Indian Kidney Bean Curry: Rajma Masala

There are various recipes for kidney bean curries in the northern part of the Indian Subcontinent, with red kidney beans commonly used, including in Nepal and Bangladesh (light or dark red type), but brown type pinto beans are used in some places. In the Kashmir region, onion and garlic are not always used by everyone, and they also use Kashmiri ground red pepper, which is very red, but not as hot as regular Indian ground red chili powder. This regular hot Indian red chili powder is generally used elsewhere in India (it is very much like cayenne pepper). If you don't have Kashmiri chili powder, you can use 2/3 teaspoon sweet paprika (not the smoked type common in Spain) and 1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper as a substitute, but then still add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or other hot red pepper) in the recipe. I know some folks don't like much heat, but actually this isn't a red hot dish that will cause smoke to billow out of your mouth. A fairly common connection in the various recipes is that the beans are cooked and then some are mashed to varying degrees, and this helps to thicken the curry without any other ingredients being added. 

  

The kidney bean curry is almost always served with a nice portion of rice next to it, and then it is referred to as "Rajma Chawal" (kidney beans and rice), but pickled red onions are another good accompaniment.*  

 

By the way, I've found that this is one of those dishes that improves when the leftovers are put in the refrigerator until the next day; so, the curry is great to serve then too.

 

 

Ingredients (4 to 6 servings):

 

2 cans of kidney beans (14.5 to 16 ounces), rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or other neutral oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 inch piece ginger, peeled and grated or finely chopped

1 small to medium green chili (a jalapeno chili is fine), chopped

1 1/2 cups chopped red onion

1 1/2 cups tomato puree

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (or 2/3 teaspoon sweet paprika + 1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or regular Indian chili powder)

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon fenugreek leaves

2 teaspoons salt 

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (also known to some as 'coriander') 

1 cup warm water

 

Add 2 tablespoons oil to a pan or skillet (I use a 10 inch diameter skillet) over medium heat; add the chopped red onion and saute until the onions just start to brown a bit. Add the garlic, ginger and green chili, saute a further 1 or 2 minutes (the onion should be softened and with some brown color to it). Add the tomato puree, ground turmeric, chili powders (Kashmiri or the substitute + cayenne pepper), ground coriander, ground cumin, fenugreek leaves and salt; stir to mix everything together well and cook for about 4 or 5 minutes; then add the water and mix everything together well. Add the kidney beans, stirring well. Let the curry come to a boil, then adjust the heat to maintain a nice steady simmer; cook for 8 to 10 minutes, then use a fork or potato masher and mash the mixture, so that about a third to a half of the beans are mashed to some degree (they don't have to be totally mashed), then mix all together well. Add the chopped cilantro (fresh coriander) and mix in and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with either rice, pickled onions or naan bread (or chapati/roti bread), or go for it and serve with rice, pickled onions and one of the bread types. 

    

* For how to make easy pickled red onions, here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2023/03/indian-style-pickled-red-onions.html

  

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Soufflé (also souffle)-The main part of this word is related to "bladder" and to "blow" (to move air), both from the Germanic roots of English, and to "inflate," a word English borrowed directly from Latin. "Souffle" is formed of two parts, with the first part going back to Indo European "upo," meaning "up, up from beneath, up from under." The main part goes back to Indo European "bhle(h)," meaning "to blow." This gave Old Italic "flao" meaning "to blow" (with the  'b' of Indo European rendered as 'f' in Italic), and this gave Latin "flare" with the meanings "to blow, to breathe." These forms gave Latin "sufflare" meaning "to blow up with air, to inflate," and this passed into Old French as "souffler" (initially 'sofler?') meaning "to blow up, to inflate, to blow out (exhale);" thus, the figurative "to whisper." This gave French the noun "soufflé" from the participle form of "souffler" and essentially meaning "that which is puffed up," and used as a culinary term for "a dish with beaten egg whites that are folded into other ingredients, and which then make the dish 'puff up' when baked." English borrowed the word from French, circa 1815.

Indian Chicken Curry

"Chicken Curry" is a popular dish on the Indian subcontinent, as well as in the United Kingdom, as it was one of the dishes brought there during the time when much of the subcontinent was a British colony. With trading ships traveling the world and stopping in so many places and with people of the Indian subcontinent emigrating to other parts of the world, recipes for chicken curry spread elsewhere, and as you can imagine, there are numerous recipes, but there are many variations right within the Indian subcontinent,* including some with far less sauce, often called "gravy" by people of the subcontinent. As I have said before about some Indian recipes, they can contain a long list of ingredients, but that's often because these recipes contain many wonderful spices. 

You can use chicken pieces with bones, which IS traditional, but let's be honest, boneless chicken is easy to deal with when eating, so that's what I often use, and I haven't been hit by a piece of naan bread yet, darn it! It's so good. I've also used some bright red sweet paprika, which is not traditional, but it helps to give more red color to the dish.**

Ingredients:

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds small chicken pieces, bones-in or boneless
2 medium onions, chopped
2 to 3 chilies (serranos or jalapeños are good), chopped
2 to 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 inch piece ginger, grated
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil (or olive oil)
2/3 teaspoon turmeric
2 bay leaves
1 heaping teaspoon ground red pepper (like cayenne)
1 heaping teaspoon sweet paprika, the redder the color, the better
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (also called coriander)
(optional) if you want to thicken the curry, grind up 10 or 12 cashews, stir the meal into the gravy

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until browned. When the onion is not quite browned, add the garlic and the ginger and saute until the onion is browned, stirring or swirling the ingredients in the pan as they cook (to prevent them from burning). Add the chopped chilies, chopped tomato and the turmeric, saute until chilies and tomatoes soften. Add the chicken and stir to mix, cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often to brown the chicken pieces somewhat. Add the ground red pepper, paprika, ground coriander, ground cumin, black pepper, ground cloves, cinnamon, salt, stir well to mix in everything. Add the water and stir again, cook for a minute or two, then cover, reduce heat to low and cook about 25 minutes. If using ground cashews, stir them in and continue stirring for about another 1 to 2 minutes. Good served with rice or naan bread, or even better, with both.

* In northeastern India and Bangladesh they often add potatoes to the dish. Sri Lanka is one of the countries of the Indian subcontinent and I have a recipe for a Sri Lankan chicken curry at this link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2018/03/sri-lankan-chicken-curry.html

** The red peppers used in much of the cooking of the Indian subcontinent give a nice bright red color, something not always easy to duplicate with "Western" chili powders or ground red peppers.

WORD HISTORY:
Bandana-This word is related to "bind," "bend," "bond" and "band,"^ all words from the Germanic roots of English. "Bandana" (also spelled "bandanna" by some) goes back to Indo European "bhendh," which had the notion of "to tie, tie up, to bind." This gave Sanskrit "badhnati," which meant "binds." This gave Hindi "bandhnu," meaning "a process of tying cloth and then dyeing it" (the source of modern tie-dyeing). This was borrowed by English in the mid 1700s as "bandanna" (apparently double 'n' initially and by some still today), meaning, "colorful handkerchief," later in American English usage, "handkerchief worn around the neck by cowboys," then also, "colorful cloth worn on the head." 

^ The meaning of "band" for "a group of people, often like outlaws or musicians," was borrowed by English from French. The meaning, "strip of something, usually flat, that separates an area from another, often by color," also came from French ("bande") and it influenced (expanded) the existing English meaning "strip of something used to bind." The French form came from the same Old Germanic source, but was absorbed into French from Germanic Frankish. 

