Psets and Roasty Aromas
Alternatively: how a study break resulted in a twist on a South Indian classic
As many of you know, I am nearing the end of my second week of Zoom classes. and that means work is beginning to pile up again. Problem sets, papers, and even a thermodynamics midterm! Granted, all classes are effectively Pass/Fail this semester (technically PE/NE), so that relieves a lot of stress, but it’s not like most students will deliberately slack off as a result. It feels especially weird for me to be back home so soon, because I’d spent fall semester at home interning at Desktop Metal in Burlington, Mass. Before that, I had not been on campus since May 2019, so the beginning of this semester really marked my first time on campus in 9 months! To come home after just one month feels so strange yet familiar.
One of the things I’m bummed about is that I moved into a new living community, C2 in MIT’s Burton Conner residence, and I really enjoyed it! I met so many new people there, and also finally got to have easy cooking access with a kitchen in my suite. I promised myself I would keep habitually cooking once I got home, and I’ve officially made cooking a pattern with my second published culinary adventure: the Chettinad paneer! This recipe was wholly inspired by Piping Pot Curry’s Chicken Chettinad.
This dish is named after the Chettinad (செட்டிநாடு) region of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, and Chettinad literally translates to “land of the Chetiar [people]”. While I am not at all Chetiar, half of my family is from Tamil Nadu, so we’ve had ample time to experience this cuisine. Chettinad cooking is best known for its use of spices from across South and Southeast Asia, and this dish is no exception. My spice cabinet reached maximum use as I pulled out cloves, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, fennel, poppy seeds, and cardamom. Whenever possible, I only used seeds as opposed to a ground powder, including for coriander (dhaniya) and cumin (jeera).
This was the first dish I’d made completely in an Instant Pot cooker, oftentimes known as simply “IP” on WhatsApp group chats. The IP can not only pressure cook but also saute! I ended up using the saute feature to dry roast all the spices laid out. This is the first time I have ever dry roasted any spices, so I was pretty nervous. At first reading the recipe, I questioned the direction to roast them “until they impart their aroma”, but I really shouldn’t have - the aroma is salient and incredible! My dad almost had to remind me that we were in the middle of a pandemic and that I shouldn’t stick my nose so close to the food.
In the end, I’d say the Chettinad paneer came out quite well given that it was my first actual foray into cooking this type of food. I’ll definitely have to find other dishes with such exquisite use of spices. The only change I would make next time (personally) would be to work with less paneer - I used half a block this time when I think a quarter or third would’ve been better. With classes and problem sets in full swing, it’s pretty important I find a way to channel any creativity that’s left and try something new.
Thank you again to Piping Pot Curry for the recipe!
