Indian spices meet expat palates
AWAY FROM HOME Driven by the lure of local ingredients and simple recipes, the city’s expats are embracing Indian spices in their kitchens, after learning of their medicinal values at cooking classes
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The recipes for expats use simple Indian spices that are easily available across the globe. Keeping in mind the low tolerance expats have for spices, these recipes carry more flavour than spice.
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NEENA , city-based chef, who has been training expats for eight years.
My chauffeur was also a I am a sort of a health freak, farmer, so he often told us which is why I am very about local fruits and vegetables particular about the food my that we would otherwise never family eats. Roti was an amazing try. That’s how chikoo became a dish I found after coming to India. favourite fruit of my son’s. He It’s wheat-based, toasted and would also tell me how certain easy to make, and no yeast is vegetables are prepared. involved, unlike other breads.
CLAIRE MONTGOMERY, an expat who ROBERTA MECCA, an Italian who shifted to shifted to the city from Canada six years ago the country a few months ago
GURUGRAM: Accompanying roti with a curry has become a staple at Roberta Mecca’s house. On most days, these rotis are rolled out by the Italian herself but on some days, her nine-year-old daughter Audrey lends her a helping hand. The reason Roberta has replaced bread with roti at her house is the absence of yeast, which makes it a healthier option for her.
“I am a sort of a health freak, which is why I am very particular about the food my family eats. Roti was an amazing dish I found after coming to India. It’s wheat-based, toasted and easy to make, plus there is no yeast involved, unlike in other breads,” said the curly haired homemaker who shifted to the country a few months ago, for the second time in four years.
Roberta is now planning to take up Indian cooking classes in the next few weeks to get herself better acquainted with local vegetables, fruits, grains and, most importantly, spices. The health enthusiast believes that the key to Indians living long and healthy lives lies in the spices they use in their food.
“When I look around, I see that a majority of the people is living in unhygienic conditions, doing extreme hard work, sometimes not getting proper meals, and yet are relatively healthy. You don’t see the elder population suffering from diseases like Alzheimer’s,” said Roberta, two of whose family members have been affected by Alzheimer’s in Italy.
Roberta is one among a band of city expats who are slowly embracing Indian spices in their kitchen after learning about their medicinal values at cooking classes.
Bucking the popular belief of expats keeping spices at a distance, these expats use it in their food for taste and health. Far from home, finding suitable food is hard, but local greens and cooking classes are helping them discover Indian food, albeit customised to their taste.
Trudy Twigg, an American to who shifted to the city 20 months ago, unlike most expats, knows how to handle her spices. However, her husband falls is one of those who can’t take the spite of red chilies. So when kadhai paneer is made at home, she adds an extra dash of red chilli only after her husband’s portion has been kept aside.
Her kadhai paneer recipe however, is a tad bit different from the ones you might find in a north Indian household or restaurant.
It consists of basic spices like cumin, dry red chilies, turmeric and coriander powder stirred over paneer and vegetables in minimal oil. This recipe is not something she took off the internet, but learnt at a cooking class crafted especially for expats.
When it comes to Indian cooking, expats often stick to the most basic spices, said Neena, a city-based chef who goes by her first name. She has been training expats in Indian cuisine for the past eight years and has taught close to 80 expats in that time.
“The recipes for them use simple
Indian spices that are easily available across the globe. Keeping in mind the low tolerance expats have for spices, these recipes carry more flavour than spice,” Neena said.
Aloo gobi and biriyani are the recipes most sought-after by expats, she added.
Customisation is the key to these classes as everything is broken down and translated for the expats. In Neena’s classes, kadhi chawal is referred to as chickpea dumpling in yoghurt sauce. Students learn up to 16 main dishes that they cook and dine on at the end.
Getting accustomed to local greens is another reason expats take up cooking classes. It allows them to have fresher and seasonal fruits and vegetables on their platter.
“One of the major reasons I want to take the class is to get to know about the local vegetables and spices and how to cook them. Eating local is always healthier,” Roberta said.
She added that on one instance, her husband was asked to buy dal from the supermarket, but he came home with a different kind that she had to search for online.
Lauki, or bottle gourd, is the next vegetable she wants to master.
For Claire Montgomery, who shifted to the city from Canada six years ago, her chauffeur often played the role of a teacher when it came to introducing her to local greens. He helped her pick out the fresh from the stale, as well as gave her tips on preparations.
“He was also a farmer, so he often told us about local fruits and vegetables that we would otherwise never try. That is how chikoo became a favourite fruit of my son’s. He would often tell me how certain vegetables are prepared. He once told me that tindla is cooked like zucchini,” Claire said. She added that since she came to India, the food options for her family have increased exponentially.
The attraction to Indian food for a lot of expats stems from what they had previously tasted or flavours they had been exposed to, said Manju Dhanda, who has been taking cooking classes in the city for the past 20 years. Mughlai food is a favourite among her expats students who are keen on meat preparations, likewise, vegetarians are also no far behind.
“I once had an Australian student who was a vegetarian and was wowed by the infinite preparations we have of vegetables. She learnt something as simple as lauki ki sabzi,” said Dhanda, who holds her classes in DLF Phase-2.
Montgomery tasted Indian food for the first time at university, and has since been trying it at different places. Coming to India provided her with the perfect opportunity to learn it as well. Her friends and family also get an opportunity to taste her cooking. “There was a potluck at my brother’s house, and I made mini samosas. It was tiring but you get to do it with other friends and it becomes so much fun. Momos are another fun dish to cook in a group,” said the Canadian, who also took classes for South Indian cuisines. Her dosa still need practice she says.
Though rare, expats exploring the spice aisle at supermarkets is not entirely unheard of. Anek Lal, an executive at I Say Organic store at South Point Mall says questions about spices by expats are not uncommon. Adding medicinal information about the spice concerned helps make the sale. “Besides the usual veggies, we also have a lot of expats who buy spices like turmeric, coriander and cumin. Himalayan rock salt is another favourite of theirs,” he said.
The cooking classes have made the humble pressure cooker a new addition to both Roberta and Trudy’s kitchens. It’s now their favourite equipment thanks to its fast cooking and easy-tocount whistles.
“Red kidney beans, pulses, potatoes, all get made in the pressure cooker for me,” Trudy said.