Indian Vegetable Fritters: Pakoras

"Pakoras" are fried "clumps" of seasoned batter made of chickpea flour which is filled with a mixture of chopped vegetables, or just individual vegetables like onion, cauliflower or chili peppers (mild or hot). Another word used for them in India is "pakoda," although potatoes fixed this same general way are generally called "bajii" or "bhaji."* Pakoras are often served with tea or spiced tea (masala chai) and some also serve some chutney on the side. Myself, I like some ranch dressing for dipping. To make your own ranch dressing, here is the link:  https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2016/06/homemade-ranch-dressing.html 

Pakoras are easy to make and I made mine somewhat larger than is likely typical in India (most recipes call for the use of a tablespoon of batter, but I used a serving spoon). Once you are ready to cook, fry the pakoras in batches and do not overcrowd the pan or they will likely soak up the oil and become soggy. The temperature of the oil has to be maintained (350 F, about 180 C), and a small cube of bread should sizzle and brown when dropped into the oil. Remove each batch of fried pakoras with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels. Also remove any small bits that may have broken off into the oil while frying, or these bits will burn and discolor the oil, as well as imparting their burnt flavor to the oil and to the next batches of pakoras. 

Ingredients (for about 15 to 25 pakoras, depending upon the size):

1  2/3 cups chickpea flour
2/3 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground red pepper (according to your heat preference)
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped (larger pieces likely won't cook properly)
1/4 cup mild green chili pepper, like banana pepper, chopped
1/4 cup mild red pepper, like red bell pepper, chopped
1 to 2 green hot chili peppers (I use serranos), seeded and finely chopped (again, according to your heat preference)
1/4 cup chopped spinach leaves (no stems)
1/4 cup coriander/cilantro leaves
water (enough to make a thick batter)
oil for frying

In a bowl add the chickpea flour, baking powder, ground red pepper, turmeric, garlic, ginger and salt; mix together well. Now add the chopped vegetables and the coriander/cilantro leaves. Slowly add water and mix to incorporate the water until a thick batter forms. I use my hand to do the mixing. The batter should be a bit thicker than pancake batter. Let the batter sit while the oil heats, then use a table spoon (or the somewhat larger serving spoon) and put the batter into the hot oil. Fry the pakoras in small batches until they are golden brown, which should only take a few minutes for each batch. If you use a smaller amount of oil that won't cover the pakoras, you will need to turn the pakoras to cook them on both sides.

* For such a recipe for potatoes, here is a link. This is based upon heavy Indian influence in Kenya, where the potatoes are called "bhajias" : https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2020/03/kenyan-potato-bites-potato-bhajias.html

WORD HISTORY:
Bungalow-This word for a "low level one story house" is related to "Bangladesh" and to "Bengal," words from the Indian subcontinent borrowed by English. The origin of the word likely goes back to the name of an ancient god from some parts of the Indian subcontinent which formed the basis of the words "Bengal" and "Bengali." Transliterated Hindi, an Indo European language, and one of the main languages of the Indian subcontinent, had "bangla," which meant "a low level house with a thatched roof." This gave Gujarati, an Indo European language now spoken by about 60 million in the Gujarat area of India, the transliterated "bangalo," with the same general meaning. English borrowed the word in the latter part of the 1600s from Hindi and Gujarati from British involvement in India and it conveyed the meaning, "low level house of the Bengali style, with a covered terrace." 

Indian/Pakistani Ground Meat & Peas: Keema Mattar

The roots of this dish seem to date back at least a few hundred years to a time when the Muslim Mughals (see "Word History" below) controlled a good part of the Indian subcontinent; thus, the dish can also be made with ground ('keema' means 'mince,' sometimes now spelled 'qeema') beef, as well as either ground lamb or ground goat, with the latter two especially used by Hindus, as cows are respected in Hinduism, even among many Hindus who are not vegetarians. The general dish likely predates the tomato and chili pepper ingredients, the inclusion of which would have had to have been later, as tomatoes and chili peppers didn't arrive in India until the 1500s, taken there by the Portuguese from the New World. The Portuguese established a colony in western India (Goa).     

In England and other parts of Britain the term "coriander" is common for the parsley like plant, while in American English the term for the same plant is "cilantro," a borrowing from Spanish, and I dare say, many Americans would not likely know what you meant if you said "coriander."  

This dish is commonly served with rice and/or Indian breads, like chapati, naan or paratha, which is a layered bread "similar to," but not the same as, puff pastry.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds ground lamb or ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 inch piece ginger, peeled and grated or chopped
2 inch piece of cinnamon stick
5 whole cloves
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or clarified butter (ghee)
2  jalapeño or serrano chilies, chopped
2/3 teaspoon ground hot red pepper (like cayenne pepper)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/4 cups water 
1 1/2 cups peas
4 heaping tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (cilantro), divided use  

In a large skillet, heat the oil or ghee over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick and cloves, saute about 30 to 45 seconds, then add the onion and cook about 2 to 3 minutes, then add the garlic, ginger, chilies, ground red pepper, cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, salt and cook for about another 4 minutes. Add the ground meat and cook for about 5 minutes. Mix the tomato paste with the water and add to the skillet, stirring to mix everything together well. Let the curry come to a boil, then reduce the heat a bit to keep the curry at a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, until the meat is cooked, then add the peas and cook 6 to 8 minutes until they are cooked. Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped coriander/cilantro, then garnish each serving with some chopped coriander/cilantro.
 
With paratha bread, a layered flatbread ...  

WORD HISTORY:
Mogul-This word, meaning "rich and powerful person, usually a business person," goes back to the Persian form for "Mongol," usually transliterated as "Mughal." The Mughals established an empire in southern Asia in the 1500s, and their leaders claimed a heritage dating back to Mongol ruler Genghis Khan; thus, the connection to "Mongol." The Mughal emperor had the world famous Taj Mahal built in India during the 1600s. The word was borrowed into English in the second half of the 1600s, but the idea of the rich and powerful "Mughal" emperors in India led English to the meaning of a rich and powerful person, as "mogul."   

Nepalese Spicy Potatoes: Aloo Dum

It seems the Portuguese first brought potatoes to the Indian subcontinent way back in the 1500s, but it was the British who helped spread the use of potatoes in the region.* Nepal, one of the countries of the Indian Subcontinent, is the home of Mount Everest and much of the country is within the Himalaya Mountains. The population of Nepal is somewhat above 25 million. The capital of Nepal is Kathmandu, a name I love. This dish has some variations, as the general recipe idea transcends the borders of Nepal, northern India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and it is also termed "Dum Aloo" and "Aloor Dum," depending upon region, and in many areas it is has much more sauce (also called 'gravy'), and small sized potatoes are often used. It actually seems to have originated in the Kashmir region of northern India (now split between India and Pakistan).    

