Offmessage

I love Indian Food. Which British male does not, I wonder? Really weird ones, I reckon. Anyway. Like most men in their mid-thirties I have recently realised that I am a phenomenal cook. Who knew? My piece de resistance is indian food. Not only do I pillage at will from Madhur Jaffrey’s excellent Curry Bible but I’ve strayed as far afield as Floyd’s India (try the vindaloo recipe - once) and Hansa’s Gujarati Cookbook (some of the finest vegetarian food you will ever taste).

While Floyd is pragmatically English in his choice of ingredients both Madhur and Hansa use a huge variety of names for the ingredients, many of which are only available from Indian supermarkets (which we don’t have in York, because we don’t look beyond the city walls, thank you /very/ much). It is with this in mind that the Cook’s Thesaurus is absolutely invaluable. It means that you can actually find out what it is that you’re supposed to be buying, and what you can substitute it for if you can’t find it…

Today’s ingredient? From the fabulous Sailu’s Kitchen blog - JAGGERY.

jaggery Pronunciation: JAG-uh-ree

Notes: This is a tan, unrefined sugar that is common in India. It’s made from the sap of palm trees or sugar cane and is much more flavorful than granulated sugar. It’s often sold in solid cakes, but it should crumble when you squeeze it. Look for it in Indian markets.

Substitutes: Mix 1 C dark brown sugar + 2 teaspoons molasses OR palm sugar OR piloncillo OR brown sugar OR maple sugar OR date sugar