Cooking by the Book combines library with local cuisine - Yahoo News

Jun. 29—Patrons followed the smell of curry down the stairs of the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library on Monday night to see what was cooking.

"I'm just following my nose," one said.

"Is that Lucky Indian Cuisine?" the other asked.

It was.

Lucky Indian Cuisine's Faruk Pandit and Lucky Singh demonstrated how to make chicken curry for the library's "Cooking by the Book" monthly event. The event was livestreamed to registered participants, who were able to follow along at home.

Singh predicted patrons would seek out the spicy aroma of the dish from the beginning of the presentation.

"This whole library is going to smell of chicken curry," he said with a laugh.

Those following along at home could take in the scents as well because, upon registration, they were provided a packet of necessary spices to complete the recipe, said Trisha Shively, KHCPL's head of Adult and Teen Department. Shively coordinates the "Cooking by the Book" program, which began last month.

"It started with an idea to promote books and local businesses," she said. "This program fills up really quick because the ingredients we can give out is limited. It's a really neat experience."

Ben Rutz, KHCPL's digital media coordinator, set up the livestream and helped field audience questions for Singh and Pandit.

Pandit, the head chef at Lucky Indian, went to culinary school in India, and Singh learned from him. The pair said that chicken curry is the best beginner's dish for cooking Indian food.

"Chicken curry is the number one introduction to Indian food," Pandit said. "It's very simple. It's straightforward."

While the recipe does take some time — it usually takes about an hour in total — Singh said that once it's mastered, the recipe is a foundation for many Indian recipes. Singh referred to the sauce as "the base."

"This is the base for everything we cook," he said. "Once you figure this out, you can use lamb, chickpeas, any protein."

While curry chicken is popular, Singh said that lamb tikka masala, followed by chicken tikka masala, are the most popular items from the restaurant.

The pair had some tips on perfecting the base: Do not use garlic and ginger powders — only garlic and ginger paste or fresh garlic and ginger. The base should always be made fresh for the best taste. In fact, Pandit is so picky about a fresh base that someone is always making the base throughout the day at the restaurant to give customers the best food.

For those who want a spicier version, Singh said to add green chili powder instead of red chili powder. All of the ingredients in the recipe can be purchased at Lucky Indian Cuisine's grocery store.

Lucky Indian Cuisine's chicken curry

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 pound chicken, skins removed

* Ghee

* 2 cups basmati rice

* Soybean oil

* 1 red onion, diced

* 2 tomatoes, large, diced

* Spices: curry powder, salt, chili powder, cumin seeds, cumin powder, garlic and ginger paste, turmeric powder, ground coriander, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon stick

* Chopped cilantro (optional)

Preparation:

In a bowl, mix 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 tablespoon ground turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, curry powder, 2 tablespoons soybean oil, and stir into a paste. Add chicken, marinate.

Set burner to high heat. In a large pot, combine 1 teaspoon each of salt, turmeric, coriander, chili powder, cumin seeds and curry powder, along with 5-6 teaspoons garlic and ginger paste, 5-6 bay leaves, 1-2 cinnamon sticks and 1 tablespoon of oil. Saute.

Add diced onion. Saute until golden brown.

Add diced tomato. Cook until soggy.

Add 3 teaspoons coriander, 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, 3 teaspoons curry powder, 2-3 tablespoons ghee.

Cook chicken approximately 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

Add chopped cilantro (optional), rice, serve.

Basmati rice:

Soak rice in a bowl for 10-15 minutes.

Rinse rice 3-4 times, or until water comes out clear.

Boil 3 cups water with a pinch of salt. Add rice, bring water back to a full rolling boil, then lower to simmer, cover. Cook rice 15-20 minutes. Water will not completely evaporate. Strain excess water.

Laura Arwood can be reached at 765-454-8580, laura.arwood@kokomotribune or on Twitter @LauraArwood.

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2021-06-29 22:18:00Z
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