Monday, July 27, 2009

The strange, pungent, exquisite Indian palate

Masaledar Sem (Spicey Green Beans)

New Indian friends have inspired me to look at Indian cuisine again. Last week, for the first time in years, I toasted spices in a skillet to cook some green beans I had in the fridge. The aroma of roasting cumin was wonderful! I modified the recipe I downloaded from the Internet and did not, among other things, set aside some of the roasted cumin to sprinkle on the finished dish for crunch. I love how in cooking with Indian spices there are so many ways of arriving at the end product. Ginger and garlic are a natural combination, a combination that is greater than the individual parts. When combined, ginger and garlic complement each other, much like two ballet dancers in a pas de deux. In Indian food, the ingredients are an entire ballet company!

Posted via email from Duende Joes

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