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Food & Recipes |
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 FALL ISSUE 2007 SUBSCRIBE
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More Recipes from the Bene Israel
Special thanks to Sharone Elijah and Johannes Corley and their families for sharing their recipes with us.
Both of these chicken curries are delicious; the sauces are complex and extremely flavorful, while not hot and spicy at all.
Green Curry Chicken
a 1 1/4-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
5 medium garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
2 to 3 medium-size fresh green chilies, stemmed and, if desired, de-seeded, then sliced (wear rubber gloves when preparing chilies)
1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, washed, patted dry, and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons olive or canola oil
4 cups (about 1 pound) onions, finely chopped
salt
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
2 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 (13 1/2-ounce; 400 ml) can coconut milk, shaken well before opening (low-fat can be used)
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds skinless, bone-in chicken parts (drumsticks, thighs, and/or breasts), rinsed and patted dry
Make green curry paste. Combine ginger, garlic, chilies, and cilantro in blender or food processor. Add about 1/3 cup water and blend to smooth consistency. Set aside.
Heat oil in Dutch oven or other wide, heavy pot over medium flame. Add onions and sprinkle with salt to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions turn pale golden. Stir in green paste and turmeric. Cook over very low heat, 5–7 minutes, until raw aroma disappears. Stir frequently to prevent paste from sticking to bottom of pan.
Add potatoes and stir to coat with paste. Stir in coconut milk, cover, and bring to a boil. Continue cooking over moderate heat. After 15–20 minutes, add thighs and drumsticks; if using breast pieces, add them 5–10 minutes later. Turn chicken pieces, coating them well with sauce. Simmer over moderate heat, covered, for 25-40 minutes after adding chicken, until potatoes are tender and chicken juices run clear when pierced with a fork. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with freshly cooked plain or coconut rice. Serves 4–6
Red Curry Chicken
From Sharone Elijah and Johannes Corley and their families
2 large, medium-piquant dried red chiles, such as Kashmiri, guajillo, or ancho
a 2 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
5 medium garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 cup olive or canola oil
5 cups (about 1 1/4 pounds) onions, finely diced
salt
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 pound (2 cups) canned tomato puree or 1 to 1 1/4 pounds fresh tomatoes, pureed in a food processor until smooth
3 to 3 1/2 pounds skinless, bone-in chicken parts (drumsticks, thighs, and/or breasts), rinsed and patted dry
Make red curry paste. Roast the chiles in an ungreased cast iron or other very heavy skillet over medium-low heat, pressing down on then with a spatula, just until the toasty aroma arises, about 1 minute. Turn and roast the other side, pressing down with the spatula, for about 30 seconds. Wearing rubber gloves, break off and discard the stems, then break open the chiles. Remove and discard the seeds and membranes. Tear the chilies into large pieces and put them in a heatproof bowl. Add boiling water to cover, and let soak for about 15 minutes to soften the chilies. Drain, reserving the liquid, and transfer the chiles to a blender. Add the ginger, garlic, vinegar, and about 1/4 cup of the reserved soaking liquid and process to a smooth puree, stopping to scrape and stir down the mixture as needed. Set the paste aside.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or other wide, heavy pot over medium flame. Add onions and sprinkle with salt to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions turn pale golden.
Stir in the coriander and cumin. Add the reserved red curry paste and cook over low heat until the raw aroma disappears, 5–7 minutes. To avoid burning, add a little water if the mixture becomes too dry and stir frequently to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Stir in the tomato puree and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the chicken, turning the pieces to coat them well with the sauce. Cover the pot, increase heat to medium, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderate and simmer, covered, for 25–40 minutes until the chicken is tender and its juices run clear when pierced with a fork. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with freshly cooked plain or even better, coconut rice. Serves 6–8
Coconut Rice with Peas
From Sharone Elijah and Johannes Corley and their families.
Nutmeg, an unusual but delicately subtle addition to coconut rice, makes this extra-special. Serve it as an accompaniment to the Red or Green Curry Chicken.
1 cup basmati or jasmine rice
1 cup canned coconut milk (shake can well before opening)
salt
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
Wash the rice until the water runs clear. Combine the rice, coconut milk, and 1 cup water in a heavy saucepan. Add salt to taste and stir. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to very low, and cook, covered, without stirring again for about 15 minutes. Add the peas, replace cover, and cook for about 5 minutes more, or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Before serving, sprinkle with the nutmeg and fluff the rice with a fork. Serves 2–4
Cucumber Salad
Everyone I interviewed in the Bene Israel community serves some form of this simple salad on their Rosh Hashanah table. Cool and refreshing, it contains no oil.
