Indian Light Cooking
Whether or not people like this book depends in large part on their attitudes about 'extreme low fat cooking'. I've lived for years on both sides of that particular culinary philosophical fence, and these days my attitudes are decidedly Ben Franklinesque (re: "Moderation in all things, including moderation").
I consider myself to be firmly in the camp that believes it's perfectly fine to take reasonable steps to reduce unnecessary fats that are present to excess, provided that (a) your definition of what constitutes 'reasonable' is, in fact, a reasonable one; and (b) your culinary skills and wisdom are adequate and balanced enough to make reasonable {gee, there's that word again} adjustments to the recipes at hand so that the resulting dish(s) wont suffer excessively.
Ruth Law, in her singleminded and overly zealous pursuit of ultra-low-fat cooking, general fails (in most, but not all cases) on both counts, and I'll try to briefly overview why:
Reasonable Lowfat Techniques:
* SKINLESS POULTRY: This is perfectly fine, and with the sole exception of doing whole roast chicken, I cook this way myself. There are a plethora of techniques one can use to mitigate the tendency of chicken to dry out, such as light brining (for moisture retention), marinating in yogurt or buttermilk (tenderizing of proteins), gashing/butterflying in order to speed cooking times (less time for moisture loss), braising, etc. The authoress uses some, but not all, of those techniques, with varying success.
* TRIMMING EXCESS FAT: This too is perfectly reasonable (esp for stewing & braising), providing you don’t do it to excess ... particularly for cuts that you intend to grind, grill or roast. Anyone who’s ever gotten carried away removing too much fat from, say, pork & chicken destined for sausage making, or a deboned and butterflied lamb destined for stuffing, will immediately conceed that it’s all too easy to get carried away, to the detriment of the finished dish.
* REDUCING OIL/GHEE/CREAM: This too, is fine, provided it’s done within reason.
Unreasonable Ultra-lowfat Techniques:
* ELIMINATING ALL OIL: Sorry, but like it or not, nearly all dry spices have the flavors they do due to the presence of ‘volatile oils’ and other flavenoids that rapidly dissipate or become rancid with prolonged exposure to air. Because they’re naturally oil-based, they’re OIL SOLUABLE, rather than water soluable, by definition. In laymans terms, that means in order to adequately release their flavor, you need to lightly toast (enough to make them brittle, but not enough to drive off the essential oils), grind (i.e., increase their surface area), and then briefly saute them in a little oil, in order to extract the essential oils from the spices so that they can, in turn, permeate the dish effectively. It’s one thing to reduce the amount of oil you use in the process, but it’s a different matter to eliminate the oil entirely and replace it with faux cooking spray or liquid. Sorry, doesn’t work well - as anyone who’s ever tried to make a good 4-alarm fat-free chili will sadly agree. Like it or not, your still need that minimum 1-2 tbs of oil (or however much is needed to just cover the spices when the pan is tilted), and cooking spray doesnt cut. Oil is only 100 cals per TBS, so 100-200 calories of oil for an ENTIRE dish serving 3-6 people is NOT asking too much. Additionally, not all the oil you add during the initial saute stage survives into the finished dish ... depending on how long you saute things like onions, ginger & garlic (key components of making many 'curry bases'), as much as half of the oil or ghee you add will atomize and dissipate into the air ... so even adding a generous 1/4 cup in a recipe that calls for spending 10-20 mins on the initial saute (i.e., browning onions and sweating the curry spices, chilies and garlic/ginger) will probably only have 2 tbs survive into the finished dish (or curry base, if you stop at that point).
