Indian Rice Pudding: Chawal Ki Kheer

Long grain rice, like basmati rice, is commonly used for this dessert dish. Unlike the rice pudding we generally make in the U.S., which is firmed up; that is, "set," the Indian-style is more fluid, but not totally so, and it is usually served while still warm. I checked probably about 25 recipes for this dessert, and all of them used almonds, while some also used pistachios or cashews, and a couple used both pistachios and cashews. I like raisins, and the Indian recipes all kind of skimp on raisins, in my opinion, so I add a little more to my own recipe, but you can always tailor things to your own taste. 

 

You can use store bought ground cardamom or grind you own cardamom (I use a mortar and pestle). 

Rosewater is available in supermarkets or spice shops. It isn't really expensive.

 

Ingredients (4 to 6 servings):

 

1/2 cup basmati rice, rinsed, then soaked in water for 30 minutes

12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) evaporated milk; that is, 1 can (NOT sweetened condensed canned milk)

2 1/2 cups regular whole milk

5 tablespoons sugar

8 to 10 saffron threads

3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 tablespoons slivered almonds

1 tablespoon chopped cashews

1 tablespoon chopped pistachio nuts

2 tablespoons golden raisins

(optional) 1 or 2 teaspoons rosewater

 

Soak the basmati rice for 30 minutes. Heat milk in a heavy bottom pan over low heat, stirring often, until the milk boils. In a small cup or dish, add 2 tablespoons hot milk and the saffron threads and set it aside to steep. Drain the rice and add the rice to the hot milk, stir well. Keep the heat low and let the rice cook. After 10 minutes, add the sugar and ground cardamom and stir well to mix; continue cooking, stirring occasionally. After another 4 to 5 minutes, add the chopped nuts and golden raisins, stir well again, then add the saffron/milk mixture and mix well again. Cook until the rice is very tender, by which time the dish should be fairly thick and creamy. Stir in the rosewater (if using) and remove from the heat. Let sit for a few minutes, stir and serve warm; refrigerate unused portion.  

 

 

  

WORD HISTORY:

Tally-This word, used as both a noun and as a verb, is related to "tailor," "detail," "retail" and "entail," all words of Latin-derivation and borrowed by English via French. "Tally" is of unknown origin, and its history is somewhat difficult, but Latin had the noun "talea," meaning "a narrow or slender piece of wood;" thus, "a stick, a twig, a rod," which passed to Latin-based Old French as "taille" meaning "a stick with marks cut into it to show an amount or amounts (usually for debts, including taxes;" thus, 'an account')." (Note: The idea of cutting marks into sticks, or even into bones, was long used by humans as a way of keeping accounts, until it eventually began to be replaced by written records.) Old French "taille" eventually was often, but not always, rendered as "tallie" in the French that had been carried to England by the Normans. English borrowed the word in the mid 1400s with the same meaning. Over time, other meanings were added like, "a recording of points/goals in sporting events" (mid 1800s), and also "a point or a goal in some competition." The verb also came about in the 1500s, "seemingly" from the Latin verb "talliare," one of the meanings of which was "to tax;" thus, initially the verb "tally" meant "to keep an accounting of taxes owed and paid," with the meaning then broadening beyond keeping tax records to simply keeping records. The verb followed the noun in the mid 1800s with the sports/competition usage "to record points/goals," and with the actual "to achieve a point or goal in a competition."     

Shrimp & Scallop Pasta with Saffron Cream Sauce

Saffron is a spice from the stigma of the crocus flower. The work needed to produce the spice saffron makes it the most expensive spice in the world, but a little saffron goes a relatively long way. If you don't have saffron and you don't care to buy it, you can substitute ground turmeric, as both spices will give a yellow/golden color to the sauce. 

Bay scallops are smaller than sea scallops and so is the bill for them, as they are cheaper.

 

Pappardelle is a type of pasta that is wide and flat, similar to many types of noodles, except that pappardelle is in long strands or ribbons. As with many types of pasta, you can get it fresh or dried. 

 

Neither Italian restaurant cooks nor Italian home cooks add cheese to sauces with seafood, nor do they sprinkle it on top of finished seafood dishes, but I'm of the feeling that a little cheese can't hurt anything, and I only put a couple of tablespoons of grated cheese in the sauce, which also helps to thicken the sauce.