Ingredients:

2 large potatoes (about 3 cups of cut potatoes), cut into bite sized pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
2 to 6 green chilies, per your heat preference (serrano or jalapeño), chopped
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 inch piece of ginger, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped (or half a 14 1/2 ounce can of chopped tomatoes, not completely drained)
1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 
1 teaspoon mild chili powder (like ancho chili powder)
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt     

Boil the potato pieces in some lightly salted water until just tender, NOT mushy. While the potatoes cook, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic and ginger. Saute until the onions "begin" to brown, stirring to prevent the garlic from burning. Now add the chilies and cook another 30 seconds before adding the ground fenugreek, ground turmeric, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder; mix everything well, then add the chopped tomato and cook another couple of minutes. Add the cooked, well drained potato pieces and fold them in to coat them with the sauce. (NOTE: some drain the cooked potatoes and then fry them in oil until somewhat browned; they then add them to the seasoning mixture.) Cook gently folding the potatoes for a couple of minutes. Serve with rice.

* Potatoes, tomatoes, papayas, guavas, pineapples and chilies all came from the "New World," more specifically, from Central and South America. These "goodies" were spread to other parts of the world by the Spanish and Portuguese, and then later given a further boost by the British and French (perhaps also the Dutch?).

WORD HISTORY:
Or-Technically, there is more than one word in English "or," but this is for the most common (by far!), the conjunction. For such a little word, "or" has a very complicated history, but I'll keep things simple. It goes back to Indo European "eti," which had the notion, "beyond, further;" thus also adverbially, "furthermore," "and also." This gave Old Germanic some form that is unclear to me, and some speculative forms by others have failed to convince me of a good possibility. Anyway, this Germanic form gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "oþþe"^ (=oththe), which meant, "either, or." This later became "oththr," and then "other" (not the same word as modern "other"). This gradually was contracted to just "or," but the contracted form didn't completely overtake "other" until the 1500s. Other Germanic languages have: German "oder" (originally "odo," then "oda," then "odar," then "oder," which has retained the similar form to its now contracted English cousin "other"), Low German "or" and "oder" (originally "ettho/ettha," then "eftho/eftha"),^^ Dutch "of" (contracted from "ofte"), West Frisian "of" (originally "joftha," then later, "oft"), Old Norse, the forerunner to the modern North Germanic languages, had "eða" (=etha) and "eðe" (=ethe), and Icelandic still uses the "eða" form to this day. Danish, Norwegian and Swedish have no direct relative of English "or," as all use "eller" to mean "or." "Eller" is a relative of English "else."  

^ Another form, "eþþa," also existed. Remember, no standard language in those times. 

^^ The modern Low German forms have "likely" been influenced by standard German, and also by its close cousin English. 

Indian Red Lentil Curry

Lentils are a common food on the Indian subcontinent. Recipes vary, but this dish is generally made without meat. "Red" lentils, called "masoor dal," are typically orange, so don't ask me why they're called "red lentils," but they change color when cooked, to a somewhat "yellowish" color. Red lentils are generally available in supermarkets, Indian/Pakistani shops or Middle Eastern stores. This is an easy dish to prepare and the cooking time is not long, as soaking the lentils helps, but red lentils cook pretty quickly. I chose to serve my lentils in a bowl, but I just as easily could have used a plate. 

Ingredients:

1 cup red lentils
1 cup vegetable broth (more, if the mixture gets too dry as it cooks)
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 or 2 chili peppers (red or green), finely chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
1  14 to 15 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
1 tablespoon butter 
good pinch of sugar

Soak the lentils for 25 to 30 minutes in cold water. Drain the lentils. In a sauce pan over medium heat, add the oil, when heated, add the onion and the ginger. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic and the chili pepper. Stir and cook for another minute, then stir in the turmeric, cumin and ground coriander. Add the red lentils, stir to mix well. Add the vegetable broth and stir. Cook until the lentils are to the desired softness your prefer. Stir in the tomatoes, curry powder, ground cloves, salt and sugar, mix well and heat for a further minute or two. Add the butter and stir it in as it melts. Serve with rice. 

WORD HISTORY:
Lentil/Lens-The origin of this word is unknown, although forms appear in parts of the Indo European languages (Germanic, Slavic, Greek, Latin), but several sources note that it may have been borrowed into Indo European from a language of the eastern Mediterranean area of which little is known. Its known history goes to Latin "lens," which was the name of the plant that produced lentils, as well as the name for the seed/pea/bean of that plant, which is a legume. The beans/peas/seeds of legumes are often also called a "pulse," a term not all that common in American English and seemingly unrelated to "pulse," meaning "heartbeat," as the same spelling is coincidental. Latin "lens" produced the diminutive form "lenticula," which passed into Latin-based Old French as "lentille," and this was borrowed by English in the 1200s. The shape of lentils gave the original Latin word, "lens," the secondary meaning of "glass that alters light rays, glass/glasses used to improve eyesight," and this was borrowed by English in the second half of the 1600s (Latin was often used in scientific and medical terminology). The meaning further came to include the curved part of the eye by circa 1700. German has "Linse" which has both meanings, "lentil" and "lens," with the second meaning coming from Latin, but where German got the original word, which goes back to before 800 AD, is unknown, although the spelling leads me to believe it was borrowed from Latin.

Yogurt Drinks of the Indian Subcontinent, Part 4 of 4

Here are two more sweet lassis, including the very popular "mango lassi." 

Mango Lassi-This is a very popular sweet lassi, also called a "smoothie" in restaurants or specialty beverage shops in the U.S. There are also commercially bottled versions of mango lassi. How many brands are there? I have no idea, as I "tend" to prefer freshly made foods, but I did buy a bottled mango lassi recently at a South Asian shop. I guess it was maybe ten ounces, but it was far too sweet for me.

Ingredients for 4 servings or 2 large servings:

1 cup plain thick yogurt
1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon or more honey (see below)
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 cup milk
2/3 cup mango (fresh chopped or canned)
ice cubes

If you want to use fresh mangoes, you need well ripened mangoes. In this case too, you will likely want to add more honey, probably at least 1 tablespoon, but that's a matter of personal taste. Lately, I must admit that I've cheated... I mean, I've chosen a streamlined way; that is, canned mangoes, which usually come in a sweet syrup. If you use canned mangoes, you can reduce the amount of honey, but instead, use a little of the syrup, according to how sweet you want the lassi. You can add a little sprinkle of ground cardamom on top. Put all ingredients in a blender and blend for about 30 to 45 seconds, or until smooth.

Turmeric Lassi

Ingredients per large serving:

2/3 cup plain thick yogurt
1 banana (chilled, lightly frozen)
2/3 cup cold water
3 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
2 tablespoons honey
couple of ice cubes

The banana should be peeled and put into the freezer for about 10-12 minutes. Put all ingredients, including ice cubes, into a blender and blend for about 45 to 60 seconds, or until the banana and ice cubes are broken up and mixed in. You can sprinkle a little turmeric on top, as I've done in the photo.

WORD HISTORY: 
Mango-The ultimate origin of this word is uncertain, although it goes back to Tamil, a Dravidian language of southern Asia, especially from parts of India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore. The transliterated Tamil form, "mankay" (like, "main-kay"), meaning, "fruit of the mango tree."This was borrowed into Malay, a language of the Austronesian language family (which includes Tagalog/Filipino, one of the major languages of the Philippines), as "mangga," meaning, "mango." This was then borrowed by Portuguese^ as "manga," and English borrowed the word from Portuguese in the late 1500s, although its use became more common somewhat later, as the English planted mango trees in some of their tropical possessions in the New World.

^ The Portuguese were great explorers long ago, a fact sometimes forgotten, and they controlled East Timor, then called "Portuguese Timor," from the 1500s until 1975. It then became part of Indonesia, before gaining independence in 2002.  

