My Indian Kitchen (13 page)

Cook time: 55 minutes (1 hour, 15 minutes if using dried black-eyed peas)

1 cup (175 g) dried black-eyed peas (lobhiya), soaked overnight and drained, or one 15.5-oz (439-g) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

4 cups (1 liter) water plus1/2 teaspoon salt for cooking dried peas

1/4 cup (65 ml) oil

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

One 1-in (2.5-cm) cinnamon stick

1 red onion (about 1/3 lb/150 g), chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 lb (250 g) button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (about 3/4 cup/250 g)

1 lb (500 g) tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped (about 21/2 cups/500 g)

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Salt, to taste

3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

1 If using dried black-eye peas, bring the soaked and drained peas, water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the peas are tender, about 45 minutes. Drain the peas, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Set aside.

2 Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and cinnamon stick and let them sizzle for 10 seconds. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika and salt and a little water, if needed. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, until tender.

3 Add the cooked or canned black-eyed peas to the tomato and mushroom mixture and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in the fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Spicy Mixed Beans and Lentils Pancharatni Dal Fry

Whether eating at home or dining out, no Indian meal is complete without a bowl of dal, or lentils. I remember eating this very popular lentil dish at a random north Indian restaurant on a highway that runs from Pune to Mumbai. Containing five different legumes, this “jewel” of a dal is more elaborate than many (panch means “five” and rattan means “jewels”) and is a true delicacy. Adjust the quantity of chili peppers according to your spice level. Serve with Plain Basmati Rice (page 124) or Whole-Wheat Griddle Breads (page 136).

Serves 6

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

7 cups (1.75 liters) water

1/4 cup (40 g) split green lentils (moong dal)

1/4 cup (40 g) split red lentils (masoor dal)

1/4 cup (40 g) split yellow peas (chana dal)

1/4 cup (50 g) split pigeon peas (toor dal)

1/4 cup (40 g) split black gram (urad dal)

1 teaspoon salt, plus more if needed

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

3/4 cup (160 g) ghee (clarified butter) or oil

11/2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger

1 large onion (about 1/2 lb/250 g), finely chopped

1 large tomato (about 1/2 lb/250 g), finely chopped

2 fresh green chili peppers, minced

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon Asian chili powder or cayenne pepper

4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

1/4 teaspoon Home-Style Garam Masala (page 35)

1 Bring the water, all five lentils, salt and turmeric to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the beans are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Add more water during cooking if necessary.

2 While the lentils are cooking, heat the ghee or oil in another large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds, garlic, ginger and onion, and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Add the tomato, green chili peppers, ground coriander and Asian chili powder or cayenne pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the tomato is soft. Add the cooked lentils and mix well, adding more water as needed. (Most lentil dishes tend to get very thick as they cook). Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed.

3 Add the fresh coriander leaves and mix in. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the Home-Style Garam Masala over the top and serve.

Delicious Everyday Dal

Masaladar dal Lahsooni

Thanks to my profession I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to taste foods from the best restaurants across the globe. But nothing, to this day, comforts me more than the simple luxury of a home cooked meal of rice and dal, which is staple for most Indian households. While growing up, this was one of my mom’s standard everyday dals. It’s very versatile, going well with practically any Indian dish, and is immensely satisfying. When I feel like indulging in one of my all-time favorite comfort foods, I simply ladle this dal over Plain Basmati Rice (page 124) topped with generous dollops of melted ghee.

Recently, on a friend’s advice, I added to my plate of dal and rice a simple mixture of boiled and mashed potatoes and eggs, spiked with Indian Five Spice Mix (page 31) and some diced, cooked onions. Borrowing my friend’s favorite comfort food recipe and adding it to mine was indeed the highlight of dinner that evening. Do feel free to add mashed and spiced potatoes to this dish as an accompaniment, for that extra level of comfort! Green Mango Pickle (page 47) and crisped pappadum (page 55) are also very good served on the side. I like to use split red lentils (masoor dal), which is available in Indian and Middle Eastern grocery stores, but you can make this dal with any split lentil.

Serves 6

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

2 cups (350 g) dried, split lentils of your choice, washed and drained

7 cups (1.75 liters) water

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

11/2 teaspoons salt and more, to taste

3 tablespoons oil

21/2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 dried red chili peppers, broken in half

6 to 8 fresh or dried curry leaves

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger

2 fresh green chili peppers, minced

1 teaspoon Asian chili powder or cayenne pepper

4 tablespoons minced fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

Juice of 1/2 lime

1 Bring the lentils and water to a boil in a heavy pot. Remove any surface scum that collects on top. Add the turmeric and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and reduce the heat to low. Cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar, and simmer gently for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils become soft and mushy and have absorbed all the cooking liquid. Stir often to prevent sticking. Set aside

2 Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 3 to 4 seconds. Add the dried red chili peppers, curry leaves, garlic, ginger, green chili peppers and Asian chili powder or cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add the cooked lentils to this mixture. Mix well, adding more water as needed. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed.

3 Stir in the fresh coriander leaves and lime juice. Transfer to a serving bowl, serve hot.

Red Kidney Bean Curry

Rajmah Masala

Rajmah is one of my favorite comfort foods. I cook it at least once a week at home. This north Indian staple goes well with Plain Basmati Rice (page 124) and Whole-Wheat Griddle Breads (page 136). Usually the beans are cooked in a pressure cooker in Indian homes, which cuts down the cooking time and also makes the beans very tender. Cooking the beans in a conventional pot works just a well—it will just take longer. For a shortcut, canned beans may also be used.

