Category: Food

If you’re new to South Asian cooking, it’s essential to buy some things in an Indian grocery.  Please, please, please, DON’T EVER buy “spices” in the spice aisle of the local grocery store.  THEY JUST DON”T CUT IT.

Exploring a new cuisine can be a little intimidating when you don’t know what to buy and nothing looks familiar.  I’ve learned lots from asking family to give me a tour and show me what is worth buying.  I cook mostly Sri Lankan food, so I’ve learned to shop Indian grocery stores through that lens (not many Sri Lankan groceries stores around here, darnit!).

Here’s my recommendations of essentials for the newbie South Asian cook:

Spices:

• Curry powder
• Chile powder
• Cumin
• Coriander
• Tumeric
• Mustard Seed

Other items

• Basmati rice (Uncle Ben’s just won’t cut it with South Asian food!)
• Pre-made spice packets:  You can buy a variety of these to try different dishes.  Purists will scoff, but when you’re learning, they’re probably better than what you can make on your own, and they’re quick!   My favorite brand is Parampara.  Butter chicken (chicken makhani) is a great dish to start out with.
• Red lentils
• Breads (in the frozen section):  I’ve never eaten an indian bread I didn’t love.  While I have made it from scratch, it’s WAY easier (and honestly, tastier) to buy.  Our all-time favorite are the Swad Malaysian parathas, but I’m nearly as happy with naan or chapati.  I have yet to master making poori well, but I’m not a very good fry-er either.
• Treat:  if there are fresh samosas, but all means, buy at least 5 (for yourself).  Yuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmy!

Cook-friends, help me out here.  Am I missing something big?  Any crucial items that other South Asian countries would include that are not here?

Known as dhal in Indian cooking, here is my recipe for Paripu, or Sri Lankan lentils.

2 cups red lentils (try not to use other colors, they just don’t taste the same.  you can buy the red ones at Indian grocery stores)

Water to cover lentils

1 t. turmeric

salt to taste preference (My MIL ALWAYS adds more!)

Boil the above together until lentils are soft.  If water boils off and lentils are still hard, add more water.  When lentils are soft, put them in a separate bowl and saute the following ingredients in the same pot:

 

1/2 red onion, chopped

oil (I use olive oil)

garlic (about 3 cloves)

1/2 t. curry powder

1/2 t. chili powder

1 T. mustard seeds

When the onions are soft, add the cooked lentils back to the pot and stir.  Add 1/2 cup of milk (or coconut milk – much yummier, but not quite as healthy) and let cook on the heat for 5-10 minutes.

 

I’ve typed this up many times for friends, and thought it would save me plenty more typing to just record it here, with gratefulness to my dear MIL for putting up with my kitchen messiness and teaching me how to make food my husband loves.  (Feel free to imagine my extra explanations in italics in my MIL’s voice).

Ingredients: Continue reading “Sri Lankan Chicken Curry Recipe” →