Kosher Cuisine Show #2 - Sukkot and India.

This is the original script for the show. Some of the non-essential text may have been edited out of the final version that aired on Community Radio due to time constraints. In this edition, some of the Hebrew language has been retyped below in non-patriarchal terms. The original broadcasts of these radio shows were in 2015 and 2016. Some bits, including the preachy section on factory farming, have been removed from this audio edition so the file fits within Bandcamps size limits. Thanks for listening!

First Segment

Hava Nagila Music Intro [35 seconds then fade…]

Hello, everyone! This is Leah Kiser and you’re listening to Kosher Cuisine. This is a show about food safety, international kosher recipes and amazing music from areas around the world. This week we’re going to look at India, the Jewish communities there. There are three distinct groups of Jews in India, the Cochinis, the Bene Israel, and the Baghdadis. The Bene Israel have legends that they are part of the lost ten tribes stranded in India after a shipwreck, but most groups of Jews in India came following the silk road and the spice caravans hundreds of years ago. Marco Polo actually met with some of them in the year 1293 and they were well established at that time. The recipes of the Jewish communities there are, of course, heavily influenced by native India cuisine.

The first recipe is a fairly simple Rice Pulau, called Tricolor Pulau. It gets its name from the vegetables and serves 4-6 people. Recall last week we discussed the importance of not contaminating your salt, pepper, and spice shakers by holding them over your hot stove. So measure out in small cups or bowls the following seasonings:

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
4 green cardamom pods or 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom.
4 whole cloves or ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of salt, or to taste. Do not add salt if your cashews are salted, though. That would be way too much salt.
Finally, you will need about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

You will need one large onion, peeled and chopped into small pieces on a clean parve cutting board with a clean parve knife. Recall, parve means vegan in kosher parlance. For food safety reasons, it is important to cut different types of food with different cutting boards and different knives, or at least wash the boards and knives between types of food to avoid cross-contamination.

Next you will need 1 cup of fresh or frozen green peas. If you use fresh peas be sure and rinse them off. Frozen foods have generally already been washed.

One cup of organic corn – it is particularly preferable to use organic corn, though you can use regular frozen corn. Almost all corn that is not organic is GMO, which means it has a toxin inserted into the genes of the corn which kill the bugs that eat corn in the fields. These toxins do not magically become safe for you to eat when you bring them home, and they don’t wash off because they have been genetically engineered into the corn kernels. Also, GMO products are sprayed heavily with glycosphate, a very toxic pesticide that is known to cause cancer. Pesticides and herbicides mess with your hormones and your metabolism, causing weight gain. It is best to avoid them if at all possible.

You will also need 1 cup of small diced carrots – frozen is fine, but if you use fresh carrots be sure and wash them and try to get organic ones.

You will need at least a ½ cup of cashew pieces and halves, and I actually prefer to use a full cup – but you don’t have to. Unsalted ones are best, but if you get salted ones don’t add more salt to the pot.

Last but not least, you will need 1 or 1 and ½ cups of rice, depending on how many people you want to feed. I use old fashioned long grain brown rice, preferably basmati organic rice. But you can use the quick cooking brown rice, or bleached white rice if you prefer. Filter some water if you have a Brita or Pur filter, and measure out the amount of water called for on the package of the type of rice you choose to use, usually 2 cups of water for one cup of rice to serve four, or 3 cups of water for 1 and ½ cups of rice to serve six.

So, since this is a meat meal you will need a large meat pot with a lid – a pot that is dedicated to using with meat meals. Remember, in kashrut you cannot mix meat and dairy ingredients or cookware.

Heat the olive oil in the pot on medium for a couple of minutes, then add the cumin seeds. Fry them for about 2 minutes until they are browning, then add the bay leaves, the cardamom, the cloves, and sauté gently for about 2 more minutes, stirring so nothing sticks.

Now add the onion and let it lightly brown. If you are using fresh carrots you should also add them at this time. Saute for about 3-4 minutes.

Now, add the rice to the pan, and sauté it with the oil mixture for just a minute or two. The idea is to coat the rice with the oil and spices.

Now add filtered water and the rest of the ingredients to the pot.

Cover the pot and leave the pot on medium heat, say, about 6 on a scale of one to ten, until the water comes to a rolling boil. As soon as it is boiling strongly, turn the heat down to about 2 and let the rice simmer. Depending on what type of rice you chose, quick cooking, white, or brown old fashioned, this will take anywhere from about 20 minutes to an hour and a half. Simmer the rice until all the liquid is absorbed, and the fluff with a fork.

If the rest of your meal is not ready when the rice is done, just turn the heat down on the keep warm or low setting until everything else is finished. It will be fine. My kids have loved this recipe since they were old enough to eat regular table food, and it has also been a big hit at shul for Shabbat meals, so I am sure you will like it. If you happen to have an allergy to nuts, just leave out the cashews. It tastes good without them, too.