 

Ingredients (4 servings):

 

To cook the shrimp:

 

2/3 pound raw shrimp, cleaned, shells saved

2 cups water

1 bay leaf

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt 

Bring 2 cups water to a boil, add 1 bay leaf, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt and shrimp shells, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer for 5 minutes; then add the shrimp and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until opaque; remove the shrimp to a separate plate temporarily. Strain the broth and return it to the pan.

 

For the overall dish:

 

2/3 pound raw shrimp (prepared with the ingredients above)

2/3 pound bay scallops

1 pound pappardelle

4 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup shrimp broth from cooking the shrimp (see preparation above)

1/2 teaspoon crushed saffron threads in 1/4 cup dry white wine

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan cheese)

2/3 cup heavy cream

pinch of ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

 

In a cup or a small bowl, add the white wine, and crush the saffron threads in the palm of your hand, then add them to the wine, stir to mix, then set it aside temporarily. Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat; add the scallops, season with a pinch of ground black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt; saute for 3 to 3 1/2 minutes, remove skillet from the heat and let scallops sit in the skillet for about 30 to 60 seconds; remove scallops individually to the separate plate with the shrimp temporarily, leaving the seasoned melted butter in the skillet. Put the skillet back on low heat, add the minced garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the garlicky butter and mix it in to make a roux and keep cooking the roux over the low heat for a total of about 2 minutes (it's okay if the roux acquires a little light tan/golden color, but you don't want it to be dark at all). While stirring constantly and steadily, add about 1/2 cup of the shrimp broth to the roux and as it thickens, add another 1/2 cup of broth, while continuing to stir. Add the saffron/white wine and stir to mix it through, then stir in the lemon juice and grated cheese. Continue on low heat for about 1 minute, then stir in the heavy cream. The sauce should have a nice pale yellowish tint to it. If you use fresh pappardelle, add it and gently mix it around in the creamy sauce. It only takes like 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes to cook fresh pappardelle al dente. If using dried pappardelle cook it separately as per the instructions on the box/bag, drain it very well, then add it to the sauce. Add the cooked shrimp and scallops and mix them through the pasta and sauce (be sure to add any juices that may have collected on the dish). Let the shrimp and scallops come up to temperature, then remove the skillet from the heat and serve.    

WORD HISTORY:

Arrest-This word is used as both a verb and a noun and the "rest" part of it is related to the verb "stay" (with the meaning :"to halt, to stop movement," also, "to hold back"), a Latin-derived word borrowed by English from French, to another verb "stay" (with the meaning: "to support, to secure, to steady"), also borrowed from French, which had it from Germanic Frankish, to another verb "stay" (meaning: "to halt some process, usually in legal matters, to halt legal proceedings"), and to the noun "stay" meaning "support," borrowed from French, which had it from Germanic Frankish, and which overlaps with "stay" meaning "rope or cable supporting a ship's mast," a word and meaning from the Germanic roots of English. "Arrest" goes back to Indo European "ad," which had the notion "at, to, toward" (it is also the ancient ancestor of English "at"), which gave Latin "ad," with the same meanings, but also, "having a connection to, in relation to;" thus also, "regarding, with or in regard to." The main body of the word goes back to Indo European "sta(h)/steh," which meant "to stand, to be stable, to be firm or in place," which gave Latin "stare" meaning "to stand," and with the prefix "re,"^ which meant "back, again, against," with the combined parts "re" and "stare" giving Latin the verb "restare" meaning "to halt, to stop, to stay back, to stay behind." "Restare" was then given the prefix "ad" with the shortened form "a," to produce Latin "arrestare" (yes, double 'r;' why, I don't know), meaning "to stop, to cause to stop;" thus also, "to hold back or restrain." This passed into Latin-based Old French as "arester/" with the meaning "to stop, to stay" and English borrowed this in the late 1300s as the verb "aresten" (then "arresten" under the influence of Latin spelling) meaning "to cause or to make someone or something to stop, to make stop for legal reason(s)." The noun had been formed in Old French from the verb as "areste," meaning "a stopping, a stoppage;" thus also, "a delay," which became "arest" in the Anglo-French used in England and English also borrowed this in the late 1300s as "arest," with the "stopping," "stoppage" meaning, and it then too came to be spelled "arrest," under the influence of Latin. The first part of the 1400s saw the word used for "a stopping and detaining by some legal authority to determine liability, if any, for some criminal act." That is by far the main meaning in modern times, although occasionally you might hear something like, "The doctor prescribed some medication to arrest the woman's hay fever." German has the noun "Arrest" (all German nouns are capitalized), "seemingly" from medieval Latin "arrestum," and meaning "to seize or confiscate, to take into custody (person or goods/property), the verb "arrestieren," borrowed from Dutch in the 1300s, which had it from either French or medieval Latin (from "arrestare," see above) and another noun, "Arrestant," meaning "one taken into custody, one put under arrest" (I didn't spend a lot of time on this, but one source says it came from a participle form of medieval Latin "arrestare," "apparently" used as a noun for "prisoner, one in custody"). Regardless of how German acquired these forms, the main noun, "Arrest," is pronounced very similarly to the pronunciation in English, and I have to believe English has influenced the pronunciation. I initially thought German may have borrowed the word from English, but that does not seem to be the case at all. When using "Arrest" in German (it is 'der Arrest,' by the way), the way to say "You are under arrest" is, "Sie stehen unter Arrest," literally, "You stand under arrest."        

