throughout a dish

first by dry roasting then grind-

ing. Another common technique:

“popping” (frying) whole spices or

a spice paste in hot ghee or oil, and

then adding at the end as a final

flavor note.

The other unifying element is

the use of a larger variety of veg-

etables than most other culinary

traditions.

The staples of Indian cuisine

are rice, atta (a special type of

whole wheat flour), and at least

five dozen varieties of pulses

(edible seeds of pod-bearing

plants, such as peas and beans).

Pulses are mostly used in the

form of dal (stew). One excep-

tion is chana, which is often cooked

whole for breakfast or is processed

into flour (besan).

Tour of India

Over the centuries, Indian cui-

sine has been influenced by the

Aryans, Arab and

Chinese traders,

and conquerors

such as the

Persians, Mon-

golians (hot pot

cooking), Turks,

Greeks,British

(Indian ketchup and tea)

and the Portuguese (Vindaloo,

potatoes and tomatoes). Islamic

rule resulted in a blending of the

non-vegetarian fare of the Middle

East (kabobs, pilafs) and the rich

gravies that were indigenous to

India, creating what is known as

Mughlai Cuisine.

A brief tour of India reveals

some basic geographic culinary

differences.

The North is said to be the heart

of some of the most exotic styles of

cooking. Food from North India is

characterized by its thick gravies.

Chilies, saffron, milk, yogurt, cottage

cheese, ghee and nuts are common

ingredients.

South Indian cuisine is regarded

as the hottest of all Indian food. In

this region chutneys are made of

tamarind, coconut, peanuts, dal,

fenugreek seeds, and cilantro. South

Indian dals and curries are generally

soupier than the Northern style.

Coconut milk straight from the nut

is a common beverage in South India

and coffee is very popular.

The Western region probably has the

most diverse styles of food in India.

Places like Rajasthan and Gujarat in

West India have hot, dry climates

so the relatively smaller variety of

vegetables available are preserved

as pickles and chutneys. Culturally

these states are largely Hindu and

vegetarian.

Cosmopolitan Maharashtra is

partly coastal and partly arid, so the

food varies accordingly. Peanuts and

coconut are important ingredients

as they are freely available. Goa,

with its lush green coastline, has an

abundance of fresh fish and seafood.

In Rajasthani the food is spicy and

largely vegetarian but does includes

meat dishes like Laal Maas (red meat

curry) while Gujarats cuisine is know

The dishes of
India offer
a delicious
menu of
contrasting
colors,
textures and
flavors.

In an

Indian Kitchen

Traditional to trendy, these are just a few cookbooks that will whet the appetite and elevate the creative genius for chefs of all skill levels.

W W W . F O O D – M A N A G E M E N T . c O M / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 7

72

India:

Cuisine of Spice

b y d I a n e r I d g e

The Indian Spice

Kitchen, essential

Ingredients and

Over 200 authentic

recipes

, by Monisha

Bharadwaj,

Penguin

Group, 1996, $29.95.

Climbing the Mango

Trees: a Memoir of a

Childhood in India

,

by Madhur Jaffrey,

Knopf Publishers, 2007, $25, or

check out any of her engaging books!

Classic Indian Cooking

, by Julie Sahni,

Grub Street Publishers, 2004, $26.95.

Indian Cooking

without Fat, The

revolutionary

new Way to enjoy

Healthy and deli-

cious Indian Food

,

Mridula Baljekar,

Marlowe & Company,
2001, $15.95.

Indian Home Cook-

ing: a Fresh Intro-

duction to Indian

Food with More

than 150 recipes

,

by Suvir Saran and

Stephanie Lyness,

Clarkson Potter Pub-
lishers, 2004, $32.50
(In October look for
his new cookbook,
American Masala,
125 New Classics from my Home Kitchen, $35.)

The Taj Mahal

Portobello Meatloaf with Tamarind

Ketchup glaze

yIeLd: 4 loaves, 4-6 servings each

Meatloaf:

6 Tbsps. unsalted butter

1 cup

fresh bread crumbs

6 Tbsps. canola oil

2 large red onions, thinly sliced

4 tsps. kosher salt

1

2” piece gingerroot, peeled,

finely minced

8

garlic cloves, finely minced

1

jalapeño pepper (seeded, deveined

for a milder flavor), finely minced

4 tsps. ground coriander

2 tsps. ground cumin

2 tsps.

cracked peppercorns

8

portabella mushroom caps

(about 2 lbs), gills removed,

caps finely diced

1 tsp.

cayenne pepper

2 tsps. garam masala

5 lbs.

ground beef (preferably 80% lean)

2

1

⁄

2

lbs ground pork

2

red bell peppers, seeded, finely

chopped

1

⁄

2

cup

finely chopped cilantro

6 large

eggs

1 cup

ketchup

1 cup grated Parmigiano-reggiano cheese

(4 oz.)

