Your own homemade mango pickle

As the season changes from cool to warm and the first tiny green mangoes appear on the trees in the month of March, there is much activity in the kitchens of India. The jars and the fruit are cleaned and dried and spices and condiments measured … it is green mango pickle season and from North to South and East to West the women wash and dry and bring together in a perfect balance of quantity and ingredients that delicious taste bud tingling perfect mango pickle ! It is a culinary art form and heirloom family recipes guarded and shared with only the favored! Poured into porcelains or glass jars, warmed in the Sunlight for days before they are stored away. Pantries are filled with jars and jars of this spicy concoction to eat with mathris, hot rotis, phulkas, parathas and rice!

    

So, what is the mystery behind the mango pickle. This basic recipe for mango pickle is known and shared all over the world ….

Chop mangoes to slightly large cubes. Add them to a dry bowl, along with crushed fennel seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds or kalonji, turmeric and red chili powders, hing (Asafetida), salt, lightly crushed garlic.

Heat mustard oil. Cool and pour half the mustard oil and mix well. 

Keep in the direct Sun for 3 to 4 days.

Stir mango pickle well and if needed add more salt to taste.

Add the rest of the mustard oil.

Store this in a clean glass or porcelain jar.

The variety is endless … From the Punjabi Aam ka Achar to the Southern version or the Sweet Mango Chutney of the East … raw mangoes has a special place in the culinary landscape of India.

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Indian spices and their medicinal uses

Indian cuisine is colourful, flavourful and spicy! Spices and aromatics are the very heart of Indian cooking. In India, we do not cook without spices. In Indian cooking there are dishes where more than 27 spices are added! Spices can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes.

The use of spices has been incredibly important throughout history. Spices have been used since ancient times and have always been celebrated for their medicinal and healing properties much before their culinary use.   During their long and fascinating history, spices have often been more valuable than gold or precious stones.

India has been the hub of spices for hundreds of years. We have cultivated, processed and traded in spices with countries from the Old World for centuries. Wars have been fought for cloves, cardamom, pepper, nutmeg, etc.

Ayurveda puts spices at the heart of nutrition and good health.  Spices enhance digestion and come with a plethora of health benefits. Ayurveda stresses on the benefits of spices to optimize our metabolism which is a key factor to good health. That is one of the reasons why spices are revered in Ayurvedic cuisine. Indian spices offer significant health benefits and contribute towards a person’s healthy life. They also add flavour and nutrients to food without fat or calories.

Learning your way around the kitchen, having the right spices and herbs on hand is key to your culinary journey into the magic of Indian cooking and good health! In addition to adding a variety of mild, hot, sweet, sour, aromatic and pungent flavours, spices (roots, bark, seeds, bulbs) boast of a range of health benefits. If your idea of seasoning is salt and pepper to taste, delve into the world of Indian cooking and add flavour and health benefits to your recipes! It is best to grind spices just before cooking for optimum aroma and flavour.

Spices act as appetizers and are considered essential in the culinary world, stimulate saliva flow and helps digestion in many ways.  Spices such as cinnamon, chili peppers, turmeric, ginger, garlic offer many health benefits. Stroke frequency and blood pressure can be diminished or augmented with the addition of  spices.

Spices curb inflammation in the body which give rise to heart disease and cancer. Spices such as fenugreek, asfoetida and cinnamon have also been linked to reduction in blood concentrations in people with diabetes.  Turmeric and it’s key component, curcumin, helps to ward off dementia and cancer.

Understanding the health benefits and medicinal benefits of each ingredient is key to optimizing home-cooked meals and the particular needs of family members.  So let’s find out which Indian spices are good for you.

Here are the top 10 spices that have healing effects ……

1.Turmeric (haldi)

Turmeric is the spice which gives curry it’s yellow colour. In Ayurveda, Turmeric ranks right at the top of spices which have many medicinal properties.  It contains Curcumin … a substance with powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties useful for treating arthritis.  It is used as an antiseptic and raw turmeric juice is used to treat acidity and indigestion and also acts as a blood purifier. Studies suggest it can improve brain function, fight Alzheimer’s and significantly reduce the risk of heart disease and possibly cancer.

2.Fenugreek (methi)

Fenugreek has many medicinal uses. The golden yellow seed helps in treating diabetes and lowering blood sugar levels and cholesterol. Fenugreek seed and leaves are also good for increasing breast milk in lactating women and also helps in maintaining good metabolism and prevents constipation.

