Ud pthc MME bp ae CAINS The quest for exotic spices takes us ith THE FRUGAL GOURME WHEN I first learned in- dian cooking, | was amazed to see how many vegetables and cooking methods India shared with China. The recipes in this column are wonderfully tasty and not difficult to master once you realize you can find the somewhat exotic spices in indian and Middle Eastern mar- kets, LAMB VINDALOCO (serves 4-6) Lamb is very popular: with In- dian cooks and this is a fine dish. SPICE MIXTURE 2 tablespoors coriander seeds 1 tablespoon turmeric 2 teaspoons red-pepper flakes 1 teaspoon ground dried ginger VY; teaspoon camin seeds Va teaspoon fenugreek seeds V2 teaspoon black mustard seeds THE REMAINING- INGRE- DIENTS 2 pounds lamb stew meat, cut into 1-iach cubes 1 medhim yellow onion, peeled 3 cloves garlic, peeled Y% cup red-wine vinegar Y% cup ghee (recipe below) 2 cups water 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups peeled and diced potaioes GARNISH Chopped fresh coriander Grind the spices iu a small elec- tric coffee grinder or spice grinder and set aside. inquisit Gook GARDINER Chop the onion and garlic in a food processor and add the spices. Add the vinegar and make a paste. Put the lamb in a large bowl and rub all the pieces well with the paste. Cover and marinate for four hours, unrefrigerated. Heat a large frying pan. Brown the lamb along with the onion, garlic and vinegar in two batches, using half of the ghee for each batch, Place the browned meat in a 4- to 6-quait stove-top covered cas- serole along with the pan drip- pings. Add the water and salt and bring the pot to a boil. Turn to a simmer und cook, covered, for one hour, Add the Potatoes and simmer for 30 minutes more. Garnish with the coriander and serve, GHEF. (makes | pound) Ghee is butter that is cooked to separate the clear butter fat from the milk selids and moisture, an ingenious method that allows but- ter to keep for long periods. 1 pound unsalted butter Bring the butter to a simmer and cook, partly covered, 10 td [5 minutes until most of the froth has subsided and the milk solids on the bottom of the pan are brown but not burned, Remove from stove and allow to cool a bit and separate. Strain butter through several layers of cheesecloth. Seal it in plastic containers, It will keep for several weeks in your refrigerator. INDIAN SPINACH YOGURT RAITA SALAD {serves 8) This is not like any salad that is normally served in America. Yogurt, spinach, spices and nuts biend into a most refreshing course, THE DRESSING 1% cups fome-made or store- bought yogurt ¥: cup sour cream 1 teaspoon roasted sumin seeds 1 teaspoon roasted coriander seeds, ground Ya teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional) % teaspoon cayenne pepper (op- tional) Kosher salt to taste (optional) THE SALAD 1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry Y% cup cucumber, pecled and grated 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cor- jander VY cup currants VY cup roasted walnuts, chopped 2 tablespoons other nuts (such as macadamias, almonds, pine nuts and cashew nuts) Paprika to taste GARNISH Sprig of mint Put the yogurt and sour cream in a mixing bow! and mix until thoroughly blended, Add the cumin, coriander and, if desired, black pepper, cayenne and salt. Fold in the spinach and any or all of the other ingredients, except the paprika, into the yogurt mix- ture, If desired, sprinkle with paprika and serve garnished with a mint sprig.- BASMATI RICE WITH GARNISHES (serves 8) Basmati rice has no substitute because it has a rather rich and nutty flavor, Please do not buy it in those tiny fancy boxes. [t is much too expensive in that form. VY cups basmati rice Kosher sait to taste, if desired GARNISHES % cup dried onion fiakes, (gasted in 2 little off in a medium-hot fry- ing pan (i? will take just a few minutes to get them golden brown) ¥. cup crisp fried okra Va cup toasted stivered almonds, pan-toasted in a little ghee Va cup toasted cashew nuts, pan- toasted in a Httle ghee V4 cup currants or raisins 1 12-inch piece silver foil (“‘vark,’’ edible silver in ultrathia sheets), optional Wash the basmati rice thoroughly in several changes of water. Place the rice in a bowl. Add enough water to cover it by ata g ea LE RTT Ne NEWS photo Mike Wakelleld INDIAN SPINACH yogurt and raita salad blends into a most refreshing course. at least 14% inches. Let the rice soak for 4 hour. Drain the rice and reserve. While the rice is soaking, bring 12 cups of salted water to a boil in a deep pot, Add the drained rice, stir and bring to a second boil. Cook the rice for exactly four minutes. Drain the rice and lightly pack it into a 2-quart greased bowl. adds class and character BROCCOLI HAS been receiving mixed press these days. In fact, untif recently, the entire cruciferae, or mustard, family has had to endure an undercurrent of family slurs. Cabbage, cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts and broccoli are of ancient European stock. But they've mingled with pharoahs, kings, and high courts in many countries, And they’ve patiently borne complaints about smells in cook- ing, strange colors, and strong flavors. Recently the mustard family's Status is on the cise again as nutri- tion experts ferret oul their secrets for keeping us healthy. It seems they're all high in beta carotene, which has potential for reducing the risk of cancer. But ‘‘eating what’s good for us’? can't make some folks like broccoli. They want milder flavor, a more natural color and less cooking odor. Like other green vegetables, broccoli’s color comes from chlorophyll. Heat, however, changes chlorophyll into other forms and other colors. Gray-greens. Yellow-greens. The longer we cook broccoli, the muddier its color. Studies show that when cooked for only five minutes, broccoli re-" tains nearly 83% of its chlorophyll. This means cooking only until the stalks are tender-crisp. When cooked 20 minutes, only 32% of the chlorophyll remains. It makes one speculate that like- ly some folks in past generations never ate green broccoli; instruc- tions in many old cookbooks recommend boiling this poor vegetable up to 30 minutes! Its form presents a challenge to the cook, as the stalks are solid, and the heads somewhat fragile. To prevent overcooking, try peeling the stalks, and slicing them thinly, on the diagonal. This increases their surface area, so they'll cook in the same time as the heads. Or start the stalks first. And add the heads later. The chlorophyll in broccoli is also dramatically affected by acid, and vegetables have many natural plant acids. When the cell walls soften as broccoli cooks, its acids are released. So, in part, broccoli destroys its own green. : When cooking in water, keep the lid ajar so some acids can escape with the steam. Or take advantage of the speed of microwaving or stir-frying, reducing the time in which acids and chlorophyll intermingle. Invert on an attractive platter. Lightly press around the rice to shape it into a dome. Decorate the rice dome with any or all of the garnishes. To adorn with the silver foil (wark), first peel off the top layer of paper, Lift the bottom sheet, with the silver foil still attached to it, and invert it over the rice at the cen- tre. Gently lift away the paper. to meals Adding lemon juice only adds to the problem. Whether in the cooking water, or dribbled on the surface, extra acids trigger the same changes in color as broccoli’s own acids. If you enjoy extra tartness, garnish broccoli with a lemon slice, squeezed just before you eat. Sulfur-containing compounds, related to mustard oils and isothiocyanates, are responsible for unpleasant cooking odors and strong flavors in the cruciferae family. They become stronger as they cook. Cooking quickly, therefore, keeps broccoli milder in flavor. As sulfur molecules are water soluble, cooking in water also helps. By catering to the family . idiosyncrasies, you can help broc- coli keep its class and character. When its good qualities are highlighted, you'll eat broccoli more often, And like it, too.