I met Komali Nunna earlier this year at the LA Times Festival of Books, and I instantly fell in love with her stunning Indian cookbook as well as her warm personality.   A lot of people shy away from cooking Indian food because they assume that it's either too complex or uses ingredients that are too exotic and hard to come by, but Komali really makes Indian food approachable.  Her mouthwatering recipes are particularly showcased by the gorgeous photography throughout her book (and if you have our cookbook, you know how much I love photos in cookbooks!) - I can't tell you how many people have sat in my living room ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the pages of her book.  I was thrilled when Komali agreed to do an interview on our blog as well as share two recipes that both use Trader Joe's ingredients!  Read on for the interview and some great tips.

Deana: Komali, you've been called the "Indian Martha Stewart."  What inspired you to find creative ways to entertain and what makes Indian cooking a good match for entertaining?
Komali:  Indian food is a perfect combination of grains, beans, meat, vegetables and spices. It is a kaleidoscope of flavors and textures which makes it ideal for entertaining. I want to promote the health benefits of Indian spices and I want demystify Indian food. That is the inspiration for my book Entertaining From an Ethnic Indian Kitchen. This book is a product of my rich diverse experiences in India and in America. It is a fusion of Eastern philosophy and Western style.

Deana: What are your best entertaining tips - what are the secrets to throwing a successful ethnic party?

Komali: When you want to throw a great ethnic party, first know your ingredients and recipes. It will help to know the culture and traditions behind the cuisine. Do not experiment on the guests. Cook recipes that you are familiar with. Include ethnic fabrics and accessories in your décor. Entertaining with ethnic cuisine can be a cultural experience that your guests will remember forever.  Most of all, entertaining is all about spending time with your family and friends and creating memories with them.

Deana:  A lot of people associate exotic/global ingredients with complicated cooking.  What do you say to them?
Komali:  I do agree that people are intimidated by global ingredients.  This is because people are not familiar with the ingredients and the cuisine. For example, it's hard to imagine that before Italian food became popular, we could never find "mascarpone cheese" in regular supermarkets. Now this cheese is available even in Wal-mart. Similarly, Indian food can become as popular as Italian food in mainstream America. Garam masala powder can be sold in all supermarkets. Indian cuisine has 5,000 years of culinary experience in their repertoire, not to mention all the health benefits of spices.

Deana: What are some easy ways to incorporate global flavors into simple, everyday cooking?  Where should people start?
Komali: My book features simple dishes to elaborate dishes along with entertaining ideas. You can flavor day to day salads with cumin, ginger or turmeric. Some of the Indian flavors such as cardamom and ginger can be added to everyday tea to get that exotic flavor.

Deana:  I love cardamom - we even put it in lemonade!  Can you give us a primer on Indian spices?  What are the top ones to have in our spice cabinet?
Komali: With Indian food, flavor comes from spices rather than from fat.  Turmeric, the spice used in almost all Indian curries has anti-inflammatory properties. Diets rich in curcumin - a compound found in the spice turmeric -  is also said to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. According to research, low dosage treatment of curcumin can reduce the amyloid protein ``plaques'' within the brain. That may help explain why the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease is much lower among the elderly in India compared with their Western peers. Ginger is a digestive aid. Cinnamon reduces blood pressure. The health benefits of spices in your diet goes on and on. Overall, if you want to lead a healthy long life, eat Indian food.

If you have turmeric, cayenne, coriander, cumin. fresh ginger, garlic, cilantro and limes in your pantry, you can cook Indian food in no time.

Deana: What are your favorite items at Trader Joe's? 
Komali: Trader Joe’s curry sauces are great to have on hand. If you have curry sauces  and naan in your pantry, you can have an Indian meal any day.

Here are two recipes from Komali using Trader Joe’s ingredients!  


Handov
Handov is usually made with different legumes, which is a vegetarian favorite in India.  Here you can make Handov using cornbread mix.

One 15 oz. Trader Joe’s cornbread mix
1 cup finely chopped cabbage
1 cup grated carrots
½ cup finely sliced green beans
½ cup sliced green onions, divided
1 tsp – 1 Tbsp minced green chilies
1 Tbsp finely minced fresh ginger
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk

1.) Preheat oven to 350˚ F. 
2.) Mix all the ingredients together, except ¼ cup of sliced green onions.  Spray 8 x 8 inch glass baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Transfer batter to the pan and sprinkle the top with reserved green onions.  Bake for 35 minutes. 
3.) Remove the pan from the oven.  Let it rest for 15 minutes and serve.

Serves 6-8


Chole and Naan (photo at top)
Chole and naan is a scrumptious meal that can be prepared in minutes using Trader Joe’s prepared sauce and ready-made naan.

Two 15 ½ oz. cans garbanzo beans, rinsed
One 15 oz. bottle curry simmer sauce

Raw seasoning:
             ¼ cup chopped red onion
              1 tsp – 1 Tbsp finely minced green chilies
              2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
              1 Tbsp lime or lemon juice

Trader Joe’s Naan

1.) Combine garbanzo beans and curry sauce in a medium saucepan.  Heat over medium heat.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Transfer to a serving dish. 
2.) Just before serving, mix raw seasoning ingredients and mix in with chole.  Serve with naan.

Serves 4-6

Thanks Komali!  (For more information on her or Indian cooking, visit Komali's website)