Francis Kuijk
Tools of the Trade
a few essentials for the Indo food chef
steamer
A definite essential in the kitchen is a 2 or 3 tier steamer. It is at the top of the list of cookware to buy if you are setting up to cook a lot. The steamer is used in so many dishes; cakes, snacks, desserts, side dishes, pretty much in 80% of your dishes. Aside from the obvious health benefits of steaming vegetables, here are just a few processes you will use it for;
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finish cooking par-cooked rice or herbed rice
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steaming parcels of ingredients in spice mixes wrapped in banana leaves of aluminium foil
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steaming all sorts of sweets and savoury snacks instead of baking
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par-cooking ingredients that will be used in further preparations
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reheating
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If investing in a steamer, look for one with a minimum of 26 cm diameter, and at least 2 steaming baskets over a deep reservoire (by "deep" I mean that the reservoire, i.e. the bottom pot, should be approx. 1,5x as high as one of the baskets) so that the water in the base has room to boil.
mortar & pestle / cobek & ulekan
The basis for many dishes is a spice paste. Traditionally ingredients are ground in a mortar & pestle. I have 2 types in my kitchen; a shallow dinnerplate-shaped mortar which I use for most of the grinding work, and in addition I have a bowl-shaped mortar (i.e. high sides) in which I can do the pounding of example, nuts.
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A few tips when using a mortar & pestle to make a spice paste;
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Pre-chop the ingredients into smaller pieces.
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Include a grinding agent in the mortar to create friction when grinding, e.g. salt or sugar.
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When using the shallow mortar, don't pound with too much force, you may break it.
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Important: When grinding, use long rubbing and stretching motions. You are in essence rubbing your ingredients into a fine paste. Remember, you are grinding the paste, not pounding it.
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If you are looking to invest, look for a mortar & pestle that has ridges carved into the inside of the bowl. The ridges help in the grinding process.
food processor(s)
Having said all of that ...... I often use a food processor for making a spice paste. Before I go on, let me be clear, learning how to use a mortar & pestle really is part of the Indo cooking experience, but I have to admit, when I am cooking for a dinner party, the food processor is my best friend!
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A small food processor with a 500 ml bowl is large enough, but not too large for spice pastes. If you are also having to grind ingredients, e.g. chicken or fish, just grind in portions.
slotten spoon
This may seem like a simple tool that everyone has at home, but you'd be surprised!
There is quite a alot of deep frying in the Indo kitchen. So a good slotted spoon and plenty of paper towels is always a good thing.
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See my clip about how to ensure your deep fried goods aren't dredged in oil.