Indian Style Pickled Red Onions

Pickled fruits and vegetables are quite common among the various nationality groups of the Indian Subcontinent, and these "pickled red onions" are a frequent accompaniment to foods there. Chili peppers are also a big part of the food cultures of the Indian Subcontinent, and they are added to pickled onions, but they don't typically add mouth numbing heat to the onions. Red onions are the usual choice for pickling on the Indian Subcontinent, and some people there use small red onions, simply peeled and perhaps with a cut or two into the onion to allow the brine to enter, but larger red onions are also used, and they need to be sliced about a quarter of an inch wide so that the pickling brine can do its work. 

 

 

Ingredients:

  

1 large (baseball size) red onion, peeled

1 to 1 1/2 cups water

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1 to 3 teaspoons sugar (depending upon desired tartness/sweetness)

1 teaspoon salt

8 black peppercorns, cracked (not obliterated)

1 inch piece of grated ginger 

1 to 3 small chilies, slit (or use dried chilies, they will re-hydrate in the brine)

3 to 4 beet slices (not pickled)

Add the water, white vinegar, sugar, salt, cracked peppercorns, grated ginger and chilies to a pan over high heat. Stir to mix the ingredients around, Let the brine come to a boil for 20 to 30 seconds, then turn off the heat. Let the brine sit while you peel the onion and slice it into rounds about 1/4 inch thick, and then halve the rounds. Separate the onion half rings. Put the half rings into a bowl or jar (remember: non reactive), then pour the somewhat cooled brine over the onions. Cover (with a lid for the jar or a plate for a bowl) and let sit about 30 minutes, by which time the mixture should be cooled down and ready to be placed into the refrigerator. Leave the onions in the frig for 12 to 36 hours before serving. It's best to use the pickled onions within a week.  

 

WORD HISTORY:

Crowd-This word goes back to Indo European "greud/grewt," which had the idea of "to press, to push (against)." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "krudanan," with the same meaning, which gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "crudan" meaning "to press or drive forward or against." This then became "cruden," "crouden," "croudyn," before the modern version. The 1300s saw the noun form develop with the meaning, "the act of pressing or driving forward or against," and by the mid 1500s came the meaning "a large number of people closely collected together in the same area (with the density of people implying that they were pressing and shoving against each other)." As time passed, this meaning lost the notion of "pressing and shoving," and it simply took the meaning of "a group of people assembled in a particular area, often for some type of entertainment or common purpose," and this meaning was unique to English, as none of the other Germanic languages developed this exact sense. German once had "kroten" (press), Lowe German once had "kruden" (pressing, pushing, shoving), Dutch once had "kruien/cruien" (pressing, pushing, overrunning), Frisian once had "kruie/krude."

Indian Fried Cheese in Chili Gravy

Paneer is a compressed form of fresh cheese. It is available in cheese shops, Indian/Pakistani grocery stores and some supermarkets. It is very similar to farmer's cheese, and I've read that you can use farmer's cheese or tofu as a substitute, although I've never used either of these for this recipe. This is an Indian dish with Chinese influence. You can make it as mild or as spicy hot as you'd like, but at least I hope you'll use the ground red pepper to experience a little "kick" to the recipe. "Heat lovers" can add both the ground red pepper and 2 to 4 fresh hot chilies, which should keep their mouths blazing, their foreheads sweating and their moods happy. Some people make a batter to coat the cheese before frying it, but I've dry coated the paneer, although I've also made batter fried paneer. Both are wonderful, but I give this recipe the edge. Americans and Canadians, at least, would likely call the liquid part a "sauce," but the people of the Indian Subcontinent call it "gravy," and that's groovy by me. Good served with rice or with naan or roti bread.    

Ingredients (2 to 3 servings)

To fry the paneer:
1/2 to 2/3 pound paneer, cut into about 3/4 inch cubes
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper or hot paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground black or white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil (more if needed)

To make the gravy:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
3 green onions (with green), chopped
1 tablespoon grated/minced ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 to 4 hot chilies (serranos or jalapeños are good), chopped (seeds removed if you prefer)
1 chopped Roma tomato (or medium tomato) with juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon ground hot red pepper (like cayenne)
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika (the redder the bedder ... ah, better)
1/2 teaspoon ground black or white pepper
1 tablespoon butter 
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar 
1 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch well mixed with 3 to 4 tablespoons water  

