Indian Serving Dishes

This Month's Films: Shakespeare Wallah & The Namesake
Cuisine: Indian

The main serving dish for Indian food is called a thali, a large, straight-rimmed plate made of aluminium, stainless steel or brass, which may also serve as a lid for a pot or pan. Of a less utilitarian nature are an endless variety of richly patterned porcelains, carved hardwoods and softly shining brass. And since Indian food features such a wide variety of chutneys and other savory condiments to accompany the main dishes, it is important to stock an abundant supply of small, shallow bowls, and a large serving tray for transporting them to the table or buffet. The best and most economical sources for Indian serving dishes are Asian emporiums such as neighborhood Indian or Asian markets, or import stores such as Cost Plus World Market and Pier One. And don't forget that your local thrift shops often stock a trove of exotic cast-offs at bargain prices.

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12:22 AM PST Permalink |

Special Indian Cooking Utensils

This Month's Films: Shakespeare Wallah & The Namesake
Cuisine: Indian

Although the preparation of Indian food doesn't require any esoteric utensils per se, there are several traditional items that would make the experience more authentic, most notably: a hamam dasta grinding bowl and pestle for hand blended masalas, curry pastes and powders; a karhai, which is a deep, round-bottomed metal pan similar to a wok; and a tandoor clay oven [in my Technicolor dreams]. And of course, an electric rice cooker is always a blessing. But with or without these specialty items, it is still possible to prepare a classic Indian feast with whatever you've got on hand.

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12:00 AM PST Permalink |

Beverages to Go With an Indian Meal

This Month's Films: Shakespeare Wallah & The Namesake
Cuisine: Indian

Indian cuisine includes a wide variety of both spirited and non-alcoholic beverages. Chai is a hot beverage made with black tea, milk, and sugar, spiced with cinnamon, cloves, ginger and cardamom. Lassi is a cold milk beverage, similar to buttermilk, and is sometimes mixed with the pulp of fresh mangoes. Shikanjami is fresh limeade, Kanji is a cold beverage made with fermented carrots, and Thandai is a milk beverage seasoned with various seeds and nuts.

India also produces beer, wine and whiskey. Beer was first introduced to India during the British colonial era, when a hearty variety called India Pale Ale was brought over from England in ships. Breweries were soon established all over India, with Lion Beer being its oldest commercial brand. Lion is still produced today, along with many other brands, including Kingfisher, Cobra, Guru, Indian Tiger, Kalyani, Khajuraho, and Taj Mahal. Rice beer is also produced in the northeastern regions.

Wine has been an integral part of Indian culture and cuisine for thousands of years, however, varietal wines similar to those of France, Italy, Germany and California, have not been produced in India until recently. Most wine produced in India is made from imported varietals such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, blended with domestic grapes. The most common labels include Costa & Company, Grover Vineyards, Indage Group, Shaw Wallace, Sula Vineyards, Vinbros & Co., and Omar Khayam, a sparkling wine.

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01:02 PM PST Permalink |

Chutney Demystified

This Month's Films: Shakespeare Wallah & The Namesake
Cuisine: Indian

Chutney is defined in the dictionary as a mixture of chopped fruits cooked in vinegar and sugar with ginger and spices, which leaves it wide open to individual interpretation.

A Google search will reveal a vast list of chutney recipes, including Green Tomato Chutney, Cranberry Jalapeno Chutney, Cherry Chutney, Apple Peach Apricot Chutney, Watermelon Rind Chutney, Mint Chutney... Just to name a few. Therefore, it appears that chutney can be made with most any kind of fruit or vegetable, but it would seem that authentic chutney should be made with fruits and spices idigenous to India.

Once the ingredients are decided, making chutney is unbelievably easy. It involves nothing more than preparing and combining the ingredients in a large saucepan or kettle and simmering until the fruits are tender and the liquid is evaporated. It's as simple as that.

Here is a redux of my first attempt at making my own chutney:

"A few days ago, Rene brought home a whole watermelon, and I got inspired to make a chutney out of the rinds. I always hate to throw them away, because growing up in the South, where watermelons are sweet and plentiful, some of the ladies in the neighborhood used to make pickles out of the rinds. With watermelon rinds as my inspiration, I went online, located a couple of enticing watermelon chutney recipes and tried them both. One of them called for both the flesh and the rind, seasoned with curry powder and sweetened with brown sugar. It turned out remarkably similar to a standard mango chutney, only not quite as sticky. The other recipe wanted the rinds only and was spiced with lots of ginger and hot chilis and sweetened with regular white sugar. The result was a much spicier, syrupy chutney. Of the two, it was definitely my favorite. It was so good that after I filled a jar to the rim with it, we ate the leftovers with a spoon.