Great Spices and Herbs of the Indian Subcontinent, Part 2

This is the second part about spices and herbs used in the dishes of the Indian subcontinent. I should note, while I've specifically named India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in the first part, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka are also parts of the Indian subcontinent, and while dishes in those countries may have a few other ingredients, many of these general herbs and spices are commonly used in food preparation in these countries too. Readers from those countries, give me some time, because my plans are to do specific dishes from your homelands too.   

Fennel seed-also called "saunf/sonf"-an anise/licorice (British: "liquorice") flavored seed, sort of a gray color (British: grey colour). Besides their being used in recipes, they are sometimes chewed by people on the Indian subcontinent after a meal to aid in digestion, as they are said to be good for the digestive system. Some, but certainly not all, use them in making "chai" (spiced tea). See "Word History" below

Fenugreek-This is a plant, also called "methi," with both the leaves and the seeds used in food preparation on the Indian subcontinent. I have never bought the leaves, nor the whole seeds, but the ground seeds, sometimes called, "fenugreek powder," are easily obtainable in spice shops and in Indian/Pakistani grocery stores. 

Garam Masala-This is a ground spice mixture of many different variations often including, but not limited to, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, black pepper, cardamom, nutmeg. 

Ghee-also known as "clarified butter," is butter with the milk solids removed; thus, the remaining butterfat can be heated to a higher temperature than regular butter. The term "clarified butter" was certainly popularized in the U.S. (and perhaps elsewhere) by English cook Graham Kerr.*

Ginger-also known as "adrak," and also sometimes referred to as, "ginger root." Ginger is a stem-like group of roots and nodes that have a fresh, sharp taste. It is VERY common in many Asian cuisines, and especially so on the Indian subcontinent. It has a light brown skin that must be peeled off, and ginger is often grated or chopped before being added to recipes.

Mango powder-also known as "Amchur," is a golden or light brown colored powder of ground, dried unripened mango. It is sour in taste.

Mint-also known as "podina," is a fragrant herb, with a sort of warm taste, used in cooking, but which can also be used fresh in salads, and it forms the basis of menthol for breath fresheners and toothpaste. It is a common herb used in some chutney or in certain lassi yogurt drinks (smoothies) on the Indian subcontinent.  

Mustard seeds-also called "sarson," are typically the yellow variety in the U.S., and they are commonly used in pickles (cucumbers or other vegetables) and of course, they are ground and used in a popular condiment... "mustard." On the Indian subcontinent, black mustard seeds are more commonly used, and mustard seeds are usually put into hot oil until they "pop," before other ingredients are added or they are removed and added to a recipe. You may well find black mustard seeds in some supermarkets, and more likely in spice shops, and definitely in Indian/Pakistani shops.

Nigella seeds-also known as "kalonji," "black caraway seed," or "black cumin." They are often dry  roasted briefly in a skillet and they are commonly used in recipes, including in, or on top of, some regional naan bread, a common flatbread of the Indian subcontinent. Some spice shops should have these seeds, but they will definitely be available in Indian/Pakistani shops.

Nutmeg-also known as "jaiphal," is a common spice used in cooking, especially in sweetened baked goods. It is available as a rounded whole seed, which you will then have to grate as needed, or it is available in ground form in jars or cans. The ground form can be found in any store that sells even a limited variety of spices, while the whole nutmeg is available in spice shops and many supermarkets.    
Panch Phoron-sometimes as, "Panch Phora," is a mixture of five spice seeds especially common in the Bengal region of India and Bangladesh. I have never bought this, but I'm pretty sure I've seen it in an Indian grocery. 

Parsley-This is a common green herb used in recipes and as a garnish. It should hardly need an introduction to you, and it is sold fresh in just about any produce store or supermarket.  

Pickles-I've included pickles, because on the Indian subcontinent they are common, but these are NOT the pickles you find on your hamburger at the corner hamburger place, but rather a variety of fruits and vegetables that are combined with oil and spices, either individually, or in some combination. They have "heat," and some even have a lot of "heat." I like "mixed pickles." (See photo below)

Pulses-While these are not spices or herbs, they are a common ingredient in food for the people of the Indian subcontinent. They are legumes of peas, beans or lentils, which when split, are known as "dal," Mung beans are also known as "moong beans" or "green gram," are a type of bean/pea, but with the green skin removed, exposing their inside light yellow color. When split, this makes them another type of "dal." Such legumes are common on the Indian subcontinent for everyone, but especially for the many vegetarians there, primarily in India. Lentils come in several varieties, with the dark-colored type the most common in the U.S. On the Indian subcontinent, "red" lentils are commonly used, but they are really an orange color. 

Rose Water-is a flavoring agent made by soaking rose petals in water. It can be found in spice shops or Middle Eastern grocers or Indian/Pakistani grocers. It is often used in sweet foods or drinks.

Saffron-also known as "kesar/kesari," saffron is from the flower of the crocus plant. It is likely the most expensive of all spices. On the Indian subcontinent the threads of saffron, which are typically red or orange in color, are briefly roasted in a skillet, then soaked in warm water or warm milk, giving the liquid a orange to yellow color. The liquid is then put into whatever recipes is being prepared. You will likely find saffron in supermarkets, but definitely in spice shops and Indian/Pakistani grocers.    

Tamarind-is a fruit pulp with a sour taste used in some curries, chutneys and sauces, including steak sauces or other food seasoning sauces. Tamarind can definitely be found in Indian/Pakistani shops, as well as other Asian grocers, but some supermarkets likely have it too. 

Turmeric-also known as "haldi," is an orange/golden colored ground spice that is said to be good for digestion and to fight inflammation. It adds an orange or yellow color to dishes. 

* Graham Kerr was born and raised in England, but he later lived for several years in New Zealand and Australia. He did a television show recorded in Canada for about three years from the late 1960s into the early 1970s. The show was broadcast in the United States, and it was called, "The Galloping Gourmet," and Kerr often mentioned and cooked with, "clarified butter," between gulps of wine... ah, I mean, sips of wine. I watched the show faithfully, and the guy was a hoot, and I swear he was about half tanked by the end of some shows.


You can click on any picture to enlarge it. These are "mixed pickles," my favorite, which I bought at an Indian grocer, but I've also bought similar at a spice shop. This brand has mango (unripened), limes, carrot and green chilies, beside the oil and various spices, including red chili powder (like ground cayenne pepper).

This is rose water, which I bought at a spice shop. This happens to be from Lebanon.

Clockwise from the top: ginger, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, yellow mustard seeds and nigella seeds (also called, black cumin or black caraway seed)

Clockwise from top left: fresh mint, fennel seeds, mango powder (Amchur), turmeric and saffron.

Clockwise from top left: cilantro (also known as "fresh coriander"  or "green coriander"), ground coriander (from the seeds, listed in "Part 1"), ghee (also known as "clarified butter"), ground fenugreek, tamarind paste/concentrate.

Top, nutmeg; bottom left, red lentils; right, split mung beans

WORD HISTORY:
Fennel-This word for a plant used as a vegetable, an herb and a spice (the seeds), and distantly related to "fetus," goes back to Indo European "dhei," with the notion of, "to nurse, to suckle;" thus also, "to bring up (a child), to produce;" thus further, the result of those actions; that is, "a yield, product, produce." This gave Latin "faenum," which meant, "hay," the diminutive form of which was "faeniculum," ^ meaning, "fennel," from the little "tufts" on the plant that reminded people of "hay."  The Latin spelling later changed to "feniculum." English borrowed the word in the 1200s, as "finel/finol," perhaps initially directly from Latin, but most definitely reinforced by Old French "fenoil," which Latin-based Old French used as its form of the Latin word.

