Spice Up Your Taste Buds with Curry
Growing up in Austria, the only exotic spices I ever knew were the savory cumin and paprika we used in traditional goulash and the sweet cinnamon and ginger that almost always appeared in baked goods. The concept of curry was completely foreign to me.
During my first culinary apprenticeship, however, I learned to cook what I thought was an authentic Indian curry. We sauteed apples and onions together in a large pan. Then we sprinkled in some curry powder from a can that sat on the pantry shelf. Finally, we added chicken broth and let it simmer. Voila -- curry sauce! We spooned it over cooked chicken and rice, and our guests ate it up.
At the time, I thought curry powder came from a single plant. Little did I know that what we in the West call curry powder refers to a wide range of different complex spice blends, which Indians seldom refer to as curry. (The term, though, probably comes from the Tamil kari, a word for side dishes in southern India, which19th-century British colonists extended in respelled form to describe any spicy stew.)
Self-respecting cooks in the subcontinent would never dream of cooking with curry powder out of a can or jar as Europeans and Americans do. Following taste and tradition, they make their own spice blends for every dish they cook, starting with whole dried spices that they toast to develop maximum flavor before grinding them to a powder.
That's the approach I now take when I prepare Garam Masala, literally "hot spices," a seasoning mixture popular in northern India. I use the blend (which will remain potent for several months stored in an airtight jar in your pantry) to add rich, complex, not-too-spicy flavor to a traditional chicken stew. For the best results, start with whole little dried chilies, peppercorns, cumin, coriander and cardamom seeds, as well as cinnamon sticks, which you'll heat and stir briefly in a dry saute pan until their aromas blossom under your nose. Your whole house will fill with the wonderful smells, building anticipation for the meal that will soon follow.
Once you've tried the curry, I encourage you to start experimenting with the spice blends. Add more or fewer chilies if you want it hotter or milder, for example, or a few more peppercorns if you like their pungent bite. Feel free to play with the other stew ingredients as well. Adding some canned coconut milk to the broth will produce a milder, creamier flavor. Or saute some sliced apples along with the onions for results that might just be reminiscent of the first curries I used to cook -- but a whole lot more authentic!
NORTH INDIAN CHICKEN CURRY
Serves 4 to 6
1 whole roaster/fryer chicken, cut into 12 pieces, skin removed
3 tablespoons salt
4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup ghee or clarified butter
4 medium onions, sliced
3 to 4 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons minced ginger
2 tablespoons minced green jalapeno chili
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons Garam Masala (recipe follows)
4 cups diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1-1/2 pounds boiling potatoes, cut into 2-inch cubes
6 cups good-quality canned chicken broth
Steamed basmati rice, for serving
Finely chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Season the chicken pieces all over with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Set aside at room temperature.
In a large saucepan, heat the ghee or clarified butter over medium heat. Add the onions and saute them, stirring constantly, just until they turn glossy, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with the remaining salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Continue to saute, stirring, until the onions have turned soft but have not yet browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, ginger, jalapeno, bay leaf and Garam Masala. Saute, stirring, until the spices turn aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the seasoned chicken pieces, tomatoes, tomato paste, potatoes and 4 cups of the chicken broth. Slowly bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
As soon as the mixture boils, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes, adding more chicken broth as necessary to keep the curry moist. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper and more of the sugar if necessary.
To serve, mound basmati rice on individual serving plates, spoon the chicken and sauce on top, and garnish with cilantro.
GARAM MASALA
Makes about 1-1/2 cups
1/4 cup dried small red chilies
3 tablespoons whole cumin seeds
3 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon whole cardamom seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon whole cloves
4 cinnamon sticks, each about 3 inches long
1/2 tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup ground turmeric
In a large saute pan, combine the dried chilies, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom seeds, black peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon sticks. Over medium heat, cook, stirring constantly, just until slightly toasted and fragrant, about 1 minute, taking care not to brown the spices. Turn off heat and instantly stir in the grated nutmeg and turmeric.
Immediately transfer to spices to a food processor fitted with a stainless-steel blade. Process, pulsing the machine on and off, until the spices are ground to a fine powder.
Place a fine-meshed strainer over a mixing bowl. Pass the spices through the strainer, discarding any fibers. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight jar and store at cool room temperature.
(Chef Wolfgang Puck's TV series, "Wolfgang Puck's Cooking Class," airs Sundays on the Food Network. Also, his latest cookbook, "Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy," is now available in bookstores. Write Wolfgang Puck in care of Tribune Media Services Inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, N.Y. 14207.)
This news arrived on: 04/11/2007
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