The Indian Vegan Kitchen (20 page)

1. In a bowl, mix cauliflower and peppers. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add asafetida and cumin seeds, and cook for a few seconds until seeds are golden brown. Add onion and fry 1 to 2 minutes until transparent. Stir in ginger.

3. Add vegetables and stir. Sprinkle with turmeric, salt, coriander, and cayenne pepper. Stir in a lifting and turning motion for 2 to 3 minutes, coating the vegetables with the spices.

4. Cover with the lid and reduce heat. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until cauliflower is tender. Stir the vegetables a couple of times. (The vegetables will cook in their own juices. If the vegetables tend to stick to the bottom, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.)

5. Sprinkle with amchur. Stir carefully in a lifting and turning fashion. Transfer to a serving platter. Do not cover the vegetables; otherwise they will continue to cook and become too soft.

GF

This is an elaborate, special-occasion dish that is fun to make and serve. It never fails to arouse curious glances from guests—is it vegetarian?

1. Remove the leaves and cut the stem at the base of the cauliflower, leaving the whole head intact. Wash the cauliflower, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt on all sides, and set aside.

2. Heat ½ cup water in a large skillet that can fit the whole cauliflower. Place a steamer rack in the pan. Place cauliflower on the steamer rack, cover with lid, and steam for 5 to 7 minutes, until the cauliflower is partially cooked. Carefully remove cauliflower and place in a baking dish or tray. Set aside.

3. Grate the boiled potato and set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 400ºF.

5. Peel, wash, and slice the raw potatoes into ½ -inch-thick circles. Place the sliced potatoes in a bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir to coat with oil. Place in a single layer on a baking tray. Set aside.

6. In a blender jar, combine tomato sauce, onion, ginger, garlic, cumin seeds, and green chiles. Grind to a paste. Set aside. (If needed, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to help grind the onions.)

7. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a nonstick fry pan on medium-high heat. Add the onion paste, cook until all the water evaporates and onion starts to come together in a dense mass, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium.

8. Add turmeric, coriander, cayenne pepper, amchur, and garam masala. Stir well, cook for about 2 minutes. Add ½ cup of water and stir well. Remove from heat.

9. Add the grated potatoes and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix well to blend the spices.

10. Turn the cauliflower over, bottom side up, and carefully push about ⅓ of the onion masala into the holes. Turn the cauliflower over and layer the remaining onion masala on top of the cauliflower, completely covering the cauliflower.

11. Place the cauliflower and the potatoes (in separate trays) in preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the potatoes once during cooking. Potatoes should be medium brown, cooked, and crispy. The cauliflower top should be brown and set.

12. To serve, place the cauliflower in the center of the serving tray and garnish with sliced baked potatoes. At the table, cut the cauliflower in thin wedges, and serve with 1 or 2 potato slices.

GF

Long, mild banana peppers are perfect for stuffing. The spiced
besan
(chickpea flour) paste fills the banana peppers as it cooks and expands. Serve this as a side dish with any meal.

1. Wash and dry the peppers. Make a slit on one side from the stem end to the tip of the peppers, making an opening. Do not cut through the peppers. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, mix together besan and ground peanuts. Add asafetida, cumin seeds, turmeric, salt, coriander, cayenne pepper, and amchur. Mix well. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and mix into the mixture, making it crumbly. Add the water and mix well. The mix will be thick and sticky.

3. Fill the peppers with batter. Using your thumbs to pry them open, add the batter, and with a finger spread the batter evenly into the opening. Fill the peppers about half full with batter. (Besan batter is very sticky and hard to work with. Some of the batter might stick to the outside of the peppers.)

4. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick fry pan on medium-high heat. Add the stuffed banana peppers in a single layer, filled side up. Cover with lid and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the peppers are tender (they change color and appear transparent. The besan stuffing will harden and fill the peppers). Turn the peppers occasionally using tongs, making sure to evenly brown all sides. Remove the lid and cook for another 2 minutes, turning occasionally.

5. Using tongs, transfer peppers to a serving dish. Discard any remaining oil.

GF

Besan
(chickpea flour) adds a nutty taste and texture to these peppers. Cut the peppers into small pieces and cook them until just tender. The
besan
creates a light coating, making the mixture appear crumbly.

1. Heat oil in a heavy skillet on medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cook for a few seconds until golden brown. Add besan and mix well with the back of a spoon, breaking up any lumps. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until besan becomes bubbly.

2. Stir in the peppers. Add turmeric, coriander, cayenne pepper, and salt. Stir well. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until peppers are slightly tender but still crunchy. Stir in amchur.

3. Immediately transfer to a serving bowl and leave open to avoid further cooking of the peppers.

GF

This is an elegant as well as a delicious way to serve eggplants. Use small round eggplants (3 to 4 inches each). If you cannot find the little eggplants, use a large eggplant and cut it into pieces just before serving.

1. Chop carrots and potatoes into ¼ -inch pieces. In a small bowl, combine frozen peas, carrots, and potatoes. Set aside.

2. Cut the eggplants in half vertically from the stem down, leaving the stem on. Using a sharp knife, score the pulp about ½ inch from the skin. Scoop out the pulp with a spoon, making an eggplant shell. In a large bowl, mix cold water and 1 teaspoon salt and soak the eggplant. (This will help prevent the eggplants from browning.) Set aside.

3. Chop the eggplant pulp into small pieces and set aside.

4. In a large nonstick fry pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil on medium-high heat. Add onion and fry 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. Add green chile and tomatoes. Stir, cover with lid, and cook for about 1 minute. Add cumin, turmeric, coriander, fennel seed powder, and salt and stir to mix. Add the eggplant pulp, peas, carrots, and potatoes. Stir in ½ cup water. Cover with lid, reduce heat, and simmer for 7 to 9 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender, stirring occasionally. Uncover and stir in amchur. Let cool for about 5 minutes.

5. Remove eggplant halves and pat dry inside and outside of the shells. Fill the eggplant shells with the stuffing.

6. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil on medium-high heat in a nonstick fry pan large enough to hold all the eggplant halves in a single layer. Add the stuffed eggplants with filled side up in a single layer. Cover with lid and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the eggplant shells are tender. (The bottom of the eggplants will be slightly burned.) Remove lid and cook for another 2 minutes.

7. Using tongs, transfer eggplants to a serving dish. Serve hot over bed of rice or with flatbread.

GF

1. (The eggplant can be grilled or baked in the oven.) Preheat grill.

2. Grill the eggplant on high heat for 20 to 30 minutes, turning periodically. (Or preheat the oven to 450ºF. Lightly oil the eggplant, place in an oven-safe tray, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, turning once or twice.) The skin of the eggplant will become dark brown to almost burned. Place in a bowl and cover with lid for 10 to 15 minutes. Once the eggplant is cool enough to handle, slowly remove the skin, scraping all eggplant pulp from the skin. Keep all the juices that come out of the eggplant. Discard the skin. Mash the pulp with a fork and set aside. (You’ll have about 1 cup pulp.)