The Joy of Cooking, Indian style

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This weekend my husband and I visited the Los Angeles Times Festival of Book at UCLA. I love this festival (1) because I love books, and (2) because it's great to see all the new things that are up and coming. While exploring the "cooking" section, we met author Komali Nunna.

For most brides a copy of Joy of Cooking is a must for any registry, but what is the blushing Desi bride to do? Sure, we love our copies JOC, but that just doesn't suit all our needs. Entertaining guests with an Indian twist is a tough proposition for new chefs, and even more daunting for new Indian brides trying to impress their in-laws or other guests. Komali Nunna, southern California resident and entertainer of 25 years, finally provides us with the modern cooking bible we've been craving. Author of Entertaining from and Ethnic Indian Kitchen, Komali Nunna provides tips to assist with almost any food related entertaining need, and even offers a few recipes spanning beyond the Indian palate. She spent over two months developing, compiling and photographing these fantastic recipes. To find out more, or to buy a copy, visit her website at http://www.komalinunna.com/. A must-have gift for every Indian bride!

Boca del Drago

On Tuesday morning we decided to take a break from the bouncy boat rides, and instead took off on a bouncy bus ride across Isla Colon. There is a bus that can take you from Plaza Bolivar in Bocas Town to Boca del Drago. It's just 4 dollars round trip, and about 40 minutes each way.

The trip is tough and make sure that you get to the bus early when you want to go back (there are staggered pick up times), because it fills up quickly and you may end up force to wait for the next one, or even worse, have to stand for the ride home.

It was absolutely beautiful. To me, by far, this was the most beautiful location we went to during our trip to Panama. You can walk for about 15 minutes from where the bus drops you off and you end up at Star beach. On Star Beach, there are so many starfish that they actually start appearing along the beach. It is so gorgeous! Just about a 5 meter snorkel away from the shore, the floor drops off and you can find yourself in starfish heaven. Millions of them! And beautiful coral formations and a few fish.

Don't make the mistake we did, go on any day except Tuesday! On Tuesdays, the only source of food in the area ... the local sushi restaurant, is closed. Or, make sure you pack your lunch. The sun is strong and the sandflies nippy, so wear sunscreen at all times and don't forget your bug repellent.

Starting Down Spice Road

India Currents recognizes Starter Chef, Vidhya Ravi.

Starting Down Spice Road (April 2009 Issue)

Control of a family kitchen brings some serious responsibilities. Not a month goes by when I don’t pay a visit to the local Indian grocery. While chutneys, lentils, and snacks are usually on my list, the real reason I go is to tour the overly scented aisles packed full of Indian spices. These are not spices that I can find in the supermarket I frequent every weekend. These are not spices that were included in any of the lovely spice racks I received as wedding presents. Rather, these are items that I’ve decided are the “must-haves” to keep my kitchen going.

My mother and her friends could afford to have entire cupboards dedicated to the storage of unique Indian spices, but I, on the other hand, don’t have the storage space in my one-bedroom apartment, nor do I have the money to purchase spices that I will only use once in a blue moon. As I became more settled into my cooking regime, I was able to decide what I had to have and what I could get by without. Here are a few tips to help you do the same.

Get the most of out your spices.

This approach has allowed me to determine which spices belong in my kitchen on a day-to-day basis, and which ones are special items that I can buy in small packs or on an as-needed basis. After thinking about my staple recipes, it was easy to extract exactly what spices must be in my kitchen every day: asafetida, whole cumin, mustard seeds, a few spice mixes, and turmeric. For you, it may be different, so make sure you consider all options carefully.

Mixes rule!

Can you imagine a kitchen in which you regularly have to concoct and grind your own spice mixes every day? Thankfully, there are some great mixes out there, if only you know how to use them! While garam masala has always been a solid, pre-mixed standby, there are a few others worth exploring. Tamarind rice is a huge favorite in my household, and the powdered mix yields great results every time! (Just be sure to use sesame oil; it gives the rice and mixture so much more flavor.) Another little known secret of South Indian cooking is to use sambar mix (not the powder) as a spicing agent for shallow vegetable fry. It yields all the spicy deliciousness of South India from one packet and with little extended effort. Next time you are at the store, see if any of the pre-made mixes will work for you.

