Parsi Sambhar, Dhansak and Garam Masala
My Bombay Kitchen: Traditional and Modern Parsi Home Cooking Hardcover – June 18, 2007
by Niloufer Ichaporia King (Author), Alice Waters (Foreword)
PARSI SAMBHAR MASALA
Makes about 2 cups
Red chilli powder – 3/4 cup
Salt – 2 tbsp
Ground turmeric – 1 tbsp
Asafoetida – 2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 cup
Brown Mustard seeds – 2 tbs
Peppercorns – 1 tsp
Star Anise – 1 tsp, broken pieces
Cloves – 1 tsp
Cinnamon – 1 3″ long stick
Untoasted sesame oil – 1 tbsp
METHOD
Mix the chilli, salt, turmeric and asafoetida together in a bowl.– In your spice grinder, grind the rest of the whole spices together. Mix the ground since with the chilli-salt mixture.– In a small pan, heat the sesame oil until it shimmers.– Take the oil off the heat and pour into the center of the ground spices. Mix together with a fork until the oil is swirled in thoroughly and the spice mix loses its powdery look.
When looking for sesame oil, make sure it is the untoasted variety, which is light in color. Don’t use the toasted variety as this will give the wrong flavor to the mix. If you are not able to find untoasted sesame oil, substitute a teaspoon of white sesame seeds, which can be ground with the whole spices, then add a little sunflower or peanut oil at the end of the mix..
PARSI DHANSAK MASALA This spice mix is also called Dhana Jiru (coriander-cumin)
Ingredients:
Coriander seeds – 1 cup
Turkish bay leaves, Tej Patta – 1/4 cup
Cumin seeds – 1/4 cup
Dried red chillies – 6 to 7
White poppy seeds – 1 tbsp
Cinnamon sticks – 2
Black peppercorns – 2 tbsp
Cloves – 1 tbsp
Green cardamom pods – 1 tbsp (shell pods before use)
Black cardamom – 4
Caraway or Kala Jeera seeds – 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Saffron – a pinch
Ground Mace – 1/4 tsp
Nutmeg – 1
METHOD In a heavy bottom pan or skillet, dry-roast (without oil) the coriander, bay leaves, both cumin seeds, red chillies, white poppy seeds, cinnamon, peppercorns, cloves, both cardamoms, caraway seeds and fenugreek seeds for a few minutes, just until you can see them start to toast. They mustn’t brown. Your nose is a good indicator for this. When you get the full aroma of roasted spice is when you turn off the heat. – Move off the heat and allow to cool.– Place mixture in a spice grinder along with the last four ingredients, and grind to powder.– Press the powder through a sieve.– Store in a tightly capped bottle in a cool dark place. Will keep for a while but will lose freshness and potency as it keeps..
PARSI DHANSAK MASALA
250 gm whole dhania, coriander seeds
125 gm jeera, cumin seeds
125 gm sabut lal mirch
whole dried red chillies10 gm
shahi jeera, black fine cumin seeds
10 gm mustard seeds, methi dana
10 gm phool pathar (also known ar kalpasi and dagad phool)
1/2 tsp sabut kali mirch, black peppercorns30 gm
khus khus, poppy seeds30 gm
dalchini, cinnamon30 gm
laung, cloves30 gm
tej patta, bay leaves30 gm
badian, star anise1/8 tsp
mace, javitri1 nutmeg
How to Make Dhansak Masala
Grind all the ingredients together. Store in an airtight container.
KASHMIRI GARAM MASALA
200 g cumin seeds jeera
40 g black cardamoms, badi elaichi40 g
cinnamon, dalchini
10 g cloves, laung
10 g green cardamoms
chhoti elaichi10 g
mace, javitri2-3
nutmegs, jaifal4-5
Turkish bay leaves, tej patta
METHOD
Pound nutmegs into pieces. Put all spices in a small kadai or wok, and roast on medium flame. When aromas start being given off, switch off heat. Allow to cool, then powder spices in a grinder. Store in clean dry jars in cool place.
My Bombay Kitchen: Traditional and Modern Parsi Home Cooking Hardcover – June 18, 2007
by Niloufer Ichaporia King (Author), Alice Waters (Foreword)
