Two things about home cooking really intimidate me: cooking a new type of cuisine and baking. As a homecook, I have been in awe of Indian cuisine and the mastery of spices and flavors those meals bring - resulting in my local indian restaurant being a favorite in my phone contacts. While cooking has always been something I just meal plan with what I have in the pantry, the strict science of baking was always something that just didn’t vibe for me. So when our monthly cooking theme of World Cuisine came up I wanted to push myself and my skills by taking on some Indian inspired recipes.

Using the cookbook, My Two Souths: Blending the Flavors of India into a Southern Kitchen by Asha Gomez, I found a very approachable recipe that would expand my spice cabinet and test my baking skills; Quick Tellicherry Buttermilk Biscuits.

These biscuits are such a beautiful way to showcase the citrus notes of the Tellicherry peppercorn and the differences from the much more popular Lampong black peppercorn.

A question we often get in the store is what is the difference between black peppercorns and Tellicherry peppercorns? The name Tellicherry comes from a British East India Company fort off the Malabar Coast and it refers to the larger size of the actual peppercorn. These larger peppercorns are more bold in citrus flavor as Tellicherry peppercorns are left on the vine longer and lose some of that peppery heat but gain a wonderful aroma. The Tellicherry is considered the best peppercorns in the world!  

This recipe is taken from My Two Souths: Blending the Flavors of India into a Southern Kitchen.

Makes 9-10 servings

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled 
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted Butter, melted
  • 2 cups self rising flour, sifted
  • 2 - 4 teaspoons freshly ground course tellicherry peppercorns
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 2 tsp all purpose flour for forming biscuits
  • Cyprus flaked sea salt to taste

Instructions:

  1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch cast iron skillet with a light coat of butter or ghee. 
  2. Using your fingers, mix the butter into the self-rising flour until it forms a crumbly dough. Add in the coarsely ground Tellicherry peppercorns and the buttermilk. Mix with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.
  3. Dust your work surface with the all purpose flour. Turn out the dough onto the counter, knead briefly only enough to form a ball.
  4. Pat out the dough into ½ inch thickness, using a circle cutter cut out biscuits. Pat together the scraps as needed. 
  5. Place the biscuits into the prepared cast iron, with the sides touching. 
  6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, unit golden brown.  
  7. Remove from the oven and brush the tops with the melted butter. Finish with a sprinkle of flaked salt.