Sunita unveils India’s rich culinary trove …

When an Indian woman gets ready for marriage and running her first household, her mother often puts together a spice box for her daughter

By: Faith Bahadurian
   I recently taught an ethnic cooking class for the Princeton Adult School, and had great fun with my students. Our mini-tour, "Around the World in Five Nights," included a stop in India. For that class, I recruited the personable Sunita Midha, co-owner of Mehek restaurant in Princeton as my "guest chef." We had a great time. Sunita emphasizes she is not really a chef; at the restaurant, her chefs prepare the food. But she is at least a very talented cook, as I would learn, when she cooked a fantastic (and fast) dinner for me at her house where we "auditioned" dishes for the class.
   When an Indian woman gets ready for marriage and running her first household, her mother often puts together a spice box for her daughter. Sunita’s spice box seven small tins within a larger tin is a portable kit that the cook gets out when starting meal preparation. This one contained ground red pepper (cayenne), whole cumin seeds, whole coriander seeds, crushed black peppercorns, ground turmeric, ground ginger and ground or stick cinnamon.
   These spices are the backbone of Indian cooking, along with fresh onion, garlic and ginger. I also make good use of green cardamom pods and tiny black nigella seeds, a member of the onion family. Many of these spices were originally used for their healthful properties, in the tradition of ayurvedic healing, Sunita points out.
   Note that Sunita uses olive oil in the khadi chicken recipe below, in place of ghee, the clarified butter so typical of Indian cooking. "It’s healthier," she explains. So, traditional Indian cooking meets the 21st century. And while Sunita does make her own garam masala (spice mix), I myself am lazier, and purchase it. Be careful, however, that what you use is fresh.
   For the class, I made a fancy version of basmati rice, with coconut milk, numerous spices, golden raisins, apricots and pine nuts. But, Sunita pointed out, you can make a much simpler weeknight version by using just water and a couple of spices. Seeds are often roasted or sizzled in oil before adding to dishes, but if you are in a rush, don’t worry about it. Do, however, lightly crush cardamom pods before adding to the pot, Sunita urges.
   I also prepared a halibut dish (recipe below), and brought with me Taaza (Green) Masala paste, a pesto-like mixture made with mint and coriander that is very good on fish and potatoes. (A similar version can be found at http://www.asianonlinerecipes.com/.)
   Sunita also made chapati in class, and it proved to be the highlight of the evening, as we oohed and ahhed as each round of dough puffed up as she spun it around on the griddle. There is special flour for chapatis light whole wheat flour called atta. (A good description of the procedure is found at www.ivcooking.com.)
   I think one could spend a lifetime exploring Indian cooking and not cover half of it, so rich is this culinary trove.


KADHI CHICKEN
Sunita Midha, Mehek Restaurant
1 medium red onion
   1 tablespoon chopped garlic
   1 teaspoon chopped ginger
   2 tomatoes (plum recommended)
   ¼ cup olive oil
   
½ teaspoon whole cumin
   ¼ teaspoon nigella seeds
   ½ teaspoon turmeric (up to 1 teaspoon to taste)
   ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
   
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed
   
½ green pepper, cored and seeded, then cut in strips, each strip cut in half
   ½ cup tomato sauce, or ½ cup puréed canned tomatoes
   ½ cup water
   ½ teaspoon garam masala (optional, to taste)
   
Grind onion, garlic, ginger and tomatoes in processor until sauce consistency.
   Heat ¼ cup olive oil in skillet or wok. Add cumin, nigella, turmeric and cayenne and sizzle for just a moment or two. Add puréed ingredients (onion mixture). Cook over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cooked down and thickened, about 5-7 minutes.
   Raise heat and add chicken cubes and green pepper. Stir to combine; then lower heat and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 7 minutes. Add tomato sauce and water; then simmer 15 minutes.
   Taste and if you think you’d like it spicier, add garam masala.


SEARED HALIBUT
WITH SPICY TOMATO CHUTNEY
from www.epicurious.com Makes
6 servings
The inspiration for this entrée comes from the Bengal delta, where fish is the food of choice. The area is also known for its use of nigella (black onion) seeds and fenugreek seeds, which are sold at Indian markets.
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
   ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
   ½ teaspoon nigella seeds
   ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
   3 garlic cloves, minced
   1¾ pounds tomatoes, finely chopped
   1 teaspoon ground coriander
   1 teaspoon turmeric, divided
   ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
   
6 6-ounce halibut fillets
      Lemon slices
   
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add fenugreek, nigella and mustard seeds. Cover and cook until seeds sizzle and begin to pop, about 45 seconds. Add garlic and stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juices, coriander, ½ teaspoon turmeric and ¼ teaspoon cayenne. Boil over medium heat until juices evaporate and mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, 12 minutes. Season chutney with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Reheat over low heat, stirring often.)
   Mix ½ teaspoon turmeric and ¼ teaspoon cayenne in small bowl. Sprinkle spice mixture over both sides of fish fillets; rub into fish to adhere. Sprinkle fish with salt. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish fillets and cook until opaque in center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer fish to plates. Top each with warm chutney. Garnish with lemon slices and serve.
For inexpensive (cilantro is only 50 cents a bunch!) Indian groceries and spices, visit Patel Cash & Carry, 2800 Route 27 North (Ryan Plaza), North Brunswick, (732) 821-0667.
For fine Indian cuisine, visit Mehek, 164 Nassau St., Princeton (609) 279-9191, www.mehek.us.