Archive for February, 2007
27
India’s ancient cultures have left an indelible stamp on civilization but perhaps no single aspect has impacted day-to-day life in Canada quite as much as the cuisine of India. In cities and towns from Victoria to St. John’s Indian restaurants have sprung up and been eagerly embraced by a Canadian audience with an increasingly sophisticated taste for the new and exotic.
More and more Canadians are discovering the astonishing range of Indian foods and how easy it is to prepare them at home. Indian food is much, much more than just a plate of curry. Regional and cultural influences (Hindus do not eat beef, some are strict vegetarians who even shun eggs and fish; Muslims do not eat pork or shellfish) have given rise to an immense number of dishes, some hot and spicy, others mild and velvety.
What makes Indian cuisine so different from others is the skilful and imaginative use of blended spices and herbs in the preparation of food. Cooks add their own special ingredients and guard the secrets of their recipes. But all use various combinations of spices such as cardamom, cloves and ginger to add aroma to the dish; red peppers, ginger and mango powder for flavour; paprika, saffron and turmeric for colour.
The best Indian chefs grind their own spices, shred their own herbs and can often take hours to prepare the selection of dishes that make up a meal.
For cooks who do not have that much time, there is a simpler process. Sharwood’s line of sauces make it possible to prepare a delicious Indian meal in minutes.
Balti sauce, the newest in the line, is a rich tomato-based cooking sauce piquantly seasoned with coriander, red chillies and fenugreek. It can be used to give an entirely new perspective on chicken, lamb, beef or even vegetables.
Butter chicken, a mouth-watering favourite in many restaurants, is made simple with Tandoori Makhani, in which cardamom and cream blend smoothly to produce a dish fit for the Moghul princes themselves. Tikka Masala is yet another rich sauce flavoured with caraway seeds and coriander – again, ideal with chicken.
These sauces are far too delicious to waste so, to soak them up, Sharwood’s has introduced Naan Bread Mix. Quick and easy to make, it adds a real ‘home made’ feel to an exciting meal.
All sauces come with simple directions and have a shelf life of 18 months unopened – seven days opened. If you’d like to delve deeper into the secrets of this great cuisine, check out the wealth of information in the Internet at www.sharwoods.com.
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Written By: News Canada
09
Preparing paella is an interesting endeavour for any cook. This dish does not really have a set list of ingredients but is mostly a combination of different meats and vegetables. In fact, the The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, refers to paella as a saffron-flavored dish made with varying combinations of rice, vegetables, meat, chicken and seafood.
The meal is prepared in a pot – all the ingredients meld together in the pot while cooking to create the dishes great taste. This pot cooking is so closely associated with this dish that it’s name, paella means frying pan or pot in Old French and Catalan languages.
Paella is a great dish to make if you want to clean out the fridge and use up leftover meats and vegetables. Any combination will eventually be great the secret is in the chemistry. Paella is a dish that is generally made to feed several people. Moreover, paella is quite flavorful the next day as the tastes have had time to mix together and become stronger.
The secret to a good paella is being creative, therefore there are many recipes one can follow. But since a recipe is not necessary, nor desirable, the basic steps to creating this dish are outlined below. It’s up to you to provide the creativity in ingredients to make the dish your own!
Making The Rice
You can use whatever kind of rice you like. A wild rice can add interesting flavor and texture to the dish, but if you prefer brown or white feel free to go with. Frying the rice as outlined below will give it a nutty flavor.
Wash the rice and set aside Chop tomato, onion ad garlic Heat olive oil in a skillet, and once the oil is hot (but not smoking) toss in the rice Add the onion, garlic and tomato after a minute or two
Stir until the onion, tomato and garlic are soft. Don’t let the rice mixture overcook – 3 to 5 minutes is plenty of time. At the end of the cooking, you can spice it with whatever spices you like. Some common spices for paella are saffron, salt and pepper but you could add cayenne, cinnamon or any other herbs that you and your guests prefer.
Remove the mixture from the burner and toss in some frozen peas. Not too many as you don’t want to overpower the rice but just enough to add a little accent.
Preparing The Meat
In a frying pan at high heat, brown some pieces of chicken. Upper thighs, drumsticks, breasts…it’s all good. Do not cook the meat completely but brown the outside. Once browned, set the meat aside. Lamb can also add great flavor to your paella.
Combining The Two
The combining of the rice and meat mixtures is what makes the paella such an interesting and flavorful dish. Cover the bottom of the paella pan with the uncooked rice mixture. Add the browned chicken pieces on top. Add uncooked Merguez (spicy lamb sausages) and small fish filets rolled up and fastened with a toothpick or string. Use any type of fish but make sure that its flesh will hold well together. Pour some chicken broth on top (if the broth is warm the cooking time will reduce). Note that you can also add wine for more flavor. Cover the paella dish and cook for about 45 minutes at 350F or until the rice is cooked. At this point you can add raw shrimp or muscles and cook uncovered for another five minutes.
And there you have it, an interesting dish with something in it that is sure to please everyone!
About the author:
Lee Dobbins writes for Online Gourmet Foods where you can find more recipes and dinner menus.
Written By: Lee Dobbins