To fry the paneer: In a bowl, add the cornstarch, flour, ground red pepper, ground white or black pepper, turmeric and salt, mix well. Add the paneer cubes to the dry mixture and gently turn to coat. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Shake excess flour mixture from each paneer cube, then add the cubes to the skillet. Lightly brown the cheese cubes on all sides by frying for a total of about 4 minutes (do not overcook, or the cheese will become tough; just lightly brown it, and the outside will have a slightly firm texture, while the inside will remain nice and soft). Drain the paneer cubes on paper towels. To make the gravy: Have your ingredients lined up and ready to go. You can use the same skillet and just add enough oil to make about 3 tablespoons, heat the oil over medium heat, then add the green and red pepper and stir, then about 1 minute later add the chili peppers and stir, then add the grated ginger and minced garlic and stir well. After about 30 seconds, add the tomato and stir, then add the soy sauce, ketchup, ground red pepper, paprika, and ground white or black pepper, stir very well. Add the rice vinegar, the sugar and the butter, stir until the butter melts, then add the water, stirring well to get everything mixed together. Let the gravy cook until it bubbles, then begin stirring in the cornstarch/water mixture, and let the gravy thicken to your preferred level of thickness.     

With naan bread ...

WORD HISTORY:
Paneer (also "panir")-This word's ultimate origin is uncertain, but it goes back to Persian "pynl," which meant "cheese," in general. This then developed to transliterated Persian "panir," which was taken by Hindi/Urdu as transliterated "panir." This was borrowed by English, but I cannot determine when it was borrowed. The "Merriam-Webster Dictionary" says "1954" for first use in English, but I would believe the word to have been around earlier, although perhaps not in great usage. It is still not a terribly common word in American English, but it might be used more in British English because of Britain's colonial connection to India. I would think mainly people with knowledge of foods from the Indian subcontinent or cheese experts are most commonly familiar with it. Other sources do not even give a presumed date for an English borrowing.    

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." 

Bhutanese Chilies & Cheese: Ema Datshi

Bhutan, pronounced "boo-tawn," is a country located in the Himalayan Mountains. When India was a colony of Britain,* Bhutan was heavily tied to British foreign policy, but it remained independent in domestic rule. When India gained independence, which resulted in Pakistan becoming a separate country,** India assumed the same role in foreign policy with Bhutan, until Bhutan finally achieved total control of its own affairs. The people of Bhutan LOVE hot chili peppers, so don't be surprised by the amount of chilies used in this dish, which is a stew and it is one of the national dishes of Bhutan. You can certainly tone down the heat some by using fewer chilies, or by substituting bell pepper for some of the hot chilies, but to be quite honest, if you don't like much heat, this dish is not for you, and it IS SUPPOSED TO BE HOT. I use a mixture of green and red chilies. The first time I made this, while I love chilies, I thought I would likely have to call the fire department to extinguish the fire in my mouth, but it wasn't nearly as hot as I had thought it would be. Cooking chilies often reduces some of the heat, and that's what happens with this dish, but it IS HOT. When seeding and slicing hot chilies, use rubber gloves to protect your hands. In Bhutan they tend to use homemade yak cheese, but I checked with my neighbors, and nobody had a yak; so, after looking over some 20 recipes for this dish, I found that a mix of blue cheese (I like Gorgonzola piccante) and feta works well, but I've used cheddar or Muenster as the second cheese too. I'm hoping by the next time I make this dish, someone nearby will have a yak. 
  
Ingredients:

2 inch piece of ginger, chopped
2 cups hot green or red chilies (or mixed), seeded and cut into lengthwise strips
1 1/2 cups sliced onion strips 
zest of 1/2 lemon, grated
juice of 1/2 lemon  
1 teaspoon ground or crushed Sichuan peppercorns (or ground black pepper/crushed peppercorns)
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (or sweet paprika for no heat)
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes, they can be juicy (or use tomato puree)
1/3 cup water (if needed, or use less than 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup mixed pieces Gorgonzola cheese and feta cheese
2 tablespoons vegetable oil + 1 tablespoon butter (or 3 tablespoons ghee/clarified butter)