^ A diminutive is a form of a word that conveys a meaning of "smallness" or "dearness." 

Great Spices and Herbs of the Indian Subcontinent, Part 1

The people of the Indian subcontinent are not shy about the use of spices in their recipes. More and more, people in other parts of the world are discovering the cooking techniques and flavors of far off lands on a regular basis, instead of just on an occasional visit to a restaurant. Such is true with the foods of the Indian subcontinent, and with the spices and herbs that go into providing those foods with their lively, and often fiery, flavors.   

I once made my own naan bread, but I also saw it made in a real Indian tandoor oven in an Indian restaurant here in Cleveland about 1979 or 1980. The place had Indian food displayed right in the window, but it's been so long ago, I just forget everything. That got me interested in Indian food and history, which then was reinforced by the movie "Gandhi" in the early 1980s.

This is most certainly not an all inclusive list of herbs and spices used on the Indian subcontinent, but it will more than adequately cover a wide swath of recipes from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, as well as provide good coverage of many recipes of some other countries of southern Asia. I've tried to add other names for many of the spices and herbs, but the Indian subcontinent is home to MANY languages and dialects, literally hundreds of languages and dialects,* and what is called a particular name in one area, may be called by a totally different name in another region, and by still another name a little further from that, so I'm not claiming that the forms I've listed are the definitive terms. 

Asafoetida-also called "Hing"-a light yellow powder (you might also find it in chunks in some specialty stores or shops). It is from a plant related to fennel. It is known for its strong smell, and it is usually sold in jars with a small sealed opening that has to be punctured to sprinkle the contents, then another top on the jar seals off the opening to keep the smell from escaping. Used in a number of vegetarian recipes by first putting just a small amount in hot oil for just a couple of seconds, which totally mellows the smelly spice.

Black Peppercorns-also called "Kali Mirch," peppercorns are commonly used in many countries, so they are readily available. The popularity of cooking shows on American television in the last couple of decades has made the use of pepper mills to grind peppercorns much more common than they had been, although I'm sure the already ground black pepper in cans still sells very well. Grinding your own pepper makes the pepper fresh and more flavorful and you can make the grind as you want it, from coarse to fine. Peppercorns are also used whole, at times, in certain recipes in various cultures. 

Black Salt-also called "Kala Namak," is a type of salt with a sulfur smell. I have black salt from Hawaii, and it is in small granules, which are truly black in color. I also have a package of black salt from India, and it is mainly powdered, but with some small pieces of the salt left in. It is sort of a light purple or pink color.

Cardamom- also called "Elaichi," can be bought in brown or light green to grayish colored pods that contain seeds that are used to flavor a variety of dishes, among which are sweet dishes and baked goods, including such outside of the Indian subcontinent. Some recipes call for whole cardamom pods to be used and the pods are cracked or smashed first, as this allows the flavor of the seeds inside the pods to season the cooking food (the pods themselves are not eaten). Cardamom is also sold in ground form, which has a gray color. The ground form is readily available in supermarkets and spice shops, while the whole pods are available in Indian/Pakistani shops, and likely some spice shops. The seeds are also sold, but I have never bought cardamom that way.

Chaat Masala is a ground spice mixture, and thus its ingredients vary. Readily available in Indian/Pakistani shops, and in some spice shops.

Chilies-both fresh and dried. You'll see a number of recipes call for "green chilies," and green jalapeño or serrano chilies are fine. Other recipes will call for red chilies, and fresh cayenne chilies are great in this role. Often too, recipes call for dried red chilies, and you want to get dried chilies that give heat and flavor. A number of months ago I bought a bag of dried red chilies, but they turned out to be useless, as the chilies had neither heat nor much flavor. The best thing is that once you find a good dried chili product, stick with it, but unless you fix food with chilies on virtually a daily basis, or unless you regularly fix food for a 10,000 person military base nearby, you're not going to be buying dried chilies every other week. If you go to an Indian/Pakistani grocery store, I suggest you buy the dried chilies there, and give Kashmiri dried chilies a try from there too. They are a deep red color, with moderate heat. Some recipes may say to soak the dried chilies in water, while others may say to put the chilies into hot oil for a minute or so, before adding other ingredients and proceeding with the recipe.

Chili powder (of the Indian subcontinent)-This is not the chili powder used to make Texas or Southwestern chili, but rather it is ground red chilies, like what we call "Cayenne pepper," or "ground red pepper." It is hot, and it's supposed to be. Cayenne pepper is, of course, readily available in just about any store, and you may well already have some on hand in your kitchen cabinet. 

Cilantro-also known as "coriander" or "green coriander," or "Hara dhaniya," is an herb readily available in supermarkets or produce stores. Also common in Mexican and other Latino cooking in the U.S., where the name "cilantro" is most often used. 

Cinnamon-also called "Darchini," is typically used in curled cinnamon stick form on the Indian subcontinent, although the ground form is much more common in the U.S. Further, cinnamon comes from a few variety of trees, and there are differences in how strong the taste is. What is termed "true cinnamon," or "Ceylon cinnamon" is touted as the best variety health wise, but it is also much more expensive. Typically the cheaper cinnamon, called "Cassia" is what you get in supermarkets or grocery stores, and it is no less "true cinnamon" than the Ceylon type, except by name. Readily available in any store that sells spices, but the Ceylon cinnamon will more likely be found in good spice or health food stores, or in Indian/Pakistani grocery shops. 

Cloves, also known as "Laung," are another spice often used on the Indian subcontinent in whole form, although the ground form is readily available. Cloves are actually the powerfully flavorful and aromatic bud of a tropical tree flower. The taste of cloves can overwhelm a dish if you aren't careful, so use sparingly in either the whole form or the ground form. Readily available in just about any store that sells spices.

Coconut milk-This is the product of coconut flesh and water, not the coconut water from the coconut itself. It is used in sweet dishes. It is easily found in cans in many stores, including Latino shops and Indian/Pakistani shops. 

Coriander-also known as "Dhaniya," is often used in the seed form on the Indian subcontinent, where it is first roasted briefly and then ground for use, but it is also commonly sold already ground, which can be roasted right before use. Many supermarkets should have at least the ground form, and spice stores and Indian/Pakistani shops will almost certainly have the seed form also.

Cumin, also known as "Zeera" or "Jeera," is a highly common spice in recipes on the Indian subcontinent, where the whole seeds are roasted and then ground, although the already ground form is also used, and it too can be roasted briefly before use. The seeds look very much like its relative, caraway seed. It is also common in some Latino cooking, especially Mexican. It is readily available in ground form in just about any store that sells spices, but the seeds are easily found in Indian/Pakistani grocers and well stocked spice shops.

Curry leaves-also known as "curry patha," are often used fresh on the Indian subcontinent, where the tree commonly grows. They may be fried briefly in oil and then ground, or chopped and added to recipes. I use leaves that are already ground, which are available in spice stores and Indian/Pakistani grocers. The fresh leaves do not keep well, and while I've never bought the frozen leaves, I've read mixed reviews about them. Finding either fresh or frozen could prove to be a challenge in many countries.

