Indian Odyssey – Tamil Nadu

Gathering Sun-Dried Rice in Tamil Nadu

A few years ago, I had the great pleasure of traveling through southern India with four other members of the Culinary Historians of Chicago. Our itinerary had been arranged by Culinary Historians president, Dr. Bruce Kraig, who had just finished filming a TV special on the foodways of southern India. This had the tremendous advantage of giving us access to chefs and learning opportunities we would otherwise not have had. Though there was a considerable focus on food, the tour also took in a wide range of non-culinary delights as well. We did far too much to include in one post, so I’ll break this up into the four states to which our travels took us: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Goa.

Our first stop was Chennai, formerly known as Madras, in the state of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu means “the state where they speak Tamil,” and Tamil is the local language.

When we landed in Chennai, I stepped outside the airport, took a deep breath of the warm, fragrant air, looked around, and instantly knew that I was going to fall in love with India—and I also knew that two weeks wouldn’t be nearly enough time. Our surroundings were enticingly exotic and beautiful beyond imaging. They were also bustling, crowded, and full of life.

Behind the Scenes

If you’re like me and enjoy going behind the scenes to get the whole story, to see the process, to meet the families and dig into histories, to understand why things are done, or how, or what led up to a dish, a restaurant, a philosophy, then Michael Gebert might be someone you want to know. I love getting the back story, so I have been delighted by Gebert’s wonderful video series, Sky Full of Bacon.

The videocasts introduce us to people who are making their mark, and sometimes making a difference, in the world of food. There are episodes on urban gardening and urban foraging, on Texas barbecue and Chinese duck, on processors and growers and farmers markets. The videos give you a more in-depth and thoughtful look at their topics than you’ll find elsewhere—and in at least a few cases, might inspire you to take action, whether that action is starting a rooftop garden or just going out for dinner.

I do advise you read the little write-up before watching any given video, because while most involve conversations with chefs or organic farmers about how they work and why, some take you into stories not everyone will enjoy, such as following free-range pigs from farm to plate. Of course, I think it’s good to recognize that meat doesn’t actually come into this world already wrapped in plastic, but the process is not necessarily something everyone wants to watch.

The series generally focuses on the Chicago area, though Texas and Wisconsin have been featured, so only time will tell how far afield Gebert will take us as the series continues to develop.

So, if you like meeting people who grow, forage, sell, process, cure, or cook the food that delights you, then check out Sky Full of Bacon.

Llapingachos

As I traveled around Ecuador, the food I saw most often, from Otavalo’s street markets (where I first tried one) to the restaurants of Quito, was the llapingacho (yop-in-GAH-cho), a potato and cheese cake with as many variations as there are people making them. It was common to see llapingachos on griddles next to fried eggs, a popular accompaniment, or offered with fried platanos or peanut sauce. I also had them as a side dish, along with highly-spiced roast pork and buttery, white hominy. But however they were prepared, they were always wonderful.

The Andes are where potatoes originated, so it is not surprising that Ecuador has them, but the variety and flavor were impressive—many types I’d never tried before. Of the varieties we have here, my choice for this recipe has always been new (red skinned) potatoes, because they have more protein and moisture, and hold together better. Yukon golds would probably be good, too. Russets or baking potatoes, which are dry and crumbly, wouldn’t work quite as well. However, farmers markets are now offering us more varieties than these grocery-store staples. You may want to experiment.

Ecuador

Iglesia, Cotacachi, Ecuador

When people say, “Oh, you must come and visit us,” I always warn them, “Don’t say it if you don’t mean it.” Because I am likelier than most people to show up. So when friends took a one-year sabbatical to study language in Quito, Ecuador, I warned, but they insisted that they really wanted me to come. So one sunny December, I found myself heading south of the Equator to visit the country named for the Equator, Ecuador. I had long been interested in Ecuador, but found that it exceeded my expectations—I fell in love with the place.

Quito’s climate is perfect. The combination of a spot on the equator and an altitude of 9,000 feet means that the temperature is about 70 degrees year ‘round. Quito is an odd, wonderful city that is in some ways growing too fast, yet in other ways moving at a leisurely pace. Quito Coloniale, the old part of the city, is a beautifully-preserved quarter of narrow streets, glorious cathedrals, government offices, elegant restaurants, and most of Quito’s hustlers, since they know this is where the tourists are likely to be (so watch your wallet).

