Anda Curry- Eggs in a tangy tomato sauce

4 hard boiled eggs
1 large onion- chop
2 large tomatoes- chop
2 thai chillies
3 cloves garlic
1" ginger
1 tspn garam masala
1 tspn coriander
1/2 tspn turmeric
2 tspn salt
3 tbspn yoghurt
5 almonds


dry masala
1 bay leaf
1 black cardomom
1 clove
1 tspn cumin seeds
3 peppercorns

Garnish
1 tbspn dried fenugreek leaves
2 tbspn chopped coriander

1. Heat the oil. Add the dry masala and cumin seeds till you hear a splutter.
2. Add onions , saute till brown.
3. Add tomatoes, garlic , green chillies, garlic , ginger.
4. When tomatoes are reduced add red chilly powder, coriander, turmeric, garam masala.
5. Add yoghurt. Reduce till you get a paste. Now add 1 cup water.
6. Fish out dried masala and blend the rest of the mixture with almonds.
7. Add the sauce to the pan and cook for 10 minutes.
8. Half the eggs and add to the sauce.
9. Cook for 3 more minutes.
10. Garnish with kasoori methi and coriander leaves.

Favorite Indian Food Memories

Growing up - My mom's awesome gajar ka halwa, dahi badey, matar nimona, mooli parantha, ladoos, puas, khajure, koftey, trifle pudding
My masi's gobhi sabzi, sheh
My Dad's chutneys, tehri, kheer
And as for the other aunties- the unforgettable gobhi masallam, the vegetarian biryani
Lucknow- Chaat at hazratganj, the aloo tikkis at gol market, baingan bhartha at aminabad
Pune - the fabulous little hole in the wall where we had dosas, uthappam, filter coffee
The malabari paranthas and kormas
Delhi- Chaat at Bengali market Delhi...paranthas at parantha gali
Sikkim- The vegetarian momos with yak cheese, the Nepali achaari aloo
Calcutta- The warm roshgollas
Gujarat- Handvo, Khaman, Patra, Undhoyon, Bhakri, Theplas, Paav Bhaaji, Gau Ghee Ni payan- and of course phada ni khichdi and sabudana ni khichdi at Swati
Mumbai- Bhelpuri, Masi's kadi, aloo methi, daal, magaj
Virginia- Sublu's avial, methi sambhar

Pudiney Wale Aloo - Potato and Mint

This was one of the first things I learnt how to cook. I remember making it for my family never getting it quite right. Potatoes are very versatile even on their own and not just as accompaniments to other vegetables. They can sing on their own when you play with the seasoning and the acidity. For example try tamarind, lime juice, dried mango powder, or tomatoes. Use mint leaves, coriander leaves, or curry leaves. Alternate between green chilies or red chilly powder. Variate the spices. Add nuts, sesame seeds or poppy seeds. There should be hundreds of ways to just cook potatoes. And most of them turn out well.

1/2 cup chopped mint

2 large potatoes- diced

1 tspn cumin seeds

1 tspn coriander powder

1/2 tspn turmeric

2 tspn salt

1 tspn freshly grated ginger

1 green chilly

1 tspn garam masala

1 tspn tamarind chutney (optional)

1 tspn oil

1 tspn dried mango powder

2 tspn coppped coriander leaves

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds. Wait till they splutter.
2. Add the potatoes.
3. Add the coriander powder, turmeric, ginger, green chilly and salt. Add 1 cup water, cover and let the potatoes cook.
4. When half done add half of the mint.
5. When potatoes are nearly done, add the dried mango powder.
6. When potatoes are done add garam masala and the remaining mint. Add the chutney.
7. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Coconut Kadhi

I saw Sanjeev Kapoor making this kadhi once and I had to try it. I can't say I am a bif fan of coconut based curries , including Thai curries, since it gets rather cloy for me. However my friends loved this kadhi and I changed the proportions a bit. However for some reason , this kadhi works. It is a South Indian recipe but I am not sure which state it comes from.

2 cups of a chopped medley of any of the following vegetables - potatoes are necessary

potatoes, cauliflour, carrots, broad beans, zuchinni, peas, mushrooms, pumpkin, broccoli, edamame - You need vegetables which can retain their own structure after cooking and do not have a strong overpowering taste.

3 tbspns gram flour (besan)
2 cups coconut milk
2 tbspn tamarind pulp
1/2 tspn turmeric
1/2 tspn red chilli powder
2 tspn salt
oil
1 tspn mustard seeds
1/2 tspn cumin seeds
4 whole red chillies
5 curry leaves
3 cloves garlic thrashed
1 tspn white split urad dal

1. Mix the coconut milk, besan, turmeric, salt, red chilli powder and add 1/2 cup of water.
2. In a pan add some oil. Add the mustard seeds, whole chillie, cumin, garlic, urad dal, and curry leaves till the seeds splutter.
3. Add the vegetables except broad beans/ edamame and coat with the spices.
4. Add the besan cococnut mixture.
5. Cook till the mixture gets thicker, vegetables are cooked and the mixture loses the raw taste of besan.
6. Add tamarind and bring to a boil.
7. Serve

Badam Halwa - Almond Halwa

Sometimes I like to watch Chef Sanjay cook up stuff on vahrevah.com. His thick South Indian accent and colorful phrases are extremely endearing. His earnestness shines through and I was compelled to try out his recipe for badam (almond) halwa. I reduced the sugar - his prescribed ratio should for almonds to sugar are 1:1 while mine is 2: 1. I personally don’t like my dessert very sweet since it overpowers the other ingredients. He also uses food color which I avoid. However, the halwa was a pleasure with its richness and flavor. I am a big fan of halwas made from lentils but here I used almonds. You can also increase the ghee to 1/2 cup or more for a richer flavor- I just recommended that to my cousin who is dealing with a fussy toddler who has lost weight.