Curry powders-These are spice mixtures with a variety of ingredients (there is no ONE recipe for curry powder), often mixed together for commercial sale, as people on the Indian subcontinent generally add each of the spices to dishes according to their own recipes. It is "my understanding," that curry powder was developed for sale in Britain when much of the Indian Subcontinent was a British colony, as this made it easier to combine spices into mixtures for sale, than to try to transport and sell the individual spices in Britain 200 to 300 years ago. This mixing of spices into "curry powder" has lasted right up to the present, and you can easily find curry powder in supermarkets, spice shops and Indian/Pakistani grocers, often with various brand names, varied ingredients and varied "heat" levels. 

* The main languages of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are Hindi, Urdu and Bengali, respectively. They are all from Indo European and are, thus, related to English, although further down the family tree. Some other languages, primarily in India, but also to some extent from the island of Sri Lanka, are from the Dravidian family of languages. English is often used in governmental matters and in higher education; however, English is not universally spoken on the Indian subcontinent. 

From top left, clockwise: Cinnamon (Cassia), cloves, black peppercorns (click to enlarge)

From top left, clockwise: fresh green and red chilies, dried red chilies, Kashmiri dried chilies

Jar of asafoetida.

WORD HISTORY:
Fetid-The ultimate origin of this word, related to the second part of "asafoetida/asafetida," is uncertain. It goes back to Latin "fetere," which meant "to stink, to smell badly." This produced the adjective "fetidus," meaning, "stinking, foul smelling." This was borrowed by English circa 1400. 

Yogurt Drinks of the Indian Subcontinent, Part 3 of 4

This is what some term "a sweet lassi."  It is not quite as thick as some other lassi drinks.

Mint Lassi (Borhani), for 2 large servings or 3 or 4 smaller servings

2 cups thick yogurt
2 cups water
1/4 cup fresh mint
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon chopped green chili pepper (serrano or jalapeño, is fine)
2 tablespoons ground black salt (see note below)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Blend all ingredients for about 45 seconds. You can always put a couple of ice cubes in the blender to chill the drink. NOTE: About the black salt called for in the one recipe, there are a couple types of black salt you might find in large supermarkets, spice stores or, certainly, in Indian or Pakistani grocery stores: one is truly black in color, which often comes from Hawaii. The Hawaiian black salt I have is in small pieces that are about half the size of caraway seeds. I put whatever amount I want on a completely dry paper towel or napkin, then I fold the towel over and smack it with a meat mallet. I also have the type from the Indian subcontinent, which is already in powdered form, with some larger pieces of salt mixed in. It is like a pink or light purple color. Black salt has a sulfur smell to it.

Butter Lassi (Makhaniya lassi)

This is a rich drink, although you can always thin it out by reducing the yogurt amount somewhat and replacing it with milk.

2/3 cup thick yogurt
1/3 cup milk
several saffron threads in 2 tablespoons warm water
2/3 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter (technically should be unsalted butter, but I won't tell if you use salted butter)
ice cubes

Blend all ingredients, except butter, for 30 seconds. Pour into a glass, add butter on top. The ice cubes should be blended with the ingredients too, to chill the drink.

WORD HISTORY: 
Blend-This word, related to other Germanic words "blind" and "blond," goes back to Indo European "bhel," with the idea of, "to shine, to be bright, to be light in color." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "blandanan," which meant, "to make light in color, to make cloudy/murky;" thus also, "to mix (to make something light or cloudy)." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "blandan" (also the prefixed form, "geblandan"), which meant, "to mix, to blend;" thus also, "to mingle." Further, Old Norse, another Germanic language, was brought to eastern and northern areas of England by people collectively called "Danes" by the English, although they were not all from Denmark, and they brought their form of the same word (with the same general meaning), as "blanda." Together these became "blenden," before the modern version. The noun came from the verb in the mid 1800s. Several related forms in the other Germanic languages have died out, but German has "Blendling" (noun meaning, "mongrel," but now a bit outdated); Danish and Norwegian have "blande" (verb) and "blanding" (noun); Icelandic "blanda" (same form for both verb and noun ), but also "blendingr" (meaning "mixture, hybrid"); Swedish "blanda" (verb) and "blandning" (noun). 

Mango Chutney

For those unfamiliar with chutney, it is a type of Indian relish, or preserves. I'm using "Indian" in the broad sense, to include the people of former parts of India; namely, Pakistan and Bangladesh, although chutney is also made in the island nation of Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon). This entire area was once under British colonial rule. There are many types of chutney, made from anything like mint or coriander, to apples, to apricots to tomatoes, but mango chutney is seemingly the best known type in "western nations," especially Britain, Canada and the United States. When I've had mango chutney in Indian restaurants, it has always been less sweet than store bought brands. An Indian restaurant owner once told me the British liked the chutney to be sweeter, and that British companies naturally made it that way to cater to the taste of their own market. These British brands then spread to North America, although, just a guess, I would bet at least 3 cents, that a fairly large percentage of Americans have never tasted chutney, and that many people have no idea even what it is. Besides the sweetened and spiced mango, there is often also a little "heat" from the addition of cayenne pepper or chopped hot chili peppers. Chutney is commonly served as a condiment for meat, including ham and sausage, or as a topping for sandwiches.

Ingredients:

2 large, somewhat less than ripe mangoes, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper
1 cup brown sugar (I use dark brown)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 inch piece ginger, grated
1 jalapeño or serrano chili pepper, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon mace or nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon turmeric 
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons curry powder

Bring all ingredients to a boil, stir well and lower the heat and gently simmer until the mango is just tender, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. The chutney should be pretty thick and it will thicken further as it cools.

WORD HISTORY:
Chutney-The ultimate origin of this word is unknown. It goes back to Hindi "chatna," which had the meaning, "eat flavorful food." This then produced Hindi/Urdu, "catni/chatni," which was the name for "spiced or sweetened vegetables or fruits used to accompany other foods." It was borrowed into English in the early 1800s, although it likely was in use by British military and colonial authorities in India before that time. NOTE: Hindi and Urdu are Indo European languages from the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo European.

Indian Vegetable & Yogurt Salad: Raita

"Raita" (pronounced as if, "rite-ah") is a common refreshing salad side dish in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. It is often served to "cool" the palate and stomach after spicy dishes have been eaten. The main ingredient in a raita recipe is yogurt, with various vegetables or fruits, plus often some herbs, spices or other seasonings like onion and garlic added. This recipe below is a vegetable raita, but there are a multitude of variations in the Indian Subcontinent. 

Ingredients:

1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup seedless cucumber, chopped
2 green onions, chopped (including green)
1 tablespoon carrot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon coriander leaves

Stir the yogurt well so that it is smooth and not clumped together. Typically, the cucumber is peeled, but I leave a couple of little strips of the peel on, but I wash the cucumber well before doing so. Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Chill the raita before serving.

WORD HISTORY:
Bangladesh (Bengal)-This name for the country founded in 1971 from then East Pakistan literally means "Land of Bengal." It is a compound, with the origins of the "bangla" part "perhaps" being from the name of an ancient god, and in Bengali "bang(a)la," and meant, "Bengal," the region.^ The "desh" part goes back to Indo-Iranian and Sanskrit ^^ "desha," which meant, "part, land, region, nation."

^ Bengali is a language from the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo European languages; as such, it is related to English, German, Dutch and others from the Germanic branch of Indo European.

