Dhaas Bindi

This simple side dish is impressively tasty, winning over even those who dislike okra for its "slimy" texture which is thoroughly removed.

Dhaas Bindi

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

8 oz fresh okra

4-6 cloves garlic, minced

1 gren chilli, minced

salt to taste

1/4 tsp turmeric

2 1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

a pinch of asafoetida

oil

Preparation:

Rinse okra with water and dry with a paper towel. Slice off the ends, and make a slit through the okra.

On a plate, mix together the garlic, chilli, salt, turmeric, coriander, red chilli powder, and asafoetida.

Carefully stuff the spice mix into the okra, taking care not to damage them.

Cooking:

Heat oil in a frying pan, and fry the okra, tossing every few minutes, until the stuffing is browned. Take care not to overcook the okra, as dark brown okra will not taste very good.

Serve hot.

Chapter 17 : Sindh (Pakistan)

The division between Indian and Pakistani cuisines is blurry, at best, due to the partition of India. Muslims and Hindus lived side by side in Sindh, where historically there had been no violence between the two groups. After the partition of India, however, the Sindhi Hindus found themselves increasingly the target of violence, relocating into India.

Sindhi cuisine is not vegetarian, although Muslim Sindhis observe Halal meat guidelines, so pork isn't common. Certainly, beef, lamb, fish, and chicken would be consumed, although in researching Sindhi cuisine we found a wealth of vegetarian recipes and eschewing meat seemed easier than not.

Curry, of course, had become well known worldwide, whether it be Indonesian Gulai, Japanese Curry Rice, Jamaican Curry Goat, or even German Curry Ketchup. But of course, it is originally from the subcontinent of India. Less well known is the Curry Leaf, which is commonly used to make curry in Southern India especially. This Sindhi recipes makes use of the enigmatic leaf.

This also uses Gram Flour, otherwise known as Besam/Besan. Gram flour is made from chick peas, and its unique flavor is used to make a sort of chickpea/butter ghee roux in this recipe. You might be able to replace it with white flour, although the flavor would certainly be very different.

Fenugreek can be found in most ethnic groceries, though not in mainstream groceries. It has a maple-like scent, and nothing else seems even vaguely like it.

Asafoetida is an allium that is found powdered, usually in Indian groceries.

Sindhi Curry

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time 1 1/2 hours

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

3 tbsp ghee

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

a pinch of asafoetida

4 tbsp gram flour

salt, to taste

1 tbsp grated ginger

2 green chillies, minced

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp red chilli powder

20 curry leaves

1 tbsp cilantro, chopped

1 tbsp mint, chopped

2 tbsp tamarind pulp

1 1/2 chopped vegetables (carrots, okra, and potatoes, though you may need to pre-boil the carrots and potatoes)

Produce a Roux:

Heat the ghee, then add the cumin seeds, fenugreek, and asafoetida. Fry until lightly borwn, and then sift in the gram flour, stirring constantly. When the gram flour becomes golden brown in color.

Cooking:

Slowly add 4 cups of warm water to the gram roux., stirring in a little at a time. Add salt, ginger, green chillies, turmeric, and red chilli powder. Add vegetables and curry leaves and bring to a simmer. When vegetables are nearly done, Add the mint, cilantro, and tamarind pulp.

Serve with aloo tuk.

Storyville

Alligator

The 'gators hide out down in the swamp, and they're nice enough fellas, I guess. They mostly go about their business, and don't bother you none. That is, unless you annoy them. Then they tend to snap your hand off.

Ya wouldn't normally think of the guys as food, but down in the Louisiana swamps the critters the local Cajuns discovered they were tasty as anything else around, as long as you cleaned and tenderized it enough. Don't worry about them being protected, Alligator is commonly raised in farms for skin, and the meat may well be available at your local specialty meat market. Katrina and I located some off of 56th St. here in Indianapolis, pre-cleaned and marinated, and with a little help from our friend Bryan, who made sure it was extra tenderized by beating it with his bare fist into pulp, it was good to go.

The key to making gumbo is not to add too much liquid in the first place. You want your thickening to be done by the okra's soluble fiber. So barely cover the okra with enough liquid to boil it! The resulting gumbo is nothin'to sneer at.

Alligator Gumbo
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour, twenty minutes

Ingredients:

2 lbs alligator meat
1/4 lb andouille sausage (substitute any smoked sausage if you can't find it)
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
3 scallions
1 small white onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 20 oz can crushed and stewed tomatoes
2 pounds okra
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 tbsp cayenne pepper
12 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp filé seasoning (replace with 1 tbsp powdered thyme, if unavailable)

Prep:

Slice up okra, discarding stems.

Chop up the green bell pepper, being careful to discard the seeds and stem. Also chop up the scallions, white onion, parsley, and celery.

Slice up the andouille sausage and alligator meat into 1" chunks.

Cooking:

Put the okra into a pot and cover with water, and bring to a boil. Make sure to add water if it needs it, but add no more than you have to! The more you add the thinner this will be and you want a thick, rich gumbo.

Sauteé your celery, onion, scallion, and green bell pepper in a pan with a stick of butter. When soft, add your tomatoes and sauteé for another ten minutes. Pour into your okra/water mixture, and add the alligator and andouille, and then simmer it gently, being careful not to scorch it, for two hours.

Season with salt and hot sauce, and perhaps some capers.

The Result:

The result was delicious. I must confess alligator's flavor certainly doesn't warrant buying it every day. It tastes good enough, but one could get away with something more available, like chicken, for a cheaper and more readily available gumbo.

But then, this is a gumbo recipe! Play with it! Add some of your own ingredients, and throw out what you don't care for. This dish is all about mixing together what's in season and making a thick, tasty stew of it, so don't hold yourself back!