How to Cook Indian (23 page)

14 ounces (400 grams) bottle gourd (substitute: red pumpkin)

1 tablespoon ginger paste (page 12)

1 tablespoons green chile paste (page 13)

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (85 grams)
besan
(chickpea/gram flour)

1¼ cups (190 grams)
atta
(whole-wheat flour)

1 teaspoon table salt

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1/8 teaspoon asafetida

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1½ tablespoons sesame seeds

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon sour plain yogurt (see page 513)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

20 fresh curry leaves

1. Peel the bottle gourd and grate it. Put it in a large bowl and add the ginger paste, green chile paste,
besan, atta,
salt, turmeric, asafetida, cilantro, 1 tablespoon of the sesame seeds, the sugar, lemon juice, and yogurt. Combine well and knead to make a sticky dough.

2. Grease your palms with a little oil. Divide the dough into 4 portions and shape each portion into a ½-inch (1-cm) diameter cylinder.

3. Place a steamer over high heat and add 2 cups (400 ml) water. When the water comes to a boil, put the rolls on a steaming tray and place the tray in the steamer. Steam for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into one of the pieces comes out clean. Remove from the steamer and let cool completely. Cut into 1-inch (2½-cm) pieces.

4. Place a nonstick wok over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, add the mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves, and the remaining ½ tablespoon sesame seeds. When the seeds sputter, add the dumpling pieces and toss well. Lower the heat to low and sauté, tossing occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes or until the
muthia
are lightly browned on all sides.

5. Serve hot.

Green Pea Kachori

A crisp bread stuffed with spicy green peas

Getting a flaky but crisp crust here is rather tricky: If the heat is too high, the
kachoris
will brown on the outside but remain raw and chewy inside. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the crust will not be flaky and you will have hard
kachoris
on hand. It takes time to cook them at the right temperature, but if you do, the flat, stuffed disks will puff up and look spectacular. Serve them with
khajoor aur imli ki
chutney (sweet date-and-tamarind chutney; page 22).

Serves 4.

1 cup (120 grams)
maida
(refined flour) or pastry flour

¼ teaspoon
ajwain

¼ teaspoon table salt

2 tablespoons ghee (page 37), melted

1 tablespoon plus 1 quart (800 ml) vegetable oil

Pinch of asafetida

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

1-inch (2½-cm) piece fresh ginger, chopped

3 or 4 green chiles, stemmed and chopped

1 cup (150 grams) fresh or frozen green peas, crushed

½ teaspoon table salt

½ teaspoon
garam masala
(spice mix; page 27)

¼ cup (30 grams) grated fresh coconut (or frozen unsweetened coconut)

¼ cup (40 grams) roasted peanuts, crushed

1. Put the
maida, ajwain
, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and the ghee in a bowl, and stir. Add 1/3 cup (65 ml) cold water and knead to make a stiff dough. Cover with a double layer of damp cheesecloth and set aside for 30 minutes.

2. Place a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, lower the heat to low and add the asafetida and cumin. When the cumin begins to change color, add the ginger, chiles, peas, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the
garam masala.
Stir and set aside to cool completely.

3. When cooled, add the coconut and peanuts, and stir well.

4. Divide the dough into 8 portions. Shape each portion into a ball and then roll out into a thick 4-inch (10-cm) round. Place a portion of the pea filling in the center and gather the edges to enclose the filling; pinch hard to seal. Using your fingers, pat the
kachori
into a flat 3-inch (7½-cm) round.

5. Place a nonstick wok over high heat and add 1 quart (800 ml) oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, lower the heat to medium and gently slide in 2
kachoris.
Fry, spooning hot oil over them and turning with a slotted spoon frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Remove with the slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining kachoris. Serve hot.