3.Black Pepper (kali mirch)

Pepper is one of the oldest and most important of all spices. It is usually dried and used both as a spice and seasoning. Pepper has a stimulating effect on the digestive organs and produces an increased flow of saliva and gastric juices. The health benefits of black pepper include relief from asthma, respiratory disorders, cough, aids in weight loss and gangrene.

4.Coriander (dhania)

Coriander is known all over the world for its medicinal properties. It is a great source of potassium, iron, vitamins A, K, and C, folic acid, magnesium, and calcium that can heal many health issues. One or two teaspoons of coriander juice helps to allievate indigestion, nausea, dysentery, hepatitis. It is also helpful in typhoid fever. Regular drinking of coriander water helps lower blood cholesterol  and stimulates the kidneys.

Coriander is an integral part of Indian cuisine. It is an antioxidant with awesome properties. The leaves of  the coriander plant are a stimulant and strengthen the stomach.  Whenever I cook spinach I add an equal quantity of coriander leaves to sweeten the slightly bitter taste!

All parts of the coriander plant are edible but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are mildly roasted or heated briefly before grinding to enhance and improve the aroma.

5.Chillies (mirch)

With a high Vitamin ‘C’ content, hese spicy green or red ones have healing powers too. Since ancient times, chillies have been used to cure a variety of ailments. They have been used externally to relieve pain and internally to cure anything from yellow fever to the common cold. The active ingredient in  peppers is a compound called capsaicin, which triggers the release of endorphins in the brain, which has a pain relieving effect similar to that of morphine.

6.Clove (laung)

Cloves can be used in cooking either whole or in a ground form, but are used sparingly as they are extremely strong. Cloves boost digestion, relieves  irritation in the throat and stops cough. Clove is also an effective remedy for asthma, decreases toothache and  has antiseptic properties.

7.Cumin (jeera)

Cumin is used for cooking and also possesses many medicinal properties. They are a good source of iron and keeps the immune system healthy. Water boiled with umin seeds is good for coping with dysentery.

8.Cinnamon (dalchini)

An aromatic smelling bark, Cinnamon is widely used for seasoning and flavouring. It has potent antioxidant properties, helps fight inflammation and is an antiseptic that helps kill bacteria which cause tooth decay and gum disease.  It also kills many fungi and viruses that cause diseases. It helps calm the stomach and clears up urinary tract infections.

It lowers cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. It is a great boon for diabetic patients as it helps metabolise sugar and lowers fasting blood sugar levels.

9.Cardamom (elaichi)

Cardamom is the ‘Queen of Spices’ …. it is one of the most valued and valuable spices in the world. Cardamom has a strong, unique taste, with an intensely aromatic flavour. Cardamom is used chiefly in medicines as a treatment for indigestion and also for depression. Green cardamom is broadly used to treat infections in teeth and gums, to prevent and treat throat troubles and congestion of the lungs.  Used in combination with Cinnamon, it is a cure for sore-throat and flu.

10. Asafoetida (hing)

A common ingredient for seasoning vegetarian dishes and pickles, adding this spice improves the nutritional value of food.  Along with its culinary uses, asafetida has a prominent place in traditional medicine. Its health benefits are many …….
It helps you to tackle indigestion
It is used to combat respiratory disorders
It lowers your blood sugar levels
It helps to control high blood pressure
It plays a key role in relieving pain
It protects against cancer.

Though these spices have many extraordinary benefits,  they need to be used in the right quantities.  I have seen TV programmes where garam masala and chilli powders have been added by the heaped spoonfuls!  This will  not only  make the food or the drink bitter, but, excessive use of spices can be harmful to your health! Use these resources provided by Nature sensibly and add some spice to your life! 

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Breaking Bread

In India we use food to bring people into our homes, to be a part of our lives. We are always inviting people over to share a meal …. to ‘break bread’ or share a Roti together !

Though the literal meaning of ‘baking bread’ is to pull bread into mouthfuls, metaphorically it means having a meal together.  Be it the Naan in India or a baguette in France, shared meals bring people together and change our perspective about cultures.  A coming together regularly for common meals, more than any other social activity, blurs caste, race, gender and socio-economic differences.

