Indian Cooking 301 – This lesson will focus on how to make an Indian-style jam. Pickles, chutneys, and jams are legendary Indian condiments. 

Objectives:

• Using only ingredients you can find in your local supermarket, you will learn to make an authentic Indian jam that can be used on everything from grilled cheese to a condiment with steamed basmati rice

• You will learn how to use black mustard seeds and the Indian cooking technique of ‘tempering’ whole spices in hot oil 

• At the 301 level you will learn how to kick things into gear and make authentic Indian dishes using both ground spices (like ground cumin and turmeric) and whole spices (like cinnamon stick and whole cloves) that you can find at your local supermarket — no need to go to an Indian grocer.

• You will continue to master my 5-10-5 Rule — a cheat sheet I created for my husband Sean of the basic things you need in your pantry to make a variety of delicious Indian dishes  

There must be a reason that people around the world love jams, jellies, preserves, pickles, and chutneys. Sean tells me that growing up in his Irish-Scottish household, he loved eating Branston Pickle with a traditional English breakfast, which combines pickled vegetables with vinegar and fruit that is both sweet and sour. Perhaps you’ve enjoyed homemade mint jelly with roasted lamb. Indian pickles, jams and preserves come in all imaginable looks and tastes, featuring a variety of vegetables and fruits. Some are straight-up spicy & vinegary with zero sugar, while others are spicy, sour, and sweet all at the same time, like this recipe. This sweet, sour, spicy cilantro jam boasts the best of South Indian flavors in particular. I’ve decided to include it in our Indian Cooking 301 series because it’s something you can easily make at home, using a few key ingredients. Like most Indian pickles or jams, the recipe calls for black mustard seeds, but I’ve ensured that any of Big Apple Curry’s Indian Cooking 101-301 recipes can be made with ingredients from your local supermarket — it’s only at the 401 level that you will have to visit an Indian grocer. So in this case, you can always buy yellow mustard seeds from leading brands like McCormick.

Black mustard seeds are a mainstay in Indian cooking and are ‘tempered’ by being heated in hot oil until they pop and the flavors are released — black mustard seeds are ready when you hear the popping has stopped, whereupon you typically add additional whole spices like cumin seeds, kari patha (curry leaves) and other good stuff. Tempered mustard seeds lend a very specific smoky layer of flavor to a dish and don’t taste like pure mustard at all. It just takes setting the flame to the right level, listening carefully, and following the steps below.

Sweet & Spicy Cilantro Jam (South Indian ‘Coriander Thokku’)

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, large
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon malt vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons red chilli flakes

Preparation

1. Finely chop the fresh cilantro in a food processor.
2. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and cover the pan tightly with a matching lid. The mustard seeds will start gently popping (like popcorn). Once you hear it go silent, add the chopped cilantro and sauté over low heat.
3. Add salt, brown sugar, red chilli flakes and malt vinegar to the cilantro on the stove, continue stirring for 20-30 minutes until the mixture reaches a pickle-like consistency.
4. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

From top left to right: canola oil, fresh cilantro, vinegar, red chilli flakes, black mustard seeds, brown sugar, salt

Finely chop fresh cilantro in a food processor

Heat canola oil and add mustard seeds. Cover tightly with a lid until the mustard seeds have stopped popping

When the mustard seeds have tempered, add chopped cilantro

Add salt, brown sugar, red chilli flakes and vinegar to the cilantro

Continue stirring until it reaches a pickle or jam-like consistency

Enjoy sweet and spicy cilantro jam on a cracker with a slice of your favorite hard cheese like an aged cheddar