Indian Subcontinent
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.
More Than a Minute for Chai…
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The trains of India are legendary- they wind through the vast countryside and into the crowded cities, packing in locals and adventurers alike. Merchants selling traditional tea beverages- or chai wallahs- announce their wares at every stop, circulating through the cars to provide passengers with cups of steaming brew in low-fired clay cups (that you throw out the window when you’re finished!), jumping from the train as it pulls away from the platform.
Chai is such an integral part of the Indian culture that even if you’re miles away from food or potable water, there will always be someone to give you a hot cup of chai. The classic version is an aromatic brew centered around a black tea base, flavored with spices, and tempered with milk and a sweetener. Traditional chai beverages are brewed with different proportions of warm, sweet spices such as ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and clove.
World Spice offers a variety of original chai blends to suit most any palate. Our most popular Sweet Chai is most traditional, with a little orange peel added for a full, aromatic flavor. Our Roast Chai makes use of deeply toasted spices to produce a sumptuous brew reminiscent of cocoa- and is also fabulous infused in to alcohols, or ground and used in desserts. Northwest Chai is our Puget Sound twist on the chai theme, using sage to pay homage to the wild sage that grows in the Cascade foothills here. Our Chipotle Chai is the chile-heads’ dream- flavorful, smoky, and spicy. The heat of the chile warms from the inside-out, no matter how frigid the drizzle.
We like to brew chai in a 16 oz. french-press pot, because it allows us to steep in two stages, getting maximum flavor from the spices while preventing the tea from becoming bitter. Add two tablespoons (or more!) of freshly cracked chai spice, and fill the pot half way with boiling water. After steeping for three minutes, add two tablespoons of black tea- our favorite is Assam- and top off the pot with more boiling water. Steep another three minutes, press, then add warm milk and honey to taste. Feel free to adjust the spice to tea ratio for a perfect personalized cup. If you’re accustomed to processed, syrupy chai concentrates, this process will be a revelation. Though a bit more of a time investment, you’ll find the reward well worth the effort- both for the steamy and fragrant amber brew, and for those few minutes you’ll learn to delight in taking for yourself.
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!
Five Seed Roasted Potatoes
This fabulous twist on roasted potatoes generously comes to us from chef Jerry Traunfeld of Poppy restaurant here in Seattle. The spice mix is a version of Panch Phoron a.k.a. Bengali Five Spice, using ajwain seed in place of fennel. I made this for a celebratory Sunday evening feast after enjoying the sunny afternoon harvesting potatoes. Lots of love went into growing our potatoes this year and it was a joy to toss them with this exquisite mixture. Thanks, Jerry!
Five Seed Potatoes
Ingredients
Instructions
- Parboil whole potatoes until just tender, drain and slice in halves.
- In a small heavy skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add brown mustard seeds. When they begn to pop, add fenugreek seeds and toast for a minute or two. Then add remaining seeds and toast for a few minutes more until all are browned.
- Toss toasted seeds and oil with potatoes, add 1/2 tsp. salt and roast on a sheet pan at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with another 1/2 tsp. of salt and serve.
- These flavorful potatoes make a lovely side dish alongside roasted meats, breakfast eggs or just about anything!
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.
Tikka Masala Lamb Skewers
We’ve all had Chicken Tikka Masala but why not do grilled lamb skewers instead? We used our Tikka Masala blend in the marinade and in making the sauce. This dish is full of flavor…and disappears quickly.
Grilled Tikka Masala Lamb Skewers over rice…it tastes as good as it looks!
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine lamb pieces, Tikka Masala, salt and yogurt together, mixing well. Transfer to a large resealable bag, squeezing out the excess air and seal. Put the bag in a container (in case it leaks) in your refrigerator for at least an hour. Give it a 'squish' every once in a while to make sure that every piece of the lamb is coated.
- If you're going to grill the lamb, get your barbecue grill set up and ready to go. You can also pan-sear these, or use a grill pan to cook the lamb.
- Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onion and saute until slightly brown. Then add the garlic, ginger, and salt. Stir occasionally, cooking until the onions are cooked through. Now add the Aleppo Pepper and Tikka Masala, stirring several times to thoroughly mix in. Mix in the canned tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has reduced slightly and the color has deepened. (This should take about 15 minutes.) Add the coconut milk, thoroughly mixing it in, and reduce heat to low. This will let the sauce thicken while you're cooking the lamb skewers.
- While the sauce is reducing, take the bag of marinated lamb out of the refrigerator and put the lamb onto a plate. Thread the lamb onto your skewers (leave as much of the yogurt mixture on the lamb as possible - that's "flavor"). Grill (or saute) the lamb until the meat is browned and cooked to your desired doneness.
- You can either spoon the finished sauce over your skewers (as seen in the picture). Or, you can remove the cooked lamb from the skewers and add to the sauce, cooking for an additional 2 or 3 minutes, to let all of the lamb goodness permeate the sauce. Then serve over steamed rice. Either way, use mint or cilantro leaves for garnish - they will enhance the flavor of the dish. And it looks pretty, too.
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...)