I have not given exact quantities here; adjust amounts according to number of guests and personal preference. Peel the cucumbers if the skin is waxed or bitter; some varieties—especially those available at farm stands and specialty markets—may need no peeling or even seeding.
Cucumbers, peeled, quartered, seeded, and cut into bite-size lengths (see note above)
Ripe tomatoes, cut into cubes
Green pepper, diced (optional)
Fresh lemon juice
Kosher or other coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Sugar
Cayenne (optional)
Chopped fresh cilantro
Combine cucumbers, tomatoes, and green pepper (if using) on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the lemon juice, salt, and black pepper to taste, and a pinch or two of sugar and the cayenne, if using. Garnish with the cilantro. Excellent as an accompaniment to well-spiced meat or fish dishes.
Saath Padhar (Seven Layers)
Traditionally eaten to break the Yom Kippur fast, Saath Padhar (sometimes referred to as sweet puris) are also delicious for a refreshing, not-too-sweet dessert or teatime treat. The thin layers may be made of crepes (as in this Corley/Elijah recipe) or rolled pastry dough.
For Crepes:
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups milk, coconut milk, or water
3 large eggs
2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
pinch of baking soda
butter, ghee (Indian clarified butter; available readymade in many specialty markets and well-stocked groceries), or canola oil, for greasing pan
fresh lemon juice
Coconut Filling (recipe follows) or a mixture of honey and finely ground blanched almonds and skinned pistachios
Fresh mint leaves, for garnish
Mix 2 1/4 cups milk and eggs in blender for 10 seconds. Add 1 cup flour, salt, and baking soda and blend until smooth. Add remaining 1 cup flour and blend until smooth again. Let batter rest for at least 30 minutes.
Stir batter. It should have consistency of light cream. If necessary, thin with a little milk. You may have to add more milk if batter thickens as it stands. Lightly grease 5- to 7-inch well-seasoned cast iron skillet on nonstick crepe pan. Heat pan over medium flame until just sizzling. Pour about 2 tablespoons batter (a standard coffee measure) into the hot pan, immediately swirling pan gently to distribute batter evenly over the bottom. You may find it easier to add batter and swirl while holding pan off heat. When batter sets and tiny bubbles appear on top, gently turn and cook other side less than 1 minute. Turn crepe out onto a platter and brush lightly with lemon juice. Repeat until all batter is used up, greasing pan additionally as needed and stirring batter periodically. Separate cooked crepes with wax paper.
Lightly spread a very thin layer of filling over each crepe. If desired, stack filled crepes one on top of another to make up to 7 layers. Roll into cylinder or cigar shapes. Garnish with 1 or 2 mint leaves atop each cylinder. Saath Padhar may be prepared up to 48 hours ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Coconut Filling for Saath Padhar
1/3 cup unsalted, natural pistachios
1/3 cup blanched almonds
1/3 cup unsalted cashews
1/3 cup golden raisins
about 1/2 cup canola oil or ghee
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 pound grated coconut, either freshly grated or fresh frozen (available in Indian, Hispanic, and many other specialty markets; do NOT substitute dried coconut)
Cover pistachios with boiling water and let soak for about 5 minutes. Drain. Using your fingers, rub off pistachio skins; they’ll come off quite easily. Combine pistachios, almonds, cashews, and raisins in food processor or blender and pulse a few times to chop coarsely.
Warm oil or ghee in large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add nut-raisin mixture and gently fry until almonds and cashews turn light golden. Do not let nuts brown or raisins burn. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Add a little more oil or ghee to pan if needed, then stir in cardamom and nutmeg. Immediately add coconut and fry over very low heat for 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently. (If necessary, add a little water to prevent coconut from burning.) Stir in sugar and continue cooking until coconut turns light golden brown. Add nut-raisin mixture and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Taste and adjust sweetening, if desired. Let filling cool before using. Serves 4–8, depending on how many layers used in each.
Note: Noreen Daniel makes a quick version of Saath Padhar, using Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry. Cut out circles of pastry, spread with Coconut Filling, fold over to enclose, and bake according to package directions.
