‘Shami kebab masala in aloo tikki? Why not?': This new book celebrates spices

Sadaf Hussainrsquos new book Masalamandi Penguin Rs 999 begins with a dedication to the three figures who inspired his love for spices and foodmdashhis mother Anjum grandmother Bilqis and the family sil batta mortar and pestleIt also acknowledges gender politics in food which often confines women to the kitchen but rarely gives them credit for their work It was not so in his home says Hussain the men took on many cooking duties as well This though is his way of giving his grandmum and mum their due and itrsquos also why he addresses them by name rather than relation ldquoThis is a dedication to all those things we put in a corner whether itrsquos women or the heavy and infrequently used sil battardquo says the food historian and MasterChef India 2016 finalistWhatrsquos the difference between the Bengali puchka and the north Indian pani puri Itrsquos not just the fillingsmdashpuchka also has more spices than the north Indian pani puri PICSCOURTESYSADAF HUSSAINSome of his fondest memories hark back to the aroma of his mum grinding masala on the sil batta when a young Hussainmdasha spice connoisseur from an early agemdashwould try to guess what theyrsquod cook later in the day based on the spice blend His mother also inspired in him a love for biryani and her recipemdashAmmirsquos biryanimdashis the very first in Masalamandi ldquoMy mother made the best biryani in the worldrdquo he says ldquoIt was teekha spicy itrsquos quite close to the Hyderabadi version She used to put potatoes in it but itrsquos not a Kolkata biryani I guess you could say that if the Hyderabadi and Kolkata biryanis have a baby that would be my Ammirsquos biryanirdquoA pickle made with a dry Bihari spice rub with less oil and fewer masalas than many other Indian variantsAs much as he loves her recipe Hussain is not afraid to experiment with it and change it up His favourite hack is to add dried apricots to it which gives the spicy dish a ldquokick of sweetnessrdquo If his mumrsquos biryani is the best in the world his is the secondbest quips HussainHe hopes Masalamandi will inspire others to do the samemdashitrsquos a book for readers to immerse themselves in the world of spices teaching them about each spicersquos flavour profile and how heirloom recipes have used them over generations Eventually Hussain hopes readers will grow curious enough to start experimenting on their ownMany packaged spice brands started out as humble shops in small towns such as Munshi Panna Spices which started more than 80 years ago with a store in the local spice market at Rawatpara AgraldquoIrsquove always believed that we donrsquot give enough value to spices When someone enjoys a meal they compliment how it has been cooked or how tender the meat is for example But no one talks about how incredible the spices arerdquo he says ldquoWhy do you prefer one chaat shop over another There are only so many ways you can fry tikki and even that makes a difference in texture not so much in flavour Itrsquos the lsquosecretrsquo chaat masala blend the shop uses that makes all the differencerdquoThis is also why Masalamandi despite holding close to 500 recipes has very few of them detailing how to make the entire dish Instead most recipes focus on how to prepare the spice blend ldquoThere are so many recipes for rajma online In my book I donrsquot tell you how to make it But I do explain how to make different rajma dishes with different spice blends This is why I call this an lsquoadhoorarsquo or halfbaked bookrdquo he saysThere are five different rajma masala recipes in the book just as there are 37 biryani masala recipes Changing the spice blend alters the dish itself Halve the number of spices used in his Ammirsquos biryani and swap a couple of them with the gentler flavours of poppy and nigella seeds Yoursquore left with a fragrant Lucknowi biryani masala Technically they are both biryanis but they are very different in flavour heat and aroma he explainsWell then if itrsquos a spice that makes the dish is vegetable biryani real We ask him tongue firmly in cheek ldquoOf course I always tell people that vegetable biryani is a real thing I get upset when people imply that just because therersquos no meat in it veg biryani is not real You can make biryani out of anythingrdquoChef Hussain visits the local spice market wherever he travels whether