Curries & Masalas
Continental Curry Biryani
It’s almost Buddha’s birthday! Buddha’s birthday is celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth month of the Chinese lunar calendar in nearly all east-Asian countries. This year it falls on Friday, May 17th in the Western calendar. Because it is customary to eat rice on Buddha’s birthday, we developed this heavily spiced vegetarian biryani to honor the Buddha and many of the exotic lands from which our spices come. Our Continental Curry is the perfect blend for this occasion, as it combines the best elements of several varieties of yellow curry. While we can’t promise a permanent Nirvana as a result of this dish, we guarantee at least a transient one!
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Ingredients
Instructions
- In a medium-sized pan over medium heat, add the oil. When hot, add the onion and cook until softened.
- Add raisins, cashews, cloves, cumin, Indian coriander, green cardamom and cassia sticks.
- Saute spices until fragrant and the seeds start to "pop", about 3 minutes.
- Add salt, water and saffron and bring to a boil.
- Add rice and turn heat down to simmer.
- Cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Rice will be 3/4 of the way cooked. Spread in a shallow pan to cool.
- While rice is cooking, par-cook the vegetables. In a shallow pan over medium-high heat, add the vegetables and water. Cover and steam for about 5 minutes.
- In a food processor, puree the garlic, ginger, onions, mint leaves, Continental Curry, jalapeno, salt and tomato.
- In a medium saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil.
- Add paste and saute for 5 minutes.
- Add par cooked vegetables, stirring well to combine. Taste for seasoning and salt.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small saucepan, warm a pinch of saffron and the milk. Remove from heat.
- Spray a large ovenproof casserole dish with pan spray.
- Layer in half of the rice and sprinkle with half of the cilantro.
- Evenly spread the vegetable curry paste mixture over the rice.
- Top with remaining rice and sprinkle with remainder of cilantro.
- Drizzle with the saffron-infused milk.
- Cover the casserole dish and bake for 15 minutes, until the rice is cooked through.
- Turn the oven off and let the biryani stay in the hot oven for another 10 minutes.
- While the biryani is baking, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the sliced onions and fry until golden. Drain on paper towels.
- Add chopped cashews and fry until golden. Drain on paper towels.
- Remove the biryani for the oven.
- Top with fried onions and cashews.
- Serve with Greek yogurt on the side.
Kala Masala Skillet Cornbread
This savory cornbread knocked our collective socks off at first bite. Our Kala Masala spice blend is a complex one, and that complexity of flavor transfers easily to the skillet cornbread. There’s a tiny bit of heat from some guajillo chiles in the blend that is balanced perfectly by a healthy dose of toasted coconut for sweetness. Try it with a fish, lentil or vegetable soup for maximum enjoyment!
Cast Iron is essential for crusty cornbread!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven to get hot while you make the batter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, baking soda and Kala Masala. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and the ¼ cup melted butter together.
- Take the hot cast iron skillet out of the oven, and add in the butter. Swirl it around until the butter starts to melt, being sure to tilt the pan to coat the sides and bottom evenly.
- Pour the wet ingredients in the dry ingredients and mix quickly, just until moistened. Do not overmix. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cornbread until it’s golden brown, about 20 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven, and try to let it cool for a few minutes before you dive into it. Cut into 8 wedges.
Spice Up a Holiday Classic!
Sri Lankan Curry has none of the turmeric that we often expect in our curries, but is made up of a melange of warm, sweet spices. Each component is individually toasted before being mixed in perfect proportion, yielding an intensely dark and aromatic blend, so intoxicating that most customers who give it a whiff, can’t leave without it. To answer the call for alternative uses of this irresistible blend, we adapted a very classic Southern sweet potato pie filling to feature it, and we are so proud of the result! The sweet potatoes are a perfect canvas for the deep, toasted flavors of the spice, with just a pop of orange zest here and there for contrast. The crust is a dense, almost shortbread-esque shell, made special by the chopped pecans within. This pie is sure to please all who grace your autumn table!
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Ingredients
Instructions
- To make the dough: Whisk together nuts, flour, sugar, salt, and zest in a large bowl. Using your fingertips, work butter in to the dry ingredients until the largest pieces are the size of peas.
- Make a well in the center of the dough. Whisk yolk and egg in a small bowl, and pour into the well. Gradually draw flour mixture into center, kneading until combined. Shape dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate overnight (up to 3 days).
- Let dough come to room temperature; roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Fit dough into a 9 inch spring form pan, pressing and patching so that dough reaches up sides of the plate. Chill in freezer while you make the filling.