^ The prefix "re" has an uncertain origin, although Indo European forms such as "ure," "wret" and "wurt/wert," have been suggested, all with some relationship to the meaning "to turn, to turn around."

Persian Rice Pilaf & Chicken: Zereshk Polo Morgh

 

I've seen various recipes for this dish and they are all similar. Persian cooks often take their time and complete several steps in the preparation. Some people make more of the fruit and nut mixture and then  mix it throughout all of the rice, while others do as I've done here, and they put a small amount of the fruit and nuts mixed with some cooked rice on top of each serving or platter of cooked rice. The rice should not come out all sticky or clumped together, but rather more as individual grains. 

 

This is much more of a dinner than just a dish, so there's a lot going on here and I know it might look intimidating, but it really isn't difficult. Persians generally use barberries in this. Barberries are used in various parts of the world, and they are a tart berry from a type of evergreen bush. They are not terribly common in the United States, but they can be easily found online, if you want authenticity, or if you just want to try something new. I substituted dried sour cherries, but you can also use dried cranberries (preferably unsweetened) in addition to, or instead of, dried cherries and raisins. Persians often use skinless chicken, but you can use skin-on chicken (note: if I use skinless chicken in a particular recipe, I sometimes add the removed skin to cook alongside the skinless chicken to add flavor; I leave it in large enough pieces that it can be fished out, but if you are using skinless chicken for health concerns, that's a totally different matter). The red pepper isn't much, so it won't leave your mouth smoking. I use pistachios, but almonds (skins removed) can also be used as a substitute, or almonds can be used along with the pistachios. Saffron is an expensive spice from crocus flowers. If you don't have saffron and you don't care to buy it, you can substitute turmeric, in addition to the amount I already have in the recipe. The cardamom pods should be crushed or slit to allow the flavor of the seeds inside to easily be released.    

 

Ingredients:

 

4 whole chicken legs (that is the drumstick and thigh together)

2 cups basmati rice

6 cups water seasoned with 1 tablespoon salt to cook the rice initially

1/2 cup water to finish cooking the rice

1 teaspoon saffron in 1/4 cup hot water (divided use after soaking)

2 tablespoons olive oil + 2 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped white or yellow onion

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon salt

2 whole slightly crushed and opened cardamom pods

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 good pinch ground red pepper (Indian, cayenne or other)

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 cup chicken stock

3 tablespoons butter

1 heaping teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup shelled and lightly roasted pistachios

 