Icelandic Fish Soup

One chilly afternoon in Reykjavik, a couple of us decided to stop at a local café for lunch. Icelandic Fish Soup sounded like the right thing to order. It was thick, delicious, and, with a hunk of good bread, made a fine meal. I had discovered that, in Iceland, curry is a common seasoning for fish dishes or sauces, and the soup I had that afternoon was flavored with curry. The restaurant would not part with their recipe, but I think I have come pretty close to duplicating the flavor and texture of the soup. However, at the restaurant, the milk would have been half cream, and they probably used butter for sautéing the onions (Iceland, which is self-sufficient in dairy, likes butter). You can add these Icelandic touches, or try the still hearty and delicious but slightly lighter version below.

Icelandic Fish Soup

1/4 –1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 Tbs. dry)
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
2 lb. red-skinned potatoes, cut into chunks
1 Tbs. curry powder
1 generous cup blunt-cut green beans
1 generous cup sliced carrots
1 tsp. salt
2 lb. cod, or other firm, white fish, skinned, deboned, and cut into large pieces
2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste

Iceland

Steam, Snow and Sunshine in Iceland

When I visited Iceland in mid-February, it was actually a little warmer than Chicago. Iceland’s winters average around 28–34 degrees, with the country’s proximity to the Arctic Circle offset by the warmth of the Gulf Stream. Iceland’s wild wind adds a challenge of its own, but it does keep things moving, so the weather can change quickly.

There are several advantages to visiting Iceland in the winter. It’s off-season and costs less than half of a summer visit. You don’t have tourists clustering around everything and appearing in all your photos. Iceland is really beautiful in the snow. And it’s great to watch people’s reactions when you tell them you’re going to Iceland in February.

Salade de Patates Douces

This recipe comes from Chad—or République du Tchad—a country in west central Africa that was an important cultural and trading crossroads for many centuries. Notice that the word used for sweet potato is fairly close to the original batatas, and is a completely different word from the French for white potato (pomme de terre).

This dish is infinitely better than you can probably imagine from simply reading the ingredients. I love the intensity of the flavors. It makes a good side dish with something from the grill, or works nicely alone as a light lunch. Enjoy.

Salade de Patates Douces
(Sweet Potato Salad)

4 large sweet potatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
3 Tbs. lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped

Boil sweet potatoes in their skins until tender (takes about 25 minutes). When done, run potatoes under cold water to cool, then peel and slice. Place in a large bowl, add onion, lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper, and stir, making sure the potato slices get separated and everything gets coated with oil and lemon juice. Add chopped tomatoes and stir. Serves 6-8.

Note: For this recipe, you will probably want to use a nice, flavorful Extra Virgin olive oil, if you have it.

©2009 Cynthia Clampitt

The Original Potato

Sweet potatoes, popular street food in China, roast on a make-shift roaster.

“What’s in a name?” Well, sometimes a good bit of confusion—take yams and sweet potatoes, for example. If you’re in the United States and you’re calling something a yam, odds are you’re talking about a sweet potato, in which case, you’re wrong. Sweet potatoes are members of the morning glory family. Yams, on the other hand, are the tuberous roots of climbing plants of the genus Dioscorea. The two are entirely unrelated. Yet in parts of the U.S., the habit persists of calling sweet potatoes yams.

Tortilla Española

Back in April of last year (April 23, to be exact), I wrote a bit about tapas and offered a recipe for datiles con tocino, a very popular tapa. There have been so many searches for this recipe that I thought perhaps another classic tapa might be in order—just in case you’re all throwing tapas parties.

Actually, Spain’s wonderful tortilla española can be served as a tapa or as a main course, with nothing more than a variation in portion size. The ingredients are simple and inexpensive, but for all its simplicity, this recipe is remarkably delicious.

A true tortilla española always includes potatoes, but there are many variations. I recommend trying it “straight” first, so you know how good it is plain, then go ahead and improvise. Roasted red pepper, ham strips, sautéed asparagus—almost anything could be added to the basic recipe. But the original is so tasty, you may never want to change it. Be sure to use a skillet, which has sloping sides, not a frying pan, which has straight sides. Nonstick pans make this recipe a lot easier.

Tagen Bamya

Tagen Bamya/Okra Casserole

Last year, while traveling in southern Egypt, we visited an area largely occupied by Nubians. Nubia used to exist between Aswan (the first cataract in the Nile) and Khartoum (the fifth cataract), but Nubia has been absorbed by Egypt in the north and Sudan in the south. The Nubians were further displaced when the Aswan High Dam flooded their traditional lands. But they rebuilt their distinctive villages inland from where they originally lived. While in the area, at most meals, we had okra casserole (bamya is Egyptian Arabic for “okra,” and tagen, which morphs into tagine by the time you reach Morocco, means “casserole”).