- To make the filling: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Wash and peel the sweet potatoes, and pierce them in several places with a fork. Place on a baking sheet lined with tin foil or parchment paper, and roast for 45-55 minutes or until very tender. Puree in a food processor, mash with a potato masher or in a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment.
- Combine dry ingredients in small bowl.
- Beat sweet potatoes in medium bowl, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition
- Add sugar, beat to incorporate
- Add Sri Lankan Curry, milk, butter, and vanilla, and beat at low speed to incorporate everything evenly and well.
- Pour filling in to prepared crust, and bake at 350 degrees until puffed and firm, 40-50 minutes.
Masala Dabbas
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World Spice is the most aromatic place in Seattle, in a good way. The fragrance is so intoxicating that it can sometimes overshadow the visual of all of the seeds, roots, powders and pods in their little jars, most of them in subtle and varying earthy color tones. In the center of the store, though, there sits a bright contrast to the natural richness of the spice color palette — it’s a pyramid of shiny Masala Dabbas, the traditional kitchen implement of India. The gleam of the stainless steel is impossible to ignore, and is the perfect palette for the spice-centric cook.
A masala dabba (mah-SAH-lah DAH-bah) is a container kept close at hand in Indian kitchens. They consist of an outer cannister, inner ramekins, an inner lid, an outer lid, and a small spoon. The containers are filled with the most often used spices in that particular kitchen; usually some combination of Turmeric, Cumin, Indian Coriander, Green Cardamom Pods, Cloves, Black Peppercorns, Red Chile Flakes, Indian Cayenne, Amchoor, Brown Mustard Seeds, Fennel Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds, or Nigella Seeds. Having a selection of spices close at hand enables cooks to create curries on the fly to complement specific ingredients, leaving pre-mixed curry powders to less experienced culinarians.
Antique dabbas are found in both copper and wood, though in recent times, stainless steel has become the most popular material for its sleek appearance and ease of care. The dabba we offer has seven inner stainless-steel cups, each with about a 1/2 cup capacity, though we recommend only filling them half-way, and replenishing from your air-tight spice storage often. The gift of a masala dabba traditionally marks a coming of age, given from mother to daughter- though they make excellent gifts for any cook or aspiring cook on your list, most especially paired with a Make Your Own Curry gift set, or a 660 Curries book.
The dabba fun doesn’t end with Indian cuisine, however… We use our masala dabbas for every kind of cuisine imaginable. For the barbeque enthusiast who loves to make their own rubs, a dabba filled with Sweet Smoked Paprika, Indian Cayenne, Yellow Mustard Seed, European Coriander, Granulated Garlic and Onion Powder is sure to please. For fans of south-of-the-border fare, Mexican Oregano, Cumin Seed, Ancho Chile Flakes, Chipotle Flakes, New Mexico Chili Powder, Mole Ole, and True Cinnamon Sticks will be just the ticket. Your imagination is the limit!
Poudre de Colombo Carrot Soup
A word of advice from a novice gardener: Carrots are much bigger than carrot seeds. Somehow, fifty-odd square feet of garden space doesn’t seem like that much when it’s being planted, but it can produce a surprising haul, most especially in the carrot department. Praise be that carrots are delicious, so their being excessively plentiful is a problem I’m thankful to have! This soup is hearty and delicious, made velvety by the soft puree of carrots, and from the toasted rice in the Poudre de Colombo curry. We’ve dressed it up a little with the prawns, but this soup can easily be made vegan by omitting them, and using red miso paste in favor of the Worcestershire powder. If you’re short on time, or you perhaps planned your garden space better than I did, and therefore the creative utilization of carrots is not a pressing issue for you, a can of pumpkin puree is an excellent substitution.
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat oil, and sauté onions, garlic, ginger, and carrots for five minutes
- Deglaze with wine, and reduce until pan is nearly dry
- Add stock, bay leaf, and 1 tablespoon of the curry, cover, and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 15 minutes.
- Remove bay leaf. In a food processer or blender, puree soup until smooth. Work in small batches for best- and safest- results, adding in the coconut milk to aid in the blending.
- Strain the processed soup through a wire mesh strainer in to a clean pot, and return the mixture to the stove over low heat.
- Add the remaining coconut milk, Worcestershire powder, sugar, and curry, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired seasoning level is reached.
- Add lime juice, and adjust for salt.
- Rub prawns with paprika and cayenne, and grill or sear them.
- Ladle soup in to bowls, and garnish each with two prawns, a wedge of lime, and a few leaves of cilantro.
