Majida Rashid
“Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it”
– Lao Tzu, Chinese writer and the founder of philosophical Taoism
WATER. An ingredient that somehow never found a space in cooking columns. Yet, we always need water to cook food, well almost every dish. Since the advent of the microwave era, new ways of cooking certain ingredients such as potatoes have emerged, but cooking every day food cannot exist without water.
Water makes cooking much easier. We can put water in the food that we are making, bring to a boil and simmer and the food will be cooked while we do other chores. The source of water makes such a huge difference in the digestion and flavor of the food it is added to during cooking. Peshawar water was unlike the water of any other city in the KPK province of Pakistan. It was hard but considered healthy. Amazingly, it quickly digested food resulting in gaining more health and not weight. When I was living in Abbottabad, my mother made sure I ate well because I didn’t feel hungry, but that was never a problem in Peshawar where I always wanted to eat more. I don’t know what the secret ingredient is in Peshawar water.
Mountain water is considered hard due to a higher level of trace elements like calcium and magnesium. It takes longer to boil because the minerals also absorb heat during boiling. They also cause scaling on taps and in kettles.
Water can be alkaline or acidic. Both hard water and spring water are alkaline. But the latter has varying degrees of alkalinity. Spring water is considered healthier than hard water. The ratio of minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium found in spring water makes it easier on the body. Water found in an underground mine at the Iron Mountain in northern California is considered the most acidic. Nowadays there are different methods to soften the water, but growing up we never had any solution other than to adjust the cooking procedure and develop patience.
We all know that water has two atoms of hydrogen with a positive charge and one electronegative oxygen atom, so they attract each other. This very property of water also makes it stick to other ingredients. In addition to making vegetables and meats edible, water helps dissolve powdered ingredients like salt and chilies. It also changes the physical properties of other ingredients. No other common cooking ingredient oscillates between freezing and evaporating the way water does.
Chicken curry was the first dish I realized how water helps make yummy gravy. If it were not for water all the flavors would be missing. After all, dry ingredients can’t be consumed on their own.
Pakistani Chicken Curry
Ingredients
1 skinned chicken, 1 1/2 to 2 lbs.
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon crushed ginger
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon each of ground coriander and cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 cups of water
3 tablespoons finely chopped coriander
A pinch of Pakistani garam masala
Directions
Wash and cut the chicken into 8 pieces.
Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onions until golden brown.
Add tomatoes, garlic and ginger and cook until they thicken.
Add all the remaining dry ingredients.
Cook, over low heat, until the oil starts separating.
Add the chicken and stir over high heat until the oil starts separating. This helps roast the chicken a little and dries up the liquid. This step is very important. If not done properly the curry will smell of the juices that come out of chicken.
Add water, bring to a boil over high heat.
Lower the heat, cover and let it simmer for 30-45 minutes. Cook longer for thicker gravy. Free range chicken may take longer to cook.
Taste and adjust seasonings.
Scatter the chopped coriander on the top, cover and cook for 5 minutes over low heat.
Sprinkle with gram masala, cover and turn off the heat. Leave for 10 minutes.
Serve hot with naan or white boiled rice.
Serves 3.
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Foodie Majida Rashid lives in Texas. Food and cooking are her passion. Her philosophical writing can be read at apakistaniwomansjourney.wordpress.com. @Frontiers_Of_Flavor
