8 International Cooking
Up to this point, most of the recipes have been pretty American in nature. There is nothing wrong with American cooking - indeed the country is home to a variety of excellent cuisines. Since the US is, with the exception of Native Americans, a country of relatively recent immigrants, it is not surprising that most of its cuisines have international influences. In this section, however, I want to concentrate on truly international dishes - ones you might find being served regularly if you visit their country of origin.
In each of the following sections, I begin with a section on ingredients. It turns out that, with a little hunting, most of them are relatively easy to find, especially if your’re prepared to make your own spice mixtures. Many of the ingredients are available at any grocery store, while others can be found at specialty markets or online.
8.1 Indian
Let me make a confession up front - I’ve never managed to make Indian food that is as good as you can get at many standard Indian restaurants. Indeed it is for that reason that periodically I make a run to Dayton, 40 miles away, to stock up at Amar Indian Restaurant, an excellent source. Nevertheless, there are a few recipes I’ve had some success with. My go-to source for them is 1000 Indian Recipes, by Neelam Batra; unless otherwise specified, this is where recipes originated.
8.1.1 Ajwain Chicken
This is one that Amar used to serve but removed it from their menu a few years ago. I found this suitable substitute. It’s a fair amount of work, but the result is worth the effort.
Ingredients
For the marinade
4-6 skinless bone-in chicken thighs
1 cup yogurt (avoid low fat)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper (cayenne or flakes)
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp ajwain seeds
For preparation
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cinnamon stick 3 black cardamom pods
3 whole cloves
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 large onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2” piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup chicken stock
- Mix the marinade ingredients, add the chicken, and let it marinate overnight.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add cinnamon, cardamom, cumin seeds, and red pepper flakes.
- Once the spices begin to sizzle (about 30 seconds) add the onion and saute for about 10 minutes, until the onions are softened and reduced in size by about a half.
- Add the ginger and garlic and continue to sauté for another 5 minutes.
- Add the turmeric, followed by the chicken and sauté for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally
- Add the chicken stock and cook on low heat for 40-50 minutes
Serve with rice.
8.1.1.1 For the Instant Pot®
- Follow the instructions above through step 5 (using the sauté setting for preparing the onions, spices and chicken).
- Remove the chicken temporarily and add the chicken broth.
- Put the trivet in place and place the chicken pieces on it.
- Pressure Cook on high for 8 minutes, followed by a 5 minute natural release.
- Switch the cover switch to vent and let all remaining steam release.
- Remove the chicken. If the sauce needs some thickening, set on sauté and cook until it is sufficiently released.
8.1.2 Chile Fry (Bhuna Murchi Murgh)
This is one I particularly like - as Indian recipes go, it’s relatively straightforward. This is actually a southern India dish, so it is quite distinct from the northern Indian cuisine with which we are most familiar. The sesame oil is a key ingredient.
Ingredients
2 tbsp peanut oil
1 tbsp Asian sesame oil
5-7 dried chiles
2 1 inch pieces of peeled ginger, cut into matchsticks
1-2 medium onions, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp paprika
2 lb skinless chicken thighs, cut in half through the bone
1 cup fresh cilantro, including soft stems
1/4 cup white vinegar
~1/2 cup water
salt and pepper, to taste
- Heat the oils in a large pan and add the peppers and ginger. Stir until lightly browned, about two minutes.
- Add the onions and cook until browned, about 15 minutes.
- Add garlic, paprika and chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add the cilantro, water, vinegar, salt and pepper.
- Cook over high heat until it comes to a boil and then reduce heat to medium.
- Cook uncovered for about 20 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Serve with rice.
8.1.3 Tamarind Chicken (Imli Murgh)
The original recipe calls for tamarind paste. I’ve never made it myself, rather I have used commercial tamarind concentrate in its place. This dish comes from Goa, a former Portuguese colony, and again is quite different from the Northern Indian cuisine widely available in the US.
