All about that base
Spice Indian Bistro’s chef Debu Saha shares his mother sauce recipe
There are certain chefs customers will follow from one restaurant to the next. Chef Debu Saha is one of them. This past winter when Saha opened Spice Indian Bistro at the corner of Richmond St. E and Sherborne St. in Moss Park, fans of his curries and biryanis that don’t hold back on spice, as well as his penchant for combining classic Indian cooking with elements of French cuisine, followed him to the east end neighbourhood. The aroma of roasted spices wafting along the sidewalk also entices passersby.
Saha may not be a fixture on TV, nor on any of the city’s ubiquitous best-of lists, but those who love food Indian in the downtown core are well attuned with his cooking.
“People are changing and not just looking for a buffet; they are looking for more creative food,” says Saha, who steers away from a buffet setting in general because of the amount of food waste.
“Now in Toronto, you can find places that focus on different areas of Indian cooking. The times are changing.”
Over the last two decades, fans kept tabs on Saha whether he was working out of at a $5 takeout spot at Yonge and Bloor during the mid ’90s, which was eventually bulldozed in favour of a condo; at an ahead-of-its-time fine-dining Indian spot on Mount Pleasant Rd. that tried (but ultimately failed) to introduce Torontonians to modern Indian cooking; or, in the last two years, at the back of a College St. pub where Saha ran a catering business while in-between restaurants.
The food he makes at Spice Indian Bistro has the requisite butter chicken, though it’s sublime with a subtle burn and the zip of fresh ginger. But Saha likes to go beyond that and talks about the beauty of Mughlai cuisine, food of the Mughal Empire that dates back to the 1500s in parts of northern Indian and Central Asia, that’s known for its rich dishes (think gravies and creamy desserts), biryanis and heavy use of whole spices.
Still, despite the long history and vastness when it comes to Indian cuisine, he says that a lot of Indian cooks have “mother sauces,” five or six gravies used as the base in many dishes.
He takes out a copy of what he calls his bible. Prashad: Cooking With Indian Masters by J Inder Singh Kaira, is one of those delightfully retro cookbooks (it was first published in1986) that includes cold chicken salads tossed in a creamy cardamom dressing and faded pictures of pâté garnished with pineapple rings on a bed of lettuce.
It’s a book he picked up when he started cooking professionally while living in India and cooking at upscale hotels in places such as Agra and Goa.
He flips to the section detailing the five Indian mother sauces: a white gravy made from cashews; a luscious makhani gravy where butter is a major component; a gravy made from boiled or fried onions; and Kadhai Gravy, a tomato and chili-based gravy with a hint of rose. He says the last mother sauce is yogurt.
“If you know how to make these five sauces, then you can make anything,” he says. “In French cuisine or European cuisine there are five basic sauces, like the béchamel and demiglaze. I’ve been making this brown onion paste gravy since I started cooking professionally. You can turn it into a curry to go with meat and vegetables or use it as a marinade for meat.”
While Saha has found his permanent digs for now at Spice Indian Bistro, fans will have this recipe to get a taste of his cooking wherever he may end up.
Brown Onion Gravy Star Tested
This slightly spicy curry, rich in creamy tomato and sweet onion flavours, is best made a day ahead to let the flavours intensify overnight. Make it in batches and freeze for future meals when you want curry in a hurry: Simply reheat the gravy and simmer with diced chicken, chickpeas or vegetables for a quick weeknight meal. 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp (90 mL) vegetable oil, plus more to make garlic-ginger paste 2 tbsp (30 mL) minced garlic (4 to 6 cloves)
2 tbsp (30 mL) minced fresh ginger 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced 2 green cardamom pods 2 whole cloves 2 whole star anise 2 dried bay leaves 1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground turmeric 1/2 tsp (2 mL) chili powder 1/2 tsp (2 mL) cumin 1/2 cup (125 mL) crushed tomatoes 1 cup (250 mL) pureed fresh tomatoes (about 1 large tomato) 1 cup (250 mL) water Salt, to taste Garam masala, to taste In a bullet blender or with a mortar and pestle, grind together garlic and ginger, drizzling in a bit of oil 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) at a time until it becomes a thick paste. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of oil. Sauté onions until golden brown and soft, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a blender to puree. Set aside.
Wipe down skillet and heat 1/4 cup (60 mL) oil over medium heat. Add cardamom pods, cloves, star anise and bay leaves. Cook spices for 2 to 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Stir in turmeric, chili powder and cumin. Stir and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic-ginger paste. Stir for 1 minute. Stir in crushed tomatoes and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomato puree and cook for 4 minutes.
Stir in onion paste. Stir in water until everything is well incorporated. Simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes on medium heat until it reaches a thick gravy consistency.
Taste. Season with salt and garam masala.
Makes 4 servings.