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Recipes from India
India is a large country
with many climatic regions and the people come from a large number of linguistic
and ethnic groups. This, combined with the influences of Hinduism, Buddhism,
Jainism and Islam, results in a varied cuisine. Most of the people in India are
vegetarians for religious reasons, and within each sect there are further
restrictions on what can and cannot be eaten. Slightly more than 10 % of the
people are Muslim, and they will eat some meats but not pork. Indian cooking is
explained and celebrated in many books you might find at your local library.
Remember that most of India’s population still live in rural villages, where
they struggle to buy seed to farm small plots. When crops fail to support these
families, they often migrate to the cities and join a huge mass of people trying
to survive. Despite this poverty, the poor in India are remarkably generous,
sharing what they have and often going into debt to offer the hospitality that
is part of their culture.
Indian Flat Bread (India)
makes 10
Chapati (chah-PAH-tee)
Traditionally, the bread is used in place of utensils to scoop up bits of
vegetable curries.
Combine:
2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon melted butter and pinch of salt
Gradually add: ½
cup (or more) of lukewarm water
Knead until the dough is soft. Cover with
a damp cloth and let rest one hour. Divide dough into 10 pieces. On a
floured surface, roll each piece into a 4-inch circle, ¼-inch thick.
Heat a heavy ungreased frying pan (cast
iron works well). Cook each chapati until it starts to bubble on the
bottom, turn, fry on the other side, and remove. Stack in a tea towel to
keep warm. |
| Yogurt Mint Drink (India)
makes 2 quarts
Lassi
(LAH-see) This yogurt drink is also popular in the Middle East. It goes
well with spicy foods.
| Mix
together: |
1
quart milk, 1 quart plain yogurt
½ to ¾ cup sugar, or a combination of sugar and honey
4 teaspoons vanilla |
| Immerse
into lassi: |
6
to 8 fresh mint stalks (bruise leaves and tie ends of stalks
together)
or 2 to 3 tablespoons dried mint in a teaball or cheesecloth |
Let stand in refrigerator at least 5
hours to allow the mint to flavor the lassi. Remove mint before serving.
Recipes from Extending the
Table: a world community cookbook by Joetta Handrich Schlabach,
Herald Press, 1991, pp. 48, 42 |
Garbanzos with Tomatoes
(India) serves 4
Chole (CHO-lay) This is a common dish from the northwestern
region of Punjab.
| 2
onions, thinly sliced |
4
tomatoes, chopped |
| 4
cloves garlic, crushed |
2
tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped |
| 1
to 2 green chilies, finely sliced |
2
tablespoons fresh mint, chopped or 2 teaspoons dried mint |
| 1
teaspoon each turmeric and paprika |
1
¼ cups cooked garbanzos (chickpeas) |
| 1
tablespoon each of ground coriander and cumin |
|
| 1
tablespoon garam masala* |
pil
or ghee**, salt
and pepper |
*Garam masala is a mix of
cardamom, coriander and cumin seeds, whole cloves and peppercorns,
roasted and ground. You can usually find it in large supermarkets or
Asian markets, or you can make your own.
**Ghee is clarified
butter commonly used in Indian cooking. You can substitute cooking oil.
- Take a heavy pan and heat the oil or
ghee. When it is hot, add the onions and garlic and saute them
gently for about 5 minutes until golden.
- Add the chilies, turmeric, paprika,
cumin, ground coriander and garam masala and fry for 2 minutes,
stirring frequently.
- Now add the tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of
the cilantro leaves and all the mint. Cook, stirring, for about 10
minutes until the tomatoes have mushed to a puree.
- Add the garbanzos and cook for a
further 10 to 15 minutes. If you like, let the dish sit, covered,
for a couple of hours to let the flavors blend. Re-heat, and serve
in a dish with the remaining cilantro sprinkled on top.
Recipe from The World in
Your Kitchen by Troth Wells, Second Story Press, 1993, p. 77 |
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