There are two kinds of home cooks: Those who enjoy making familiar dishes which they and their families and friends have come to anticipate and enjoy, and those who are always on the lookout for something new and offbeat, if not downright exotic
By: Pat Tanner
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| Nirmala Narine, who grew up in Guyana, South America, of Indian heritage, has developed seven lines of exotic spices and blends, all hand-selected and ground in small batches, and accompanied by simple recipes. She picked up her expertise from her family and her travels.
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There are two kinds of home cooks: Those who enjoy making familiar dishes which they and their families and friends have come to anticipate and enjoy, and those who are always on the lookout for something new and offbeat, if not downright exotic. I fall into the latter category, so when I recently had the chance to make Aboriginal Wattleseed Creme Brulee, I jumped at the chance.
That I was able to source ground wattleseed is due to a line of unusual spices and spice blends from Nirmala’s Kitchen.
The whirling dervish behind the company is Nirmala Narine, a young woman who grew up in Guyana, South America. From the age of 6 she was in charge of cooking for a household of 12, and she especially enjoyed mixing spices using a masala brick which her great-great grandmother had brought from India. She transformed that experience and 10 years of globe-trotting into seven lines of spices and blends, all hand-selected and ground in small batches, and accompanied by simple recipes. They are available at www.nirmalaskitchen.com or by calling (800) 522-8505 for a catalog.
Similar spices and blends, including the wonderfully named grains-of-paradise from Africa used in the Moroccan recipe below, are also available from other spice houses based in the United States, such as Kalyustans and Vanns Spices but not the wattleseed, a pod from a type of acacia tree that Aboriginal people have collected for thousands of years. It has a hazelnut/coffee/chocolate flavor that is wonderful in cream-based desserts.
The recipes below span three continents: South America, Africa and Australia. For Nirmala’s Kitchen, that’s just a smattering of the spice universe.
PERUVIAN AJI-DE-GALLINA
(Chicken with Chile Pepper)
www.nirmalaskitchen.com
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast
2 slices white bread, crusts removed
½ cup cashews, finely chopped
¼ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ tablespoons Nirmala’s Kitchen Peruvian Inca Aji blend*
6 ounces evaporated milk
5 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 hard-cooked eggs, cut into halves
6 to 8 red bliss potatoes, boiled
½ cup pitted black olives
Fresh chives, finely chopped
1. Boil the chicken breast in salted water until tender. Strain, reserving the broth. Let the chicken cool and shred into small pieces. Set aside. Soak the bread in ½ to ¾ cup of the reserved broth.
2. In a skillet heat the oil, add onions, garlic, Peruvian aji blend, and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the bread mixture and cook over low heat for 5 to 8 minutes. Add the cashews, grated cheese, evaporated milk, and shredded chicken. Cook for about 5 minutes or until heated through. Serve on a platter with the boiled potatoes, eggs, and olives and sprinkle with fresh chives.
Serves 4.
MOROCCAN
SAFFRON CHICKEN TAGINE
WITH COUSCOUS
www.nirmalaskitchen.com
1 3-pound chicken, cut up
1½ cups chicken stock
½ cup black olives, drained if canned
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cracked Nirmala’s Kitchen Grains of Paradise*
2 tablespoons Nirmala’s Kitchen Moroccan Tagine Blend (or a mixture of cumin, coriander, and cloves)
1/8 teaspoon saffron
½ cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste
For the couscous:
2 cups couscous
Chicken stock
1. Prepare couscous with chicken stock according to package directions; set aside.
2. In a heavy saucepan, heat oil and sauté onions until golden brown; add garlic and spices; stir until fragrant.
3. Add chicken pieces and stock to pan; stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, turning the chicken twice. About 5 minutes before it’s done, add the olives, cilantro leaves, and salt to taste. Transfer chicken onto the couscous and pour cooking juices over all.
Serves 6.
*Similar product available at www.kalyustans.com
ABORIGINAL WATTLESEED CREME BRULE
www.nirmalaskitchen.com
3 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons Nirmala’s Kitchen aboriginal ground wattleseed
Yolks of 10 large eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1. Warm cream and wattleseed in a heavy saucepan. Bring just to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and let cream mixture cool to room temperature.
2. In a bowl, combine egg yolks and granulated sugar; whisk to just mix. Whisk the cooled cream into the yolk mixture. Strain and pour into 6 ramekins.
3. Place the 6 dishes into a shallow pan. Place in oven. Pour ½ inch of boiling water into pan and bake at 325 degrees until set, about 45 minutes. To test for doneness, gently shake a dish: the top should jiggle a bit.
4. Remove dishes from the pan and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 5 hours or overnight.
5. When ready to serve, sprinkle brown sugar on top of each dish and char with a blowtorch until dark brown, or preheat oven broiler and brown for 4 minutes.
Serves 6.
Pat Tanner can be heard each Saturday morning on "Dining Today with Pat Tanner" on MoneyTalk AM 1350 and over www.moneytalk1350.com from 9 to 10 a.m.