Wam Up Your Winter with Curry Spices

Indian spices are warming and good for the digestion. They lend themselves very well to the winter vegetables. Curry powder is a Western invention, though it can be convenient. Indian cooks use a selection of spices, suitable to the ingredients of each dish, though there are common elements. Commonly used spices include coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger, black mustard seed, cinnamon, fenugreek, cayenne, cloves, black pepper, and cardamon. The word "curry" means a dish of vegetables cooked with sauce.

Simple curry spices: equal parts ground coriander, cumin, and turmeric, and cayenne about 1/4 as much (or to taste). You might throw a teaspoon of each of the three spices into your vegetable dish.

Simple garam masala: "sweet spices" toasted and ground together; used in chutneys, puddings, and many other dishes. One ounce each whole cardamon in pod, stick cinnamon, and cloves. Toast on cookie sheet at 200 degrees for 30 minutes. Then take seeds out of the cardamon pods, and put into a spice grinder with broken up cinnamon and cloves. Grind to a powder. Keep in a jar. For spice grinder, you can use a small cheap dedicated coffee grinder, or a mortar and pestle.

Now to the recipes:

The following is somewhat similar to the Spicy Parsnips dish in the Cresset newsletter, but uses the individual spices.
I have gotten very fond of parsnips this winter.

Curried Parsnip Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced fine
1 pound parsnips, peeled and chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock, or water
1 cup milk

Sautee onion, garlic, and ginger in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the parsnip, spices, and stock. Simmer 15 minutes, until parsnip is tender. Run through blender until smooth. Put back in pan, check for salt and add if needed. Add milk and some freshly-ground pepper. If soup is too thick you can add some more milk or water.

Indian Cabbage and Potatoes

1 pound green cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
2 good-sized potatoes (about 1/2 pound), peeled and diced
3 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon each turmeric, cumin, and coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
Either:
small tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Or: 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate, or to taste

Heat oil, add black mustard seeds and onion. Mustard seeds will pop. When they have stopped, add potato. Saute 5 minutes, stirring. Now add cabbage and spices; keep stirring. Lower temperature and cook for 25 minutes uncovered, stirring every few minutes. When cabbage and potatoes turn to a golden brown, remove from heat and add tomato and lemon, or tamarind.

Spiced Milk
12 ounces milk (whole)
small cinnamon stick
one whole clove
1 cardamon pod
honey to taste

Heat milk, add spices, let stand for 5 minutes. Remove spices, add honey to taste, and serve. Or you could use the Garam Masala above, stirring a little of the spice powder into the milk.

Potato Bhaji
2 pounds potatoes
3 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Boil potatoes, whole, until tender but not soft. Remove, cool, and peel. Cut into chunks. Heat oil, add black mustard seeds, onion, and garlic. When onion has browned, add potato pieces, turmeric, red pepper, and salt to taste. Stir, reducing heat, for a few minutes, then cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top with fresh cilantro if you have it, or sprinkle with coriander powder.

Now for a traditional Curry Powder dish. I remember this as the first significant dish I ever cooked for my family, as a young teenager.

Captain's Chicken
1 frying chicken, cut in pieces
2 tablespoons butter
2 onions, chopped
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup tomato sauce, or 2 tbs tomato paste thinned with water
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt

Put butter, onions and garlic in kettle, saute onions until soft, then add cut-up chicken pieces. Continue to saute, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes. Then mix tomato sauce, curry powder, salt, lemon juice and 1/2 cup water, and pour over chicken.
Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, until chicken is tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. If it becomes too dry, add a little water. Serve with Indian Rice.

Indian Rice
1 cup uncooked rice, preferably basmati
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup slivered onions
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Cook rice in 2 cups water with salt until tender, about 20 minutes. When rice is almost done, heat butter in small skillet, add onions and almonds. Cook stirring until onions are soft. Then add raisins and stir until they plump up. When rice is done, stir onion mixture in.

Happy Eating!