Notes on Ingredients

Methi leaves
These are some stinky stinky leaves. they are related to fenugreek seeds in that they are the leaves of the plant that produces the seeds. Methi leaves have a very similar flavor to fenugreek seeds a deeply herbal umami flavor. However, they are an order of magnitude stronger.

When we bought these they came sealed in a very flimsy plastic bag which tore easily, so we transferred the leaves to a couple of layers of ziplock bags and tossed the now empty plastic bag into the trash. The next morning the scent of methi filled the house to the brim and I could quite literately follow my nose straight to the garbage can. Step by step it get noticeably stronger and more pungent. Not that it needs to be said, but we took out the trash immediately that morning.

These can only be found in a well stocked Indian store. It only takes a small pinch to finish a large curry and it imparts a very well rounded flavor that acts to bring together a lot of the disparate elements of spice in a good curry. It does seem to cook out if you simmer too long with it though, so I usually just toss in a pinch when the dish is done.

Two weeks later we were looking through the recipe books and when we opened up to the page which held the recipe we used the methi leaves on we got a heavy whiff of methi leaf smell! It had permanently sunk into the page!!!

Asefoetada powder
This is a very powerful souring flavored ingredient.  When bought in powdered form it’s usually mixed with rice flower or some sort of fluffy starch to aid in the measuring and dispersal of the flavor. However, I think the amount of asefetoada to power ratio could be quite different from brand to brand because some recipes call for an overpowering amount of asefoetada if you use the stuff we have, and more than a tiny little pinch can completely overwhelm a dish and make it unpalatable but just a hint does wonders to good Indian foods.

Again this can only be found in a well stocked Indian grocery store.

Mawa

This is basically thickened evaporated milk, you can reduce milk down in the pan until it becomes a thick paste, then mix in dry powdered milk until it's a thick paste. We found our Mawa in the frozen section with the paneer a lot easier. It looked like a very hard cheese but melted fairly well into the navratan Korma. It added a lot of creaminess.

Green Chilies

These are a special chili which are long skinny and green. We buy them at the Indian grocery and I haven't seen them at a non-ethnic market. They are fairly equivalent to a serrano for spiciness and the flavor isn't super unique. In India these are sometimes served raw as an accompaniment to meal. To remove some of the heat, remove the seeds or chop more coarsely.

Curry leaves

This is Jessie's favorite ingredient. They offer up an amazingly unique flavor. Some recipes say you can substitute dried curry leaves for fresh ones, but to use fresh changes the entire flavor of the dish. Good reason to make the trek to the Indian grocery store!