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 A Whiff of Cardamon, a Dash of Curry
Discovering the Spice and Spirit of Indian High Holiday Cooking
By Jayne Cohen
"Every year Mumbai authorities cordoned off the New Ferry Wharf," Johannes Corley recalls, "so we could perform tashlikh," watching sins of the past year float away in the Arabian Sea. His wife, Sharone Elijah, remembers the white saris her mother wore for Yom Kippur prayers. The sukkah in Poona, where Noreen Daniel grew up, were thatched with lush coconut fronds.
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Aromatic Spiced Rice
From Florence Manglani
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2-inch piece cinnamon
2–3 whole green cardamom pods
5–6 whole black peppercorns
4–5 whole cloves
1 onion, finely chopped
2 finely minced garlic cloves
1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 cups long-grain rice, preferably basmati
salt
Heat oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add cumin and sauté just until aroma arises and seeds are slightly browned; avoid burning. Stir in cinnamon, cardamom, peppercorns and cloves; sauté for 10 seconds. Add onion, garlic and ginger; sauté until onions are translucent, stirring occasionally so spices don’t burn or stick.
Add rice and salt to taste; mix well and sauté for 2 minutes. Add 3 3/4 cups water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes, until all water is absorbed and rice is tender. Before serving, remove whole spices if desired, or simply advise guests to leave them to the side of their plate. Serves 4 to 6.
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India created a unique Diaspora story for the Bene Israel Jews. But it embraced much more than the scenic backdrop the country provided for their holiday celebrations. From the time a horrendous shipwreck washed a few survivors ashore not far from Bombay (present-day Mumbai)—according to tradition, seven men and seven women, fleeing the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes around 175 BCE—the Bene Israel, unlike other Jews, never encountered anti-Semitism in their new homeland.
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Lamb-Potato Curry with Fresh Tomatoes
From Noreen Daniel
Trimming the lamb carefully of as much fat as possible is worth the effort: It eliminates the step of skimming the fat from the sauce of the finished dish. Like all stews, this curry is excellent prepared a day or two in advance. Add the cilantro just before serving.
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 large onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
5 fresh beefsteak tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon cayenne or other ground hot red pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
salt
scant 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
scant 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder or, even better, 4 lamb shoulder chops (about 2 1/2 pounds), trimmed very well and cut into 1-inch cubes
2–3 waxy potatoes, peeled and cubed chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Heat oil over medium heat in large, heavy Dutch oven or casserole until shimmering. Add onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Pulse garlic and ginger in a food processor until chopped finely. Add tomatoes, red pepper, cumin and turmeric; process to a coarse puree. Stir the tomato mixture into the onions, together with black pepper, salt to taste, cinnamon and cloves; cook for 5 minutes. Add meat; cook over moderate heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes; cover and cook until meat and potatoes are very tender.
If sauce is not thick enough, remove meat and potatoes with a slotted spoon and set aside. Boil sauce, uncovered, until it has cooked down a bit. Return meat and potatoes to sauce to reheat. Taste; adjust seasoning. Garnish with cilantro and serve with Aromatic Spiced Rice or other freshly cooked rice. Serves 4 to 6.
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Not that the small community isolated itself from its neighbors. Years ago, when the Bene Israel lived in small villages along the Konkan coast, they
observed Yom Kippur as "the holiday of closed doors," fasting and praying in their homes with the doors locked. Their Hindu neighbors would milk the Jews’ cattle that day, then return with the vessels of milk when the Jews emerged after sunset. "And the Jews refrained from eating beef out of respect for the Hindus," says Romiel Daniel, Noreen’s husband, who is director of global imports for an apparel company in Manhattan and the president of the Indian Jewish Congregation of USA.
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 Indian-Spiced Broiled Salmon
From Sharone Elijah and Johannes Corley and their families
1 side of salmon fillet (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), any pin bones removed
1 1/2–2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for greasing pan and spraying fish
1 1/2–2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 1 tablespoon vinegar or 1/2–1 teaspoon sour salt (citric acid)
1/2–1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne or other ground hot red pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
rice flour or all-purpose flour
Preheat broiler. Rinse salmon, pat dry, and place skin-side down on well-oiled broiler pan. Rub salmon flesh with lime juice or vinegar and olive oil. If using sour salt, sprinkle on after rubbing with olive oil. Sprinkle salt lightly over fish, then sprinkle evenly with cayenne and turmeric. Lightly dust fish with flour, spray with a little olive oil and let stand for about 15 minutes.