Ingredients
3-4 tsp tamarind paste or concentrate
3 tbsp peanut oil
1 inch stick of cinammon, split lengthwise
2 black cardamom pods, gently crushed
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 large onion, sliced
1 tbsp peeled minced ginger
1 clove garlic, peeled
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
1 tbsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
3-5 serrano peppers, split or with skin punctured
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
- Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat and add cinnamon, cardamom and cumin. Sizzle briefly.
- Add the onions and cook until browned, 10-15 minutes.
- Mix in the finger and garlic, and then add chicken, coriander, turmeric and salt. Cook with stirring until the chicken is golden, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the tamarind, serrano chiles, vinegar and brown sugar.
- Cook uncovered for 7-10 minutes, until the chicken is soft and the sauce clings to it.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve (as always) over rice.
8.1.4 Chicken Tikka
This and the following recipe, for lamb kofta, are presented together, since I’ve found that both are great with the same masala. This one can be grilled or broiled, although what I really like is the ersatz tandoor method using the Green Egg that is given below. The lamb kofta recipe was originally designed for the Instant Pot®, but the next time I make it I’m going to bake the meatballs, as we do for Turkish meat balls.
This is one of my favorite dishes from my favorite Indian restaurant. A reader on the NYT site suggested a sauce for use when serving over rice. I’ve included that here as well.
Ingredients
six boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup malt vinegar or lemon juice
1 +1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 tbsp malt vinegar
2-3 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (“deggi murch”)
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp sweet or semisharp paprika
1+1 tbsp dried fenugreek (optional)
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- In a bowl, combine the chicken with the lemon juice, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste. Let it rest 10 minutes.
- Mix together the yogurt, malt vinegar, chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric, 1/2 tsp salt, coriander, cumin, paprika, fenugreek, and 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste in another bowl.
- Blot the chicken dry and add it to the yogurt mixture. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
- Prepare your grill and heat it to 450o F.
- For conventional grilling, place the chicken on skewers and grill, turning occasionally, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches ~160o F. For Tandoor-style cooking, see below.
- This can be served as is, but it can also be used for chicken tikka masala, using the masala recipe included below.
8.1.4.1 Tandoor-style Cooking
An alternative way to cook these, somewhat similar to how it is done in an authentic tandoor, can be founr here. It involves using long skewers that are positioned through the upper vent of a very hot Egg.
- Ignite coals in a Green Egg, and leave it open until the coals are glowing.
- Place the chicken pieces on long (17”) metal skewers, with a half of a lemon or lime at the end (these serve as stoppers so the chicken won’t fall out during cooking.
- Close the egg, keeping both vents wide open.
- Place the skewers into the top vent, with their handles draped over the edge of the vent.
- Cook for about 15 minutes.
- Remove one skewer and check the internal temperature of a large piece of chicken. You want it to be 165 o F. or greater. If necessary, return the chicken to the Egg.
- Continue cooking until the desired temperature is reached.
8.1.4.2 Notes
Thermoworks has a blog post with a very similar tikka recipe, along with a stovetop masala to serve with it. The only big difference in the tikka is the inclusion of cumin, coriander and paprika. I have added them above and liked the results My first time cooking this turned out well (I served it with Basmati pilau) and it was great. White rice is fine, especially if you’re serving it as a masala. If you are serving plain chicken tikka, then you might want to consider serving it over Basmati Pilau.
Second time is the charm. When I repeated this recipe, adding the additional spices and preparing the sauce described for lamb kofta the results were superb. Indeed, it was the closest I’ve come to replicating one of my favorite restaurant dishes. Hence, I decided to combine this and the kofta recipe into a single section.
Third time. I had this with plain rice (too lazy to make the pilau) and discovered that it works well. And at least for me, 15 minutes in the “tandoor” has done it every time.
Left: Top of skewers hanging in Green Egg. Right: Although not always accurate, the dome thermometer shows the ideal temperature for tandoori cooking.