Having had such satisfying success with my first foray into making my own chutney, I went right out and bought all the ingredients to try my hand at a few more recipes. My neighbor had given me some lovely vine-ripened tomatoes, so I made a red tomato chutney spiced with cumin and coriander that turned out rather like a thick, sweet ketchup. From the other fruits I made peach chutney spiced with garam masala, apple-raisin chutney spiced with curry powder, and pineapple chutney spiced with a pinch of garam masala and lots of fresh ginger root.

As always, I improvised the recipes, and seasoned them so that each has its own unique flavor. I didn't want them to taste too similar to each other. I was going for variety, and with all the ripe flavors of the fresh fruits and the different spices in each one, I think I have quite a lovely array of condiments to serve with my Curried Lamb Stew and Chicken Vindaloo.

So, after my abounding success in making six different kinds of chutney, you can bet your ghee and garam masala that I will never again pay seven bucks at the grocery store for a five ounce jar of Major Grey's."

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02:51 PM PST Permalink |

Tracking Down Exotic Ingredients

This Month's Films: Shakespeare Wallah & The Namesake
Cuisine: Indian

Gathering all my specialty ingredients for my Shakespeare Wallah & The Namesake Indian menu is easy this time, as I already have many of the aromatics in my spice rack. And I already have a big jar of mango chutney that I bought online at an Indian foods website called IShopIndian.com. It was only $5.95 per one kilogram jar, with a little shipping. What a bargain. I ordered 3 jars of it on pure faith, and it's so good I've already polished off two of them,. But there's still plenty left for my Indian dinner. IShopIndian.com carries an amazing selection of Indian ingredients, and free shipping on orders over $50.

When it comes to the exotic spices (garam masala, curry powder, cardamom, turmeric, nutmeg, cinnamon, corriander seed, and cumin) we have a Cost Plus World Market in Napa that they carries a full selection of ethnic spices at bargain basement prices. Most of them cost less than two dollars each. What's missing from my repertoire are a couple of exotic Indian spices (nigella, ajwain, and fenugreek) and some basic curry powder.

So, with the exception of my fresh ingredients, which I will shop for later in the week, I've got almost everything I need to make an Indian feast.

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02:37 PM PST Permalink |

Stocking an Indian Pantry

This Month's Films: Shakespeare Wallah & The Namesake
Cuisine: Indian

Stocking an Indian pantry can be quite an adventure, both in the rich variety of spices and other ingredients, as well as tracking them down in specialty markets. If you are fortunate enough to live in a cosmopolitan city, you may have local access to an Indian or Asian market. Other possibilities include Cost Plus World Market and Trader Joe's, both of which may carry some of the spices and condiments you seek. There is also a wonderful website called ishopindian.com that supplies an amazing number of basic ingredients at modest prices.

The most common spices used in Indian food are corriander, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, saffron, mustard seed, poppy seeds, cardamom, cloves, anise, fenugreek, fennel, tamarind, chili, ginger, garlic, and asafetida, a musky, gummy paste made from a variety of plant resins. Starches include several varieties of rice such as basmati and jasmine, as well as beans, chickpeas and lentils, and nuts such as almonds, cashews and peanuts. Dairy products, such as yogurt, cheese, curds and a clarified butter called ghee play an important role in Indian cuisine, along with nearly every type of meat, poultry and seafood.

The ubiquitous chutneys that accompany traditional Indian meals may be made from nearly every type of vegetable and lush tropical fruits such as mangoes, guava, papaya, pomegranates, bananas, and coconuts. As with any cuisine, the magic is in the way the various ingredients are combined.

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02:26 PM PST Permalink |

Deciding on My 'Shakespeare Wallah' & 'The Namesake' Indian Menu

This Month's Films: Shakespeare Wallah & The Namesake
Cuisine: Indian

Appetizer: Lamb Meatballs
Salad: Fresh Tomato Salad
Main Course: Prawns in Spicy Sauce
Side Dishes: Coconut Rice, Stuffed Poblano Peppers, and Puffy Bread
Dessert: Fried Milk Balls

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12:00 AM PST Permalink |

Researching Indian Recipes

This Month's Films: Shakespeare Wallah & The Namesake
Cuisine: Indian

I have three good Indian cookbooks in my library: The Cooking of India from the Time-Life series; Ajanta: Regional Feasts of India by Berkeley restaurateur Lachu Moorjani; and Quick and Easy Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey, who, by the way, also plays a role in Shakespeare Wallah. Among the three cookbooks there is a nearly irresistible array of recipes to inspire any menu, from fiery curries to cooling raitas.

