Episode 5: Naru with Madhushree Ghosh
New episodes and recipes every Friday!
Madhushree Ghosh describes ‘Khabaar’, her memoir of food, immigration, and family, as a love letter to the country she left and a love letter to the country she now calls home.
“I think food has a prominent role in everybody’s story,” she says, “especially immigrants.”
“What I wanted to write about was that as immigrants we are three dimensional people. Just because you’re a scientist, doesn't mean you can’t cook. Just because you can cook, doesn't mean you’re not a scientist.”
Based in San Diego, the Indian-American squeezed writing her memoir around her job as a cancer specialist, in a biotech company where she also champions diversity and belonging. It’s a theme that underpins her writing.
“There’s a stereotype of what immigrants should look like, should behave like. We are the model minority. I’ve always questioned…do we really need to ask whether we belong or not?
“I am someone who is contributing to this society. I am a social activist about women in science. I am a writer. I am a this. I am a that. Why do I have to list all these things in order to belong? I should just be.”
In this episode, Madhushree joins Rajesh in person to make a favorite family treat called naru - a simple dessert of truffle-like coconut balls . For her “it’s a dish of comfort and love.”
Episode 5 Recipes
Naru with Madhushree Ghosh
Madhushree says one of the things she loves about making this dessert is that it only takes 10-15 minutes. This recipe appears in her book Khabaar: An Immigrant Journey of Food, Memory, and Family.
Ingredients
2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes, ground - plus more to coat the balls (make sure you measure out the two cups once the flakes are ground).
½ cup condensed milk
1 tsp ground green cardamom seeds
2-3 saffron strands (optional)
Method
In a nonstick pan, slowly heat the coconut on medium-low. Add the cardamom powder.
When you can smell the coconut is starting to toast (and when the first few flakes at the bottom just start turning light brown), add the condensed milk and switch off the heat to stop the mixture burning.
Stir the mixture quickly (it will be sticky) and now add the saffron if using.
Tip or spoon the mixture out of the pan onto a flat plate and allow to cool.
Now liberally coat your fingers with oil (Madhushree recommends avocado oil, but says any light oil will do - Rajesh used regular vegetable oil).
Scoop up a small amount of the coconut-milk mixture in your fingers and make into a small ball, rolling between your palms to get the shape right.
When it’s compacted enough to stay stuck together, and as elegant as you can get it, roll the ball in the remaining coconut flakes till it’s liberally coated (put the flakes in another small plate/bowl for this)
Place the finished ball either on parchment paper or in a mini-baking paper cup, and repeat till you run out of mixture.
If desired, top some or all of the balls with a small fruit like a blueberry or raspberry.
Place the finished narus in the fridge until needed. Take them out 30 minutes before serving to take away the chill. (Narus can also be frozen for three months or more, and thawed overnight in the refrigerator before using)