KITCHEN TABLE
THE SPICE TREE OF LIFE
“It is a little-known truth that many of the Indians who left for the West came from homes that hired chefs,” writes Nisha Katona in the preface to The Spice Tree . “It is also a sad truth that the mothers and grandmothers who started our lives with their spice formulas and kitchen secrets will take many of those culinary arts to their graves.” These two points, in part, led Katona to write the book, and she shows how to create magic in the kitchen by pairing the right spices with ingredients.
EGG CURRY
Image credit: The Spice Tree by Nisha Katona.
4½ tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 large white onions, diced
5 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
6 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
2 tbsp garam masala
1½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp coriander powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp chilli powder
400 gms tinned chopped tomatoes
350 ml water
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
8 large eggs
Obligatory jug of water, to loosen the dish
Put 3 tbsps of the oil in a large heavy-based pan and set over medium-high heat.
When hot, add the cumin seeds and wait for them to turn brown and fragrant.
Add the diced onions, ginger and garlic and fry for 8 minutes or until the onions have softened and turned golden brown.
Add the garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder, ground turmeric and chilli powder, stir to mix, then add the chopped tomatoes, water, salt and sugar. Bring up to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 10 minutes, partially covered.
While the sauce is simmering, boil the eggs in a large pan of water for 8 minutes, then run under cold water and peel their shells.
Put the remaining 1½ tbsp of oil in a large non-stick frying pan and set over a medium-high heat.
When hot, add the boiled eggs and fry until they become gnarled, cracked and brown all over.
You can leave the eggs whole and add to the curry in bobbing, golden glory or halve to allow some of the yolk to melt into the sauce.
Add the eggs to the curry sauce and bring back up to the boil, then simmer for a further 6-8 minutes, partially covered. Add more water if necessary to loosen to your taste before serving.
GREEN BEANS WITH CUMIN, HONEY AND PECANS
Image credit: The Spice Tree by Nisha Katona.
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds
250 gms green beans, topped and tailed, cut into thirds
1½ tsp cumin powder
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp chilli powder
100 gms pecans, roughly chopped into large pieces
3 tbsp honey
½ tsp salt
Juice of ½ a lemon
Put the vegetable oil in a large wok over medium-high heat, and when hot, add the cumin seeds and fry until dark brown and fragrant, then turn the heat down to medium and add the green beans, cumin powder, ground turmeric and chilli powder.
Fry for 8 minutes until the beans have completely softened and turned a nutty brown.
While the green beans are cooking, put a separate small non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add the pecan nuts, honey and salt.
Cook for 3-5 minutes until the nuts are fully coated and sticky, taking care not to burn.
When the nuts are done, put them on the wok with the beans and toss to combine.
Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
CARROT AND GREEN CHILLI PICKLE
Image credit: The Spice Tree by Nisha Katona.
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
½ tsp asafoetida
3 dried red chillies
2 large green chillies, deseeded and thinly sliced
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-cm batons
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
Put the vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan and set over a medium-high heat.
When hot, add half the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds and fry until the mustard seeds turn grey and the fenugreek nuggets turn a deep golden brown.
Add the asafoetida, dried red chillies and green chillies.
Turn the heat down and add the carrots, salt, sugar and lemon juice and continue to cook for 6 mins. or until the carrots have just started to soften around the edges.
Crush the remaining mustard seeds in a pestle and mortar and add them to the carrot mix, stirring until everything is fully mixed.
Spoon the carrot pickle into a sterilized jar and seal. It will keep for a week in the fridge.
The Spice Tree by Nisha Katona is published by Ebury Press, $42.95.