Last year, I received a review copy of a gorgeous Indian cookbook titled Ajanta: Regional Feasts of India, based upon the cuisine of restaurateur Lachu Moorjani, a collection of dishes featured on the menu at his Berkeley, California restaurant, also called Ajanta. Each chapter of the book features six regional dishes from one of India's many provinces: appetizer, main dish, vegetable, rice, bread and dessert. Mr. Moorjani gave me permission to recreate his dishes in my kitchen and publish the recipes for the Bengal feast I chose.

The book is a pleasure to use, as each feast is fabulously photographed, and features not only clear, concise preparation instructions, but also includes a shopping list of ingredients, a description of the region and its cuisine, and Mr. Moorjani's personal comments and anecdotes about each dish. Ajanta: Regional Feasts of India is an alluring trove of unusual yet remarkably easy recipes to reproduce in your home kitchen. And definitely the cookbook of choice for many Indian feasts to come.

The Cooking of India also has lots of unusual stuff, and believe it or not, The Joy of Cooking has at least a dozen Indian recipes that look quite tasty and interesting. The Joy of Cooking is usually the place I turn to for classic dishes, but this new edition has lots more creative ethnic recipes than the old one. In my search, I found so many choices in the cookbooks I already have that I felt no need whatsoever to to turn to the Internet for inspiration.

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11:53 PM PST Permalink |

Indian Menus Past

This Month's Film: A Three-Year Chopstick Cinema Film Retrospective
Cuisine: A Three-Year Retrospective of All Chopstick Cinema Menus

In the three years I have been creating menus for Chopstick Cinema, I have created three Indian meals to go with three excellent India-themed films:

In August 2004, I featured, Monsoon Wedding

with an Indian menu that includes Curry Infused Shrimp with Mango Chutney, Mulligatawny Soup, Chicken Vindaloo, Curried Lamb Stew, Spiced Lentils, Garlic Ginger Jasmine Rice, Five Chutneys, and Naan Bread.

In October 2005, I featured Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India

with an Indian menu that includes Golden Fishcakes, Tilapia Filets Stuffed with Spinach, Lamb-Filled Samosas, Mulligatawny Soup, Grilled Lamb Salad over Baby Spinach with Tomato-Cucumber Raita, Chicken Korma, Saffron Rice with Lime and Cashews, Vegetable Stuffed Eggplants Fried in Chickpea Batter and Warm Coconut Banana Pudding.

In Setember 2006, I featured my favorite adventure film, The Man Who Would Be King

with a six-course feast from the Indian province of Bengal. Recipes include Shrimp Fritters, Catfish in Mustard Sauce, Eggplant with Tomatoes and Mustard Seeds, Rice Pilaf with Spices and Peanuts, Deep-Fried White Flour Puffy Bread, and Deep Fried Milk-Powder Balls in Rose-Scented Syrup.

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12:10 AM PST Permalink |

My Experience with Indian Cuisine

This Month's Films: Shakespeare Wallah & The Namesake
Cuisine: Indian

I still remember the first time I ever tasted curry. It was at the antebellum home of a flamboyantly gay elderly gentleman in Mobile, Alabama, my hometown. And believe it or not, the choice of meat for his curry dish was goat. I've always been fairly adventuresome when it comes to food, although there are things that I patently refuse to eat, namely the brains, heart, tongue, liver, kidneys, tripe or sexual organs of any animal, anything in the insect family, any endangered species, and anything too slimy or stinky. That still leaves lots of room for some interesting choices, like cactus, snails, raw oysters, squid, venison, squirrel, alligator, yak, and yes, even goat. On the buffet table that day, the goat was cooked to perfection, and the sauce was a lovely shade of cellophane yellow, not too mild, but not too spicy either. I was hooked. However, it would still be several years before I attempted a batch of curry in my own kitchen, and you can bet it wasn't goat.

Since then I've made dozens of pots of curry and eaten in lots of Indian restaurants. My favorite so far is Gaylord's at Ghiradelli Square in San Francisco. They make the most heavenly Mulligatawny Soup I've ever tasted, not to mention the rustic naan bread and every kind of tandoori, vindaloo and curry dish imaginable.

When I lived in Tokyo, I used to experiment with lots of homemade curry recipes using a mortar and pestle to grind the spices. I also ate my fair share of Japanese curry mixes, a popular quick-fix meal. I must admit however, that now, when I make curry at home, I use a store bought curry powder and just add lots of it to a big pot of meat and vegetables. I found one that suits my tastes nicely, the only problem is that I no longer remember where I bought it and I've used up the last of it. So until I find another source, I have learned to blend my own from the array of ingredients on my spice rack.

