Ginger and Ganesh

“Please teach me Indian cooking! I will bring ingredients and pay you for your trouble.” This is the advertisement Nani posted on Craigslist three years ago when she was struggling to capture the authentic flavors of Indian cuisine in her own kitchen. She had prayed to the elephant-god Ganesh, who is known as the remover of obstacles, and “slowly,” she says, “the obstacles fell away on this journey, and the doors flew open, leading me into a path of discovery, love, and coconut chutney.”

The bonds Nani formed with the women who responded to her ad, and the recipes they shared, became the substance for Nani’s book Ginger and Ganesh. Her book is a reflection on womanhood across cultures and includes tasty Indian recipes such as homemade cheese cubes in cilantro and almond curry, potato-curry dumplings and coconut stuffed okra.

As a writer, Nani believes that food is an important part of creating convincing fiction. She describes the images, smells and flavors of food as a powerful way to bring a person into a scene. Nani says, “I feel memory is a vital ingredient of fiction. Perhaps it is the main thing--how we process and remember our lives. Food ties in to memory. It is embedded in our sensory recall of life.” Food plays a focal role in each of Nani’s five published books.

Indian food is Nani’s favorite thing to cook and eat “because of its variety of spices and amazing depth.” She finds the masalas (the mixtures of spices) in Indian cooking fascinating. Masalas often include the following spices in varying ratios and combinations according to region: black & white peppercorns, ginger, fennel, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric, nutmeg, cardamom, cumin, star anise and coriander. In addition to their many and varying ingredients, Indian dishes often require complicated and time-consuming techniques to bring out just the right flavors. For instance, there are three methods of adding spices to an Indian dish, Nani explains: The first batch of fresh spices are dry-roasted and ground into a paste (which creates a much richer flavor than using pre-packaged spices); the second set of spices are added to an onion and tomato base, a method known as “burning in spices”; and the third way to add in spices is by creating a tadka, spices browned in hot oil and poured over the dish.

Nani relishes in the meticulous processes of cooking and believes that it is therapeutic for the soul, a way to fully appreciate and enjoy a meal. She is disappointed by the growing popularity of microwaveable, pre-packaged meals. “What are people doing with the time they save on cooking anyway? …probably watching TV.”

The recipe Nani chose to share is palak paneer:

Palak Paneer

Ingredients

¾ of a store-bought paneer block, cut into chunks (I like Nanak)

1 bag of washed spinach

1 red onion, chopped

1 green chili, chopped

2 garlic cloves

1-inch piece of ginger, chopped

2 teaspoons coriander

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 cup plain yogurt

1 cup water

Salt

Directions

Cook onions, garlic, chilies, and ginger in oil. When softened, add spinach and

spices. Cook until spinach softens down, about 5 minutes. Place all in a blender

with yogurt and water. Blend well and return to pan. Bring up to heat and let

cook down, about 5 minutes. Add paneer and let it warm through and puff up

a bit. Taste for salt.