Soak the basmati rice in some cold water from the faucet while you do other things for the recipe. Grind the saffron into a powder. A mortar and pestle is good for this, but you can use a spice grinder. Put the saffron into a small cup and add 1/4 cup hot water, stir and let it sit while the rice finishes soaking. In a large skillet, add the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add the salt, black pepper, pinch of ground red pepper, ground cinnamon, cardamom pods, ground turmeric and tomato paste; stir the spices and tomato paste to mix everything together well. Now snuggle the chicken pieces in among the onion/spice mixture. Cook for about 2 minutes, then keep turning the chicken pieces to coat them with the mixture. Cook for 4 or 5 minutes, then add 1 cup chicken stock, stir, cover the skillet with a lid or foil, turn the heat to low and let cook until the chicken is done and tender, removing the cover/lid on occasion to stir and to turn the chicken pieces. Add 1/2 the saffron water, stir and let cook just like 3 minutes. In a pan, add 6 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt, bring to a full boil. While the water is coming to a boil, drain the soaking rice, and once the water is fully boiling, add the rice to the water. Cook for 6 minutes ONLY (taste a piece of rice, the rice should still have some firmness to it, the rice does NOT have to absorb all of the water at this stage the way we normally cook rice, so much of the water will be drained off). Pour the water and rice into a colander and once the hot water runs off, place the rice and colander under the faucet and let cold water run on it for a few minutes (this stops the cooking process for the rice). In the pan you just used, add the rice back in and 1/2 cup water over very low heat, cover. Let the rice finish cooking and absorbing all of the water (this time as we more typically cook rice). Remove from the heat, but put the lid back on, let the heaping rice sit covered for 15 minutes. While that is ongoing, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a skillet over low heat, add the dried cherries (barberries or dried cranberries), golden raisins, pistachios (I lightly dry roasted the pistachios briefly, but that's certainly optional), 1 heaping teaspoon sugar and the rest of the saffron water. Stir and toss the fruits and nuts in the sweetened mixture. Now add 5 tablespoons of the cooked rice to the fruit and nut mixture and stir and toss to mix everything together very well (the rice will take on the color of the sweetened mixture). Serve by placing some of the cooked white rice on each plate, then topping each with some of the fruit/nut/seasoned rice mixture. Place a whole chicken leg next to the rice dish and add a little of the chicken sauce over the chicken pieces.  

 

           

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Cadence-This word is related to "chance" and to "case" (the noun form meaning, "the state or condition of something, something that happens;" as in, "in this case," "a court case," also the grammatical sense, "nominative case, accusative case, etc"), both words of Latin origin borrowed by English from Latin-based French, and it is related to "cadaver," a word borrowed by English from Latin. "Cadence" goes back to Indo European "khad/kad," which had the meaning, "to fall." This gave Latin "cadere," which meant, "to fall." A participle form of this verb, cadens, produced Latin "cadentia," meaning, "something that falls out, the falling out of dice (the action of such)." This passed into Italian as "cadenza," meaning "falling," but also, "the ending of a piece of music" (from the idea of "rising and falling of the rhythm and sound to end a song). This was taken by French (the basic form came from Latin, but with the extended meaning taken from Italian), and English borrowed the word in the late 1300s "seemingly" from French, but almost certainly with Italian (and perhaps Latin?) influence. It is possible that the borrowing was from Italian, but the spelling was then influenced by French. "Cadence" has since expanded the meaning to the rising and falling of one's voice in speech. 

Sicilian Bucatini With Sardines: Pasta Chi Sardi

This is one of the dishes associated with the city of Palermo on the Italian island of Sicily, although Sicilians beyond Palermo make the dish. Legend has it that an Arab cook invented the dish in the 800s (yes, 800s) on Sicily by using fish and wild fennel, both plentiful on Sicily.  

 

On Sicily, they have a type of wild fennel common to the island they use, but you'll likely have to settle for the fennel from your produce store or from your garden. Bucatini is a type of Italian pasta that is much like thick spaghetti, but with a hole running through the middle. There is an abundance of sardines in the waters off of Palermo, which is a port city in northwestern Sicily; thus, Sicilians use fresh sardines for this dish, but you can use canned sardines, and I use boneless and skinless sardines. I'm not a fan of having to pick bones out of fish, and I've found that many people who say they do not like fish, it is because of bones in the fish, not the taste of fish.

