Bharti Kirchner

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Last Updated: January 2011

Bharti wins a 2011 literature grant from Artist Trust. She's just been awarded a residency at VCCA (Virginia Center for Literary Arts). Her articles on transitions and character naming are published in the November issue of The Writer and one on flashbacks in the January 2012 issue. Her essay "Kimchi and Chrysanthemum" has recently been published in the anthology: Foreign Flavors

Read Bharti's essays in two other anthologies. NIGHT LIGHT: Twenty Short Works by Northwest Authors and WHEN IT RAINS.

Bharti's short story, Promised Tulips, is published in Seattle Noir, an anthology of mystery short stories. Publisher's Weekly calls her story one of the two best in the collection. Her book reviews can be found in the Seattle times. Bharti has been honored as a Living Pioneer Asian American Author.

From KUOW: "At 2:40 p.m. – Cooking Klatch: Bharti Kirchner
If you've spent your life straddling different countries, then your world is full of mixed influences in all kinds of ways – from language to clothing to music. But for some, food is the most vital link to any place. Bharti Kirchner grew up in India but she's lived most of her adult life in the United States. Practically every day she reaches into her grab bag of cultural experience to make choices when she cooks. And the result is a grande American mix. Bharti Kirchner is the author of four cookbooks as well as four novels. Today she shares a few recipes with Sara Lerner that combine the flavors and spices of India with Northwest staples."

LIME-TAMARIND DRESSING

Recipe adapted from Indian Inspired by Bharti Kirchner.

˝ tsp. tamarind concentrate
5 tsp. sugar
6 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Combine tamarind and sugar with a little lime juice and stir until smooth. Add the remaining lime juice, a little at a time, adjusting the amount according to taste. Chill until needed.

Yields 1/​3 cup, enough for a salad for 4.

INDIAN POTATO SALAD

Serves 4 to 5


1 1/​2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 Tbsp. olive or canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
˝ tsp. black mustard seeds (available in Indian markets)
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. garam masala (available in Indian markets)
Salt
Garnish: Chopped parsley or cilantro

Steam potatoes until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Cover and set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and sauteuntil soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Add mustard seeds. When the seeds start to pop, add the potatoes and mix well. Stir and cook for a minute or so. Add lime juice, salt, and garam masala. Taste for salt.

Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with parsley or cilantro.

VEGETABLE MEDLEY

Serves 4 to 5

Recipe adapted from The Healthy Cuisine of India: Recipes from Bengal Region by Bharti Kirchner

2 Tbsp. olive or canola oil
˝ tsp. Indian five-spice (available in Indian Markets; see Note)
3 Tbsp. peeled, minced fresh gingerroot
˝ tsp. ground turmeric
˝ tsp. ground cumin
Salt
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
˝ lb. new potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 small yam, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups cauliflower florets, 1 ˝ inches in diameter
1 cup green beans, cut crosswise into 1 ˝-inch strips
2 cups eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
Dash chili flakes
˝ cup thawed frozen peas
1 tsp. garam masala (available in Indian markets)

Garnish: Toasted cashews

Heat oil in a deep skillet. Add Indian five-spice. When the seeds start to pop, add gingerroot and stir several times. Add turmeric and cumin and mix well. Add salt, tomatoes and ˝ cup water. Add potatoes and yams. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes, adding more water if necessary.

Add cauliflower, green beans, eggplant, and chili flakes. Simmer, covered, another 10 minutes, adding more water to prevent sticking. Uncover and cook another 5 to 10 minutes till the vegetables are almost tender, sprinkling a little water as necessary. Add peas. Cover and simmer another 3 to 5 minutes. Blend in garam masala. Using the back of a spoon, mash a few of the potato and yam pieces and mix well. Adjust salt.

Garnish with toasted cashews and serve.

Note: Indian five-spice (panch phoron) is a mixture of five whole spices, consisting of cumin, black mustard seeds, kalonji (onion seeds), fennel, and fenugreek.

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