Serves 4

Prep time: 15 minutes plus 8 hours soaking time if using dried kidney beans

Cook time: 55 minutes (1 hour, 20 minutes if using dried kidney beans)

2 cups (350 g) dried red kidney beans (rajmah), soaked overnight and drained, or two 15.5-oz (439-g) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

10 cups (2.5 liters) water plus 1/2 tablespoon salt for cooking dried beans

1/2 cup (125 ml) oil

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 large onion (about 1/2 lb/250 g), minced

4 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste (page 32)

3 fresh green chili peppers, minced 3 large tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs/750 g), minced

3 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons Asian chili powder or cayenne pepper

Salt, to taste

2 teaspoon Home-Style Garam Masala (page 35)

4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

2 tablespoons butter

1 If using dried kidney beans, bring the soaked and drained beans, water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender, about 45 to 50 minutes. Drain the beans but reserve the cooking liquid. Set aside.

2 Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 10 seconds. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the Ginger-Garlic Paste and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until soft. Add the green chili peppers, tomatoes, ground coriander, Asian chili powder or cayenne pepper, salt and 1 cup (250 ml) of the reserved bean-soaking liquid or water. Cover and cook over low heat until the masala is cooked, about 5 minutes.

3 Add the cooked or canned red kidney beans to the tomato gravy and simmer, adding more of the bean-soaking liquid or water as needed, for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the Home-Style Garam Masala, fresh coriander leaves and butter. Serve hot.

In this chapter, you will learn how to make some of the myriad of tasty and tantalizing vegetarian dishes that form such an important part of the Indian diet. Typically, vegetables are either braised or sautéed, combined with garlic and spices, and served with rice or curries. For vegetarians and meat eaters alike, vegetable dishes are a key part of every Indian meal. In fact, vegetables are probably the most important part of any Indian meal—the choice of the accompanying chutneys, salads and dals being determined after the main vegetable dish has been decided. And usually there is also a secondary vegetable dish in the meal menu.

Milk and milk products also play an important role in Indian meals and are considered to be an important source of protein in the Indian diet. Paneer, or “Indian cottage cheese,” is one of the most popular milk products, and is the basis of several interesting vegetarian dishes.

Hyderabadi Mixed Vegetables Hyderabadi hara Subzi

This dish has the classic flavors from Hyderabad, a city in the south of India known for its rich, complex and highly spiced cuisine. This flavorful combination of seasonal vegetables, fresh green chili peppers, curry leaves, spices and coconut goes especially well with Lemon Rice with Peanuts (page 129) and Pepper Chicken (page 108).

Serves 4

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

1 red onion (about 1/3 lb/150 g), coarsely chopped

1/4 cup (25 g) shredded, unsweetened coconut (frozen, reconstituted dried, or freshly grated) (page 24)

3 tablespoons plus 2 cups (500 ml) water

1 handful fresh coriander leaves and stems (cilantro) (about 4 oz/125 g) plus 4 tablespoons minced fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

2 fresh green chili peppers

1/4 cup (65 ml) oil

12 shallots (about 1/4 lb/125 g total), peeled and cut into wedges

10 fresh or dried curry leaves

2 or 3 cloves garlic, crushed

One ½-in (1.25-cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon salt, plus more if needed

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup (130 g) green peas, fresh or frozen (shelled from 1 lb/500 g fresh pea pods or about half of one 10-oz/300-g package frozen peas)

1/4 lb (125 g) fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) lengths

1 carrot, peeled and diced (about 3/4 cup/112 g)

1 small potato, peeled and diced (about 3/4 cup/130 g)

2 cups (500 ml) coconut milk

1 Place the red onion, coconut, 3 tablespoons of the water, handful of fresh coriander with stems and green chili peppers in a blender or food processor and process to a smooth paste. Set aside.

2 Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots, curry leaves, garlic, ginger and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until soft. Add the coconut paste and the salt and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. This technique is called bhunao.

3 Add the turmeric, coriander, cumin and all the vegetables, and fry for another minute. Add the remaining 2 cups (500 ml) of water and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

4 Add the coconut milk and minced fresh coriander leaves. Mix well and taste for seasoning, and add more salt if needed. Serve hot.

Street-Style Grilled Corn on the Cob

Bhutta

This style of corn on the cob, flavored with lemon and spices and cooked over hot charcoals, is sold by street vendors all over India. Sometimes the corn is coated with a sprinkling of different spice blends, depending on the region or the vendor’s personal taste. For an extra special Indian flavor, try to use black salt (kala namak); otherwise, another sea salt or kosher salt will do.

Serves 4

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

4 ears fresh corn, shucked (save 4 large leaves)

1 lemon, cut in half

1 tablespoon (page 35)

1 teaspoon Asian chili powder or cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt (sea salt, kosher salt or, preferably, Indian black salt)

Onion and Cucumber Chaat (page 42), for serving

Plum Tomato Chutney with Mustard Seeds (page 38), for serving

1 Preheat a grill, preferably charcoal for the best flavor, to high heat.

2 Grill the corn directly over the heat for about 5 minutes, turning constantly, until slightly golden brown and lightly burnt.

3 Squeeze the lemon juice all over the corn. Sprinkle with the Chaat Masala, Asian chili powder or cayenne pepper and salt. Serve each ear on top of a fresh corn leaf with a side of Onion and Cucumber Chaat and Plum Tomato Chutney with Mustard Seeds.