Storage is everything.

Keep your spices tightly sealed, in airtight containers, and out of heat, sun, or humidity. Ground spices retain flavor for up to one year, and whole spices can last as long as three years. While spices don’t exactly go bad, they do start to lose some of their flavor after these time periods, and adding new spices to old will not fix the problem. Dried herbs are usually good for up to one and a half years.

Hold your nose.

It may have been acceptable in India to have the rich smell of spices pervade your home, but most landlords in the United States are just not so merciful. Reducing the number of spices you have in your cabinet is a great start to clearing the air. Often, the import process leaves the outer packaging of spices slightly dirty or exposed to spice particles that can become apparent when you store them at home. Removing spices from their original packages and re-storing them in labeled, airtight containers (that means no spice tins with loose lids) will help reduce the stench of stale spices inhabiting your cupboard. Light a scented candle when you begin cooking, close all doors to rooms that you do not want scented by your food preparations, and keep doors and windows open for ventilation.

Embrace world cuisine.

My husband and I are of Indian descent, but we were both born and brought up in the United States. While each of us craves Indian food two to three nights a week, there are a good number of nights where our dinner fare spills into Thai, Chinese, Italian, Mexican, or American. Rather than trying to hold onto the ideal of the perfect Indian kitchen, I regularly see myself as an Indian-inspired chef, focusing on world cuisine that is heavily influenced by my intimate connection with Indian cuisine.

That means some days we may have a citrus chickpea salad, a side of ginger-scented yogurt rice, and a “curried” lentil soup. And some days, that may be traditional poori with masala. By embracing new ideas from other cuisines and bringing them into my kitchen, I can still have variety in my dishes, all while using a small collection of spices.

Lentils and Chips

Lemongrass, chopped

Starving after a day out on the the water, we washed up at our hotel, and then hit the main strip in Bocas Town just in time for happy hour.  We tried Lemongrass, a Thai restaurant off a second floor veranda, right on the the water.  My drink was awesome: sprite, vodka, grenadine, cranberry, and chopped up lemon grass!  We had a few appetizers too:  spring roll chimichangas and curried lentils with chips.  Lentils with chips seems to be popular out here in Bocas, and I'm really starting to like them.

Lentils & Chips

Spring Roll Chimichangas

Patacones

Patacones for Lunch

Upon arrival we committed to a tour of some of the outlaying islands by boat for $20. This tour, buy powered speedboat, would take us to numerous spots around Bocas del Toro, including Dolphin Bay, Cayo Crawl, Red Frog Beach and Hospital Point. We could snorkel out at Cayo Crawl and Hospital Point.

We left at 9:30am, and the sun was already strong. It was about a 30 minute ride to Dolphin Bay. The bay is formed by a series of mangrove forests with small openings. This set up traps many fish in the bay and dolphins come to feast. We actually saw a family of three dolphins! Environmentalists actually scorn on these trips to Dolphin Bay because the local boat operators some times get very close to the dolphins, and the motors on the boats could injure them.

We then headed out to Cayo Crawl, where we snorkeled for a while. There were beautiful coral formations, but unfortunately, not many fish. We stopped to eat lunch at a local restaurant where Amar and I had our first taste of patacones, the Panamanian version of tostones. I sort of like the Puerto Rican ones more -- they have more flavor. They are salted and have toppings. The Panamanian patacones are extremely bland in comparison, most likely, as we noticed at Cafe Ohm, because Panamanians prefer lightly spiced food.

Red Frog Beach

Red Frog beach was nice, but smaller, more crowded and dirtier than expected. We also did not see a single red frog, and we walked up and down the trail to the beach multiple times carefully looking for one. The entrance fee is $2 per person. Unfortunately, some of the beaches in Bocas are going the way of Red Frog: crowded and lots of garbage. Not sure why people choose not to through away their rubbish in a trash can.

