The Three Vital Ingredients



Finely chopped garlic, Indian green chillies and finely shredded ginger

With the influence of Indian & Chinese food in the west for the last 40 years we are using more and more garlic, ginger and chillies in our foods today, then ever before.

We want more chilli in our dishes or it seems to taste bland, more garlic in our sauces, shredded ginger in our soups, the uses are endless. Theses three ingredients bring a certain flavour, tang, texture and heat to our dishes bringing them alive. These three vital ingredients also carry substantial health. 

A curry is nothing without these three key ingredients, used chopped, pureed or grated; the amount is up to you. Many forms of garlic, ginger and chillies can be purchased from grocers today, in the form of pastes, pureed, frozen pastes, frozen whole pieces and dry powdered forms.

Insist on fresh garlic, ginger and chillies.

Hot Mixture

Garam Masala (Hot Mixture) is a blend of 5 to 7 different whole spices ground into a powder. It’s a key ingredient to Indian cooking and adds flavour and colour to any dish. People tend to sprinkle it over the dish, just at the end, though it can be used early in the cooking process. Available in all good Indian grocery shops, there are many brands and qualities to choose from or make it yourself at home.

I remember making one with around 20 different whole spices roasted in a large wok until fumes filled the kitchen, the smoke alarm went off and I couldn’t see what I was doing because my eyes were burning from the intoxicating incense! After the spices cooled down, I ground them in a coffee grinder, sieved and bottled to use in all my favourite dishes; believe me it was a potent mixture!

To make Garam Masala yourself, try this typical mixture, grind them in a coffee grinder until finely ground and use:

 1 tsp Black peppercorns

3 pcs Cassia Bark

1 tsp Cloves

2 Black Cardamoms (seeds only)

1 tsp Whole Coriander Seeds

1 tsp Black Cumin

3 pcs Whole Red Chilli

Green Lentil Dal

A Selection Of Lentils & Beans

Through the years lentils and beans have increasingly become more and more popular throughout the west, especially amongst vegetarians, due to their nutritional value. From various types of lentils to making Indian dals or soups to a wide selection of beans used in salads or curried dishes, the uses are endless.

For those who have never cooked with lentils before, I cook with them all the time and recently tried a recipe with green lentils and was blown aware with the soft nutty, creamy texture. That I had to put this recipe up and recommend that vegetarians and non- vegetarians alike, get cooking!

Ingredients

500gm green lentils

2 medium onions, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, finely sliced

1 ½ inch piece ginger, finely sliced

2-3 fresh green chillies, finely chopped

5 medium tomatoes, chopped

40gm fresh coriander finely chopped

1tsp turmeric powder

1tsp chilli powder

2tsp ground coriander

1tsp ground cumin

½tsp ground white pepper

2tsp salt

6tbsp sunflower oil

½ juice of fresh yellow lemon 

Serves 4-6

Preparation

First of all, you will have to soak the lentils for upto 12 hours.  Use a big pot, a litre of water and cover with a lid.

Remove the water and add 750ml of fresh cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes, remove from the heat and leave to one side.

In another large pan, heat up the oil on a medium heat, once hot, throw in the, onions garlic, ginger, green chillies and saute until brown.

Throw in the fresh coriander and stir fry for a minute.

Add in the chopped tomatoes, reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle in all the dried spices, stir well and pour in the lentils and lemon juice. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Green Lentil Dall

Cumin Seeds

Cumin, Jeera or Safaid Jeera, is one of the most extensively used whole spice in Indian cooking. Part of the parsley family, similar looking to caraway seeds with its small oval ridged shape 3-5mm long. The greyish-brown seed produces a slightly hotter and bitter taste and is either used whole or in its grounded form.

In south Asian cooking the seeds are often stir fried in hot oil, which helps infuse the oil with its flavour and enhance various types of savoury dishes. Ground cumin is also readily available and used widely in Indian and other cuisines the world over.

Roasting these seeds in a skillet on a medium heat until they turn brown and either used whole or coarsely/fine grounded, brings out a complete different and stronger aromatic flavour of cumin. Though be aware that using to much cumin can also destroy and make a dish taste very bitter.

Used in: Dried/Curried Vegetables, Chicken, Meats & Fish Dishes, Lentils/Soups, Rice Dishes, Stir Fries, Sauces, Marinades, Curry Powder, Chutneys, Indian Breads

Our own Fasal brand of Cumin seeds is one of the highest qualities available on the market, hand cleaned and available in 100gm, 300gm, 1kg, and 4kg bags.

Cassia Bark

Cassia Bark (dalchini or kashasi) is the dried bark of Cassia, a small evergreen tree, found in India, China and Vietnam. The bark produces a spicy sweet bitter taste while giving off an aromatic smell when added to dishes. Cassia is widely used in Indian cooking than the more expensive cinnamon sticks, though perhaps not as pungent, though serving the same purpose. The bark cannot be grinded to form a powder like you can with the sticks, as the bark is much thicker and rougher in texture. The bark is often used whole and in small amounts an inch of bark or two at a time as they can often overpower a dish.
Used in: Meat & other types of curry dishes, certain rice’s dishes and even tea.