8.1.5 Lamb Kofta
The original recipe here calls for use of ground chicken. That is not my favorite so I’ve substituted lamb. And the first time I made this, I did it in the Instant Pot®, but the resulting meatballs were rather soggy. Also, since I’ve found that the sauce works with chicken tikka as well, I thought it might be a good idea to separate the preparation of the sauce from that of the kofta.
Ingredients
1 pound ground lamb
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoons poppy seeds (optional)
1/2 tablespoon white or malt vinegar
1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoons ginger paste or freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoons garlic paste or freshly grated garlic
1 3/4 teaspoons Kashmiri or other mild red chile powder (or 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes)
1 egg
Vegetable or other neutral oil, for greasing hands
- Preheat your oven to 350o F.*
- Combine all of the meatball ingredients, except the oil, and shape the mixture into eight balls. and place on a foil covered sheet pan that has had a light coat of spray oil applied
- Bake for 12-14 minutes.
- Add the meatballs to the sauce and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Serve with rice and naan.
8.1.6 Masala
As noted, this is derived from the original recipe for lamb kofta, I’ve used it (successfully) with that and chicken tikka, but I imagine there might be a way to use it in vegetarian cooking. Malai kofta uses vegetarian “meatballs”, but there might also be a way to cook beans in it.
Ingredients
3 tbsp ghee or neutral oil
1 large yellow or red onion, finely chopped
1½ teaspoons ginger paste or freshly grated ginger
1½ teaspoons garlic paste or freshly grated garlic
1½ teaspoons Kashmiri or other mild red chile powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
4 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped, or 1½ cups canned crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
3/4 cups unsalted chicken stock or water
4 Thai green chiles, sliced
¼ cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
½ teaspoon garam masala
2 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro
- Set your instant pot to sauté and add the oil.
- Add the onions and sauté for 5-7 minutes until soft and transluscent.
- Add the chilli powder, cumin and turmeric and stir for thirty seconds.
- Add the tomatoes and salt. Cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock, garlic/ginger, and chopped peppers. Hit cancel on the IP.
- Remove the inner lining and when boiling has ceased stir in the yogurt.
- Pressure cook for 20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of natural release. Thicken on the sauté setting as desired.
- Add whatever protein you have prepared and serve over rice. Garnish with cilantro and/or garam masala as desired.
8.1.7 Chana Masala
I’m not a bean eater, but my wife is. She has tried making beans in the IP, but thus far she hasn’t found a combination she likes. In preparing the previous three recipes, I wondered if beans could be used in place of chicken or lamb, and that led me to this recipe. The key cooking parameters are 35 minutes on high pressure followed by a natural release.
8.2 Spanish
La Boqueria in Barcelona, which bills itself as “The greatest food market in the world.”
I first got interested in Spanish cooking when I visited my son in Barcelona (ok, actually in Catalonia) a decade ago. Barcelona is a great city in many ways, but what I enjoyed most about the food were the ubiquitous tapas restaurants. My favorite experience was at one in Old Town (I don’t remember the name) that we went to for a light supper after having spent a day in nearby Tarragona and eating a late lunch there. At this place, all of the tapas contained toothpicks, and you selected the ones you wanted to eat. After eating, a server came by, counted your toothpicks, and billed accordingly.
Compared to Indian food, Spanish food is quite mild. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t flavorful, and it incorporates elements found in both African and European cooking.
La Tienda is a great source for both ingredients and recipes. Most of those that follow are from that source. All of these can be served as tapas (think summer party) or as a meal.
8.2.1 Grilled Shrimp in Serrano Ham
Spanish ham is nothing like the domestic ham I grew up with - you need to try it to appreciate its unique flavors. I am fortunate enough to have a local source (Jungle Jim’s north of Cincinnati), but you can also purchase it from La Tienda (although their shipping charges are steep).