Broil salmon according to taste and thickness of fillet (6 minutes for rare, 10 minutes for well-done; the Corley/Elijah preference is 7-8 minutes, still moist inside). Serves 4 to 6.
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Today, their fall holiday celebrations weave distinctive Bene Israel traditions with rituals from other Jewish communities. Because the Bene Israel were cut off from the rest of Jewry, and because no books or ritual objects survived the shipwreck that brought them to India, they eventually forgot the Hebrew language and prayers—except the Shema, which became an all-purpose prayer for all occasions. But they tenaciously observed kashrut, Shabbat and certain holidays, including Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
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Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding)
From Florence Manglani
1/2 cup long-grain rice (preferably basmati)
5 3/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
salt
crushed seeds of 2 green cardamom pods
1/4 cup powdered milk
1 tablespoon rosewater
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped blanched almonds
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped unsalted pistachios
1/4 cup golden seedless raisins
Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Add rice and simmer until soft, 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. Rinse out pan and, in it, bring milk, sugar and a pinch of salt to a boil. Reduce heat to moderate; add rice and cardamom. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring more frequently as mixture thickens, for about 15 minutes, until pudding is thick enough to coat a spoon heavily. Slowly add the powdered milk, whisking well until completely dissolved. Stir in rosewater, almonds, pistachios and raisins and remove from heat.
Let cool and serve at room temperature. Also delicious chilled. Serves 6 to 8.
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The Bene Israel were not the only Jews in India. A community of Baghdadi Jews arrived in the 18th century and settled in Bombay and Calcutta. Farther south, in the state of Kerala, the Cochin Jewish community flourished and maintained ties with other Jews, especially the Yemenites. Extensive contacts with the Cochinis began in the eighteenth century, initiating tutelage in their liturgy and a return to more traditional, rabbinic Judaism. Ironically, it was Christian missionaries—in an unsuccessful attempt to convert the Bene Israel—who opened the door wider to the larger Jewish community: The missionaries translated the Old Testament into Marathi and taught the Bene Israel both Hebrew and English.
In India, preparations for the holidays would begin with cooking massive amounts of two special sweets—halwa for Rosh Hashanah and pastries to break the Yom Kippur fast. (Though halwa is similar in name to the Middle Eastern confection made from ground sesame seeds and eaten by generations of Jews at bar mitzvahs and the like—the name is derived from the Arabic word "halwa," meaning "sweet"—the Indian version is made from semolina and is very soft, almost like a congealed pudding.) These treats were exchanged with relatives and friends, a custom reminiscent of mishloah manot, the sending of portions, on Purim. And the friends always included Hindus and Muslims, who returned the favor, sending back treats of their own at Diwali and Ramadan.
Friendly competition accompanied the halwa exchange. Siona Benjamin, a New Jersey-based artist, recalls her mother’s halwa was "always judged the best. No one could understand how she did it—a busy director of a school who rarely cooked anything else the rest of the year." Made with fine wheat, coconut milk and sugar, her halwa was sprinkled with pistachios and roasted almonds; saffron colored it golden orange-yellow, and it twinkled with bits of edible pure silver leaf.
In America, some Bene Israel rely on shortcuts, substituting cornstarch for the wheat, or have stopped making halwa completely. But Corley, research coordinator/professor of residue and analytical chemistry at Rutgers University in New Jersey, and Elijah, a hotel front-desk supervisor, prepare their own together every year. "Sharone sets up everything and gets it going, and I do the stirring—up to four hours or more!" Corley says.
The Rosh Hashanah table beckons with five kinds of fruit: bananas, dates and perhaps apples to begin with, then the remaining seasonal fruits enjoyed as dessert. Or the family may start in the Sephardi and Mizrachi fashion, as do Romiel Daniel and his wife Noreen, a case manager at the Asian and Pacific Island Coalition on HIV/AIDS, with foods that symbolize wishes for the new year (pointy-tipped garlic chives to ward off enemies; whole fish, a metaphor for fertility, rubbed with turmeric and red chili, then fried) or remind us how to behave (Chinese long beans that teach us to be flexible; white pumpkin, to be pure of heart).
To ensure a sweet year, bhakhri, a homemade, crisp, whole-wheat flatbread ("like schmura matzoh," says Florence Manglani, a Brooklyn College professor and school psychologist for the New York City Board of Education) is eaten sprinkled with sugar. Or another sugar-dusted bread, like challah, may stand in.