So while the rice is simmering, here is a bit of music from an album called “Classical Melodies from India – Instrumental.” I have chosen track 5 to play from this album, as it is very relaxing and meditative in nature and has a beautiful assortment of native instruments. I will apologize in advance if I am butchering the names of these – I do not speak Hindi and am not familiar with their pronunciations. But it is called “Jyote Kalash Chhalke” and this version is actually an adaptation used as a score for a Bollywood film named “Bhabhi Ki Chudiyan.” The music is by artist Sadashiv Chitra and features artist Pradipta Sen Gupta on the mandolin.

[Track 5 – 45 second exerpt]


Second Segment

Welcome back to Kosher Cuisine! For our next dish from India, I thought you might like a recipe for Naan. Ironically, Naan bread is not actually native to India – it was brought there from Persia by way of what is now Afghanistan. The name “naan” is actually the word “bread” in the Persian language. So Naan was originally middle eastern bread!

Now, traditional Naan is made with ordinary yogurt, which is dairy. Since this is a meat meal we are going to have to fudge it a bit, since in kashrut we cannot mix meat and dairy in a meal. The easiest way is to simply buy some non-dairy yogurt, like soy yogurt or coconut milk yogurt. If you like, you can ferment some other type of non-dairy liquid, such as almond milk, at home. This is a tedious process that takes several days, so unless you are a very serious at home cook, I would say just buy some soy yogurt.

So here are the main ingredients you will need to make about 3 average size pieces of Naan. You can make four slightly smaller pieces out of it, or double the recipe to make six pieces.

First you will need 2 cups of flour. Most recipes call for unbleached white bread flour, but you know that using processed flour can’t possibly be the original ancient recipe. So if you want you can mix and match whole wheat, spelt, other flours, and white flour to make a healthier more authentic bread. Now, if bread baking is something you haven’t done a lot of, you should probably stick to white flour your first time out and then experiment when you are feeling confident.

So, you will need to measure out ½ teaspoon of salt into a cup or bowl.

You will need 1 large egg, cracked into a small bowl and mixed with a fork like you are going to scramble it.

You will need 4 tablespoons of warm water, preferably filtered and warmed slightly on the stove rather than tap water, but tap water will work.

The problem with tap water is that the municipal water processing doesn’t remove every type of molecule from the water. And, of course, they add fluoride and chlorine, which really aren’t that healthy for you. But the biggest concern with tap water is lead, which is especially a problem in older buildings. Tap water also contains a lot of chemicals and medicines that people have flushed down the toilet and are not filtered out by ordinary water processing. These can include hormones, beta blockers, antibiotics, not to mention cleaners, detergents, etc., that you probably just should not be drinking. A Brita or Pur filter will remove a lot of those molecules. And it tastes better, too, so your recipes will taste better.

You will need to measure out 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and also pour a bit of olive oil out into a bowl to brush the top of the bread.

Finally, you will need ½ ounce, or one packet, or ½ tablespoon of fresh yeast. This is just ordinary bread yeast that you can get at any grocery store.

So, sift the salt and flour together into a large bowl. If you don’t have a sifter just use a fork or a whisk to mix them together thoroughly. In a smaller bowl add the yeast to the warm water and let sit for about 15 minutes to proof. To proof means to make sure the yeast is in fact alive and active. At the end of the 15 minutes it should begin to look puffy or foamy and if it doesn’t, the yeast is probably dead and it won’t work.

Once you are sure the yeast is ok, add the yeast mixture, the measured oil, the dairy-free yogurt and the egg to the flour and knead on a flour covered board for about 10 minutes. The purpose of kneading is not just to mix up the ingredients. Wheat has a protein in it called “gluten” which needs to be activated in order for the bread to not end up crumbly like a muffin. After kneading, put the bread into a bowl and cover for about an hour. This will give the bread time to rise.

BTW, if you or someone in your family is gluten intolerant, there are recipes online for gluten free breads, but I’m not really fond of any of them so far. Your best bet would be to purchase some gluten-free matzah, which can be found these days at Krogers and most other local grocery stores in the kosher section of the international aisle.

OK, after letting your dought rise for about 40 minutes, preheat your oven to 450 degrees. With about 10 minutesleft to go, put the baking sheets you intend to use into the oven to get them hot. When your hour is finished, put the dough back onto your floured board and knead for about 2 minutes again.

Next, divide the ball of dough into 3 or 4 pieces (six if you doubled the recipe), and form the balls into a teardrop shape, long and flat, no more than ½ inch thick, and less if you can. The idea is not to roll it, but to stretch and form it with your hands. That gives it the characteristic texture.