Indian cuisine is as rich and diverse as its civilization. It is an art form that has been tutored through the generations from guru to pupil, through family kitchens from grandmother to daughter to granddaughter …. There is a continuance in that.

Indians cannot survive without their Rotis.  The preparation of the Roti, made fresh every day and the making of a perfect Roti ….  is an art form. The kneading of the dough, the rolling and the cooking on the tawa, no one can surpass Rotis as it is done in the heart of India’s bread basket !

Roti, has quite a few varieties, including the robust tandoori roti, cooked in the tandoor and the Roomali roti, which is rolled out extra thin and exactly as its name implies, soft and fluffy !

Roti, also known as chapati, is unleavened Indian bread made from atta. It’s a staple in Indian cuisine, and is normally eaten with cooked vegetables though for me nothing is more sublime than the pairing of steaming hot Rotis with a hearty Tarka Daal and some sliced onions on the side !

The Roti or flat bread is unique to the people of the Indian sub-continent and an integral part of Indian culture. It is a significant part of Indian cuisine and in India, at least one meal of a day will include Roti.  Indians are spread far and wide all over the world and have taken the Roti along with them wherever they have settled.

The beauty about Indian cuisine is that each and every dish is paired with a different type of Roti or with rice which gives every dish it’s own unique identity.  In North India, it is always bread and hardly rice. Rice is often available, but there’s nothing like a hot piece of freshly made Tandoori roti with a saucy dish like the Sarson di Saag!

So, how many kinds of breads can we ‘break’ together or share!

Roti has many different varieties and methods of preparation.  First there is the Chapati and the Phulka, Kulcha, Naan, Paratha and many more.

So, which came first ? The Chapati or the Naan!? Actually it was the Naan around the 14th Century followed by the Chapati in the 16th century.

Naan is a soft, leavened flatbread made of white flour that is traditionally cooked in a tandoor or clay oven and served either plain, buttered, or stuffed.  Naan originated in India after the arrival of yeast from Egypt.  Due to its pairing with Mughlai and North Frontier cuisine, many believe Naan, like Kebabs came from Persia and was developed by the Mughals
.

Another front-runner across India has been the Parantha. Basically a fried Roti, but rolled out thicker, it is fried on a tawa.  It is a hot favourite paired with Kebabs too. Stuffed Paranthas …. With potatoes cauliflower or mooli are hugely popular and served with butter, curd or pickles.

Another fried bread is the Kulcha. It is made with flour, adding raising agents like baking soda,  to make it fluffy like pooris, it almost replicates the Naan in its chewiness and soft bite. Paired with Channa Masala it is a yummy combination !

Bread, the ‘staff of life’ is a mainstay of people’s diet throughout history all over the world.  Bread is used symbolically in both the Old and the New Testaments and even inspires poetry ! Omar Khayyam included it in one of his poems!

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History of The Chicken Tandoori

It is easy to understand why this bright orange slightly charred charcoal flavoured spicy dish has acquired an almost national dish status!

Tandoori chicken conquered the world with it’s unique taste and flavour. It now has a global presence and has spread to all corners of the world as a symbol of Indian cuisine. Salivated over by Presidents and Prime Ministers, this yoghurt and spice marinated chicken, cooked in the clay tandoor, is now an international favourite.

What makes Tandoori Chicken so special?  It is the way it is cooked! Marinated with garam masala, cumin, cardamom, cloves, mace, nutmeg and red chillli powder, moist and juicy from inside and crisp on the outside, it is traditionally cooked at high temperatures in an earthen oven called the Tandoor and which when fully fired reaches temperatures of upto 900F. Usually paired with Naan breads and onion salads, it is scrumptious and delicious!

Conceptualised in the Indian sub-continent, Tandoori chicken actually originated from the Mughal period where it was very popular in the royal kitchens. But, Tandoori chicken almost didn’t exist! Many stories of it’s origin have arisen, such as the one below ….

Nearly 100 years ago a certain gentleman started a small restaurant in Peshawar in the North-West Frontier region of  the Punjab. To add a new dish to his restaurant’s menu,  he tried the version of the Tandoori Chicken using the clay Tandoor. The result was an instant hit and  his restaurant became enormously successful.

However, after the partition in of India in 1947,  Peshawar became part of Pakistan. He was forced to leave and  found himself one among many refugees fleeing the rioting and upheaval by moving to India. Carrying his tandoor, he moved his restaurant to Delhi.

