Favorite Things List

I still can't get used to converting the temperature from farhenheit to celsius; the full impact of the cold does'nt hit me otherwise. So its 45 degrees in San Francisco today ...hmm 7.2 degrees celsius and as usual I am referencing it to the Delhi winter. I felt the chill while walking out of work today , but it has felt colder in Delhi. The comfort of knowing the temperature in celsius, weight in kilos, or the comfort of piping hot paranthas which would be ready when I got home. Things have changed so much ..

And coming to this blog; it is definitely going to be a fair challenge. The reason being that I cook by instinct. I eyeball ingredients, smell, watch , and adapt according to my instinct. In order to write, I now have to measure , report changes , quantify and leave no room for adaptation. But don't hold me to that because the joy of Indian cooking is that it is not an exact science like baking. I have always revelled in flexibility...usually you get pleasant surprises. Right now I am just jotting down my thoughts about ingredients and gadgets that have become integral to my cooking.

1. Condensed Milk - Most Indian sweets are milky and condensed milk cuts the cooking time drastically. A lot of us grew up on tins of Amul and Milkmaid which are cloyingly sweet brands of condensed milk. I prefer unsweetened evaporated milk so I can control the sugar I add to the dish. However the sweetened version works too- you just need to keep tasting it to make sure you are on track and also add it at the last minute, in order not to burn the sugar. And of course you can always eat it straight from the tin.

2. Dried Mango Powder - Dried mango powder or khatai or aamchoor is the soul of your dal. Different parts of India use different ingredients to add tartness to their curries, kokum flowers and lime juice in the west, tamarind in the south , and aamchoor on the north. Being from the north, I am partial to aamchoor however I use copious amounts of tamarind in my cooking as well.

3. King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour - My quest for the perfect flour in America, well suited to Indian cooking stopped here. It beats all the flour you can get in Indian stores. I find those brands a tad too refined. However this flour is perfect for making golden brown ( not white) paranthas and chapatis. The other advantage is that you get it at a lot of places. Go no further than your local Trader Joe's.

4. Kohinoor Basmati Rice My favorite brand of basmati rice, a little longer and thinner than the other brands. I prefer this brand for most of my cooking exept khichadi and rice pudding, when you want your rice a little starchier and mushier.

5. Tamarind - I use tamarind in everything from lentil stews to curries.The sweet tangy tartness of tamarind or imli is unmatched.

6. Thai Chillies - Little and hot but pretty high on the scoville scale ..I am a person who adds paprika to my eggs. You can buy a whole bush of green thai chillies, wash, dry, and freeze to use whenever you need them.I will always add fire to my food, however I have tempered in down in my recipes on this blog. Sometimes I do end up using serrano peppers as well.