Heat the oil/butter in a skillet or sauce pan, then add the ginger and the ground turmeric and saute for just a minute or so. Reduce the heat to low, then add the onion strips and saute gently for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent browning. Add the chili peppers and saute a further two or three minutes, again stirring to prevent browning of the ingredients. Add the lemon zest, peppercorns and ground cayenne pepper. Cover and cook over very low heat for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the chilies and onions are softened, but not mushy. Add the tomatoes, lemon juice and water (if needed). Cook another 5 minutes (still very low heat), then cover and cook 5 more minutes. Add and stir in the cheeses, cover again until the cheeses melt; stir to mix everything well. The dish should not be like soup, but rather it should just have some flavored liquid. Serve with rice. "Traditionally" this dish is served with red rice in Bhutan. You can find red rice in some supermarkets, or grocery stores with products from the Indian Subcontinent. For Clevelanders, it is available at the West Side Market (I'm sure other places have it too, and there is actually a little grocery store operated by a Bhutanese family not terribly far from me here in Cleveland). You can also use brown rice, or white rice.    

* In the times of British Colonial India, the areas comprising modern Pakistan and Bangladesh were part of India.

** Pakistan became a separate country with two separate and distinct geographical regions about a thousand miles apart comprising the nation. By the early 1970s, the eastern region became the separate nation of Bangladesh.

I had the Chilies & Cheese with red rice ... 

WORD HISTORY:
Mother-This word is distantly related, through Indo European, to "maternal," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English from French. It goes back to Indo European “mater/mehter," meaning "a female who bears offspring," and the offshoots of Indo European have given similar words to most of the modern European languages. The Old Germanic offshoot was “moder,” which then gave Anglo-Saxon “modor,” which then became "moder." The modern spelling with "th" didn’t evolve until the 1500s. The basic form is used throughout the other Germanic languages, as German has “Mutter,” Low German Saxon “Moder” (also "Mudder" in special cases), Dutch has “moeder," Danish has "mor," but also "moder," Swedish has “moder,” but also "mor," while Norwegian has “mor” (the "mor" forms are simply contracted forms) and Icelandic has "móðir" (essentially =mothir). Frisian once had "moder," which then became various forms in Frisian dialect (moer, Muur, Mooter), but modern West Frisian, the largest of the modern Frisian dialects, has "mem." Whether this is some form of the earlier "moder," or a development like English "mum" (British English), "mom" in American English (both from "mamma/mama/momma/mommy"), I don't know.  

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. 

Easy Flatbread of the Indian Subcontinent: Chapati, Roti

"Roti," also called "chapati," is a common unleavened whole wheat flatbread of India and other parts of the Indian Subcontinent. This bread has forms in some other parts of the world, where people from the Indian Subcontinent form parts of those communities. It is not quite the same as "pita" bread, which is a yeast-risen bread that is baked in a very hot oven.

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour, sifted (plus extra for kneading and rolling out dough)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup barely lukewarm water (a little more, if needed... see below)
1/4 teaspoon oil
melted butter or ghee (clarified butter)

In a bowl, mix the sifted wheat flour and salt, then add the water, a little at a time, mixing it into the flour until it forms a dough. Dust your counter or board with a little wheat flour, then knead the dough for about 5 to 6 minutes. It should be nice and smooth. Roll it into a ball, rub the oil over the rounded dough and cover it with a towel or paper towel and let it rest for about 15 to 20 minutes. After that, briefly knead it again and then divide it into pieces about 2/3 the size of a golf ball. Heat a nonstick skillet or a well seasoned cast iron skillet over medium high heat. While the skillet heats, pat the dough in your hand to begin to flatten it, then sprinkle a little whole wheat flour on your board or counter top again and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into flat rounds of dough about 5 to 6 inches in diameter. They should not be super thin, nor should they be thick. Put one of the rolled out roti/chapati into the skillet. Within less than a minute it should be pretty well cooked on one side, so flip it to the other side. It will begin to puff up. You can turn it back to the other side if you want more browning, or even dark brown to black spots on the bread, or you can finish by laying the bread right on the burner for JUST a couple of seconds! Great with some melted butter brushed or drizzled onto them and with some chutney* on the side. Serve them while they are still warm.

 * For Coriander Chutney, here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2018/10/indian-coriander-chutney.html

For Mint Chutney: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/07/indian-mint-chutney.html

Brushed with butter and served with Coriander Chutney...

WORD HISTORY:
Leaven-This word, related to "levitate," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English, goes back to Indo European "lengwh," which meant, "not of much weight, not heavy." This gave Latin the verb  "levare," which meant in its main essence, "to lighten in weight;" but thus also, "to lift, to raise," which produced the noun "levamen," which meant, "alleviation, something that provides relief to lift or raise something." This passed into Latin-based Old French as "levain," and meant, "a substance that makes bread dough rise by fermentation." English borrowed the word in the 1300s. The verb was derived from the noun.   