Take the hot baking sheets out of the oven and place the flatbreads so that they are not touching, and put them in the over for no more than 5 minutes. The idea is to just puff up the dough at high heat. Next remove the bread from the oven and turn on the top broiler. While you have the bread out, brush the top with the olive oil.

Now, at this point you can jazz it up a bit. You can sprinkle garlic, herbs, coriander, zhatar, onion or poppy seeds – any topping you want. Just sprinkle it on the olive oil, and pop the Naan back into the oven under the broiler. Watch it carefully, because you don’t want to burn it. You just want it a bit brown on top.

When it’s done, take it out and serve warm. If the rest of your dishes are not yet ready, you can set the naan aside and warm it back up in the oven at the last minute. It is very forgiving. You can even freeze the leftovers and reheat them another time.

So, while the dough is rising, here is a nice selection from a CD entitled “Instrumental India.” It is track #9 and is called Surdasi Malhar by artist Nikhil Banerjee.

[Track 9 – 45 second excerpt]

Welcome back to Kosher Cuisine! For our main course from India we are going to make a dish called Chittarnee, which is unique to the Bhaghdada Jewish community in that they always made it with chicken instead of red meat, due to the problem that there was no shochet in their community. A shochet is a person trained in the nuances of kosher slaughter. Red meat such as lamb or beef has to be slaughtered in a particular way in kashrut, but poultry - even kosher poultry - is slaughtered the same everywhere in the world. You hang it upside down and cut off the head to drain out the blood. So chickens are much easier to process in a kosher manner.

Chittarnee is a chicken dish in a sweet and sour onion sauce. This recipe serves six. First, measure out your seasonings.

1 teaspoon of turmeric
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed on a clean parve cutting board
1 and a half teaspoons of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 and a half teaspoons of ground or crushed coriander seed
1 teaspoon of ground cardamom
4 tablespoons of peanut or other high heat tolerant vegetable oil
A generous pinch of cayenne or red chili powder, or to taste
2 bay leaves
Salt, about 1 teaspoon or to taste

3 tablespoons of wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, either one. I actually prefer the apple cider vinegar and you can use it in a lot of other recipes, especially sautéed greens like collards or char, so it is convenient to have on hand.

You need 1 pound of peeled and chopped tomatoes, or a 14 oz can of organic fire roasted diced tomatoes – which is my favorite - or any type of diced tomatoes will work.

2 pounds of onions, peeled and grated or finely chopped. Use a clean parve cutting board and a clean knife for food safety.

2 teaspoons of sugar. Now, you can use processed white sugar, but a more authentic recipe would be brown sugar or, preferably, dried cane sugar. Processed white sugar is bad for you – and I’m not saying organic cane sugar is great for you, but it does have the advantage of having all the natural enzymes and micro-nutrients in it which have been stripped out of processed white sugar.

Naturally, if you are diabetic or on a low carb diet you can substitute 2 packets of stevia or the sweetener of your choice. I don’t recommend aspartame, otherwise known as Equal – the stuff in the blue packets. Aspertame, Nutrino-sweet or whatever they are calling themselves these days, is a neurotoxin. Studies have linked aspartame usage to cancer and to neuro-degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and MS. In general, it is better to just learn to drink tea and coffee without sweeteners, or better yet, just drink water with lemon or lime. You don’t need the sugar, the calories, or the chemicals in your diet.

Finally, you need 6 chicken breast fillets, or 12 boneless thigh fillets. I prefer the dark meat, but you can use whichever you like. If you bought frozen chicken, be sure and thaw out your chicken in the refrigerator the day before you intend to cook it. It is absolutely not safe to leave frozen things out on the counter to thaw. The temperature on the surface can be high enough to let bacteria grow while the inside is still pretty frozen. If you forgot to lay out the meat, you can use the thaw cycle in a microwave or use warm running water as long as you are going to cook the meat immediately afterward. Otherwise, put it in the fridge to thaw and postpone your meat meal until the next day.

OK, so when you’re ready, put the onions in a large meat pan with the oil cook very gently with a lid on, say medium low heat, until they are soft and golden. Because there is so much onion, this can take up to a half hour, so be patient.

Then add the garlic, ginger, spices, and bay leaves – stir this all together for about 5 minutes. Next, put in the chicken pieces, season with salt, and sauté for about 10 minutes, turning them over once at about the halfway point. Now, add the tomatoes and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the liquid has pretty much evaporated away and the ingredients “glisten with oil” as the recipe says. Finally, stir in the vinegar and sugar and cook ten minutes more.

Now, you’ve probably noticed that this involves a lot of standing at the stove, and you’re not wrong. A big difference between traditional cuisine and modern cooking is the development of flavor in the recipes. Long cooking dishes have a much richer and more nuanced flavor than stuff you nuke in the microwave. It takes time for the flavors to mix and incorporate, and time for the meat to absorb those flavors. Traditional cuisine is a totally different style of preparing food than most western people have used in the past couple of generations. So don’t be hasty. It does really take this long to make the recipe taste so awesomely good.