Me & Amar at Red Frog Beach

We were exhausted by the time we made it to Hospital Point, so we skipped the snorkeling and went back to the hotel to shower and get ready for the evening.

Randomest Indian Food

Decor at Cafe Om

The typical Indians we are, Amar and I decided that our first evening in Bocas Town, we were going to try out the oh-so popular Indian restaurant in town, Cafe Om. We read about it in our guide book, and after a relaxing afternoon wandering around Bocas Town, we returned to our hotel, showered and got dressed to head to dinner.

The walk over to Cafe Om was short, and most of the restaurants we passed were still somewhat deserted. As we approached Om, we saw it was completely packed. We climbed the stairs and were told by the hostess that we'd have to wait about 15 to 30 minutes to be seated. So we waited. The kitchen is open, and almost anyone can look in. It seems as though there is only one chef for the entire cafe, and the place can sit maybe 30 people, tops. Started by a Canadian Punjabi, the eclectic feel of Cafe Om must be one of the main reasons that so many tourists in Bocas flock to it.

Taj Mahtini

We are finally seated. We order drinks, that take forever to arrive. My "tajmahiti" was incredibly strong, and tasted surprisingly like cough medicine. The actual menu was extremely limited. We finally settled on mattar-aloo-paneer, and paneer makhani. Everything came with rice, naan, and daal. One taste of the daal, and we knew we could do without. It was terrible -- tasted like lentils directly out of the pressure cooker, no spices, and extremely watery. One bite and Amar and I just pushed it aside. None of the other food was particularly good either. The naan was somewhat of a disappointment, as it wasn't really naan, but seemed more like guyanese flatbread. The place is definitely lacking a tandoor. Everything was drastically under spiced. I guess that's what we get for trying Indian food in such a random location. Although, we later found out that Panamanians don't really like spicy food... much of their food is very lightly spiced, if at all, so the owner may have consciously decided to tone down everything to suit the Panamanian taste buds.

Our dinner

Half - eaten dinner

There was an interesting highlight, however. We ordered "chaat" as an appetizer, and it came as a bunch of toppings including mint chutney, tamarind chutney, dark, softened lentils, onions and sour cream with nacho chips! What a clever idea... and definitely something to try now that I'm back home.

Chaat w/ Chips

Pina Colada Perfection

Propeller Plane to Bocas Del Toro

I have never been on such a small plane before.  Amar and I decided to spend the bulk of our vacation in Panama in the Bocas Del Toro area, stationed on Isla Colon.  You can get to Bocas Town (the major town in the archipelago) by either driving to Almirante and then taking a boat to Bocas Town on Isla Colon, or you can fly directly into Bocas town by propeller jet on either Air Panama or Aeros Perlas (which we chose).  The plane is so small and the pilots keep the cockpit open, so you can watch the entire trip.  There were only about 15 people on our flight and it was packed.  Local flights within Panama leave from Albrook airport, which is near the huge Albrook Mall, and near the Canal Zone.

We landed in Bocas town and walked (yes, walked) to the main area of the town.  The town is so small and the airport only about a block away from the main strip (Calle 3), it's extremely easy to do.  We checked into the lovely Hotel Laguna, centrally located next to a supermarket and just a stone's throw from Plaza Bolivar.  The hotel was perfect.  The room was cute and cozy, and we had our own private bath.  The ladies that run the hotel are very sweet and helpful, but they do not speak much English.

Firt look at Bocas Town

Famished from our trip we headed out to find some food and something to drink.  We were just in time for "happy hour", so I had my first Pina Colada of the trip.  So sweet, refreshing and the perfect way to just relax.  Curious as to how they were able to make this pina colada just so delicious, I asked to watch them make the next one.  Here's the recipe.

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 ounces dark rum

3 ounces fresh pineapple

1 and 1/2 ounces coconut milk

1 and 1/2 ounces La Lechera (Nestle product - available at ethnic grocers)

Ice 

Blend all ingredients until smooth.  Pour, garnish with pineapple chunk and cherry.  Serve.

Snip, Snip... it's GONE!

