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People Seen
People Seen
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by Deborah Dove
When Plano dentist and Allen resident Namrita Singh, a member of my writer’s group, kept showing up at our meetings with delicious and exotic (to me) fare for us to sample, I knew she would be the perfect person to talk to first for the debut of our newest cooking series—profiles of everyday people in our community who like to cook and have some special or unique recipes to share.
Namrita believes that her love of diverse cuisine is a direct result of her childhood. Born in a coastal town in India, Namrita’s father was in the Air Force and as a result, her family moved every four years. Because each state in India has very distinct cuisines—each with their own flavors and spices—Namrita learned to eat a variety of foods at an early age, developing a love of food and cooking in the process.
"I can eat anything," she says with a laugh, although she con-fesses her favorite is Mughlai cuisine, the food of Northern India that is more Middle Eastern in flavor.
Her ability to adapt to the foods of wherever she lived served her well when she moved to the United States at the age of 21, following her parents to Boston, where she attended dental school. Her infatuation with American cuisine began with cheesecake, dolly bars and that All-American favorite-—apple pie.
After obtaining her dental degree, Namrita moved to Blue Hill, Maine, where she began her dental career. Always particularly fond of seafood, perhaps as a result of being born on the coast, her tenure in Maine taught her to like lobsters, particularly since they were sometimes her payment for dental services.
"I did fillings and they left lobsters for me," she says. "It was a small village."
She moved to the Dallas area two years later, got married, started a family and opened her own dental practice in Plano. When her marriage ended, her parents moved to Dallas and she found herself sharing the kitchen again with her father, from whom she initially learned her love of cooking.
"My dad is definitely the cook in the family," she says. "It was a father/daughter thing in the kitchen (growing up). My mom was forced to take a well deserved break whether she wanted it or not."
Even now, whenever Namrita, her sister and their dad get together, it’s a cooking extravaganza. Dad does most of the grilling, sister Amrita is the "queen of appetizers" and Namrita’s specialty is spicy curry dishes such as butter chicken or shrimp masala.
As a busy, single working mom, Namrita leaves most of the weeknight meal preparation to her parents, who now live with her. However on the weekend, Namrita gets one night that’s her own to tool around and experiment in the kitchen.
A natural cook who swears she’s never made a flop, Namrita has the innate ability to take any recipe and make it work. Although most of the food she prepares is Indian, she indulges her American passion for steak and garlic mashed potatoes on occasion as well. Following are some recipes from her personal files.
Tandoori Machee
(Grilled Fish)
4 cod or catfish fillets (8 oz. each)
1 tsp. ginger paste
1 tsp. garlic paste
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. Tandoori masala
1/2 tsp. powdered black pepper
1/2 c. plain hung yogurt
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. fresh chopped cilantro
(Hung yogurt—Tie yogurt in a muslin cloth and hang it over the sink overnight so the water in the yogurt drips out.)
Grind onions and cilantro in a food processor. Mix together well—ground onions/cilantro, ginger paste, garlic paste lemon juice, black pepper and tandoori masala with hung yogurt—to get a marinade.
Coat fish fillets with marinade paste and leave in refrigerator for about an hour.
Heat grill to 350-400º. Brush with a little oil. Grill fish uncovered for about 5 minutes on each side or until the fish flakes easily with fork. Serve with baked potatoes and grilled vegetables.
*The same marinade can be used for tandoori shrimp or scallops.
Seekh Kababs
(Grilled ground beef or lamb on skewers)
12 bamboo skewers, 8" long
1 lb. ground lamb or beef.
1/2 c. finely chopped red onion
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbs. finely chopped garlic
1 Tbs. garam masala
1 tsp. salt
Soak skewers in water for 30 minutes so they won’t burn.
In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Divide mixture into 12 equal parts. Wrap each part around a skewer, pressing it with your hand to cover about half the length of the skewer. Preheat grill. Place skewer on the grate and turn occasionally for 5-6 minutes until done. Serve immediately over a bed of basmati rice or with Naan.
A raw salad of thinly sliced onions, carrots, fresh cilantro with a good squeeze fresh lemon is a great accompaniment for this dish.
Murghi Korma
(Chicken in Saffron-Almond Sauce)
1/2 tsp. saffron threads
1/2 c. heavy (whipping) cream, slightly warm
1-1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise into one inch thick strips
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
1/2 c. blanched almond slivers
1/4 c. water
1 tsp. garam masala
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. finely chopped ginger
5 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
In a large bowl, steep saffron in heavy cream for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken, cilantro, salt and red pepper. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but no more than 8 hours.
In a blender, puree almonds, water and garam masala until smooth. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add ginger and garlic. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Stir in chicken mixture and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 12-15 minutes or until partially cooked.
Mix in almond paste and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked.
Served hot with fresh Naan (flat bread also available in the frozen section of Indian stores.)
Spiced Basmati Rice
1 c. basmati rice
2 Tbs. olive oil
5 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
5 cloves
2 fresh bay leaves
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 tsp. black mustard
2 c. water
1-1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro
Pepper to taste
Rinse basmati rice in several changes of water until water runs clear, then let soak for 30 minutes. Drain and reserve until ready to cook.
In a large pan with tight lid, add oil and place on medium high heat for 2 minutes. Add spices and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Stir rice into spices so grains are coated with the mix of oil and spices. Stir in water and salt and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to as low as possible and cover pan tightly. Simmer without lifting lid for 8-10 minutes, until grains are tender and all liquid is absorbed.
Raita
(Cool yogurt relish balances out the spicy curries and kababs)
1 large cucumber
1 tsp. salt
1-3/4 c. plain yogurt
1/2 tsp. sugar
Pinch of ground cumin
2 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro or mint
Red chili powder to garnish.
Lay a clean dishtowel flat on counter. Coarsely grate unpeeled cucumber directly on the dishtowel. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, then gather up dishtowel and squeeze until all the excess moisture is removed from the cucumber.
Pour yogurt into a bowl and beat in remaining salt, together with sugar and cumin. Stir in grated cucumber. Taste and add extra seasoning if necessary. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Before serving, stir in chopped cilantro, transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle with chili powder.
*I get tamarind sauce from the Indian store and add a teaspoon before serving for added flavor.
Deborah Dove is a freelance writer from Allen. |