Ingredients
1/2 lb. large shrimp
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
salt and ppepper to taste
4 oz. sliced Jamon Serrano
- Prepare your grill for grilling at 450o F.
- Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails on.
- Mix together the olive oil, paprika, and salt and pepper.
- Add the shrimp and toss to coat.
- Wrap each shrimp with a 2 inch piece of the jamon and place on a skewer. If you are using wooden ones, be sure you have soaked them for at least 20 minutes prior to use.
- Place on grill and cook for 1-2 minutes per side, until the shrimp are opaque and the ham has crisp edges.
- Serve immediately.
Note that his recipe could be prepared with sea scallops (the big ones) as well. If so:
- After wrapping the scallops, use two soaked wooden skewers to hold 3 together. Brush with olive oil
- Grill at 425o F. for 3-4 minutes on each side, until the internal temperature reaches 130o F. Be careful not to overcook.
8.2.2 Pork Kebabs
This is another grilled recipe, one that can be used either as a tapa or, with rice and vegetables, a complete meal. Note that the original recipe called for generic smoked paprika, but as a lover of hot food, I naively used hot smoked paprika in the marinade in my first attempt at this recipe. Big mistake - it was bitter and almost inedible. Substituting sweet smoked paprika on the second attempt was a huge improvement, and the balance of hot-smoked and half-sharp in the salsa brava works very well.
Ingredients
1 lb pork loin, cut into 1 inch cubes
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried
1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ras el hanut
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 tsp black pepper
0-2 tsp sea salt (to taste)
- Mix all of the ingredients except the pork in either a bowl or a large ziploc bag.
- Add the pork, mix well, and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days.
- Soak a set of wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. Prepare your grill for grilling at 450o F.
- Thread four pieces of pork onto each skewer.
- Grill for 5 minutes or so, basting occasionally with the marinade.
- Flip the skewers over and cook for an additional five minutes.
- Serve with crusty bread and salsa brava* for dipping.
* Salsa brava is a staple of Catalonian cooking. It can be purchased from La Tienda or made as follows:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp hot smoked paprika
1 tsp half sharp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2-3 roasted piquillo peppers
2 tbsp vinegar of choice
salt to taste
- Saute the garlic and onion in the oil for 5-10 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients (except salt), bring to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Turn off heat and blend with an immersion blender.
Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 10 days. Freeze for longer term storage.
8.3 Other Mediterranean
8.3.1 Ras el Hanout
This is a very flavorful Moroccan mixture, one that also turns up in Spanish dishes. This particular recipe is from allrecipes.com, incorporating a few reviewers suggestions.
Ingredients
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
Mix everything together and store in an airtight container. Doing so in the freezer will extend the lifetime of the mixture.
8.3.2 Lamb Meat balls
Below are two recipes, one from Turkey and one from Morocco. The Turkish one is an old standby; the Moroccan one a new one. As you can see, the flavoring and preparation are similar. Both can be made with other meats (beef or pork), but lamb is what makes these recipes sing.
8.3.2.1 Turkish
This one comes from Turkish Cookery by Gülseren Ramazanoglu, a small book that my first wife picked up while touring Turkey 30 years ago. It’s a great little book, however it is not available in the US.
Ingredients
1 lb ground lamb or veal
1 medium onion, chopped finely
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 clove garlic, chopped finely chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp baking powder
- Preheat your oven to 350o F.*
- Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl, blending them together with your clean hands.
- Shape them into six sausage shaped meatballs and place on a foil covered sheet pan that has had a light coat of spray oil applied
- Bake for 12-14 minutes
This goes well with rice.
*The original recipe calls for the meat ball to be fried. That is certainly an option, but it is rather messy and tedious.
8.3.2.2 Moroccan
This comes from the Limerick Lane Winery site. Such sites can be an interesting source of recipes - of course they are trying to sell their wines, but many of the better ones provide recipes with suggested wine pairings as well. I have made a couple of changes, adding panko bread crumbs and deleting the salt (1 tsp) called for in the original recipe.