I finally gave in yesterday and decided to hack off all my hair. It wasn't completely in vain... I donated it to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program, so I hope it goes to help someone who really needs it. Amar wasn't too pleased, but I think he's getting used to my new 'do.

I still have many exciting updates yet to post from our trip to Panama, including a recipe sure to bring you pina colada perfection... stay tuned.

Squid Ink Risotto & Chocolate

Squid Ink Risotto

There are two main places to find nightlife in Panama City:  the Amador Causeway and Calle Uruguay.  We chose to spend our first night in the later because it was (a) closer to us in proximity and (b) less touristy.  Amar found a cute Italian-Japanese (yes, you read that correctly) restaurant called Peperoncini right smack in the middle of Calle Uruguay, so we headed over.

The food was good.  We decided to stick to Italian, and I ordered a portabello, paprika and cream pasta, and Amar had a squid ink and shrimp risotto.  We also had some rose wine.  Although I was pretty full after dinner, Amar insisted we have dessert, which turned out to be some of the most delicious banana pie I've ever had!  It was almost like a banoffi pie without caramel topping.

We sat right outside, as the evening was still pretty warm.  As soon as I saw everyone so dressed up on the street, I was happy I had decided to put on a cocktail dress for the evening.  Groups of girls wearing clubbing gear kept walking up and down the street, but were not really going into anywhere in particular.  Some of the groups passed us multiple times, just checking out the scene I suppose.  Across the street from us there was a huge dance club called K'os.  Although it was supposed to be a pun on "chaos", most people in the area didn't really quite get it and called is "kos".  Right next to us was a large white building with pillars, and a sign downstairs called Prive.  Upstairs there was a veranda with a bunch of tables and a few people with drinks.  We later found out that the upstairs area of Prive is actually the infamous S6eis, pronounced "ses" like the number 6 in Spanish.

After dinner we wandered some of the cross streets and saw Sahana (American-frequented biker lounge), Habibi (hookah lounge), and Pure Lounge (Miami inspired lounge).  We ended up at Chocolate Lounge, which had quite a haveli feel, and I strongly suspect was sponsored by Vueve Clicquot.  

Veuve Clicquot sponsored drink table at Chocolate

The drinks were good and the breezes were cool in the outside sitting area.  All in all, a great way to close out our first evening in Panama.  Around 1:30 am, just as people started to really show up, we decided to call it a night and headed back to the hotel.

Our drinks, nearly on fire, outside at Chocolate

Casco Viejo -- and my favorite thing in Panama!

Me looking out on Panama City from Casco Viejo

We napped for a while after reaching the hotel.  I wasn't really into waking up, but we had to.  With only about 2 days on this entire trip to explore Panama City, I didn't want to miss out.  Got up, got dressed and headed down into the main street to catch a cab to explore Casco Viejo -- the old city.

Passing Panamanian China Town on the way to Casco Viejo

Casco Viejo, at least according to Amar, looks a lot like Cartagena, Colombia, but with fewer renovated buildings.  On the ride to the quarter we had to pass through a few shady places.  I had read in our guide book that Casco Viejo was still a "transitional" neighborhood, meaning that the area was starting to undergo renovations, but there are still some parts that aren't that clean or safe.  We had to be careful at all times.  The cab to the Old City was only $3, proving that we had obviously overpaid for our trip from the airport.  C'est la vie.

We wandered around the old city and saw Plaza Bolivar, breath - taking views of the Panama City skyline, and the President's palace.  It was fun to walk around and spend some time in this "transitional" neighborhood.

One of the beautifully restored buildings in Casco Viejo

One not-so restored building

                                            

Having not eating since morning breakfast on the airplane, I forced Amar to take a break from the afternoon sun and go inside Cafe Casablanca for a snack.  I looked at the menu and saw the most awesome thing.  This made my whole trip to Panama worth it!  Fresh juices - freshly made as soon as you order in all sorts of tropical flavors!  Unlike India and other countries that offer them, the water in Panama City is TOTALLY safe to drink!  So drink I did... and wow was it delicious.

One guyanaba, One maracuya, please!