Speaking extremely generally (probably TOO generally), Indian food is the type of cuisine that really tends to impress people when it’s made at home by someone who did not learn how to make it from their own grandmother. I think it’s the mix of spices and herbs- garam masala, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, ginger, garlic and cilantro, quite often- that tastes so complex and downright complicated that it’s hard to believe you achieved the flavors on your 3/4-sized oven whose burners need to be lit with a candle lighter. I honestly surprise myself the majority of the time.
I did not have an Indian grandmother to teach me how to delicately spice a dish “by feel” or how to get the dosa batter just right. What I do have is a stack of cookbooks and access to Kalustyan’s, a store whose halls I regularly wander aimlessly to the great confusion of everyone who works there. I could browse for literally hours.
But even if there ISN’T a grocery store stacked floor to ceiling with every spice you’ve never heard of and 5 types of Sri Lankan rice in your neighborhood, Indian food at home is still within reach! And that’s the beauty of it. If you plan ahead, you’ll already have the spices in your cabinet (not a big investment) and all you’ll need to do is stock up on garlic, ginger and chiles when the time comes to make a dish. Once your pantry is ready, you can make the most flavorful, impressive dinner in a really short amount of time using only grocery store ingredients that are probably things you already buy regularly.
Take, for example, this spinach and mustard green dish. I will admit that it is not much to look at- sort of like an Indian take on creamed spinach (which is delicious, but, let’s face it, not exactly photogenic). This recipe requires pantry ingredients, the aforementioned garlic, ginger and chiles, and a bunch each of spinach and mustard greens. That is it. It cooks in a pan for a few minutes, and then you give it a quick blitz with a blender (but not your Vitamix- you want a chunky consistency, you’re not juicing with this stuff). Voila.
Served with some fluffy basmati rice or a flatbread, this stuff is incredible. The flavors are so bright and complex, and it is also really healthy! I do recommend making the masala spice blend called for in the recipe yourself- it’s really not difficult and will keep for a few months so you can use it to make this several more times. If you can’t hack it this time, I”m sure this will still taste delicious with store-bought masala. So here is to filling out the spice rack with some new additions (and visiting NYC for the express purpose of hitting up Kalustyan’s??).
Ingredients
- 8 large cloves garlic
- 4 fresh green Thai, cayenne or serrano chiles, stems removed
- 2 lengthwise slices fresh ginger (each 2 inches long, 1 inch wide and 1/8 inch thick)
- 2 tablespoons ghee or canola oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 lb. fresh mustard greens, well rinsed and coarsely chopped
- 1 lb. fresh spinach leaves, well rinsed and coarsely chopped
- 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt
- 1 teaspoon Punjabi garam masala
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon black cardamom seeds
- 3 cinnamon sticks (each 3 inches long), broken into smaller pieces
- 3 fresh or dried bay leaves
Instructions
- First, make the garam masala (if you are making your own- and I encourage you to if you can!). Preheat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add all the spices and the bay leaves, and toast, shaking the skillet every few seconds, until the coriander and cumin turn reddish brown, the cloves, peppercorns, and cardamom turn ash-black, the cinnamon and bay leaves appear brittle and crinkly, and the mixture is highly fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Immediately transfer the nutty-smelling spices to a plate to cool. (The longer they sit in the hot skillet, the more likely it is that they will burn, making them bitter and unpalatable.) Once they are cool to the touch, place them in a spice grinder or coffee grinder, and grind until the texture resembles that of finely ground black pepper. (If you don’t allow the spices to cool, the ground blend will acquire unwanted moisture from the heat, making the final blend slightly “cakey.”) The ground blend will be reddish brown and the aroma will be sweet and complex, very different from that of the pre-toasted and post-toasted whole spices.
- Store the mixture you don't use for the recipe in a tightly sealed container, away from excess light, heat, and humidity, for up to 2 months. (Refrigerating the blend adversely affects its flavor.)
- To make the rest of the dish, combine the garlic, chiles and ginger in a food processor (a very small one works well if you have one) and pulse until minced.
- Heat the ghee in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook until they sizzle, turn reddish brown and smell nutty, about 15 seconds. Add the garlic-chile blend and stir-fry until the garlic is light brown and the chiles smell pungent, about 1 minute.
- Add several handfuls of the greens to the pan (about half should fit). Cover the pan and cook until the green wilt, about 3 minutes. Repeat with the remaining greens. Then stir in the tomatoes, with their liquid, the salt and the garam masala. Cook, uncovered, until the tomatoes are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Remove the curry from the heat and let it cool slightly, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Spoon half the chunky curry into a blender (or use an immersion blender) and pulse until nearly smooth, but not too thin and juicy. Transfer to a serving bowl. Repeat with the remaining batch, and serve.
Notes
From 660 Curries