 

Ingredients (5 to 6 servings):

 

8 ounces bucatini

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup chopped fennel (including fronds), divided use

good pinch of saffron threads + 1 tablespoon tomato paste + 3 tablespoons water

3 anchovy fillets

two cans sardines (4.4 to 5 ounces each) 

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 

1/3 cup coarse breadcrumbs (panko is fine) toasted in 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

salt for the pasta water

If you use whole cleaned sardines, they will need to be butterflied and have the bones removed. Canned sardines should begin to sound better now. Haha 

Add the water, tomato paste and saffron to a cup or small bowl, stir and set it aside. In a skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat, then add the onion and saute until it begins to soften. Add the raisins, pine nuts, 1/4 cup chopped fennel, anchovy fillets; saute for 3 to 4 minutes, then add one can of sardines and cook for another 3 minutes, breaking up the sardines and anchovies (which will begin to dissolve) during that time. Now add the saffron, tomato paste and water mixture; stir well. In the meantime, cook the bucatini in boiling water, seasoned with the other 1/4 cup chopped fennel and the fronds of fennel and salt. Cook until nearly al dente. Remove the bucatini from the water with a slotted spoon or a sieve and add it to the skillet, then add 1 cup of the seasoned cooking water to the skillet and increase the heat to medium high. Add the other can of sardines (but don't deliberately break up these fish) and the ground black pepper. Stir frequently and cook until much of the liquid is gone (I used low heat). Use a small skillet to heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and toast them until golden, stirring lightly, but constantly, to prevent the breadcrumbs from getting too dark or burning. Serve the bucatini and sardines with some of the breadcrumbs sprinkled over the top. 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Vigor (British spelling: vigour)- This word is related to "vegetable," a Latin-derived word borrowed by English from French, and it is distantly related to "watch" and "wake," words from the Germanic roots of English. "Vigor" goes back to Indo European "weg/wek," which had the notion, "to be active, to be lively. This gave Latin "vigere" meaning, "to be lively, to thrive." This produced the Latin noun "vigor" (accusative: vigorem), with the meaning, "liveliness, activity;" thus also, "strength." This passed to Latin-based Old French as "vigor" (also "vigur?"), and this then became "vigour," including in the Anglo-French dialect spoken in England, all with the meaning of "strength to exert oneself in activity." English borrowed the word in the early 1300s as "vigour," and later the American spelling returned to the Latin spelling "vigor." 

Indian/Pakistani Sweetened Fried Batter: Jalebi

A squeeze bottle is great to use for this recipe. If you don't already have such a squeeze bottle, like you often see on tables in diners or restaurants for ketchup and mustard, they are usually available in dollar stores or in the kitchen utensil section of supermarkets and department stores. You may have to cut the spout a little for a bigger opening; otherwise, the opening will be too small and the batter stream will be too thin. You could also wash out an empty plastic ketchup bottle; just be sure to get the ketchup-y, vinegary taste washed out of it. I looked at perhaps 15 Jalebi recipes and most called for using orange food coloring in the batter, while a couple gave it as optional. Food coloring is something I very rarely use, although I've always kept it in the cabinet, and I mean always ... is food coloring from 1973 still safe to use? Actually, I'm joking, because I did buy some food coloring just a couple of months ago ... so I tossed the coloring from 1973. hahaha! I didn't have orange food coloring, and from what I understand, it is not commonly sold as a separate color in the U.S., so I added like 4 drops of yellow and 2 drops of red to the batter (see photo of the batter below). Jalebi is very easy to make, although getting the hang of making the spiral forms is more difficult than you might think; at least it was for me; but then again, dotting an "i" or crossing a "t" can be challenging to me. This was my first attempt at Jalebi, so if you give the recipe a try, you'll likely get the shape down to an art form within a minute or two.   

Ingredients (multiple servings):

1 cup flour
3 tablespoons chickpea flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
4 drops orange food coloring, if you have it; otherwise, 4 drops of yellow and 2 of red food coloring
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cardamon
1/4 cup yogurt
1/2 to 3/4 cup water
oil or ghee (clarified butter) for frying

For the syrup:

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
few strands of saffron (you can substitute 1 teaspoon ground turmeric)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon lemon juice