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 2 of 4

What the people of the Indian subcontinent call "buttermilk," is not exactly the same as in much of the rest of the world. It is yogurt that has much of the butterfat removed by churning or by filtering yogurt through cheesecloth or muslin, so it is low fat. 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. Chaat masala is a blend of ground spices, including black salt, available in some supermarkets, but definitely available in Indian and Pakistani grocery stores. Ground curry leaves are not the same thing as "curry powder." They are used in South Asian cooking, especially in southern India and in Sri Lanka. The leaves are typically heated before use. They are not easily found, although areas with southern Indian or Sri Lankan communities are likely to have them. You may find the ground leaves much easier. They are used as a spice. By the way, "curry powder" is a spice blend of various and numerous spices. There is no set recipe, as the choice of spices to be included is a matter of  personal preference. 

Excellent hot weather drink, but good any time of year.

Salted Buttermilk/Chaas-This drink is more common in the north. You can do this in either of two ways: use 1 cup of low fat buttermilk, then add a scant tablespoon of thick yogurt. OR, you can use 1/4 cup thick yogurt mixed with 3/4 cup cold water. You can adjust the measurements somewhat to make the drink to the thickness you wish. The people of the Indian subcontinent "tend" to drink this more on the thinner side.

Ingredients, besides the liquid component:

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon powered black salt or regular salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin + small pinch for garnishing
1/2 teaspoon chaat masala
small ice cubes or crushed ice
1 to 2 mint leaves, torn

Put the liquid component into a blender. Add the black salt, the 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and the chaat masala. Blend briefly until the drink is a bit foamy/frothy. Pour over some ice cubes in a glass, sprinkle a pinch of ground cumin on top, as well as the torn mint leaves.

Buttermilk of Southern India/Neer Mor-As with the first recipe, choose your liquid component. Then, for the other ingredients:

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 serrano chili, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon chaat masala
1/2 teaspoon ground curry leaves 

Put liquid component, ginger, lemon juice chili pepper, salt, cilantro, and chaat masala into a blender. Heat oil and then add mustard seeds until they begin to "pop." Add mustard seed/oil to blender. Blend about 30 seconds.

WORD HISTORY:
Carp-This is the noun for the fish (the verb is from a different source). "Carp" is from the Goths, whose Gothic language is classified as East Germanic, the last elements of which died out in the 1700s in the Crimea. Gothic had "karpa" for the name of the fish. Latin borrowed the word as "carpa" which it passed on to Latin-based Old French as "carpe." English borrowed the word in the second half of the 1300s, with the Latin form seemingly gaining a foothold, but then heavily reinforced by French.

Indian/Pakistani Lamb Biriyani

Often recipes from the Indian Subcontinent have a fairly long list of ingredients, but the food from there has many great spices included, so please don't be intimidated, as much of it likely will be 1 teaspoon of this, and 1/2 teaspoon of that. "Biriyani," also often spelled as "biryani," has been common within India's Muslim population. In 1947, Pakistan was separated from India, as a Muslim majority nation, and in 1971, Bangladesh, then called East Pakistan, separated from Pakistan as an independent nation. Biriyani is a rice based dish often cooked for celebrations, and it is also made with chicken, as well as with fish by some. A common accompaniment is "raita," a yogurt based dish. *

Ingredients:

For the rice:

2 cups basmati rice
3 1/4 cups water (or whatever amount your brand's instructions call for)
1 teaspoon salt
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter + 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
"good pinch" saffron threads or 2/3 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons warm water to soak the saffron
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 tablespoons sliced blanched almonds
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped 

For the lamb:

1 pound lamb, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil + 1 tablespoon butter
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cardamom  
1 large jalapeno or serrano chili pepper, finely chopped
3 tablespoons plain yogurt, thinned with about 2 tablespoons water