Ingredients
For the meatballs
1 lb ground lamb
1/4 cup unseasoned panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup onion, chopped finely
1/2 cup chopped parsley leaves (I usually don’t bother with parsley - to me it adds color but not flavor)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
For topping (optional)
1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
1.2 cup Greek yogurt
- Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 350o F.
- Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a bowl.
- Form the meat mix into balls. The recipe recommends making 15-18 one ounce balls, but there is nothing wrong with making fewer, larger ones.
- Cover a sheet pan with foil and spray it with oil
- Place into oven and bake for 12-14 minutes.
- If you are making the topping, mix the ingredients for it together.
- Serve however you want - I usually do so with rice.
8.3.3 Chicken with za’atar, paprika and lemon
This is a recipe from The Splendid Table, an NPR radio program on sophisticated cooking. Normally, I don’t find their recipes to be all that appealing, however this one looks promising (I haven’t cooked it yet - it will be one for when we have omnivorous company). The key spice in it is za’atar, a Persian blend of sumac, sesame, thyme and salt. Not surprisinggly, I purchase it from Penzeys, however it is often available in international sections of larger grocery stores.
Ingredients
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 heaping tbsp. za’atar
1 tbsp paprika (I use Penzeys half sharp)
zest of 1 lemon and juice of 1/2
sea salt and black pepper to taste)
- Preheat your oven to 350o F. and line a baking dish with foil.
- In a bowl, coat the chicken thighs with the remaining ingredients. Mix well with your hands.
- Place them on the lined dish skin side up and bake for 45-60 minutes, until they are nicely browned and the internal temperature has reached 170o F.
Recommended accompaniments ar baked halloumi with lemon, thyme and honey, or spiced orzo polow. If I can find recipes, I will add them at a future date. In the meantime, rice pilaf might be a good accompaniment.
8.3.3.1 The Original Recipe
The Splendid Table credits the cookbook “Persiana Everyday”, by Sabrina Ghayour, for the original recipe, and I couldn’t help but download the book ($8.99 on Kindle) and take a look. Turns out that it does have some differences, notably that it uses a whole chicken and adds orange zest and some additional spices.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken, 3-4 lb
3-4 tbsp olive oil
2 heaping teaspoons za’atar
zest of two lemons
zest of two oranges
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp sea salt
black pepper to taste
Again, make all of the ingredients (except the chicken) and apply to the chicken. Bake on a foil-covered pan for ~1.5 hours at 425o F, until the breast has reached 155o and the thighs have reached 170o. As always, spatchcocking the bird might facilitate even cooking.
8.3.4 Halloumi Fries
So this is a simple recipe I found here. As soon as I can find halloumi I’ll give it a try.
Ingredients
1 block halloumi
onion powder
garlic powder
ground black pepper
olive oil
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat. Preheat the oven to 425o F.
- Slice the halloumi in to french fry-shaped blocks
- Toss together the halloumi with the spices in a small bowl.
- Place cheese sticks on the baking strip and drizzle with olive oil.
- Cook for 20 minutes, turning them after 10 minutes.
- Serve with dipping sauce (if desired). The original source recommends hot honey or marinara sauce.
8.4 Mexican
As I was originally developing this book, I scattered a few Mexican recipes here and there, but I finally decided (duh!) that the cuisine warranted its own section. So here goes.
8.4.1 Birria tacos
One day over morning coffee, I coincidentally ran across two recipes, one for the smoker and one using an Instant Pot®. Both are similar, in that they involve cooking a tough cut of beef (chuck or similar) to oblivion (so it can be shredded) in a rich consomme, and then soaking corn tortillas in that consomme before frying on a griddle. If these work, it would mean these could be prepared year round. Note that the spicing of the IP recipe is more bold - it probably could be used with the smoker cooking method. A fun spring weekend project.