For the batter: In a bowl mix together the flour, chickpea flour, baking powder, baking soda, food coloring, turmeric, ground cardamon, yogurt and 1/2 cup water. You will almost certainly need more water, but after the initial 1/2 cup, add it a tablespoon at a time, until you reach a point that the batter is fluid, but not runny; something like the consistency of thick ketchup. Cover the bowl with a towel or some plastic wrap and let it sit on your counter for about 12 hours. This time allows the batter to ferment, and some recipes call for a little shorter time, but some recipes mention to allow the batter to sit for up to 24 hours. Now, some people don't go through this extended process; and instead, they let the batter sit like 15 to 30 minutes, or even less, then they begin to cook. Whatever you choose to do, put the batter into a squeeze bottle. Add about 1/2 inch of oil to a skillet or a pan (a skillet generally gives you room to maneuver, as it is wide, but not terribly deep, and I prefer this). Heat the oil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low or medium low, depending upon your burner settings. Squeeze the batter in a continuous stream in a circular motion to form rings of batter about 2 inches in diameter. If the batter spreads out too much, you'll need to add some flour to thicken it a bit. If you have trouble squeezing the batter from the bottle, you likely need a little water to thin the batter, but I would only add a teaspoon at a time, until you are able to get a steady stream of batter. The jalebi cook quickly, so after 20 to 30 seconds, flip the jalebi over and cook the other side; this time, likely only about 15 seconds or so. Dip the cooked jalebi into the syrup, drain any excess syrup and then put the jalebi onto a plate, or onto serving plates. Serve warm.  
For the syrup: In a heavy bottomed pan, add the sugar and water, bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady gentle simmer until the syrup thickens, stirring pretty much constantly to prevent scorching. The syrup should be just thickened enough to coat the jalebi when they are dipped in, but not so thick as to set up. 

The "Jalebi" batter ...

WORD HISTORY:
Rajah (also spelled "raja")-This word for "an Indian prince or princely ruler" is related to quite a number of words, including: "reckon," "right" and "rich," all words from the Germanic roots of English, and also to "direct," "regimen," "rex" and "regulate," all Latin-derived words borrowed by English. "Rajah" goes back to Indo European "reg" which had the idea of "move in a straight line;" thus also, "direct in a proper way;" thus also, "rule." This gave Indo Aryan (a branch of the Indo Iranian language family of Indo European) "(h)raja," which meant, "ruler, king." This gave Sanskrit^ "rajan," meaning "king, prince, ruler." This gave transliterated Hindi and Urdu "raja," with the same meanings. English borrowed the word in the mid 1500s as English involvement in India intensified, although it took a little time for the word to come into more common usage in England and other parts of Britain. It is not a common word in American English, and I dare say that many Americans would not know what you were talking about if you used it here in the U.S. It "may" have better recognition in Canadian English, as Canada has maintained more of a direct connection to the United Kingdom as a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, although Canada is an autonomous nation.    

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

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). 

Yogurt Drinks of the Indian Subcontinent, Part 1 of 4

A "lassi" * is a yogurt based drink of the Indian Subcontinent, seemingly developed in the Punjab region, a region of northern India and eastern Pakistan, but the drink spread to other parts of the subcontinent. The hot climate is ideal for these refreshing drinks, which often have ice cubes added to chill them well. There are several varieties, with the most basic being "Salted Lassi." The lassi goes well back in history, as long ago as 500 to 1000 BC, or perhaps even longer. Today, blenders or stick blenders are often used to give a lassi some froth. I'm going to do this as a multi-part article, with a couple of different recipes in each part. Besides being good, and being good for you, lassis are easy to make. There is also the use of yogurt based buttermilk on the Indian subcontinent, with "neer mor" being a spiced buttermilk drink of southern India, with "Chaas" being the term used more in the north, including in Pakistan and as "ghol" in the Bengali region of India and Bangladesh.

Salt(ed) Lassi-3/4 cup plain thick yogurt (Indian or Greek), 1/4 cup cold water, 1/3 teaspoon salt, a good pinch of ground cumin. Ice cubes for serving. Put the yogurt, the water, the salt and the cumin into a blender. Blend for about 30 seconds. There should be a nice foam topping. Pour over ice cubes in a glass.

* Usually pronounced in English like the name of the famous dog, "Lassie," but in Hindi and Urdu, it has a short "a," as in "father," and emphasis is on the second part of the word, as if, "lah-SEE." Hindi and Urdu are Indo European languages from the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo European. They are related to English, but further down the family tree. 

