there are a couple of weaknesses in the motto i inherited from my granma - "i could make better at home." what about indian food? and pad thai? and injera? these are all questions that threaten my very being. i mean, i've made some pretty delicious dal, and i own pretty much every spice known to man (and if i come across something i don't have i have to buy it) but i'd always rather go to an indian restaurant than make some malai kofta (although it's probably because i would NEVER cook with as much cream as i know must be in the best malai kofta.)
anyway, i finally faced my fears and pulled out the indian cookbooks my sister gave me when she was downsizing to a backpack (she's visiting the world - currently in argentina?) and made a grocery list. the first thing i tried was a recipe for potato chaat. i selected it because it looked and sounded ridiculously delicious, and it was something i had so i couldn't actually be disappointed. and i got to use the tamarind paste i've had for like a year. there were four different things to prepare, and then they were added together upon serving:
1. baby potatoes - baked until soft (i had some that i picked in september hidden in the back of the vegetable drawer)
2. tamarind paste mixed with tomato sauce and ginger and other spices, mixed into the potatoes after they bake
3. something i would definitely call generic basic salsa - onion, tomato, green chilies, to add to taste over the tamarind potatoes
4. equal parts yogurt and water, to be poured over everything right before serving.
i was pretty excited to use the tamarind. unfortunately, it wasn't fun. i poured boiling water over it. i shoved it through a sieve, getting much of the tamarind out... but... well, there's got to be a better way to get tamarind paste. i'm going to have to try again. maybe i'll do some tamarind-paste-internet-research this weekend.
the other thing i didn't like was that the chilies i used - i forget their real name - they were the long skinny ones. i was going to grab jalapenos or habaneros but i wanted to try something new. i left in the seeds which was fine, deliciously spicy, but the long skinny ones have a rough texture that i didn't like. they would probably be good if they were cooked in a soup and then removed, but they were raw in the salsa and the tough texture was unpleasant.
also, i tend to cook a ton of stuff to eat throughout the week, so i threw everything together in one bowl, which was delicious, but much grosser looking than anticipated. my mother's #1 principle of cooking is plate appeal, which is reasonable when you're serving others, but i could care less when i'm eating it myself (if i know what's in it, i don't have to see it.)
anyway, it was alright. i'm constantly in search of good mayonnaise-free potato salad, and i think i could use the basic principles of this one - tamarind and yogurt and lime juice would be a good marinade for fresh-cooked-potatoes, and then add in a tomato and a fresh jalapeno (or roasted, that'd be delicious too.) i will persevere.
or, maybe i should go back to making soup.