Souring Agents
Souring agents
are often used in curries and make up one of the constituent flavours.
The complex tastes of curry which combine the sweetness of onions, the hot
chillies, coconut and yoghurt are rounded off with the sour tang of tamarind
or one of the other souring agents. Hindu cooks tend to use souring agents
more often in their dishes. They are not found in Moghai cuisine, although
Hyderabadi Muslims have incorporated the sour flavour in the wonderful hybrid
combination of Deccani and Moghlai cooking.
Tamarind
The fruit
of the tamarind, which grows in Southern India on large graceful trees, is
the most popular souring agent in this region. The pods are picked, de-seeded,
dried and pressed into blocks. To prepare the flesh for use in cooking
they are soaked in water, the juice is then squeezed from the pulp, and
the water is then used. Tamarind flesh is sometimes ground with spices and
used in some Goan and Mangalorian dishes.
Vinegar
Anglo-Indian,
Parsee cooking and regions influenced by the Portuguese, namely: Goa, Kerala,
and Mangalore use vinegar as a souring agent.
West Coast
Indians use coconut vinegar. Cider, grape or cane sugar vinegar may be used.
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Tomato
The Portuguese
brought tomatoes to India in the sixteenth century. They have, this century,
become very popular as a cooking ingredient and are cultivated across the
entire Indian sub-continent.
Sweeter Italian
tomatoes should be avoided in curry making.
Yoghurt
Home-made
yoghurt is the norm in India. Here is the simple recipe: - warm the milk,
cool and add a little live culture to the milk and leave overnight. A tropical
climate helps to set the yoghurt more easily.
Mango
Mangoes (kairi)
grow all over India in the summer months. During spring unripe green raw
mangoes are used to make chutneys and pickles and finely chopped as a seasoning.
'Cheeks' of raw mango are added to curries and dhal as souring
agents. These cheeks are also sun-dried and powdered and are known
as amchoor which is used only as garnish on vegetable savouries
or dal and not in cooking.
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RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Seyal
Gosht (Sindi Bombay)
Slow cooked
with Onions in Yoghurt.
This Sindhi
dish is cooked in onions and herbs without the addition of water (the meaning
of Seyal). Lamb is braised in lots of chopped onions, tomato and yoghurt
and flavoured with whole and ground spices and herbs. It has a wholesome
flavour with a thick-textured gravy. It is best eaten with rotis or
on slices of bread to soak up the thick onion sauce. If you prefer to eat
it with rice make a pulao. This dish is great for Sunday lunch or
a brunch.
Required
ingredients: (to serve 6)
1kg (2 ¼ lb.) Lamb, mixed chops &
stewing
lamb |
|
850g (1 ¾ lb.) onions chopped ½ cups full fat yoghurt |
| 450g (1lb)
tomatoes |
|
2 cups fresh
dhunia leaves |
| 3 green chillies |
|
4 cinnamon
or bay leaves |
| 6 green cardamom
pods |
|
2 black cardamom
pods large |
| 6 cloves |
|
1 blade of
mace |
| 12 peppercorns |
|
1 teaspoon
of green cardamom powder |
| 1 teaspoon
caraway seeds |
|
2/3
cup oil |
6 teaspoons
of chopped fresh ginger
6 teaspoons
chopped garlic |
|
2 teaspoons
red chilli powder of paprika if you require a milder dish |
| 5cm (2in)
cassia or cinnamon stick |
|
½
teaspoon turmeric powder |
| 4 ½
teaspoons coriander powder |
|
Salt to taste |
| 2 teaspoons
cumin powder |
Method
- Purée
the tomatoes in a blender and transfer to a bowl, and then purée the
onions and place in a bowl.
- Blend
in processor the green chillies, yoghurt and Dhunia (coriander leave). Marinate
the meat in this mixture for minimum one hour.
- If you
do not enjoy eating whole spices in your food you can make a bouquet garni
by tying the bay leaves, cardamoms, black peppers, mace cloves, cinnamon
in a little cheesecloth.
(Remember
to remove the bag after cooking)
- Heat half
the oil in saucepan, add puréed onion and cook over a moderate heat
for approximately 20 minutes, one needs to reduce the moisture, stir from
time to time.
- While
you are cooking the above you can fry the whole spices (or bouquet garni)
in the balance of the oil. After 2 minutes add the garlic and ginger, followed
2 minutes later by the coriander, cumin, turmeric and red chilli powders
and 3 tablespoons of water. Stir well to blend in the spice with the oil.
Sauté for a further 2 minutes and add to the onion mixture.
- To this
add the puréed tomato and sauté for another five minutes.
- Remove
from the heat and add to the meat and yoghurt and marinate for another hour.
- Mix in
2 teaspoons of salt well and cook on high for 5 minutes to seal the meat
juices in. Now cook slowly on low heat until meat is tender. You can if preferred
cook this in an earthenware casserole in a pre-heated oven at 160°C
/Gas Mark 3/ 325°F for approximately 1 ½ hours.
- For a
wonderful aroma sprinkle the crushed caraway seeds and the cardamom powder
over the food before serving.
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