It’s time to tackle Thai, Indian foods

My ignorance of two cuisines — Thai and Indian — has been somewhat self-imposed. I like cooking so much I’ve more or less avoided them so we have to go out now and then.

But I’ve decided it’s time to end this. If nothing else, learning a bit will help me better appreciate it when I encounter excellent Thai or Indian food. My wife, Kat, and I recently had a great Indian meal in Vancouver, B.C., at a place called Rangoli. I had the keema, Kat the lamb in masala curry, and I’d love to be able to say something other than, “Gee, that sure was good.”

With Christmas around the corner I’d like to review a couple of books that look to get a lot of use in my kitchen. After browsing titles at Auntie’s, I first settled on “Quick and Easy Thai,” by Nancy McDermott (Chronicle Books, 2004, $18.95). I’ll buy dictionary style cookbooks but the artist in me prefers imaginative design and layout. My inner foodie is a sucker for lots of color shots. As a reader I appreciate an amiable, knowledgeable tour of the terrain. This one delivers on all counts.

Full-page photos often accompany the 70 recipes, all with chatty introductions. She provides a rather spare list of menus but also includes useful advice on special utensils, techniques, and a Thai pantry. She gives the scoop on essentials like tamarind liquid and wild lime leaves (often listed as “kaffir lime,” she explains that “kaffir” is an offensive racial slur), as well as suitable substitutes if you don’t have those ingredients on hand.

Thai basics such as noodles and curries are nicely represented but I was hooked on Son-In-Law Eggs with Crispy Shallots which calls for deep frying hard-boiled eggs. I can’t wait to try it.

“Indian Home Cooking,” by Suvir Saran and Stephanie Lyness (Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2004, $32.50) shares the visual virtues of the Thai cookbook along with additional ingredient and technique photos. A hundred pages longer, it’s been an informative introduction and guide. The first dish I made, Pork Vindaloo, was darn near a revelation.

If your family cook’s in a rut I heartily recommend both of these books. Here come chutneys, dals, curries and much more. Since Indian food is more unfamiliar to me — and maybe you — I’m introducing a recipe from “Indian Home Cooking.”

I didn’t have coriander seeds and cardamom pods on hand so substituted ground; no doubt a rookie mistake. The two dried jalapenos and one paprika I used from my garden made it relatively mild, which allowed the other flavors to shine. Traditionally, a vindaloo is supposed to be quite hot, so next time I’ll crank it up. Serve with rice.

Pork Vindaloo

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

10 whole dried chilies (or to taste)

A 1/2 -inch piece of cinnamon stick

8 whole cloves

6 green cardamom pods (or 2 teaspoons ground)

10 black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

6 garlic cloves, minced

A 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons white vinegar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 ripe medium tomatoes or 1 (14- 1/2 ounce) can drained whole tomatoes

2 medium onions, quartered

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/4 to 1/2 cup water

Combine the first seven ingredients and grind to a coarse powder. Dump into a large ceramic or glass bowl and stir in the next six ingredients. Add the pork, stir well, and let marinate in the refrigerator at least two or up to four hours.

Meanwhile, puree tomatoes and onions and set aside.

Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed casserole over medium-high heat; add the pork and marinade and cook, stirring often, 10 minutes.

Add tomato-onion puree and salt, stir well, and bring to a boil. Add water as needed to cover meat, return to boil then lower heat and simmer, covered, until meat is tender, about one hour. Taste for salt and serve hot, with rice.

Yield: 4 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 440 calories, 19 grams fat (6 grams saturated, 39 percent fat calories) 49 grams protein, 16 grams carbohydrate, 165 milligrams cholesterol, 5 grams dietary fiber, 990 milligrams sodium.