^^  Sanskrit is an ancient language from the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo European. It is still in use to some degree, especially in India. 

Bengali Potatoes & Black Pepper

This is a simple dish with the spiciness of the pepper. It is from Bengal, a region which lies in the northeastern part of the Indian subcontinent. The Bengal region is both in India and Bangladesh. Dhaka is the largest city of the region, and it is also the capital of Bangladesh. The second largest regional city is Kolkata, still known to many by its English rendering, "Calcutta," a city which lies in India. While I put in my own ingredient amounts, this recipe is from "Indian Cooking," by Madhur Jaffrey, North American edition, 2003, Barron's, NY.

4 or 5 medium white potatoes boiled in their skins, then chilled, then peeled and cut into small chunks
1/4 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro 

In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the potatoes and fry therm for a minute or two. Add the salt and stir to mix. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover the potatoes and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the pepper and stir to mix. Cook for another 2 minutes uncovered, then add the cilantro, stirring once more.

WORD HISTORY:
Cot -This word for a "small, light weight, easily transportable bed," and, "a hammock-style bed, originally used on ships in officer's quarters," "seems" to have a non Indo European origin, possibly from a Dravidian source in southern India, such as "katil/kattil," with the meaning, "small bed." This gave Hindi the transliterated form, "khat," with the same general meaning. Hindi is an Indo European language from the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo European. English borrowed the word in the first half of the 1600s, as a result of the growing involvement of England in India.    

Sweet & Spicy Thai Chili Sauce

New photos added 11-3-21. 

 

 

There are some very good commercial brands of Thai chili sauce on the market, but for those who like to try making their own food products, here is a good recipe. Of course, with products you make for yourself, you get to control the ingredients. This sauce is great for dipping or for fixing chicken wings, as well as for other recipes. Thai food can have some "heat" from chili peppers, and you can add more chili pepper to this sauce for more "kick." 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced red chili peppers
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
4 teaspoons cornstarch + 3 tablespoons cold water

Bring all ingredients, except 4 teaspoons of cornstarch and 3 tablespoons cold water, to a boil, then lower heat to simmer the sauce for about 5 minutes. Give the mixture a little taste; if it needs a little more sugar, now is the time to add it, when it will dissolve well. Mix together the cornstarch and water, gradually add to the sauce, stirring well until thickened. Refrigerate.

WORD HISTORY:
Pickle-For a fairly common word, this word's history is not totally clear. It first appeared in English in the 1400s, and seems to have been a borrowing from Low German/Middle Dutch "pekel," perhaps with Frisian "pikel" thrown in. Where any of these West Germanic languages got the word remains in question. Its main meaning was, and "generally" remains, "to use a salt, spices and liquid solution to preserve and flavor meat." It "might" be somehow connected to the ancestor of "pike;" that is, "pike," "the long heavy spear used in the Middle Ages," except for ceremony nowadays, with the idea of "sharp, pointed," because of the taste. Low German Saxon has "Pekel," (East) Frisian has " päkel" and German has (verb) "pökeln," but German borrowed the word from Low German. It is "assumed" that the original root word is from Germanic, as there are no other languages seemingly with a form of the word,* except the Germanic languages, and even then, it seems to be confined to the West Germanic languages, which includes English, but, as already noted, it was borrowed by English. Initially in English, it was spelled "pikyll" and "pekille," and it meant a "spicy, sour sauce for meat." During the 1500s, the word came to be used for a bad situation, "We're in a real pickle," probably from the idea of "spicy (hot) and sour" (bad). It wasn't until the early 1700s that the word started to be used for vegetables, often cucumbers, in a brine, often with the brine containing vinegar, with the "pickled cucumber" taking their very name as a derivative of the process, "pickles," although fermented pickles (uncooked and treated with salt, and often with little or no vinegar) and other vegetables have become more common in recent times. When I first ordered "pickles" in an Indian restaurant, many years ago, I was stunned to see things other than what I knew as "pickles," because in the cultures of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, pickles are any number of fruits and vegetables preserved and strongly seasoned with salt, chili peppers and a variety of wonderful spices. So, if you order pickles in an Indian restaurant, don't expect to see what you get with your corned beef sandwich at the neighborhood deli. Of course, the word was carried to the southern Asian region when Britain controlled the area. The "preserving of meat" meaning in English is now more often referred to as "curing;" as in, "cured ham," which might or might not also be smoked. 

* Hungarian has a form of the word, but it was borrowed from German. By the way, Hungarian is not even an Indo European language, and is therefore not even on the family tree of English, although Hungarian has borrowed many words from Indo European languages, frequently German. Hungarian is related to Finnish, Estonian, and Turkish, to name a few of its relatives.

"Chai" Spiced Tea: Masala Chai

Updated slightly 10-3-22

Chai is a type of spiced tea drink, usually black tea, brewed with spices, milk and sweetener. It is pronounced like "ch," as in Charles, and 'eye,' the organ of sight. Chai is highly common in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and in these countries it is often called "masala chai," from the mixture of spices used to make it (the word 'chai' itself simply means 'tea'). I tend to make a large cup (like a mug of about 16 to 20 ounces) of chai, so this is the recipe for that amount. You can adjust the ingredient amounts according to the amount of chai you want to make. This is my recipe version of chai.   

Ingredients:

16 ounces of water (some water will boil off)1 1/2 tablespoons loose black tea *
1/2 inch piece of ginger, chopped or grated
1 teaspoon ground cardamom (or 5 or 6 cardamom pods, crushed to release their flavor)
1 teaspoon ground cloves (or 2 whole cloves)
1 cinnamon stick (about 3 inches)
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup milk (I use canned evaporated milk, see note *)
1 tablespoon honey
sugar to taste (I use about three teaspoons, see note *) 

Stir the loose tea into the water, along with the ginger, cardamon, ground cloves, cinnamon stick, mace and black pepper. Heat to just boiling, then reduce heat to a bare simmer. Brew for three minutes, then add the milk and stir. Bring back to a bare simmer and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let steep for about 2 minutes. Strain the tea, and then add the honey and sugar, stirring to mix and dissolve. Serve. 

* When I began making chai years ago, I experimented with the type and amount of black tea, and the amounts of the other ingredients I used. My suggestion is that you do likewise, using this recipe as a guide the first time, and then making adjustments if you feel they are needed the next time you make it. Also, I like strong tea, so bear that in mind as to the amount of black tea I used in this recipe (see note at end). I also used East Frisian tea from Germany, because it has a strong flavor, as it is made from "Assam" tea leaves; a type of tea grown in India and typically used there for masala chai; otherwise, I use a brand of American black tea in teabags for a regular, non-chai, cup of tea. If you use regular black tea, it likely will not be as strong, so keep that in mind, for your own taste preference. As for sugar, my experience in Indian restaurants is that the chai is very sweet (and I'm sweet enough). My guess is, they don't use any honey, as I do, but they likely add "at least" two or three tablespoons of sugar for this amount of tea, and perhaps more. Once the tea simmers for awhile, evaporation and the amount absorbed, and retained, by the tea leaves will lessen the amount of actual chai you end up with, which will be "about" 16 ounces for the amount of this recipe, and this is about what you would think of as three regular cups of tea, so the three teaspoons of sugar is not out of line, but the one tablespoon of honey helps to further sweeten the tea, but without going quite to the "restaurant" level of sweetness. Also with the milk, from what I understand from Indian restaurants and people from India and Pakistan I've met over the years, the amount of milk used in their own countries is generally about 1/3 to 1/2 of the amount of water, but I have cut down on the milk. For many years, I did not add black pepper, but then I gave it a try and I liked it, so now I always add it (many in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh also add black pepper).  Note: There is a "modified" type of chai called "karak chai" or "kadak chai," which means "strong tea." It is similar, but often with more tea and longer simmering time to give it a stronger flavor and higher amount of caffeine. Here is the link to this type of chai: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2022/10/creamy-strong-chai-karak-chai.html