Handvo

A pan-fried savory rice,
dal
, and vegetable cake

In Ahmedabad, in Gujarat, you are likely to see home kitchens equipped with special steamers to make
dhoklas
and a special cooker that is used solely to make
handvo.
Yes, it’s such an important dish that cooks invest in a special gadget to make it. The cooker has a large dome with a perforated lid that covers a container with a tube in the center. The
handvo
batter is poured into the well-greased container, which is placed in a tray filled with sand. The cooker with the container and tray is put over the heat and the
handvo
batter is cooked slowly and steadily into a ring-shaped cake with a very crisp, dark crust. You can also use a regular nonstick sauté pan, as I describe below. Enjoy a freshly cooked
handvo
for dinner accompanied by loads of mint-and-cilantro chutney (page 22).

Serves 4.

1 cup (200 grams) raw rice

¼ cup (50 grams)
dhuli moong dal
(split skinless green gram)

¼ cup (50 grams)
chana dal
(split Bengal gram)

¼ cup (50 grams)
dhuli urad dal
(split skinless black gram)

½ cup (125 grams) sour plain yogurt (see page 513)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon ginger paste (page 12)

1 teaspoon green chile paste (page 13)

½ teaspoon red chile powder

1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 teaspoons table salt

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons grated bottle gourd (substitute: red pumpkin)

2 tablespoons shredded cabbage

1 tablespoon grated carrot

Small pinch of asafetida

½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds

4 fresh curry leaves

1 dried red chile, stemmed and broken in half

½ teaspoon sesame seeds

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1. Put the rice and
dals
in a bowl, wash in plenty of water 2 or 3 times, and drain. Add 3 cups (600 ml) water and soak for 5 hours. Drain, transfer to a food processor with 5 tablespoons water, and process coarsely.

2. Transfer to a deep bowl. Add the yogurt, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and 2 tablespoons lukewarm water, and whisk to make a thick batter. Cover the bowl and set aside in a warm place to ferment overnight.

3. Add the ginger paste, green chile paste, chile powder, turmeric, and salt, and stir well. Add the onion, bottle gourd, cabbage, and carrot, and stir well. Set the batter aside.

4. Place a small nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add ¾ tablespoon of the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the asafetida and mustard seeds. When the seeds sputter, add the curry leaves, red chile, and sesame seeds. Add this tempering to the batter and stir well. Add the baking soda and stir well.

5. Place a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the remaining ¼ tablespoon oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, lower the heat to low, add the batter, and let it spread evenly. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Flip it over. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until both sides are evenly browned. Cut into wedges and serve.

Hara Bhara Kabab

Fresh spinach and potato kebabs

This vegetarian appetizer is very popular in restaurants in India. At my Yellow Chilli restaurants, we add a layer of depth and complexity by stuffing the kebabs with yogurt.

Makes 24 kebabs.

7 ounces (200 grams) spinach leaves, blanched and chopped (see Note)

¾ cup (110 grams) fresh or frozen green peas, boiled and mashed

3 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled, and grated

2 green chiles, stemmed and chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1-inch (2½-cm) piece fresh ginger, chopped

1 teaspoon
chaat masala
(spice mix for
chaat;
page 24)

1 teaspoon table salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Put the spinach, peas, and potatoes in a deep bowl, and stir well. Add the chiles, cilantro, ginger,
chaat masala,
and salt, and stir well. Add the cornstarch and stir to a smooth, soft dough. Divide the spinach mixture into 12 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and then press it between your palms to form it into a flat, round shape that looks like a thick disk.

2. Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon of the oil. Put 6 kebabs in the pan, with space between them. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the oil all around the kebabs and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the underside is golden brown. Using a spatula, turn them over, drizzle 1 teaspoon of the oil all around them, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Cook the remaining 6 kebabs with the remaining oil. Serve immediately.

You can also use frozen chopped spinach (just thaw and squeeze out the excess water). To blanch fresh spinach leaves, boil 2 cups (60 ml) of water, add the leaves, and boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and refresh in cold water. Drain again, squeeze out excess water, and finely chop.