Ginger, Garlic, Salt, Cayenne, Cumin, and Turmeric... Umm--isn't that 6 spices?? :P
5 Spices, 50 Dishes: A Book Review
Photo: Amazon.Com
Love Indian food? Not finding the mile-long ingredient lists particularly frugal? Ruta Kahate’s book, featuring dishes made only from five readily available spices, could be just what you need.
I have to say, this is one of the more user-friendly ethnic cook books I’ve run across, especially for Indian food. Simple, accessible spices, affordable basic ingredients, and low stress preparation routines. That’s what this cook book provides you with. Along with some of the most slamming (and super affordable) side dish ideas I’ve seen in a long time. The featured entrees aren’t bad either. Some of the items include creamy pumpkin kheer, black-eyed peas in a spicy green curry, and steamed cauliflower with a spicy tomato sauce. Here’s a simple example of a lamb chop dry rub straight from the book:
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger, 1 tsp finely grated garlic, ¾ tsp of salt, ½ tsp cayenne, ½ tsp cumin seeds (finely ground), and ¼ tsp ground turmeric. This is good for about eight lamb rib chops.
Biggest surprise?
The canned coconut milk as a frequent ingredient. I thought that was only a Thai food thing. I also particularly liked the fact that these dishes were all way lower on prep than many traditional recipes with mile long ingredient lists. The author also includes a hot tip about a simple flavor distribution technique you can use over and over again with various dishes.
The five spices?
Coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, ground cayenne, and ground turmeric. Some of the more prevalent ingredients include yellow onion, ginger and garlic. Author penny pinching tip? Buy the seed forms with the spices when possible, and grind only when you need them. This will preserve freshness longer and give you more bang for your buck.
Personal verdict?
Worth checking out for anyone looking to pinch grocery pennies without sacrificing flavor and style. Definitely a Wise Bread type of title.
Best of Wise Bread
Indian food is definitely high up there on the intimidating, what exactly am I eating list. Consequently, we never go near trying to make it, though we like it. Plus, we're trying to eat less meat, and Indian food makes for good vegan eating.
Thanks for the tip, we'll check it out.
Thanks for stopping by.
# 1 - You know, that is actually six seasoning ingredients, but I think the distinction is that some are not technically spices. Like the garlic, for example. And I was always under the impression that salt was actually a mineral. The main point the author is trying to make is that with five main ones (listed above) it's possible to get a wide range of dishes with full Indian flair.
However, I did get a chuckle out of your comment because when I wrote this up, I knew I'd get exactly that feedback. But hey, a little good natured teasing keeps things fun, doesn't it?
Fred, I hear you on the intimidation factor. It's one of the reasons I thought it was such a cool book. Not only is the ingredient list affordable for these recipes, it's definitely more of a "what you can eat for every day Indian" type of book.
Oh, and a bonus? I'm pretty sure it's marked down right now on Amazon. At least it was when I snagged the link. So that's an even greater savings.
Also, good point on Indian food making great vegan fare. I'm a huge fan of a well made dal. Can you say Yum?
I bought this book last year and have made many of the recipes. Learning to make a tadka is the best part of the experience, next to eating beautiful and tasty Indian food you've cooked yourself!
I found the recipes to be simple enough that you can make your own variations quite easily. I use the lamb rub on chicken regularly.
Regarding the "six spices" comment above. I think the point is that nearly everyone has salt already in their kitchen, it's a staple. By only investing in 5 new spices you can create a whole new palette of taste.
Levanah, that's really good to hear. I have to say, the review copy really impressed me. I am so excited to give a few of these a try. Frugal, yummy, ethnic, and in many cases elegant . . . can't wait to get cracking on some of these things. It's so great to find a title that's "beyond your standard cookbook" these days. This really is a winner, in my humble opinion.
This is a great book, consistently good. I wouldn't say all the recipes are simple, but they taste great. Don't skimp on the hot peppers, since they add flavor as much as heat. So far the fried green beef is one of our favorites. We took it to a "bring something to cook" dinner party and everyone loved it.
The only thing I didn't have here where we are staying was mustard seeds. I picked some up today.
I'll have to make sure I try the fried green beef soon. Dal is also on my list. I have another recipe for it that's really good, but the spice list is a mile long. The one in this book isn't, so I'm planning on trying that along with a chicken dish this week.
Thanks for stopping in to give your two cents.
I'm an Indian guy from the States and have begun learning how to cook our food over the past year or so. Those 5 spices are the basics/core spices you'll need for most dishes. Of course with Indian food there are tons of other spices that can come into play also. But with those 5 you are pretty ok.
Myscha's suggestion about buying seeds for things like cumin and coriander are not only frugal (you can grind them yourself) but is also better for cooking. First of all when you grind the spices yourself they taste better, ground spices lose flavor over time so if you buy some ground cumin and it sits in your cupboard you can expect it to lose flavor after a while, not so with seeds. Also you'll find that many dishes are actually BETTER using seeds versus the ground powder. A lot of Indian dishes require you to heat up so oil in a pan and throw in a teaspoon or so of cumin seeds and let them sputter before putting in your other ingredients. You can use the ground powder instead but it is not nearly as good.
I have a number of "quick and easy" Indian cookbooks but this one is by far the best. Not all of the dishes I've tried work to my taste, but two of them are weekly staples in my vegetarian household--Everday Dal and Corn with Mustard Seeds.
I'm so glad to see it mentioned on this site!