My big mug of chai, with some gingersnaps

WORD HISTORY:
Pundit-This word goes back to Sanskrit ^ "panditah," which had the notion of "learned man, teacher." ^^ Where Sanskrit got the word is unknown, but the Sanskrit form gave Hindi ^^^ "pandit," with the meaning, "a learned man of the Hindu religion, who interprets the Hindu religion;" thus also, "a Hindu religious philosopher." The word was borrowed into English as, "pandit/pundit," in the second half of the 1600s, as a result of British commercial involvement in India by the (English/British) East India Company. The meaning in English later gradually broadened to today's meaning of, "a supposed authority on a subject who comments and/or offers criticism on that subject."    

^ Sanskrit is an ancient language from the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo European. It is still in use to some degree, especially in India. It is related to English, but much further down the family tree.

^^ In English there are two words spelled "l-e-a-r-n-e-d." First there is the past tense form of the verb "to learn," which is pronounced as if, "lernd" (see note). Then there is "learned," pronounced as if "lern-ed," with the "ed" pronounced like the shortened form of Edward, and meaning, "the result of having learned (the first form) a particular subject or field." It is "sometimes" written as "learnèd," with the accent mark over the "e." NOTE: The past tense form, "learned," is also spelled and pronounced "learnt," especially in Britain, but it is often pronounced that way elsewhere, including in the United States, where it would NOT be considered as proper. I kind of imagine American English purists cringing every time they hear a person from England use "learnt," and I'm not kidding about this. Some take these things VERY seriously.

^^^ Hindi is from the overall "Indo-Iranian" branch of the Indo European languages, and is, therefore, related to English, but much further down the family tree. Hindi is the official language of government in India, along with.....English!

Extremist Religion Can Be Hazardous To Everyone's Health

Billions of people world wide have various religious beliefs, and many even have strong religious beliefs, but they go about their lives, they go to work, they go to their places of worship, and they don't hurt or bother anyone else over religion. If someone doesn't agree with them, they may wish it were otherwise, but they go about their business. If someone makes fun of them or their religion, they may not like it, they may even get angry, but they contain themselves and move on. Then there are those who have such fanatical religious beliefs, that anyone who dares to disagree with their religious view in any way faces severe repercussions. I just saw where in Bangladesh, a country with an overwhelmingly Muslim population, some Muslims rampaged through a Buddhist area destroying Buddhist temples and burning Buddhist homes, because of a photo posted on Facebook by ONE Buddhist which some Muslims felt insulted Islam. (The story said "one" Buddhist posted the picture, and the story provided no details about the picture.) The government there is trying to keep a lid on things now.

I needn't tell any half way sane person, this behavior is lunacy! It is nonsense out of the Middles Ages, which needed to die in the Middle Ages along with the plague, to which it bears a serious resemblance. It threatens EVERYONE! However, both the plague and such antiquated religious fervor survived the Middle Ages, and to be quite honest, no one really knows what to do about the latter. Unless you've been visiting another planet lately, and some people seem to do so, you are also aware of protests and violence in many Muslim areas of the world directed at the United States over a film made by a guy in California (born in Egypt), a film which was unknown to virtually every human being not visiting another planet before the violence started, which Muslims say insulted their Prophet Mohammad, a charge I believe is likely true (although I didn't see the film), but the extreme reaction to the film has only served to give it more publicity and to give Muslims an increasingly negative image in many parts of the world, an image perhaps exaggerated, since not all Muslims, nor even most Muslims, rose up and started lashing out at the United States. Folks, most of us probably get insulted every day, or at least every week, but people who are seriously troubled about their beliefs are the dangerous ones, since people who feel confident in themselves and any beliefs, religious or political, don't run around in a panic, lashing out at others, because someone said something about them. The fearful ones try to suppress differing views or go out of their way to prove their beliefs are stronger by attacking others. These are signs of weakness, not strength. Such insecure people wall themselves off, fearful someone or some view might actually change them, and they're terrified! "What if my beliefs are wrong? Ahhhhhhhhh! I don't want to know!"

Communism in eastern Europe built walls and barbed-wire fences, complete with armed guards in gun towers, for the announced purpose of keeping aggressors out of their "paradise," but the propaganda fooled no one, as the walls and fences were built to keep their own people from experiencing anything beyond their own imagined "Garden of Eden," because they were too afraid their own ideas and life style could not stand up in comparison or criticism. Such weak egos are VERY dangerous. Some people don't want to know or to search for truth. They are content with their beliefs, and they don't care how flawed their beliefs might be. "Two plus two is five," and they are happy to believe that and they don't want anyone telling them it's three...ah, wait a second, let's see... oh...four! The whole point is, weak leaders exploit the lack of education and backwardness of some to keep control of such people.

Like it, not like it, change requires criticism, something none of us is especially fond of when it is directed at us. Moderates, or people who really practice peaceful religion do not always speak up, so the fanatics take over. Remember, you may feel very strongly about your religion, but your religion is sacred to YOU, not necessarily to others. I try to accept people's religious beliefs, but behavior such as that mentioned above makes it very difficult. This kind of religious terror, however,  is a reality and we're going to have to live or die with it. When you have "elements of a religion" (not everyone) say that no one can criticize their religion, or we'll kill you, there's no room for any discussion with such people. When you have these same elements attacking members of other religions or nationals from other countries, just because one person, or one small group of people affiliated with a particular religion or nation, insulted their religion, this has all the ingredients of major world tension for a long, long time to come; and that's if we don't blow the world to pieces over such things first.

Christianity also has fanatics and the history of Christianity is not pretty. It is filled with hatred, violence, killing and intolerance; and that's just among people who called themselves Christians! Christianity also has been highly intolerant of other religions, although some of that has lessened in more recent times, especially in relation to Judaism. Islam has also had such a troubled history within its own ranks. Christianity and Islam have had a very contentious relationship throughout history, but with periods of relative peace. People from both religions have perpetrated atrocities against members of the other religion. Sometimes it's difficult to tell the difference between religious and political fanatics, since some fanatics wrap themselves in the garb of religion to spew their hatred. As I said, I generally respect people's religious beliefs, but some things are not purely religious, nor can we allow zealots to try to pull us back to medieval, or even to ancient, times.

WORD HISTORY:
Fanatic-The ultimate origin of this word is uncertain. It goes back to Latin "fanum," which meant "temple." This then produced "fanaticus," which had the notion of "something derived from the temple," which then led to the extended meaning "inspired by a deity." The fervor of some religious people in Roman times led to the further meaning "frenzied or overzealous religious person," a further development of which dropped the religious necessity to become "mad, insane person." English borrowed the word in the earlier part of the 1500s, but its pronunciation apparently was strongly influenced by French "fanatique," a word Latin-based French inherited from its Latin ancestor. In English the word gradually assumed the meaning "overzealous person," a meaning even used in Roman times.