So while the chicken is simmering, here is a nice piece called “Bhopali” by two artists, Shivkumar Sharma & Hariprasad Chaurasia. It is track #5 on the “Instrumental India” CD.

[Track 5 – 45 second excerpt]

Welcome back to Kosher Cuisine! We have now completed our traditional meal from India, so I wanted to tell you about Sukkot, the festival that is being celebrated this week.

You may have heard sukkot called “the feast of tabernacles” or “the feast of booths” in your English Bible. The main activity for this holiday is for each family to build a sukkah in their yard, on a porch or balcony, or at their congregation if all else fails. The sukkah should be large enough for a table and chairs to fit into it, at the very least, and is usually decorated, though it doesn’t have to be.

The premise for the sukkah is that when the Israelites were leaving Egypt, they made tents and huts for themselves out of whatever they had available or found lying around, and lived in those for 40 years of wandering around the wilderness until the young men who had listened to the bad report from the spies and refused to follow instructions had died out and was replaced by a new, younger generation of young men who had not known slavery and was tired of wandering around.

If a family doesn’t have a sukkah, they can visit various friends and family thoughout the week – the idea these days is that you have your meals in the sukkah if the weather is at all cooperative.

Historically, everyone traveled to Jerusalem to build their sukkah and actually lived in it, like camping, for the festival. According to halacha, that is, the accepted interpretation of the Torah laws, only the men were *required* to stay in the sukkah full time. The women and children can and do stay in hotels or with friends or relatives, and just *eat* with the menfolk in the sukkah. If you’ve ever *tried* to take an infant camping you know why this is a good idea.

Sukkot proper lasts 7 days, and legend has it that each of the nights you have your evening meal in the sukkah, you are visited by one of the 7 “faithful shepherds of Israel.” These “ushpizin,” or guests, are none other than the most famous figures of the Bible. So on the first night, Abraham and Sarah visit your sukkah. The second night, Isaac and Rebecca visit. Then Jacob with Leah and Rachel, then Moses and Zipporah, then Aaron and his wife – now, there are stories in the Talmud that give her a name, but the poor woman got no listing in the text of the Torah. Next comes David and Batsheva, and finally Solomon…and who knows which one of his 300 wives. Maybe he takes a different one to each family’s sukkah. As you might have guessed the wives only got added to the liturgy in modern times, as a result of the move toward egalitarianism in religious practice.

The original liturgy ignores the wives, and just vaguely says that the feminine “shekinah,” or Presence of the Eternal, visit with the shepherds. Shekinah is the name of the beautiful glowing light that the prophet Ezekiel saw flee the Temple before it was destroyed, and will supposedly return once the Temple is restored. In the meantime, she is in exile with her people and visits every family in the sukkah at this time of year.

The last day of Sukkot is the day of the water pouring ceremony, called Hoshana Rabbah. This was to symbolically enact a blessing for the coming rainy season for farmers, so that the Eternal wouldn’t get chintzy with the rain.

The following day is called Shimini Atzeret – the 8th day assembly. On this day Yizchor is traditionally recited – it is a series of prayers for all of your deceased ancestors and relatives that they may enjoy the future resurrection and in the meantime be kept safe under God’s care.

The last day of the festival is called Simchat Torah – rejoicing in the Torah. Every week throughout the year, a portion of the Torah is read in the congregations and Simchat Torah is the day the last part of Deuteronomy is read and the cycle starts all over again with the first part of Bereshit – Genesis. Many congregations roll out one or more entire Torah scrolls from end to end, which is quite long – and quite a disaster if anything happens to it, because they are extremely expensive to repair if they get torn or damaged. Other congregations simply dance while holding the Torah still rolled up and wrapped in its beautiful coverings. In our congregation, women dance with the Torah as well as men.

As we’re sitting in our sukkah this week, we will be inviting the shepherds of Israel and other neighborhood guests to join us, we’ll be listening to music, enjoying some nice wine and great international food, and we’ll be singing songs.

In honor of Simchat Torah, this last song I will play is track 6 called “Tantz, Tantz, Yidelekh” – which means “Dance, Dance” – and is a traditional Yiddish piece performed by the Brandeis-Bardin International Klezmer Ensemble from the “Celebrating Shabbat” CD.

[Track 6 – 45 second excerpt]

Thank you for listening to Kosher Cuisine. Next week we will have some more great international food and music and we’ll talk a bit more about food safety and kashrut.

This is Leah Kiser wishing you a Chag Samaech and Shabbat Shalom, a joyous festival of Sukkot and Sabbath peace this week and every week.

[Hava Nagila fade…]

That’s all this week!  Stay tuned for next week’s show on Greek Jewish Cuisine! Shalom!