*Ingredient Reference

Baharat: The word baharat means “spice” in Arabic. It’s a  peppery spice mixture used in Middle Eastern cooking. The blend will vary depending on the region, but one pretty common mix is (all ground) 4 parts black pepper, 3 parts coriander, 3 parts cinnamon, 3 parts clove, 4 part cumin, 1 part cardamom, 3 parts nutmeg, and 6 parts spicy paprika.

Chapatis:  A type of Indian roti (bread). A flat unleavened bread made of whole wheat flour and cooked on a flat skillet.

Ghee:  Clarified butter.  The point of Ghee is that it lacks the milk solids that butter has and therefore won’t “brown” or burn if it gets too hot. You might be lucky enough to find it ready-made in a can in your grocery store (usually in the oil aisle, sometimes in the refrigerated butter area), but you can easily make it yourself.  Just melt butter in a sauce pan and skim off the milk solids that float to the top, what you have left is Ghee.

Masala:  Literally a “spice blend” in Hindi.  There are infinite variations on the the actual contents of these blends, but the basic staples are cardamom, black pepper, coriander, and cinnamon.

Paneer:  Often compared to cottage cheese, although  a solid mass, not loose curds. It’s an unaged, acid-set, non-melting Indian farmer cheese made by curdling heated milk  with lemon juice or other another natural acid.