Sumptuous main dishes follow: lamb curry, chicken with green or red masala or chicken prepared tandoori-style (marinated in lemon or lime instead of yogurt, in accord with kashrut). Rice, embellished with fruit and nuts and aromatic with spices or coconut, accompanies the meal, along with crisp cucumber salads. For dessert, there is halwa; gelatin-like sweets made with chinagrass (agar); sweet-and-sour mangoes; and pineapples, pomegranates and other luscious fresh fruits.
Sweet treats continue during the holiday with kheer, rice pudding fragrant with cardamom and rosewater, enjoyed at teatime.
After Rosh Hashanah, women in India gathered to make sweet puris (saath padha, in Marathi). "As youngsters, we spent the whole day in the kitchen with my mother and aunts," Manglani recalls, "sitting together and rolling out the dough in a production line. Seven layers and butter between each to separate them." They folded the dough around a filling of either sweetened coconut or soft semolina pudding studded with raisins, pistachios and almonds, quickly deep-fried it, then rushed to deliver the pastries before Yom Kippur so they could be used to break the fast.
The fast is broken first, though, with "fruit of the vine"—grape juice or wine here, but in India, more often with the beloved beverage Bene Israel call "sherbet": "black raisins boiled in water, squooshed and drained," says Benjamin. Fruit—especially bananas and dates—and the sweet puris usually follow. Later, there will be leftovers, like chicken curry and coconut rice, from the pre-fast meal. In fact, the Marathi name for the day after Yom Kippur was "the stale holiday"—perhaps because there was no time to prepare anything fresh.
For more than 2,000 years, the Bene Israel, a tiny minority, have been able to preserve their traditions because, as Nathan Katz points out in his book, Who Are the Jews of India? (University of California Press, 2000), there is another "crucial distinction between India and the rest of the Diaspora": India is truly that elusive paradigm, the gorgeous mosaic, where "acculturation is not paid for in the currency of assimilation … [where] an immigrant group gains status precisely by maintaining its own identity."
Only about 5,000 Bene Israel remain in India today. About 350 now live in the United States; 50,000 live in Israel. Can they maintain their identity in the American and Israeli melting pots, amid the overwhelmingly Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jewish populations of these countries?
Romiel Daniel, trained in Bene Israel liturgy by his father and uncle in Bombay and later ordained as a cantor at Yeshiva University in New York, founded a Bene Israel congregation in 1995, renting space from a Greenwich Village synagogue for the High Holidays. The services he creates attract not only Bene Israel Jews from all over the country—Minneapolis, Houston, Los Angeles—but Ashkenazi Jews as well. When Daniel sings Kol Nidre—although not part of a typical Yom Kippur Bene Israel service, he has added it because of its significance to Ashkenazi congregants—he begins chanting traditionally, then threads it with Bene Israel melodies. "I believe in integration, but with distinctiveness," Daniel says.
"The Bene Israel service is more participatory," he adds. Manglani, a member of the congregation, notes that the services end in typical Bene Israel fashion, with hath boshi, explaining that you grasp the hand of another congregant, release it, then press your fingertips to your lips. You say "Hag Someach"—happy holiday—and repeat the ritual with the other members until everyone has been greeted. "Then we break the fast together with Indian snacks like samosas, Hot Mix and barfi [a fudgy sweet]."
After Corley listens to the shofar blasts at an Ashkenazi synagogue, he blows his shofar at home for his wife and one-year-old son—in the style his father taught him. "And when Nathan gets older, I will teach him too. It’s very important to us," he says.
Benjamin, also a member of an Ashkenazi congregation, expresses her identity as a Bene Israel in her art. "There are many Indian-Jewish references. What shade of brown would I paint myself? As a Jewish woman of color, I chose blue because Krishna is always some shade of blue." For Benjamin, Rosh Hashanah, the birthday of the world, is about tikkun olam, acting as God’s partner in the repair of the Creation. Judaic, Muslim, Hindu, Parsi and Christian symbols all meet in her work. "Olam is the whole world. Peace. Shalom. Not wars and violence. Repair of the whole world. That is tikkun olam."
Jayne Cohen is the author of The Gefilte Variations. Her latest book, Jewish Holiday Cooking: A Food Lover’s Classics and Improvisations,will be published by John Wiley in spring 2008.
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