Authentic Flavors for American Menus - CIAProChef.com

it just after removing a curry from the heat. Always buy it fresh, not dried, and use the leaves and tender stems
for cooking. In Kerala it is primarily used in Muslim cooking. (MK)
Coriander Seeds, Whole and Ground (Dhania, Sabut and Pisa) These are the round, beige seeds of the
coriander plant. You may buy them already ground or you can buy whole seeds, and grind them yourself in
small quantities in an electric coffee grinder. I like to put my home-ground coriander seeds through a sieve but
this is not essential.
Ground coriander seeds, if stored for long, begin to taste a bit like sawdust. It is best at this stage to discard them
and start with a fresh batch. (MJ)
Coriander and Cumin Seed Mixture, Ground (Dhana Jeera Powder) This combination of roasted and ground
coriander and cumin seeds, in the proportion of 4 parts to 1 part, is used in Gujarat and Maharashtra. To make it,
put 4 tablespoons/60 ml/ l/3 cup of whole coriander seeds and l tablespoon /15 ml of whole cumin seeds into a
small cast-iron frying pan and place the pan over a medium flame. Stir the seeds and keep roasting them until
they turn a few shades darker. Let the seeds cool somewhat. Put the seeds into the container of a coffee grinder
or other spice grinder and grind as finely as possible. Store in an airtight container. (MJ)
Cream of Rice (idli rava) A coarsely ground rice product called idli rava in India offers a short-cut to grinding
rice from scratch. The breakfast cereal called Cream of Rice is essentially the same, so it makes a perfect
substitute. (MK)
Cumin Seeds, Whole and Ground (Zeera, Sabut and Pisa) Whole seeds keep their flavour well and may be
ground very easily in an electric coffee grinder when needed. You may also buy the seeds in their ground form.
(MJ)
Cumin is like the bass note of Indian cooking: it provides an indispensable layer of flavor, especially in vegetable
curries. Pre-ground cumin is used most often in Kerala, but occasionally the seeds, resembling caraway seeds,
are dropped into hot oil to flavor it for a stir-fry. It’s useful to have both whole seeds and ground cumin on hand.
The ground cumin sold through Indian grocery stores and mail-order sources has a high turnover and so tends
to be fresher than what is sold in supermarkets. But if you prefer to grind your own cumin with a mortar and
pestle, be sure to use only two thirds of the amount called for in the recipe because the taste will be stronger.
(MK)
Cumin Seeds, Roasted and Ground (Bhuna Hua Zeera) Put 4-5 tablespoons/60-75 ml of whole cumin seeds into
a small cast-iron frying pan and place the pan over a medium flame. Stir the seeds and keep roasting them until
they turn a few shades darker. Let the seeds cool somewhat. Put the seeds into the container of a coffee grinder
or other spice grinder and grind as finely as possible. Store in an airtight container. (MJ)
Cumin Seeds, Black (Shah Zeera, Siyah Zeera or Kala Zeera) A caraway-like seed with a flavor that is more
refined and complex than that of the ordinary cumin. As it is expensive, it is used in small quantities. If you
cannot find it, use regular cumin seeds as a substitute. (MJ)
Curry Leaves, (Kari Leaves) Fresh and Dried (Kari Patta) The highly aromatic curry leaves are shaped rather
like bay leaves and are sold in India while still attached to their stems. Indian housewives and cooks use them
only when they are fresh, pulling them off their stems just before they throw them into the pot. Only the dried
leaves are available in most Western cities though I notice that some grocers in Great Britain are now beginning
to import them, fresh and on the stem, from Africa. There are sections of India, such as the South, where curry
leaves flavour more than half the dishes. Use the fresh leaves whenever you can find them—otherwise resort to
the less flavourful dried ones. (MJ)
This fragrant herb is a signature flavor in the cooking of Kerala. It has no relationship to the mixture of ground
spices called curry powder, except that both come from the Anglicized version of the Tamil word kari, or sauce.
The taste falls somewhere between green bell peppers and citrus peel, but like cilantro, the flavor is fleeting.
Ways to capture its essence include sizzling the leaves in hot oil (the tarka method) and adding them at the last
stage of cooking. There are roughly twenty flat leaves attached to each stem, and the leaves are stripped off the
stem much like thyme. Fresh curry leaves, sold at Indian and Asian markets, are the most flavorful form by far,
and I have discovered how to keep them fresh and green for up to 6 weeks: Remove them from their plastic bag;
pat them dry of any moisture; place them in between dry paper towels; store them in a large airtight Ziploc bag
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WORLDS OF FLAVOR CONFERENCE AND FESTIVAL V1.1 THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA ®
SAVORING ASIA—AUTHENTIC FLAVORS FOR AMERICAN MENUS