For the ketchup glaze:

2 cups ketchup

2 tsps. tamarind paste

4 tsps. ground coriander

2 tsps. ground cumin

2 tsps. cracked peppercorns

1 tsp.

cayenne pepper

1.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over

medium-high heat. Add the breadcrumbs and

toast until browned, stirring often, for 3 to 5

minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside

to cool.

2.

Place 1 cup of water next to your cooktop.

Saute the onions and salt with the oil in a large

pot over medium-high heat, cooking the onions

until they’re soft and just starting to brown,

stirring often. Stir in the ginger and cook, stir-

ring often to prevent the ginger from burning

and splashing with water if it starts to brown to

much, until it’s fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3.

Add the garlic and jalapeños and cook until

the garlic is fragrant, splashing with water if

necessary, for about 1 minute. Stir in the corian-

der, cumin, and cracked pepper and cook for 1

minute, stirring and scraping the bottom of the

pot often and splashing it with water whenever

the spices or onions begin to stick to the bottom

of the pot.

4.

Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often,

until they release their liquid and the liquid is

evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the cayenne

pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the

garam masala, turn off the heat, and set the pot

aside to cool.

5.

Add the meat and the remaining ingredients

to the bowl with the breadcrumbs, kneading it

until everything is completely incorporated. Add

the cooled mushroom mixture and knead until

combined. Divide the mixture evenly into four

8

1

⁄

2

x 4

1

⁄

2

-inch loaf pans and bake for 1 hour

(or cover the loaf pans with plastic wrap, place

inside of resealable freezer bags, and freeze for

up to 3 months; defrost overnight in your refrig-

erator before baking).

6.

For the ketchup: Whisk the glaze ingredients

together. Remove the meatloaves from the oven

and carefully drain off any pooled fat in the

pans. Evenly divide the glaze over each meat-

loaf and continue to bake for an additional 30

minutes, or until the internal temperature of the

loaves reads 165°F on a digital thermometer.

Let the meatloaves cool for 15 minutes before

serving. Run a knife around the pan’s edges,

slice, and serve.

Recipe co-developed by Richard Arakelian Sodexho Inc.

and Suvir Saran, co-author of Indian Home Cooking and

American Masala.
Photo from the Mushroom Council.

CULINARY

TRENDWATcH

W W W . F O O D – M A N A G E M E N T . c O M / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 7

74

for its slight sweet touch (a pinch of sugar

is added to most dishes) and is traditionally

entirely vegetarian.

The East is home to beaches and mountains

and Cherrapunji (the city with the highest

rainfall in the world) grows a lot of rice. Green

vegetables and fruit are also abundant.

Simplicity is the key word for the food and

its preparation in this region. Steaming and

frying are popular methods of cooking. In

coastal regions, fish is the non-vegetarian food

of choice. Further inland, pork is popular.

Some of India’s most popular and world-

renowned sweets come from here.

Onsite, in demand

In the U.S., the rise of an Indian culinary

“trend” has been steadily—if quietly—building

for the past decade. Traditional Indian and

Indian fusion restaurants are very popular in

major cities, and this trend is amply reflected

at onsite venues.

Imagine sticking your hand into a 700°F

oven—Chef Tsitsi Hellman, operations

director at Cisco, a Bon Appétit account,

does so on a daily basis! A Tandoori oven

was added to the facility in Fall 2006. And

according to Chef Hellman, “it does takes

getting used at first, but you use an extremely

quick hand motion to place the naan dough

(or kebobs) inside. Once you get used to it,

you don’t even feel the heat.”

Naan, an Indian bread, is offered alongside

other Tandoori specialties like lamb and veg-

etable kebabs (marinated overnight prior to

cooking), and other classic Indian dishes.

In addition to authentic bread and kebabs,

Chef Hellman makes her own paneer, a fresh

cheese that is a rich source of protein used

in many vegetable and vegetarian dishes

throughout India. “I only use high quality,

full cream milk because it yields a soft and

flavorful paneer. It tastes so much better

when it’s made fresh.”

Her customers also enjoy potato Koftas with

yogurt gravy; Paneer with Pureed Spinach;

ChickenTikkaMasala; Lamb Curry with

Lentils; Cauliflower and Potato Curry; and

Cumin Spiced Okra, to name just a few.

by the Hand of a Master

In 2006, Sodexho partnered with renowned

Indian Chef Suvir Saran and created the

Festival of Lights promotion. (Also known

as Diwali, the festival is looked upon as

the beginning of the New Year. It is called

the Festival of Lights because it is common

practice in India to light small oil lamps and

place them around the home.)

Saran’s experiences range from restaurants

and catering to cookbooks and classrooms.

In 2004 Saran opened Dévi restaurant in

New York City, which has earned a one-star

Goan shrimp, a popular entree from India.

