Yes, You Can Cook Indian

Indian food can be intimidating.  Mysterious sauces, unidentifiable seasonings, potent odors.  But oh is it delicious.  Yet I’m afraid the intimidation factor keeps a lot of people from cooking it and more inclined to eat out. 

Long before Padma Lakshmi was making Indian look sexy on Top Chef, Madhur Jaffrey was helping a generation of home cooks realize that cooking Indian at home for non-Indians can be as sensuous and maybe even more satisfying than having someone cook it for you. 

Madhur Jaffrey’sIndian Cooking is my go-to resource when thinking up a lamb curry with a side of saag (spinach) for a weeknight dinner or a spread of yogurt marinated chicken and green beans when having company over, like I did last weekend.

If the combinations of lentils, rice, flat breads, and meats confuse you, rest assured Jaffrey has that covered.  Each recipe comes with suggestions of what to serve it with.  For instance, a recipe for “Lamb with Spinach” suggests serving it with a side of fried eggplant and a yogurt dish- it is a godsend for menu planning. 

As you become more proficient in the sauces and curries, a few things may become apparent.  1. In some ways, Indian sauces require less work.  For the most part, the sauces go in the blender so less time is required for the precise dicing of vegetables as you may do with more European dishes.  2. Many dishes can be prepared in advance, a boon for the host or hostess.  For instance, in “Chicken in a Butter Sauce” both the chicken in its marinade and the sauce (minus the butter) can be made a day in advance then assembled for cooking just as guests arrive.  3. If you are catering to a mixed group of veggies and meat eaters, this is the cuisine for you.  Side dishes alone can make a complete meal for a vegetarian leaving more Tandoori chicken for everyone else.  That’s what I believe is called a win-win. 

There’s a reason Jaffrey’s books remain some of the top selling books on Indian cooking almost four decades since her first book was published.  For the cost of one take out order, or 3-4 bottles of pre-made sauce, you could hold in your hands a simple step-by-step guide to creating a world of Indian cuisine at home.  Having friends over for a delicious Indian food feast that is simple and crowd pleasing, that’s not just sexy, it's timeless.

Amy Powell is a food and travel writer based in New York City. She is a graduate of Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration and the French Culinary Institute. Follow her on Twitter @amymariepowell

NYC Asian Eating Weekend, In Pictures

A long weekend of eating in NYC.

Clockwise from top left corner.

1. Spicy Regular Ramen (pork) with thin noodles at Kambi.
2. Crispy Szechuan Lamb at Chinese Mirch.
3. Crispy Spring Rolls at Omai.
4. Lemongrass beef rolls at Omai.
5. Me eating Thelewala Chicken Roll at Thelewala- fried eggs, onions, spices, lime.
6. Spicy Cumin Lamb Noodles in Soup at Xi'an Famous Foods (eating while drinking Negro Modelo at The International Bar in the East Village).
7. My brother, Paul, eating the Chapli Roll at Thelewala- minced lamb, spices, lime.
8. Center- Miso Ramen with shredded chicken and fried garlic at Rai Rai Ken. 


Amy Powell is a food and travel writer based in New York City. She is a graduate of Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration and the French Culinary Institute. Follow her on Twitter @amymariepowell

Indian-Bangladeshi and All Lit Up

Inside Milon, Indian-Bangladeshi restaurant New York City.

Walking down Curry Row on East 6^th St. of New York (between 1^st and 2^nd Avenues) on a recent evening, no less than a dozen people beckoned me inside, each promising their Indian restaurant was better than the other 22 Indian establishments that stretch down this block and around the corner on 1^st Ave. 

                           

I don’t remember why we started coming to this one particular curry house, but I think a friend of my brother’s from law school had insisted the restaurant up the stairs and to the left at the corner of First Avenue was a stand out in the sea of masala sauce.  And yes, it is the one dripping in Christmas lights. 

You cannot help but have a good time at Milon, a restaurant where you must duck to get in under a couple thousand hanging Christmas, chili pepper, and now for Halloween, pumpkin lights.  And nearly every night- at least every time that I have been there- the main lights will dim at some point, raucous Indian music turned up, and the staff will dance and sing Happy Birthday to some patron for whom it is almost certainly not their birthday.

Most importantly the food is cheap and delicious.  Lamb curries come simmering on hot platters.  Chicken jous is bathed in a rich sauce of almonds and cream.  Parathas, dripping with ghee and stuffed with chopped garlic, arrive fresh and steaming off the griddle.

 

Like many on curry row, Milon does not have a liquor license.  Luckily the Indian market, down the stairs and to the right, has stocked an increasingly better selection of beer over the years. Everything from requisite Taj to Japanese Hitachino Red Rice Ale is available to quench your thirst from all that Indian-Bangladeshi spice. 

And even if you go all out on beer like we did on a recent night indulging in some large format German and Belgian selections, the total price of dinner plus drinks (from the liquor store) is unlikely to set you back more than $50 per couple.  I don’t know about you, but I have yet to find many places in New York where you can eat like a Raj and drink like a Trappist monk for the cost of a one-way cab to JFK.  And don’t forget the Christmas lights. 

Amy Powell is a food and travel writer based in New York City. She is a graduate of Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration and the French Culinary Institute. Follow her on Twitter @amymariepowell