The Indian Vegan Kitchen (11 page)

Many types of chaat are served with a yogurt topping and thus are not in the scope of this book. Although you can substitute soy yogurt, I chose to skip them, since there are plenty of gloriously vegan varieties to focus on instead. Traditionally, chaat was primarily sold by street vendors, at kiosks. Today, it’s available in all types of Indian restaurants, from fast-food joints to fancy dining rooms. There is no substitute for chaat, and once you taste it you’ll be hooked. It is best shared with family and friends. I’ve been known to have just a chaat party; and for my cynical, purist Indian friends who think chaat cannot be a meal, I also make a
pulao
(rice pilaf) so that they feel nourished.

Water is the beverage of choice with Indian meals. Alcohol is not accepted or served in most Indian homes. Although alcohol has recently gained popularity in India, especially among the elite class, it is still not adopted as an Indian beverage.

The most popular and uniquely Indian beverage is chai, which has swept the world in the last decade. Chai is brewed tea mixed with hot milk and sugar. Chai can be plain (still mixed with milk and sugar) or brewed with spices, such as masala chai. Coffee (also served with milk and sugar) is also very popular in India, especially in the south. South Indians take their coffee very seriously and as a rule will grind fresh coffee every morning. In northern India, espresso coffee is enjoyed as a delicacy, which is actually similar to cappuccino, and not at all like the European espresso.

Beyond tea and coffee are soft drinks, fruit-flavored cold beverages called sherbet, and lemonade served mostly in the summer. Then there are some very typical Indian drinks like
lassi
(a yogurt drink), which has gained international popularity, and
thandai
(a spicy almond drink). They can be made with soy yogurt (see Soy Products, page 173). Although Indians drink tea and coffee year-round, cold beverages were traditionally only served in the summer (that’s an Ayurvedic medicinal influence). But that too has changed, and today, you can get cold drinks any time of the year.

GF

The tang of chaat masala and the heat of black pepper turn these cashews into a gourmet snack. Serve them on special occasions to impress your guests or make a batch for yourself for that snack attack.

1. In a medium fry pan, heat oil on medium heat. Add the cashews; stir to coat with oil.

2. Sprinkle black pepper, chaat masala, cornstarch, and sugar over cashews; stir to coat. Reduce heat to medium-low.

3. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring continuously in a lifting and turning motion. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

GF

In a small bowl, mix roasted peanuts with chopped onions, tomatoes, and cilantro. Add chaat masala, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice just before serving. Toss well. Transfer to a serving bowl.

GF

1. In a medium mixing bowl, mix besan, cayenne pepper, salt, chaat masala, and crushed fennel seeds. Set aside.

2. Line a baking sheet or a large plate with wax paper. Set aside.

3. Place peanuts in a strainer and wash them under running water.

4. Add the wet peanuts into the besan mixture and stir quickly. The besan mixture will coat the peanuts individually. If there is some mixture left in the bowl, sprinkle the peanuts with some water and stir. Keep doing this until all the besan has been used. Spread the peanuts on the wax paper.

5. Heat about 3 inches oil in a wok/
karahi
or a medium skillet over medium heat. (Or use electric fryer and heat oil to 325ºF.) Oil is ready when one coated peanut dropped into the hot oil quickly rises to the top but does not turn brown right away. Adjust heat as needed.

6. Drop a single layer of peanuts into the hot oil. Fry in 2 to 3 batches, depending on the size of your frying pan. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes until the coating turns light brown, turning occasionally. Drain on paper towels.

7. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

GF, LF

Canned or frozen black-eyed peas
(lobhia)
make it simple to prepare this dish any time. For one potluck dinner, I took a big dish of black-eyed peas as a snack. The dish was sitting next to a bowl of corn chips. The next thing I knew, people were dipping the chips in the black-eyed peas and calling it a dip. From then on, I always serve this with chips. Enjoy it as a chaat (snack), a side dish, or as a dip.

1. Drain and rinse black-eyed peas. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a nonstick fry pan on medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds; cook for a few seconds until seeds are golden brown.Add black-eyed peas and stir. Add turmeric, cayenne pepper, coriander, salt, and water. Stir to mix.

3. Bring to a boil. Cover with lid and reduce heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until most of the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat.

4. Stir in garam masala and lemon juice. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with cilantro and finely chopped red onions. Serve as is or with chips, if desired.

PITA CHIPS

 

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Split 4 pita bread rounds in half horizontally. Cut each half into 6 wedges. Place wedges, cut side up, in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until light brown and crisp. Cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

 

 

 

LF

Masala Papad

PREP:
5 minutes
COOK:
5 minutes
MAKES :
6 servings
SERVING SIZE :
1 papad

Most restaurants today serve
papad
as appetizers. Indians eat
papad
with a meal, very much like potato chips. Many varieties of
papad
are available—plain, mild, or spicy-hot. Most
papad
are made from processed dal/legumes, but there are also potato
papad
, rice
papad
, and other sorts. If served as a snack, they are usually fried; if served with a meal, they are often roasted. I usually microwave my
papad
for convenience; see below.

1. Roast the papad in microwave or over direct fire.
¹

2. Just before serving, brush one side of the papad with oil.

3. Sprinkle with chopped onion, tomato, and cilantro. Sprinkle chaat masala over all.

4. Serve immediately.

GF

Poha Chivra

PREP:
5 minutes
COOK:
10 minutes
MAKES:
8 servings
SERVING SIZE:
¼ cup

1. In a medium skillet, combine oil and poha until it is well coated with oil. Heat the skillet on medium-high heat. Once heated, the poha will cook very quickly. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the poha starts to puff and turn white. (If the poha starts to turn brown, remove immediately and pour into bowl to avoid further cooking.)

2. Remove from heat and add peanuts, salt, chaat masala, sugar, and cayenne pepper. Mix well.

3. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.