Fusion Food : Cooking What Comes Naturally

Some people think fusion cooking is hip, hot, trendy and very clever. Not Rose Nair--she’s always cooked that way. Nair comes from India, where there is not just one cuisine but many, forged from an atlas’s worth of foreign influences.

Puttering about her neatly tiled kitchen in Hawthorne, wearing a western dress made from an eye-popping orange sari, Nair works from recipes written in Portuguese, chats with her mother in Konkani (the language of the tiny Indian state of Goa), mashes a California avocado into fresh green chutney--an idea unheard of in India--and seasons ground turkey with soy sauce and Worcestershire plus a raft of Indian spices.

The turkey will go into samosas-- Indian turnovers--to eat with the chutney. Nair has already experimented with filo dough samosa wrappers. This time she is trying frozen puff pastry. “The usual samosa , we fry; this is nicer,” she says, popping a trayful into the oven.

Meanwhile, Nair’s guests drink rose tea from India perfumed with cinnamon oil from Kuwait and bits of home-dried orange peel. Now Nair starts work on what might be the world’s most exotic bread pudding. It’s a Portuguese-Indian dish called apa de camarao. Camarao means shrimp, and apa , Nair says, indicates a dish made with toddy, the Indian word for coconut palm sap. The sap must be drawn before sunrise in India. In the heat of day, it would ferment enough to pack an uncomfortable punch.

In Hawthorne, where coconut palms aren’t handy, Nair replaces toddy with brandy. She pours a spoonful into a mixture of coconut milk and eggs into which she dips sourdough bread slices, as if making French toast. Instead, the bread will form a cocoon for a wildly colored shrimp mixture. The vibrant orange-red color of the sauce comes from Kashmiri chiles, which Nair gets straight from India--they’re not available here. Nair tops the pudding with bread crumbs, butter and sugar and bakes it until it’s crisp and browned.

Nair calls this bread-coated apa a “quick fix.” Real apa de camarao isn’t a bread pudding at all. The shrimp is baked in a rich pastry crust and topped with cake batter--an even more extraordinary idea.

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Beef rolls turn up in kitchens from Italy to the Philippines. In Goa, they’re made Portuguese-style, but again with a strong Indian influence. Nair buys meat cut thin for milanesas , fills the slices with onion and cilantro and simmers them in tomato sauce perked up with Kashmiri chiles. Known for their strong color and mild flavor, Kashmiri chiles are what Nair calls “the paprika of India” (and paprika works well as a substitute).

Nair herself personifies fusion. She was born in Bombay of parents from Goa, which was a Portuguese enclave until 1961. Her mother, Acelia Barretto, taught her a vast repertoire of Goan dishes that had been handed down in the family. Nair has worked for Air India, Kuwait Airways and Air Lanka, which expanded her travels and her recipe collection. During two years in Kuwait, she learned such dishes as a shrimp and dill pilaf that she has reworked with Indian flavors.

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Moving to the United States, Nair worked for the Government of India Tourist Office in Los Angeles. Now she’s a hostess for the Cathay Pacific lounge at Los Angeles International Airport and runs a mathematics school for children. One of the students is her son, Preeth, 7.

Nair’s husband, Prem, is from the southern Indian state of Kerala, and Nair cooks South Indian dishes too. In fact, she cooks almost anything, judging from the small book of handwritten recipes that she started in 1967. Its entries include dishes from all over India, along with Chinese lemon chicken, American chop suey, cheese meatloaf, brownies, blackberry wine and apple pie.

Nair’s sister, Nalini, who is visiting her, is a catering school graduate from Bombay. The sisters often cook together, and Nalini introduces the fusion dishes she’s learned in India. A dessert she made for one of her sister’s parties was Caribbean bananas--bananas in buttery caramel sauce seasoned Indian fashion with cardamom.

Nair’s kitchen is as modern as any, but she grinds coconut on an implement you don’t see in most California homes. It’s a sharp, pronged grater attached to a board. Nair sets the board on the floor and sits on it to steady the grater while reaming the meat out of cracked coconut shells.

This tool gets frequent use because coconut is important in traditional Goan cuisine, which Nair regards as one of the best in India. As she points out, it has always been true fusion cooking in the way it combines traditional Indian flavors with those of the West.

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In India, the samosas would be filled with lamb or a vegetarian mixture of potatoes and peas. Chili powder and ground coriander would replace soy sauce and Worcestershire. Nair suggests serving the filling without wrappers as a main course. Add green peas and diced cooked potatoes to the turkey and accompany with chapatis (Indian flat bread).

Nair’s cilantro-avocado chutney doesn’t have to be limited to Indian meals. It would be a great companion to taquitos or carne asada too.

TURKEY SAMOSAS 1 tablespoon oil 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1 rounded tablespoon minced ginger root 1 rounded tablespoon minced garlic 2 serrano chiles, minced 1 onion, minced 1 pound ground turkey 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup cilantro leaves 2 sheets packaged puff pastry Cilantro-Avocado Chutney

Heat oil in saucepan. Stir in pepper and turmeric, then add ginger, garlic, chiles and onion. Saute lightly. Add turkey and salt. Cook until turkey is crumbly and very dry. Add soy sauce, Worcestershire, sugar, cloves and cinnamon. Just before removing from heat, stir in cilantro. Cool.

One at time, place puff pastry sheets flat on work surface and roll out to almost doubled in size. Cut each into 12 squares. Add 1 tablespoon of filling to each square. Fold to make triangle. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Serve at once with Cilantro-Avocado Chutney. Makes 2 dozen.

Each serving contains about:

114 calories; 263 mg sodium; 9 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.34 gram fiber.

