CityView Magazine

CityViewNC .com | 21 cayenne, cumin and salt. And then Shah would add more of everything. But in the meantime, Shah passed around a container of Indian-style snack mix. Her blend includes a few familiar elements, such as rice cereals, corn cereals and peanuts, but hers is made downright addictive with the addition of green raisins from India, cashew nuts, turmeric, cayenne, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds and sesame seeds. In fact, those spices are the secret to all the fragrant and delicious Indian dishes, and they are also the reason cooks can get away with using less unhealthy fats and sugars. Shah learned to cook at her mother's side, not with measuring spoons but with spices poured into her hand to learn the amounts that looked correct. Like most Indian cooks, she owns a prized possession known as a masala box. e stainless-steel container holds small dishes of jewel-toned spices that are indispensable in Indian cooking, including cayenne powder, turmeric, garam masala, cumin seeds, cumin-coriander powder, asoefetida and mustard seeds. She orders many ingredients and special cookware from India, but also shops at Indian Food and Spices on Hope Mills Road. When the cauliflower is sufficiently steamed, spiced and ready to serve, Shah finishes the meal by adding a "masala gravy" to the pot of simmering dal, or lentil soup. is gravy isn't at all like the typical fare found atop many a Southern biscuit or next to the anksgiving turkey. is Indian staple consists of tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger and spices sauteed together. It's added to the dal aer being sauteed with Ghee, cumin and asoefetida. Shah serves it all on pretty china plates featuring painted peacocks, the official bird of India. She sprinkles a little cilantro over everything. Cilantro? We thought that was an herb for Mexican food. Nope. "Nothing is complete in Indian cooking without a sprinkling of cilantro," Shah said.

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