itrsquos in Kashmir or GoaldquoI love spices playing with them is one of the best things I do I keep thinking of how to make something new or how I can use a familiar spice blend in something elserdquo says the MasterChef India alumnus ldquoLetrsquos say you have shami kebab masala but no meat then I want to push you to think Can we put this masala in aloo tikki Experimentation is how some genius came up with the masala blend now itrsquos up to us to push the envelope furtherrdquoSadaf HussainQuite recently he tells us he was busy writing his book and his cookmdashyes MasterChef finalist Sadaf Hussain has a cooking ldquodidirdquo toomdashtold him there was no chicken masala at home How was she to make chicken curry ldquoI told her to combine biryani and fish tikka masalas and make the curry She said it wouldnrsquot taste good but all masalas are just spices in different combinations The combinations shouldnrsquot limit us The curry ended up tasting wonderfulrdquoAmmirsquos biryaniIngredients12 kg chicken12 kg basmati rice soaked and partly boiled with the following spices2 black cardamom2 bay leaves 2 star anise 1 inch cinnamon6 cloves34 cup curd3 potatoes sliced boiled and fried 14 cup ghee to cook 3tbsp5 onions medium sliced 1 tbsp ginger garlic pasteSpice blend1 bay leaf8ndash9 black pepper whole1 star anise2 inches cinnamon4ndash5 cloves1 black cardamom4 green cardamom112 tsp red chilli powder12 tsp turmeric powder1 tsp cumin powder1 tsp coriander powder1 tsp garam masala powderSalt to taste Additions4ndash5 green chillies6 dried plums50 gm mint leavesSaffron a pinch dissolved in 50 ml water4ndash6 drops biryani attar2 tsp garam masalaMethodDry roast all the spices in the spice blend section leaving garam masala and salt aside Let it rest and grind all the spices together leaving the green cardamom and cinnamon sticks aside Mix the whole and powdered spices with the dried plums and your biryani masala is readyIn a pot add oil and the onions and fry until golden brown Remove half the fried onions and set aside To the remaining fried onions add gingergarlic paste and mix well Add and fry the chicken until it changes colourAdd the biryani masala and whisked curd and cook on a medium flame for 6ndash8 minutes Add slit green chillies and salt to taste Cover and cook for 8ndash10 minutes Take out half of the cooked chicken and set it asideLayer the chicken with rice fried onions chopped mint and coriander leaves boiled potatoes 112 tbsp melted ghee and 1 tbsp garam masala Repeat the process for the second layer Drizzle saffroninfused milk on top and the remaining gravy if any Seal the lid with whole wheat flour dough or aluminium foil and put the lid on Put some heavy weight on top to keep the air in the pot Puncture five holes for the biryani to breathe in the pot Keep the dum on a low flame for 15 minutes Take it off the flame and let it rest for 15 more minutes Serve hot Spice shoppingOne of Sadaf Hussainrsquos favourite places to buy spices in Mumbai is at Bohri Mohalla in Bhendi Bazaar and at Motilal Masalawala in Tardeo ldquoI like how you can buy the masala at Lalbaug spice market and they have a machine that will pound it into a powder with a wooden block instead of grinding it The texture and flavours are both betterrdquo he says His alltime favourite spice shop is Mata Badal Pansari in Lucknow which is ldquoold school and has spices used in cooking dishes like galawati kebabrdquo In Delhi he swears by Noori Masale near Jama Masjid ldquoItrsquos older than most packaged brands and is very popularrdquo he saysHussain also recommends visiting the local spice market wherever you travel ldquoThis gives you a glimpse into the placersquos culture and flavoursrdquo he says He has one tip for newbies ldquoDonrsquot ask the shopkeeper for lsquolocal spicesrsquo I made this mistake during a trip to Jaipur once and the shopkeeper looked at me like I was stupid Everything is local for them they cook with those ingredientsrdquo he says ldquoInstead ask them what masalas to use if you want to make a sabzi or cook meat or fish and they will point out the masalas that are most used locallyrdquoOn these shopping trips Hussain discovered many of the spices or herbs hersquos come to love such as Kashmirrsquos ver masala which can be used like a garam masala and the jimbu herb from the Himalayas which can be used for tadka in daal it adds a subtle oniongarlic aroma