The Partition of India brought millions of refugees to Delhi and to India. They were forced to start new lives in straightened circumstances.  A cheap, wholesome  nutritious dish like the Tandoori chicken became even more popular and the little-known restaurateur from Peshawar became a household name all over India! So, a dish which started out as one for the ‘hoi poloi, within a few decades ended up in the chic restaurants of the World!

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Five spices that are a must-have in Indian cuisine

Spices! Synonymous with the exotic Orient, magical and more precious than gold, adventurers sailed the seven seas to find them.  Wars were fought and lands colonized to obtain these spices and gain control of the established sea routes.

We associate spices with cooking and especially Indian cuisine. So what defines Indian cuisine! Around the world people conjure up an image of food which is aromatic, hot, sweet, tangy and colorful.  A dance of the olfactory senses evoking memories of grandmother’s kitchens, mysterious locales and adventure!

What is it about Indian food that makes it so rich and tasty?  Spices or Masalas are the heart of an Indian kitchen.  Indian cooking almost always involves spices.  Be it an everyday dish or one for a special occasion …. Even a simple ‘Jeera Aloo’ will require a spice or two!  The role of spices in Indian cooking is not a secret and one cannot imagine an Indian dish made without the use of spices.

A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root or bark used for hundreds of years in cuisines for flavoring food, be it ginger paprika or cumin,  most often in dried form but sometimes fresh.  Every spice imparts a unique flavor and when used together with other spices, the combination of different ones magically change and create a flavorful marriage!  It’s hard to imagine cooking without spices!

One of the things that people find daunting about Indian cooking, even  intimidating,  are the vast number of spices used, whole, powder or ground into a paste, which are often combined into complex spice mixes.   While it is easy to be put off by the long list of spices needed ….  Some dishes require about 27 different spices ….  It is really all about using them at the right stages and in the right combinations. Indian dishes contain on an average at least five or more different ingredients, none of which share any similar qualities. This means each ingredient brings its own unique flavor into the final dish.

Here are the five essential Indian spices recommended by Ayurveda which I reach for most often ….

1. Cumin or Jeera

Cumin seeds or jeera, known for its aromatic qualities, is an important spice lentils (daals) and curries which call for this strong aromatic spice …. It goes well paired with chicken.  Cumin is frequently added whole or in spice mixes in Indian cooking. Cumin is best used freshly ground for the most intense flavor.  As well as being an anti-oxidant, it also enhances the functioning of many of our organs.

2. Coriander or Dhania

The coriander seed is truly an amazing spice as it aids in the assimilation of other herbs and spices used during cooking.  One of the oldest-known spices in the world, this aromatic spice is famous in Ayurveda for its use in balancing the body and mind. The coriander seed is probably the most commonly used ground spices in the Indian spice rack. Whole coriander is used as a base for many spice mixes such as garam masala.  The coriander plant’s seeds and leaves feature in Indian cooking as a spice and as well as a garnish, which I use liberally …. It adds color and flavor to any dish!

3. Fenugreek or Methi

Fenugreek is highly valuable for its healing properties.  Drinking water with Fenugreek seeds soaked overnight helps in reducing blood sugar levels in the body. Bitter-sweet in flavor, this spice is popularly used in Indian cooking for vegetables and lentils (dals).  These orange-yellow colored seeds have a slightly bitter taste and is one of the five spices which make up the Panch Phoron mix.  Fenugreek seeds are strongly fragranced and should be used with caution, just like cloves. They are also used in traditional medicine.

Fenugreek, as a spice, gives Madras curry powder its very characteristic earthy flavour and fragrance. Fresh Fenugreek leaves cooked with potatoes or ‘Aloo Methi’ is a popular Indian dish.  The leaves are also dried and used as a spice commonly called ‘kasuri methi’ and is what makes ‘Butter Chicken’ so unique.

4. Turmeric or Haldi

Turmeric is bitter, astringent and pungent to taste. This vivid yellow spice is almost synonymous with Indian cooking and is an essential in Indian cooking both for its unique color as well as for the taste. It is added to almost every dish.  A relative of ginger, the spice is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties.

Turmeric has been known for centuries for its many therapeutic qualities and for its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. Widely regarded as an indispensable part of Indian cuisine, turmeric enhances metabolism and helps the body to reduce undesirable fatty deposits when used in cooking.

