Saturday, June 20, 2015

Kasundi--Indian Relish #Recipe @PegCochran

I was reading something (I'm always reading something lol) and the article--I think it was from the NY Times--mentioned kasundi--a Bengali relish.  Of course I had to try it.  There are numerous different kinds--with mango, with hot red chilies, with mustard.  This recipe comes from Tim Graham of the Chicago restaurant Travelle.  He calls kasundi "ketchup with a lot more going on."  I'd call it ketchup on steroids. 

It can be used in numerous ways--your culinary imagination is the only limit!  Put some in (or on) an omelet, instead of ketchup on your hamburger, marinate chicken in it, serve it as a dip.  The taste has been described as "funky" but also addictive.

Ingredients
1/4 cup plus 2 TBL oil (I used olive oil)
2 TBL cumin
2 TBL ground coriander
1 TBL tumeric
2 tsps. whole black mustard seeds (plain mustard seeds are an acceptable substitute)
2 tsps. chili powder
3 TBL chopped garlic
1 Thai chili (or Serrano chili as a sub)
2 TBL malt vinegar plus 1/2 cup
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp. salt


Warm oil over medium heat.





Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, mustard seeds and chili powder.  Cook until fragrant around 2 to 3 minutes.




Add garlic, chili and 2 TBL vinegar and cook until vinegar evaporates--4 to 5 minutes.


Hubby did the shopping for me and couldn't find a Thai chili and for some reason they were out of serrano chilies which they normally carry.  So I made do with a jalapeno--after all--hot is hot right?  I found these nifty thin plastic gloves in a dollar store (where, for one delusional moment, I wondered why there weren't any prices on things--well, duh, it's all a dollar lol.)  I chopped the chili with the new Sabatier knife my daughter bought me for Mother's Day.  It's a replacement for the one I'd had for thirty years and which mysteriously disappeared...hmmmm, maybe I should put one of my sleuths on the case?  Maybe Monica from my Cranberry Cove Series?



Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for 40 to 50 minutes or until the mixture thickens.  I kept it at a simmer--just below the point where it starts spitting all over the stove which happens if it boils too vigorously.


Let the relish cool and use your imagination--it's part ketchup and part BBQ sauce.  I plan on slathering it on some chicken and then putting it on the barbecue.  It's very yummy, and I know I'll come up with lots of way to enjoy it!

Coming in August, and I'm so excited for you to meet the gang at Cranberry Cove!  Berried Secrets is currently only $5.99 for Kindle on Amazon!



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13 comments:

  1. You're funny today Peg! You must be all hopped up on your ketchup on steroids! Sounds very tasty and can't wait for the book!

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    1. It is very tasty! I found myself eating spoonfuls right from the container!

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  2. This sounds like it packs a punch! Would it work for grilling? (BTW, I bought myself a Sabatier knife in Paris in 1971 and used it so long that it developed a curve from many sharpenings and won't chop any more--I couldn't bear to part with it, so it's in a drawer somewhere. They last!)

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    1. Sheila, I'm going to try grilling with it. One suggestion was to slather it on chicken or beef (or probably even fish) and let it sit for a few hours in the fridge and then grill. It would certainly turn plain old chicken into something more flavorful.

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  3. I think it would be too hot for me. And I hope your sleuths can find your knife!

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    1. Elaine, it's actually not that hot, but the test will be when my husband tries it. Things taste hotter to him than they do to me.

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  4. What an interesting recipe, Peg! You do have adventures in the kitchen and we will have to follow you on these adventures. Thanks for this: I too love the description of ketchup on steroid.

    Hugs.

    MJ

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    1. I think my yearning to travel again is coming out in the kitchen!

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  5. What a fun spicy relish. Lovely! Great for barbecue.

    ~Daryl / Avery

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    1. Yes! Another recipe I'm going to try is mixing a few tablespoons with plain yogurt, marinating chicken in the mixture and then popping it into the oven.

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  6. All your ideas on how to use this sound delicious.
    We will all be right over to help with the taste tasting!

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  7. Addictive funky? That's quite a description. I do like Indian food, though and love the notion of mixing it with yogurt and marinating chicken. Yum!

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