Chaat Masala Butter and Grilled Corn
One of the best things about summer is the abundance of fresh corn on the cob. I was excited to see the first of the season’s crop available at my local Farmer’s Markets and was inspired to spice-up this classic BBQ side. Adding Chaat Masala to butter makes a perfect addition to grilled corn. This beautifully flavored butter is delicious on just about anything that comes off your grill… fish, steak, veggies, you name it!
Chaat Masala Butter and Grilled Corn
Ingredients
Instructions
- For perfectly grilled corn, heat your grill to medium. Pull the outer husks down the ear to the base, and strip away the silk from each ear of corn. Fold the husks back into place and tie the ends together with kitchen string. Place the ears of corn in a large bowl of cold water with the kosher sal for 10 minutes.
- Remove corn from the water and shake any excess water. Place the corn on the grill, close the cover and grill for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, or until kernels are tender when pierced with a paring knife. Remove the husks, slather the corn with the Chaat Masala Butter.
- For the butter, mix together the unsalted butter, the Chaat Masala and 1 tsp. Murray River Flake Salt in a small bowl . Roll butter into a log using parchment paper or transfer to a small covered container. Refrigerate until needed.
Kashmiri Garam Masala Pecans
Sometimes I just like to have fun with my food, and this recipe is a direct result of a playful Sunday afternoon in the kitchen. The delicate aromas wafted out of my kitchen window enticing neighbors to stop in and sample my latest creation. These little yummies will astonish and delight. A divine blend of cassia, cloves, cardamom and black pepper mixed with a sweet, salty, crunchy combo…trust me, you’ll double the batch the second time around.
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- In a medium saute pan, combine sugar, water and butter. Bring to boil and stir gently to dissolve sugar.
- Add pecans halves and toss to coat. Cook over medium-high until sugar has thickened and coats nuts
- Add salt and Kashmiri Garam Masala. Toss to combine
- Place nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until lightly toasted.
- Cool completely. Nuts will become crunchier as they cool.
Panch Phoron Bengali Roasted Chicken
This dish was featured on the cover of Sunset Magazine’s October 2010 issue featuring one-dish dinners. It was a great issue — not just because they lauded World Spice Merchants as their “holy grail for spices” — and this is a great recipe. Enjoy!
Panch Phoron Bengali Chicken
Ingredients
Instructions
- Combine bay leaves, ginger and garlic and have at the ready (they do not need to be mixed). Heat oil over small-to-medium frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Add Panch Phoron, and stir until seeds begin to pop, about 30 seconds. Add bay leaves, ginger and garlic all at once, and stir until ginger softens, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, and stir in coriander and salt. Let sit until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add yogurt and flour mixture, stir to loosed browned bits, and let marinade cool.
- Combine marinade with chicken, bell peppers and carrots, stir or toss to coat, and cover (you can use a dish with a tightly fitting lid or a resealable plastic bag). Chill at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 475°F with rack set in upper third of oven. Arrange potatoes in single layer in large rimmed oven dish or on rimmed baking sheet. Turn out marinated ingredients over potatoes, mix to coat, and pat to single layer. Bake until browned, about 40 to 45 minutes, turning with wide spatula every 15 or 20 minutes and ending with chicken skin-side up.
Notes
Recipe and photo from Sunset Magazine, October 2010.
Madras Curry
Ever notice how curry tastes better the second day? It’s because the flavors have combined into something greater than the sum of the parts. The ingredients, especially the spices, must be painfully fresh. Always cook within the season’s availability. Winter is the domain of root vegetables and warming spices, whereas summer is filled with lighter fare and bright, fresh flavors. We used chicken, peas and our Madras Curry for this recipe, but try substituting any mix of vegetables, meats, or regional curry powders.
Madras Curry with Chicken and Peas
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Using a mortar and pestle (or small food processor), make a paste of the garlic and ginger.
- Add oil to pan, then chicken pieces. Cook until chicken is browned on all sides, then add onion and garlic-ginger paste. Stir frequently until the onion, garlic and ginger start to get some color, about 3-5 minutes. Add curry powder and saute for a minute. Stir in salt, diced tomatoes and coconut milk. Lower heat to medium, cover and simmer about 5 minutes.
- Cook the chicken until it is fork-tender and no longer pink inside. Raise heat to medium-high, 3-5 minutes, or until sauce starts to thicken. Add peas and cilantro, stirring to heat through, 2-3 minutes.
- Serve immediately over rice, and enjoy! (And hope for some leftovers for lunch tomorrow...)