* Cilantro-Avocado Chutney * 1/2 cup grated fresh coconut 1 bunch cilantro, leaves only 10 leaves mint 3 to 4 cloves garlic 3 serrano chiles 1 (1/2-inch) piece ginger root Salt 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/4 cup lemon juice, about 1 avocado

Combine coconut, cilantro, mint, garlic, chiles, ginger root, salt to taste and sugar in food processor. Grind to paste, adding just enough lemon juice to facilitate grinding.

Remove half of mixture. Add avocado to remainder and grind to fine smooth paste. Combine both mixtures. Makes about 3/4 cup.

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Nair sometimes tops this casserole with Italian bread crumbs and grated cheese instead of butter and sugar. Add hot paprika if you want spicier flavor.

APA DE CAMARAO (Bread Pudding With Shrimp) 1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined 1 teaspoon salt Dash turmeric 7 to 8 cloves garlic 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/4 cup oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 tablespoons paprika Water 1/2 teaspoon bottled tamarind concentrate Dash lemon juice Sugar 2 eggs 1 (13 1/2-ounce) can coconut milk 1 to 2 tablespoons brandy 6 to 8 slices sourdough bread (regular-size loaf, not baguette) 1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs, about 2 tablespoons butter Cilantro sprigs

Cut shrimp into small pieces, combine with salt and turmeric and let stand 1 hour.

Crush garlic with cumin seeds in mortar. Heat oil in skillet. Add garlic mixture and cook about 1 minute (do not allow to burn). Add onion and cook until translucent but still slightly crunchy. Add shrimp, paprika and 1 tablespoon water. As soon as shrimp are cooked, add tamarind concentrate and lemon juice. Cook until mixture is fairly dry. Season with 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Set aside.

Beat eggs and coconut milk together in shallow dish. Add brandy to taste. Soak 3 to 4 bread slices in coconut milk mixture. Drain. Line sides and bottom of 3-quart baking dish with soaked bread. Place shrimp in baking dish. Tear crusts from remaining bread slices. Soak in remaining coconut milk mixture. Fill in any open spaces on sides and cover shrimp with remainder. Fold over any bread that stands higher than shrimp to form part of top crust. Shrimp should be completely covered. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Dot with butter, sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and bake 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven and decorate with cilantro. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

396 calories; 647 mg sodium; 138 mg cholesterol; 23 grams fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 17 grams protein; 1.58 grams fiber.

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As a variation, overlap the meat to make one long roll. Add whole hard-cooked eggs to the filling, roll up the meat, tie and cook as directed. When sliced, the rolls will show off an attractive pattern.

ROSE NAIR’S BEEF ROLLS 4 large slices beef, cut for milanesas 1 (1-inch) piece ginger root 12 cloves garlic 2 1/2 teaspoons paprika 6 whole cloves 1 (1-inch) stick cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 3 tablespoons white vinegar Salt 1 small onion, chopped 1 serrano chile, chopped 1 bunch cilantro, chopped Juice 1 lemon 1 to 2 slices bacon, halved crosswise, cut lengthwise in thin strips 2 tablespoons oil 1 large onion, minced 3 large tomatoes, finely chopped

Pound each slice beef flat with mallet, then cut in half. Set aside.

Combine ginger and garlic in food processor and process until finely ground. Add paprika, cloves, cinnamon, cumin and vinegar. Grind to paste. Season with 1 teaspoon salt.

Set aside 1 heaping tablespoon paste for sauce. Spread remaining paste on 1 side of each slice beef. Stack beef, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Next day, combine chopped onion, chile and cilantro. Season with lemon juice and dash salt. Place some of filling on each meat slice. Top with bacon strips. Roll meat up and tuck in ends to keep filling from falling out. Tie securely with kitchen string.

Heat oil in Dutch oven. Add minced onion and cook until tender. Add tomatoes and reserved paste. Simmer until tomatoes are cooked. Add beef rolls. Cover and simmer until done, about 45 minutes. Untie rolls and place in serving dish with sauce. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

273 calories; 181 mg sodium; 54 mg cholesterol; 15 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 22 grams protein; 1.60 grams fiber.

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Nair modeled this recipe on a shrimp pilaf she tasted at festivals in Kuwait. To add an Indian touch, she uses basmati rice and seasons with cloves, cinnamon and cardamom.

ROSE NAIR’S DILL AND SHRIMP PILAF 2 pounds shrimp, shelled and deveined 1 tablespoon chopped ginger root 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 1/4 teaspoon turmeric Salt Oil 2 large onions, minced 6 whole cloves 6 whole cardamom pods 2 sticks cinnamon 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 3 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and pureed 1 bunch dill 1 whole dry lime, crushed 2 cups basmati rice 3 cups water 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Set aside 4 shrimp for garnish. Cut remainder into small pieces. Grind ginger and garlic to paste. Add turmeric and 2 teaspoons salt. Combine paste with shrimp pieces and marinate 1 hour.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven. Add onions, 3 cloves, 3 whole cardamom pods and 1 cinnamon stick and cook until onions are lightly browned. Add shrimp mixture, chili powder, coriander and cumin. Add tomato puree and cook until slightly thickened. Add dill and crushed dry lime and cook 2 minutes.

Soak rice in water 20 minutes. Drain. Heat 1/3 cup oil. Add 3 cloves, 3 cardamom pods and cinnamon stick. Add rice and fry 2 to 3 minutes. Add water and bring to boil. Turn heat to low, cover and cook until just tender. Set aside 1 tablespoon shrimp mixture and add rice to remaining mixture and blend gently. To serve, garnish with reserved shrimp mixture and cilantro. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

423 calories; 749 mg sodium; 152 mg cholesterol; 17 grams fat; 44 grams carbohydrates; 24 grams protein; 0.79 gram fiber.

Note : Dried limes are stocked in Middle Eastern markets.

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