* ELIMINATING ALL DAIRY FAT & COCONUT MILK: It is an inescapable fact that less milk fat present, the more likely it is that your dairy based sauce will break when exposed to heat. Trying to substitute fat free yogurt in such circumstances is just plain silly, and you’ll get exactly what you deserve, which is either an ugly broken sauce, or (at best) a soulless dish stripped of texture and culinary joy and the essential characteristic that’re supposed to define it as what it is. C’mon, even whole milk yogurt is only 4% milkfat, and it’s chock full of healthy enzymes and microflora that tenderize meat and help keep your intestinal tract in good working order. If you’re one of those sad, uber-picky and self-deprived souls who are so dietetically anal that people actually avoid inviting you over for (or out to) dinner (been there, done that ... as both anal guest AND pitying host/chef), then I feel genuinely sorry for you. If you don’t want to have (or serve) a yogurt & sourcream based mint-cucumber sauce with your curried lamb kebabs, that’s fine ... but trying to substitute fat-free yogurt into a curried fish dish (either Southern Indian or Thai) that’s supposed to be finished with a modest amount of whole milk yogurt, cream, or coconut milk, is pathetic. Ditto for things like shrimp scampi (Italian) - trying to substitute spray oil is silly. Rather than commiting a culinary crime, go find something else to make, because fat reductions beyond a reasonable minimum quicky exceed the point of diminishing returns and eventually ruin the dish. I’d rather have a small amount of something delicious than a large amount of something inept & unsatisfying or downright bad.
CONCLUSION: Reducing oil and fat in recipes is fine, provided it's within reason, done knowledgeably and skillfully, and without badly degrading the resulting dish. People who try to go beyond that are, IMNSHOAE, letting their fat-obsession brainwash them into groping for minscule dietary scapegoats instead of looking realistically at their 'issues' involving portion control and exercise habits. Ruth Law means well, but she frequently goes a little too far, and many of her dishes suffer a bit (in varying degrees) as a result - and in any case, don't expect to find anything sinfully good in here.
Enjoyability = 5 (lowered from a 7 due to excessive ultra-lowfat zeal)
Ruth Law - Indian Light Cooking - 5
Moderators: clong, Mr. Titanic
Ruth Law - Indian Light Cooking - 5
Last edited by Darb on Fri Jan 21, 2005 3:41 pm, edited 5 times in total.
All that having been said, I will concede that the authoress DOES have a few low-fat recipes which are tasty - primarily because they’re inherently lowfat (rather than being stripped down versions of better recipes having modest amounts of fat). I’ve included one below, which I’ve rewritten and tweaked a bit:
Curried Apple-Chicken Broth (Hot & Spicy)
Origin: Based on a recipe from "Indian Light Cooking" by R. Law, which I've tweaked & optimized a bit.
Comments: Spicy exotic broth - excellent served as is, in large mugs, on cold fall days when surplus apples & pears are plentiful. Can be made in advance, and then used as a base for various noodle/veggie soups.
Warning Turmeric causes stains - use stainless steel pots & tools, and be careful with counter tops & light clothing.
Batch Size: Makes 32-48 oz (entree serves 2, appetizer for 4-6)
Qty Ingredients & Prep
2 tsp Fresh Ginger (either fresh paste or minced fine)
1.5 tsp Fresh Garlic (ditto)
3 med Bay Leaves, dried
2 lg Cayenne Peppers, dried & crumbled (subst: ½ tsp powder)
¼ tsp Black Peppercorns, whole
4-5 Green Cardamom Pods, lightly crushed (subst: ¼ tsp seeds)
2 inch Cinnamon Stick
½ tsp Mace, ground
1 tbs Canola Oil (or Ghee)
1 tbs Besan (a.k.a., 'chickpea' flour)
32-48 oz Chicken Stock (canned is fine)
¼+ tsp Saffron Threads, packed
½ - ¾ tsp Turmeric, ground
2 med Apples (or Pears), peeled, cored & shredded (or sliced thin)
Optional Garnish: Cilantro, Freshly Chopped
Directions:
1) HERBS & SPICES: Combine indicated herbs & spices in small container. Heat oil in 2 qt saucepan, and then saute the herbs & spices over medium heat for 20 seconds, or until aromatic.
2) ROUX: Sprinkle the besan. Stir continuously over med heat until golden brown (roughly 2 mins).
3) SIMMER: Add all remaining ingredients, bring to boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 20-30 mins (depending on how thin you sliced the fruit), or until apples are well gelatinized. (note - the apples/pears can be peeled & then shredded easily with a box grater, or sliced thinly with a potato peeler).
4) STRAIN: Filter with fine strainer & discard all solids. If desired, defat the broth (ex: paper towel technique) before serving.
Additional Tweaks: Chinese cellophane (clear) rice noodles would probably go very well with this dish.