It can be used fresh, like ginger, or dried. As a child we were practically force-fed a concoction of fresh turmeric and jaggery, an age-old Indian morning ritual …. For which I am much grateful today!
The flavor of fresh turmeric is slightly stronger than dried, and it stains very easily, so make sure you are careful with your clothes and utensils while using it. It has a pungent, earthy fragrance.  It is a marinade for fish curries and I use it in small quantities to give my curries a beautiful golden color!

5. Ginger or Adrak

At the top of the Ayurveda list and also mine, Ginger or Adrak is an irreplaceable spice in my kitchen. Ginger adds flavor and pungency to foods in all cuisines and gives a delicious peppery flavor to Indian dishes.   Known for its healing properties, ginger is used widely as a digestive and also provides an excellent remedy for respiratory conditions.  A brew of green tea, ginger and honey is recommended for colds and coughs.  Apart from vegetables and lentils, this invigorating spice is considered to be completely vegetarian as compared to onion or garlic!

Of course there are items on the Indian menu that do take extra time and energy to make.  But, when you look at the food we eat at home on a daily basis, it's incredibly simple. A few basic spices make all the difference.

The key to successful Indian cooking is using the right spices at the right time …. And the most important first step is the ‘blooming’ which really means tempering them in some oil or, to be truly Indian ….  With ghee!   This brings out the flavor of the spices and then enhances anything you add to them.

Practice will make you perfect, so equip your kitchen with the proper tools and basic spices and once you have them, you're good to go! 

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Families that eat together

The table is a place of memory where all meals are an endless succession of  associations and memories …. where we become aware of who we are and with whom we are. The table is the place where the family gathers, the symbol of solidarity and the backdrop to fervent arguments, family rows and childhood tragedies. At the table, we relive with tears our hatred of cabbage or liver!

Eating around a table means both eating and talking …. words of praise for what is presented to us, what we’ve eaten before and what we’re going to eat tonight and everything in between. If we say nothing at the table, then we are immersed in the sensuality of food, the sensuality of fingers dipped in hot rice and ghee!

Eating together as a family is more important today than in the past because there are more distractions, more choices of activities outside the home.  During the day most of us are out mixing with all kinds of people. Our children are also learning about the world from many sources, often without parental filters or input. Even when everyone is home, individuals do their own thing. Perhaps the only opportunity of the day to talk with each other is at the dinner table. Children in today’s busy world need a shared safe space to discuss ideas within the understanding company of family.

The cooking of food together and sharing it as a family is not only an Indian tradition but the ethos of our culture. Food is an important part of Indian culture, playing a vital role in our everyday lives. In many families, everyday meals are sit-down affairs consisting of multiple courses accompanied with chutneys and pickles. Rice or roti is a must, as well as something sweet.  Food is not just important for eating, it is also  getting together with family, relatives and friends. We all have stories of our Grandmother’s kitchens …. The smells and tastes of our childhood linger and creep up on us unexpectedly!

My Grandmother’s kitchen was my lair, the walls darkened with the soot from the coal-fired stoves. My abiding image of her, alabaster skin and silver-haired,  toiling over the pot of slowly simmering milk,  patiently preparing ‘rabri’,  layer by layer, for her grandchildren visiting during the holidays. Everything just smelled different at my Grandmother’s house.  I remember the bustle and the mixture of smells from the back of the house, the fragrance of the boiling rice, the smell of onions frying,  the slightly pungent smells of pumpkin and okra, all filled the air.

The herbs and spices used in my Grandmother’s kitchen wafted throughout the entire house. Those pleasant smells would blend together with whatever was cooking in the kitchen to create an aroma that will never be  in any retail store.  I suppose that is why I remember it being such a special treat to go to my grandparent’s during the holidays. Her kitchen was in full production at those special times. Maybe it was because I was just eight- years- old,  but I remember that things always tasted better at her table. They just had to because they smelled so good.

My Grandmother passed on many years ago. The memories of her and her kitchen will never fade. They have just taken a new form. Because even though they are the memories of a child, they have become a part of the woman I am today.

Although I miss the experience of her kitchen, I look forward to the times that we gather as a family today. While our smart phones and devices have brought us closer, it is the family meal that brings us closer to our own, a time of the day when parents need  time to connect with their kids. The fabric of family is woven by shared experiences and time spent together.  We gain when we cook together and share meals as a family.

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