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08:59 AM PST Permalink |

About Indian Cuisine

This Month's Films: Shakespeare Wallah & The Namesake
Cuisine: Indian

As one of the world's largest countries, India has many distinctive regional cuisines, and the culinary style of each region is strongly influenced by its indigenous vegetation and wildlife. In the Himalayan region to the north, meats and grains are the primary ingredients and are often prepared using oil. Southern Indian cuisine is spicy, and is often steamed and served with rice. Along the coastlines, seafood is abundant, and is therefore a common ingredient in everyday meals. The northern plains regions, including Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, are known for flatbreads such as roti, parantha, puri, and naan. And provinces such as Kashmir, Mughlai Bengal and Assam, which border continental Asia, are strongly influenced by Chinese and East Asian cuisine.

The jungles of India provide an abundance of tropical fruits such as mangoes, guava, papaya, bananas, and coconuts, which are used to make chutneys to serve as condiments for the main dish. The most common spices used in Indian food are corriander, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, mustard seed, cardamom, cloves, aniseed, asafoetida, tamarind, chili, ginger, and garlic.

Religion also plays a role in Indian cuisine. While the Muslim diet includes beef and lamb, the Hindu and Buddhist people maintain a strictly vegetarian diet that includes grains and legumes, as well as milk and milk products, such as yogurt, cheese, curds and ghee.

Historically, Indian food has been influenced by traders, invaders and immigrants from all over the world, including the Greeks, led by Alexander the Great in 326 B.C., Moghul invaders in the 16th century, Portuguese and Dutch traders, and the British, during the colonial era of the 18th and 19th centuries, all of which left their culinary mark on the cuisine.

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01:30 PM PST Permalink |

The Namesake

This Month's Films: Shakespeare Wallah & The Namesake
Cuisine: Indian

This film made the film festival circuit in early 2007, around the same time that it premiered in theaters. It even screened at Cinequest, however I was not issued a press copy of the film to pre-screen for review. Since then, I've been keen to see it, as I am already a fan of Mira Nair's work. Here is the NetFlix synopsis:

"While he respects his immigrant parents (Irfan Khan and Tabu) and their decision to rear him in his United States birthplace, Gogol Ganguli (Kal Penn) is torn between Indian traditions and the modern Bostonian lifestyle. Jacinda Barrett and Zuleikha Robinson also star in director Mira Nair's thought-provoking coming-of-age drama, which explores first-generation Americans' delicate dance between culture and identity."

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04:29 PM PST Permalink |

Shakespeare Wallah

This Month's Films: Shakespeare Wallah & The Namesake
Cuisine: Indian

I've been curious about this film ever since I saw the title. With my lifelong love of Shakespeare, and my esteem for the teamwork of Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, it's bound to be a winner. Here is the NetFlix synopsis:

"Director James Ivory's 1965 film tells the story of a struggling English troupe of Shakespearean actors (called Shakespeariana) that goes on tour in India at a time when English influence is on the wane. When the troupe's caravan breaks down, an Indian playboy stops to help, creating drama of, well, Shakespearean proportions. The film explores familiar themes of social displacement (a staple of later Merchant-Ivory movies)."

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03:06 PM PST Permalink |

Welcome to Chopstick Cinema for the Month of December

This Month's Films: Shakespeare Wallah & The Namesake
Cuisine: Indian

I can only go so long without getting in the kitchen to make Indian food. It's been quite awhile, several months at least, since I made so much as a quick kettle of curry, so 'tis time for Indian food. To go with my cravings, I've decided to feature not one but TWO Indian-themed films this month: Shakespeare Wallah & The Namesake. What I like about this pairing of films is that it presents a theme of cultural displacement: Shakespeare Wallah focuses on an English family living in India, and The Namesake focuses on an Indian family living in the U.S.

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12:17 AM PST Permalink |

'YiYi' Taiwanese Recipes & Photos

This Month's Film: YiYi
Cuisine: Taiwanese

This tasty Taiwanese menu to accompany 'YiYi' includes Stuffed Prawns in Wonton Wrappers, Hot & Sour Noodle Soup, Cripy Fried Fish with Sweet Chili Sauce, San Pei Pork, Fried Rice, Crispy Asparagus, and Coconut Pineapple Custard Crumble.

Here is a link to the Recipe & Photos.

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12:00 AM PST Permalink |