Garlic Lovers

Garlic (Lasun) with a wide range of immune-boosting properties, garlic is used widely all over the world. Used to flavour and enhance dishes with its pungent aroma and taste. Whether using pastes, chopped, sliced, whole or even powdered, it adds that additional flavour and tang.

Bav's Garden Grown Stalks

The Green Lasun (Green Garlic), as we call it in Indian is the stalks or scallion of garlic cloves that are planted in soil and grown. These stalks are often cut off by farmers and disregarded in order for them to grow bigger garlic bulbs. This powerful garlic infused stalks/scallions are increasingly becoming popular with chefs and kitchens all over, finely chopped and used in a variety of sauces and marinades for a milder garlic flavour.

Grow your own at home in a green house or between May and July in a vegetable patch by planting garlic cloves 2 inches apart, skin-on and pointy bit facing the top, an inch deep into soil. Water occasionally and allow up to 6 weeks for the shoots to grow up to 30 centimetres. Remove the entire shoot including the bulb as in the first picture, clean and remove the outer layer of the garlic clove which should be soft by now, as in the second picture. Finely chop up and use in your favourite dishes instead of garlic. (Note; Using different qualities of garlic will produce different qualities of stalks and if you leave the stalks too grow for a longer period than the stalks harden and they're become tough to chop and cook with.)

Green garlic is available fresh in season at farmers markets or specialist south Asian grocers, often from India which has a more pungent lingering smell. You can also purchase the frozen kind at selected Asian grocers though it's just not the same.

Cumin Seeds

Cumin Seeds (Jeera or Safaid Jeera), is one of the most extensively used whole spice in Indian cooking. Part of the parsley family, similar looking to caraway seeds with its small oval ridged shape 3-5mm long. The greyish-brown seed produces a slightly hotter and bitter taste and is either used whole or in its grounded form.
In south Asian cooking the seeds are often stir fried in hot oil, which helps infuse the oil with its flavour and enhance various types of savoury dishes. Ground cumin is also readily available and used widely in Indian and other cuisines the world over.
Roasting these seeds in a skillet on a medium heat until they turn brown and either used whole or coarsely/fine grounded, brings out a complete different and stronger aromatic flavour of cumin.

Though be aware that using to much cumin can also destroy and make a dish taste very bitter.

Used in: Dried/Curried Vegetables, Chicken, Meats & Fish Dishes, Lentils/Soups, Rice Dishes, Stir Fries, Sauces, Marinades, Curry Powder, Chutneys, Indian Breads

Mustard Seeds

Black Mustard Seeds

Mustard Seeds (rai or sarson), are tiny round seeds that come in three standard variations, black, brown, white and are commonly used to make mustard sauce, the darker the colour of the seeds the stronger the mustard sauce. Though note that the seeds are not as strong or hot as mustard sauce, this only happens when the seeds are broken or crushed and mixed with cold water. More

It is mostly the black and brown mustard seeds that are widely used in south Asian cuisine throughout the various regions and cultures. The seeds are often used whole and are added in the beginning of the cooking process by stir frying them in hot oil for around a minute or until they stop crackling, which in return produces a delightful nutty aroma to the dish. Often used in spicy dry or curried vegetables, hot or cold savoury snacks, spicy lentil dalls/soups, fish dishes, chutneys and pickles.

Mustard powder (ground mustard seeds) is also used to flavour curries in the west, the hot, powerful aroma gives a certain kick and consistency to the dishes and is one of the key ingredients to a good curry powder.

Mustard oil is widely used in Bengali cuisine, especially to make fish curries. It is darker in colour than other oils, spicier and has a distinctive nutty smell. It is always heated to high temperatures in India to get rid of any high levels of toxins such as erucic acid, which is considered noxious before it is used; this is when the oil starts to smoke in the pan. Though mustard oil is not considered suitable for human consumption by European Union due to the high levels of erucic acid found, it is still available to purchase in the west with low levels, though with 'for external use only' written on the bottle. I can tell you that this type of mustard oil is used in the west, quite commonly in people's homes and restaurants throughout, though the oil is heated until it is smoking before it is used.

Indian Cottage Cheese

Paneer is a Persian/Indian cheese, made from curdling heated milk by adding lemon juice or vinegar, the result a non-melting cheese like the texture of Greek or Turkish Halloumi.

It has increasingly become more and more popular in the last 15 years in the west, amongst Indian & Pakistani vegetarians due to the high protein content and also a substitute to meat. You will find it in nearly all good south Asian restaurants, made in various styles and combinations like: Paneer Somasos (minced paneer in rectangular pastry), Paneer Tikka (marinated paneer char grilled), Paneer Chilly (semi-dry chilly dish) or Palak Paneer (with spinach).

You can buy paneer from all good south Asian grocers, just like package cheese and is sold according to its weight, either in the form of blocks or cubed pieces.

Lightly fried paneer cubes

The Indian Breath Freshener

Cloves (Lung or Lavang) This whole spice has many different characteristics from its pungent woody smell, rose shaped body to its bitter, sweet, sharp and fiery taste. Used in little amounts, it adds flavour and aroma to various Indian savoury and sweet dishes.

Next time you cook rice, add 2-3 cloves to the water for aromatic flavour.


Fact: People in India chew on cloves as a breath freshener, as well as using clove oil for toothaches; it really works!