Tadka aka Chhonk is Simply Genius

Last month Food52 released the third book in its Genius series called Simply Genius, which has a recipe called Tadka Salad Dressing by yours truly. I am elated to be in the august company of Samin Nosrat, Andrea Ngyuen, Heidi Swanson, Yotam Ottolenghi, and - somebody please slap me to open my eyes - Marcella Hazan and Edna Lewis. 

That is the power of tadka aka chhonk. A few years back, I pitched stories about tadka to Eric Kim, who was senior editor at Food52, SO many times. It was about how awesome it is, what is done with it, and which parts of India do tadka in what way .... blah, blah, and more blah. Nada, not a peep! But as soon as I came up with the tadka salad dressing recipe, Eric jumped on board.

As I write in the article, the idea of using tadka or infused olive oil instead of just plain olive oil in a salad dressing shot into my head, one fine day, similar to the hypnotizing arrow shot in Kevin Costner's Robinhood. What I'm doing differently here is using olive oil heated up with spices as a base for my salad dressing instead of plain olive oil. So right at the get-go, we are adding a layer of flavor with the spice-infused oil. And my favorite spices are black mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and nigella seeds.  I also tried cumin and carrom seeds but both did not pack a punch.  Once tadka is ready, let it cool and make the dressing your way. My tadka salad dressing contains tadka, lime juice, tahini, mustard, honey, salt and pepper. 

IMO, all the food groups ought to be ticked in a salad. I cannot handle the ones that are just greens and you have to search for half a cherry tomato or olive. Mine should have greens - ideally two - some kind of lettuce and arugula, tomatoes, cucumbers, apple or pear, olives, fresh mozzarella cheese, soaked walnuts (more about them later), pepita seeds and homemade croutons. I have a dear friend who doesn't cook much but always makes oatmeal for me when I visit. He says he cannot eat oatmeal unless he makes it 1000 calories. Well, my salad is similar in vibe. 

Soaked walnut is a neat trick taught by my Persian friend, Nazan. Soaking walnuts overnight or at least for a few hours takes off the sharp edge and impales them in a good way.    

Now to my favorite topic - tadka.  A foundational cooking technique of Indian cuisine, tadka is the first step in cooking a dish or last. When it is the first step, it creates a flavor-laden oil ready to impart its riches to whatever follows - vegetables, dal, rice. And when it is the last step, it acts like an icing on the cake, taking a good thing into the extraordinary territory.  Tadka done well is a harbinger of a great meal. I have happy memories of my childhood friend, Sona, over for lunch. We both are chatting and we hear the chrrr....., of tadka and the sudden blast of its aroma. Sona rubs her hands in glee, food is turning out fundu (slang in urban India for awesome).    

Tadka as a technique is so fundamentally sound and solid that it can be applied across cuisines and recipes.  Here's a recipe that highlights the fantastical powers of tadka -

TADKA NACHOS WITH ROASTED TOMATO CHUTNEY SPIKED WITH BLACK SALT

Ingredients

For Tomato Chutney

· 1 Roma tomato

2 Thai chile peppers

1 small clove of garlic peeled

     ½ tsp cumin powder

 ¾ tsp black salt

1/4 teaspoon salt

Yield – ¾ cup

For Tadka Nachos

2 handfuls tortilla chips of your choice, I prefer plain salted ones

1/2 cup Mexican Style Grated cheese

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds

3 tablespoons roasted tomato chutney spiked with black salt

Cilantro for garnish

Method

Place the tomato on the open flame of your stove. As the sides tear and peel off, turn with a pair of tongs. Cook for about 10 minutes.

        In a skillet, dry roast thai chile peppers and garlic till they both acquire dark brown patches.

Let everything cool. Chop the tomato roughly before adding it to the blender followed by peppers, garlic, cumin powder and black salt.  Blend coarse

 Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place a rack in center position of the oven. 

      Spread tortilla chips evenly in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle grated cheese on tortilla chips.   

Let the cheese melt which will take about 5-6 minutes.   

  Take the baking sheet out of the oven and spread dollops of tomato chutney on the chips. Set aside.

Now heat oil in a small skillet or a pot. Please don't multi-task or surf on your phone while this oil is heating up. After 2 minutes, add mustard seeds and turn the heat off as soon as the seeds stop spluttering. You just made tadka.

    Pour tadka over the tortilla chips. Garnish with cilantro and serve right away.

    I served Tadka Nachos to my girlfriends. The cooling effect of the chutney against the mustard seed-tempered oil punctuated by crunch of cheesy tortilla is crowd pleaser. My friend Jo claims to have eaten shard of glass from the baking dish while scraping the last bit off.  

  I hope you enjoy it as much too.