Saffron Lassi: This is a much richer drink: 3/4 cup plain thick yogurt (Indian or Greek style), 1/4 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, a good pinch of saffron strands soaked in two tablespoons of warm milk, a pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 or 2 tablespoons heavy cream, tablespoon crushed pistachios, 3 or 4 raisins, couple of ice cubes. Add the yogurt, milk, cardamom, saffron milk, honey and salt to a blender. Blend for about 30 seconds. Pour over a couple of ice cubes in a glass. Add a tablespoon or two of heavy cream on top, then sprinkle on the pistachios and raisins. 

WORD HISTORY: 
Pistachio-The ultimate origin of this word is unknown, but it goes back to transliterated Persian "pisteh," which was the name for the nut and for the tree. This was borrowed by Greek as transliterated "pistakion" ("pistake" for the tree), which was borrowed by Latin as "pistacium" ("pistachio nut"), which was passed onto Italian as "pistacchio," which was borrowed by French from Italian as "pistace," in the 1300s. English borrowed the word from French circa 1500, but then about one hundred years later English borrowed the Italian form, with the minor spelling adjustment to "pistachio," and this form prevailed.

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.    

Spanish Butter Bean & Chorizo Stew (Fabada Asturiana)

The Spanish name for this dish is "Fabada Asturiana," as it originated in the Asturias region (capital: Oviedo) of northwestern Spain, but the dish is not uncommon in other parts of Spain. I looked at so many recipes for this dish, I lost count, but 25 would be a good guess. Some used smoked pork belly or smoked pork hock or salt pork, but I chose, as I saw in some recipes, raw pork belly, but I added a small smoked pork hock, just to add a slight smoky flavor to the smokiness of the Spanish paprika. I used dried, and thus firm, Spanish chorizo,* which is also seasoned with paprika. I like to bake many dishes that others cook on the stove top, and this recipe was no exception. It would also be a good dish to fix in a crock pot. Frequently served in Spain with hard cider or red wine and good crusty bread. 

1 pound white beans (fabada beans, butter beans or cannellini/white kidney beans)
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 medium tomato, chopped 
3/4 pound raw pork belly (you can trim off some of the fat)
1/2 pound firm chorizo, cut into about 1/4 inch slices 
1/2 pound Spanish morcilla blood sausage (also called, "blood pudding"), cut into two inch pieces
1 small smoked pork hock (also called "ham hock")
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon sweet paprika, preferably Spanish, or Spanish-style
2 tablespoons olive oil
a good "pinch" of saffron threads (saffron is an expensive spice derived from the crocus flower. Many supermarkets or spice shops have it. The spice is a common addition to dishes in Spain; thus, I have used it in the Word History, below)
water

You can soak the dried beans overnight, or put them into a pot, cover them with water and bring the water to a boil. Add no salt to the water. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and let the beans soak in the hot water for 60 to 75 minutes. Drain. Heat the oven to 325 F. In a pot or casserole, put the beans, the onion, the garlic, the salt, the pepper, the paprika, the tomato, the olive oil and the saffron. Stir to mix the ingredients a bit. Add the bay leaf, and snuggle in the pork belly, the chorizo slices, the morcilla and the pork hock. Add enough water to almost cover everything. Cover and bake for 75 minutes. Check to see if the dish needs water added (the beans won't cook properly if they don't have water). Bake until the beans and the pork belly are tender. The paprika from the chorizo and the loose paprika, along with the saffron, will give a reddish color to the stew. You can further slice down the morcilla blood sausage before serving.  

* Americans and Canadians are much more familiar with the soft chorizo which is common in Mexico, but most Spanish chorizo is more the texture of salami or pepperoni. 

WORD HISTORY:
Saffron-The ultimate origin of this word for the expensive thread-like spice taken from the crocus flower is unknown, although an Indo European or a Semitic origin seems likely, due to the plant's history in the general area of the Middle East, where people speaking Indo European and Semitic languages interacted, sometimes peacefully, but sometimes violently. Arabic, a language from the Semitic family of languages,^ had the transliterated "zafaran," as the word for the spice. Latin borrowed the word as "safranum," and this became "safran," in Latin-based Old French. English borrowed the word in the early 1200s. Spanish has azafrán.

^  The most common modern Semitic languages are Arabic, Amharic, Hebrew and Tigrinya. Arabic and Hebrew are commonly known in much of Europe and North America, but Amharic is spoken in a large part of Ethiopia. Tigrinya is also spoken in parts of Ethiopia and Eritrea, another East African nation.