Follow the instructions on whatever brand of rice you use (believe it or not, there can be minor variations, between brands, or recipes). The basmati type of rice is overwhelmingly the most common type of rice used on the Indian subcontinent. The instructions will "typically" say to soak the basmati rice for some period of time in water, often with the water being changed a few to several times. Whatever method you use, cook the rice, with the teaspoon of salt in the water (the amount of water can vary somewhat by rice brand instructions). Drain the rice well. Soak the saffron in the warm water for about 30 minutes. Boil the eggs, then peel them. In a sauce pan, melt the butter, add the oil and then add the onion. Cook over medium heat until onion begins to brown lightly. Add the grated ginger and the cardamom. Cook for about 30 seconds, then add the water, the salt, the saffron/water, the cinnamon stick and the cloves. Cook until liquid just simmers. Turn the heat to low or very low, stir in the rice and cover with a lid. Cook per the instructions of your rice brand, usually about 20 to 25 minutes. Use a fork to fluff the rice, then add the sliced almonds.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, add the oil and melt the butter. Brown the lamb on all sides, remove the lamb from the skillet. Add the garlic and chili pepper. Cook for about 30 seconds only. Add the lamb pieces to a slow cooker, then add the heated oil, garlic and chili pepper, then add the black pepper, cumin, coriander and cardamom. Cook on "high" for one hour, then set the heat to "low" and cook until the meat is very tender, "about" 3 or 4 hours. After an hour of cooking on "low," stir in the thinned yogurt.

Serve a layer of rice with the lamb on top. Garnish each serving with some chopped egg.

* This is the link to my article about "raita:" http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/03/raita-to-cool-heat-of-spicy-indian.html

WORD HISTORY: 
Cube-The "assumption" is, "cube" is of Indo European origin, being passed from an Indo European root to Lydian, an ancient Indo European language in what is modern Turkey. Lydian seems to have died out around 100 BC. The Lydian form was a transliterated "kybos," which was the name of a game played with dice. This was borrowed by Greek as "kýbos," with the meaning, "square, die/dice, cube." Latin borrowed the word from Greek as "cubus," meaning, "die/dice, mass, lump, cube." This was passed to Latin-based Old French as "cube," and meaning, "a six-sided square shaped form." This was borrowed by English in the 1500s, likely from Latin, but altered in spelling by the French form. With Latin being the language of the Christian Church for so long, and with French being a Latin-based language, it is often difficult to tell whether certain words were borrowed from Latin or from French. There is a similar situation in English with some words of Germanic origin. Old English vocabulary was overwhelmingly Germanic, then Old Norse, another Germanic language, was brought to part of England by what were often collectively called "Danes," although not all were from Denmark. Many words were naturally very similar, and it is difficult to determine at times, if some of our modern words trace back to Old English itself, or to the similar forms brought in by Old Norse.    

Indian Mint Chutney

Chutneys are common throughout the Indian subcontinent and this is another good one, featuring mint. As with other chutneys, there are variations to this recipe, with one variation being that some do not use yogurt, but use only water to make mint chutney.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup plain yogurt (Indian or Greek style yogurt, which are thicker, will make it more authentic)
3/4 cup fresh coriander
1  2/3 cups fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 serrano or jalapeno chili pepper, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
1 tablespoon Indian curry powder
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt (or black salt, if you have it)*

Because everything will be processed/blended, the ingredients do not have to be uniformly chopped/cut. Add all ingredients into a blender/food processor and blend briefly to form more of a chunky paste.

* There are a few types of black salt, including one used in black magic and is not for consumption. Hawaiian black salt has charcoal mixed in. Indian black salt has a sulfur (British English: sulphur)  content. It is fairly commonly used in the cooking of the Indian subcontinent. Indian black salt is available in "some" supermarkets, "some" herb and spice shops, Asian shops or Indian/Pakistani product shops, as well as online. Both Hawaiian and Indian black salts are believed by some to have health benefits.

Mint chutney with some Indian style flatbread

WORD HISTORY:
Cummerbund-This is a compound word, with the first part going back to Indo European "khemm," which had the notion of, "bend, twist, curve." This gave Persian^ the transliterated "kamar," which meant, "waist" (get it? "curved part of the body"). The second part of this word, "bund," is related to "bind," "band" and "bound." It traces back to the Indo European root "bhendh," which had the notion of "tying up something." This gave transliterated Persian "band," "something that binds." The Persian compound was thus, "kamarband;" that is, "cloth that binds around the waist." This passed into Hindi and Urdu^^ as the transliterated "kamarband," and English borrowed the term in the early 1600s. German later borrowed the word from English as, "Kummerbund."

^ Persian is from the Indo Iranian branch of the Indo European family of languages. It is related to English, but much further down the family tree.

^^ Both Hindi and Urdu are Hindustani languages from the Indo-Aryan part of the Indo Iranian branch of Indo European. They are related to English, but much further down the family tree.