Continued on page 90

P

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Food and Flicks

Podcast

Conagra Foods, sponsor of FM’s Food & Flicks podcast about

food scenes and recipe ideas from the movies, is offering listeners

the chance to win great movie-related prizes.

Visit

fmflicks.com

to hear what it’s all about and enter to win.

90

W W W . F O O D – M A N A G E M E N T . c O M / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 7

rating in the Michelin Guide New

York City (2007).

Chef Saran traveled across the

country sharing his talents with a

handful of accounts. Customers

were able to sample dishes from his

cookbook (see sidebar pg. 72), while

Sodexho culinarians were educated

on the rich traditions and culinary

specialties and techniques of India.

The festival featured dishes that

were “a spin on traditional Indian

but with a mainstream delivery,” says

Rich Arakelian, B&I corporate chef

at Sodexho.

For example, the “Frankie” is a

burrito-like menu item. Custom-

ers choose a savory filling—lamb

vindaloo, creamy chicken or chick

peas and potatoes—which is then

“wrapped” with basmati rice, sauteed

pepper and onions, and cucumber

salad and served with assorted raitas,

chutney and dals on the side.

For an interesting twist on the

familiar, try the Portobello Meatloaf

with Tamarind Ketchup Glaze, an

Indian spiced, tender beef loaf glazed

with a sweet and tangy tomato-based

sauce (see recipe, pg. 74).

FM

Spice Mixes

garam masala

is a blend of

hot spices. garam in hindi

means “hot” and masala

means “spice.” Although each

Indian household has its own

blend it is typically a com-

bination of seven essential

spices: cumin, coriander, cin-

namon, cardamom, cloves,

nutmeg and black pepper.

Sambhar powder

is a spice

blend associated with South

India and the vegetarian

dish dal.

Tandoori masala:

the taste

is hot, salty and sour with a

predominant flavor of cumin

and coriander. Use in mari-

nades or dry roast and use in

mayonnaise, as a marinade

with yogurt, or in tomato and

cream–based curries.

Panch Phoron is

the most

popular spice blend of

Bengal (green fennel seed,

black mustard seed, black

nigella, yellow fenugreek

seeds and cumin seed).

Kholombo powder

has a

wood smoke aroma and is

used to flavor legumes, rice

and vegetable dishes.

INDIAN

Pantry

ajowan

(seeds) Strong cumin-fla-

vored seeds from the lovage plant

used sparingly in savory vegetable

dishes.

asafetida

(asafoetida) Strong

garlic-like flavor, available boxed as

a powder or granules (always fry in

a little oil first).

Cardamom

(whole pods—black or

green—or ground)

Cassia

(bud and bark) native to

northeast India; often confused

with cinnamon the two are inter-

changeable in certain dishes.

Curry leaves
Fenugreek

(whole or ground)

Always lightly roasted or fried

before use or grinding, the seeds

are sometimes soaked overnight

for use

whole.

ghee

Clarified

butter that originates in

the Indian subcontinent,

and continues to be important

in Indian cuisine. ghee is made

by simmering unsalted butter in a

large pot until all water has boiled

off and protein has settled to the

bottom. The clarified butter is then

spooned off to avoid disturbing

the milk solids on the bottom of

the pan.

Lemon grass
Mace

(ground or “blades”) Part

of the outer covering of nutmeg,

it has a similar, yet more delicate

flavor than its host, and is used in

the same way,

except that

the “blades”

can be

added to

broths, then

removed before

serving.

Mango powder

Used as

a souring agent in northern

India in chutney, soup, vegeta-

bles (particularly potato), stuffing

and rice dishes.

nigella or kalonji

(seeds) Resem-

bling (and sometimes mis-identi-

fied as) onion seeds, roast or fry

for a flavor that is oniony as well as

peppery. Use in fish, dal, pickles

and sprinkling on breads (naan) or

cucumbers.

Melon seeds
Pomegranate seeds
rock salt

Buy in crystal form and

crush or dissolve before use.

Saffron

to enhance sweet ad

well as savory foods, especially

complementing milk desserts, rice

and chicken dishes.

Star anise

, whole. Use in rice

dishes and meat curries.

Tamarind

Tirphal berries grown in

the rain forest of India and used

mainly in the states of Maharashtra

and karnataka. They have a woody

aroma and sharp sour biting taste.

Always used whole in fish or legume

dishes.

Turmeric

(ground) Indispensable

spice that adds a very mild woody

flavor yet intense yellow color to

curries or savory dishes during

cooking.

Zedoary

is a rhizome or under-

ground stem of a plant with long

fragrant leaves. It has a strong

smell of turmeric, mango and

ginger.

Indian cuisine requires a well-stocked pantry

including some specialty spice items. When-

ever possible, choose the whole form (rather

than ground) of spices to best preserve their

essence until ready to use.

CULINARY

TRENDWATcH

Continued from page 74