I also made this halwa for my South Indian friend who lives in Hong Kong. This recipe is a South Indian halwa and it makes sense to check with a native. He thought this was the best version he had ever had, primarily because it was not overly sweet.
1 1/4 cups of alomonds - soak overnight
3/4 cups sugar
pinch of saffrom
2 tbspn ghee
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cardomom

1. Peel the soaked almonds. Blend with the milk till you get a coarse batter.
2. In a heavy bottom sauce pan, add 1 tbspn ghee and heat.
3. Add the batter.
4. Add the sugar and after 5 minutes add the saffron.
5. Keep stirring the batter or else it will burn.
6. After a while it starts bubbling and hot liquid starts flying off the pan. Be careful. Add the remaining ghee.
7. Be very careful and keep stirring. The halwa is done when the botton of the pan is clean and no residual sticks to it.
8. Add the ground cardomom seeds.
9. Either lay it out in a greased tray and cut int0 diamond shapes or eat as such.

Beans ki besan wali Subzi- String Beans with gram flour

I never much liked beans as a kid, but in Mumbai , this recipe converted me. Remember to add the gram flour at the end. You want the beans to be as dry as possible before adding the besan- if the besan gets soggy the flavor changes drastically.

2 cups of string beans diced
1/2 cup onion
1 tspn coriander powder
1 tspn salt
1/2 tspn cumin seeds
2 tbspn gram flour (besan)
1/4 tspn carom seeds (ajowain)
1/2 tspn garam masala
1/2 tspn red chilli powder
1/2 tspn haldi
1 tspn dry mango powder (aamchoor)
1/4 tspn grated ginger
oil

1. In a dry pan roast the besan and the ajowain seeds till the besan is fragrant and light golden. Remove.
2. In a pan heat the oil, add cumin till it splutters and add the onion. Saute till light brown
3. Add the beans and all the spices. Add 1/2 cup of water. Cook till beans are done and the vegetables are dry. Add the aamchoor.
4. Add the besan mixture and the garam masala.
5. Mix and serve.

Tamarind Chutney - Imli Ki Chutney

Imli chutney is a versatile chutney which goes well with aloo tikki, dahi bada, bhel poori, or even spicy samosas. The tangy sweet chutney compliments yoghurt well. My dad always says - titrate your chutney. Add each ingredient slowly till you get the right balance of flavors.

1 cup tamarind
1/2 cup palm sugar ( I used two 1.4 oz lumps )
1 tspn fennel seeds
1 tspn ground ginger powder (sonth)
1 pinch salt



1. Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of hot water or microwave tamarind with the water for 50 seconds.Fish out the fibre and the solids till you get a smooth paste.
2. In a saucepan add all ingredients to the tamarind pulp. Add 1 cup water.
3. Boil for 10 minutes, till you get a consistent chutney. The raw taste of tamarind should disappear and the sugar should melt smoothly.
4. Store

A ver quick and immediate way to use this chutney is to dress up a masala burger from Trader Joe. Grill the masala patty. Take three tablespoons of yoghurt and add a pinch of salt and cumin powder to the yoghurt. Spoon on top of the patty. Add a tablespoon of chutney on the top and garnish with corainder leaves.

I bought the palm sugar from the local chinese supermarket. Palm sugar is a commonly used ingredient in Thai cooking - you need it for all sauces and pad thai. A better substitute for the palm sugar would have been jaggery, which would have given a deeper flavor to the chutney. If you cant find either , use dark brown sugar.

Chilli Cheese Toast

This can be a low calorie snack - use a low fat cheese like mozarella. The flavor of onion, chilly, and corainder reduce the amount of cheese needed. I use a wedge of bebel cheese.

4 pieces of bread
1 cup of cheese grated
3 green chillies
1/2 medium onion
t tbspn green corainder chopped finely
Black pepper


1. Mix the above ingredients,
3. Preheat the oven on broil.
4. Put the toast on an aluminium foil and into the oven.
5. Take out after about 10 minutes.
6. Add a few grinds of black pepper on the top of the toast.
7. Serve with ketchup.

Indian Omelette

Trust te Indians to spice up everything , even the omelette. This omelette has layers of heat with the chillies, black pepper, and the red pepper flakes. You could also add bell pepper for an additional layer and a crunch. The omelette does need green chillies but if you would like to tone down the heat but retain the flavor, dissect the chilly and get rid of the seeds and the ribs .

2 eggs
1 pinch turneric
1/2 medium onion - finely diced
1 thai chilli - finely diced
2 tbspn finely choppped coriander leaves
1 tspn salt
1/2 tspn black pepper
1/4 tspn pepper flakes
1 tbspn half and half
oil

1. To 1 tbspn oil add the onions and saute till golden brown. Remove from the pan and allow to cool.
2. Beat the eggs till fluffy and add all the above ingredients.
3. Add the onion to the egg mixture.
4. Add some oil to the pan and add the egg mixture.
5. Stir till the egg starts to set to set.
6. When done remove and serve with toast or paranthas.

Sabudana Khichadi

1 1/2 cups of sago

1/4 lemon juice

1/2 tspn sugar

1 tspn salt

2 tbspn chopped coriander

2 tbspn roasted peanuts

5 curry leaves

1 thai chilli

1/2 tspn cumin seeds

2 tbspn oil

1 boiled potato

1. Soak the sago in 1 1/2 cup of water for about two hours. When the sago is soft between your fingers , wash off the excess starch, till it looks clean. Drain off excess water in a colander. Remember mushy sago has an awful after taste.

2. In a pan heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. Allow the cumin to splutter.

3. Add the cubed potato . Fry till your potato is golden.

4. Now add the peanut, which you need to grind into a coarse powder.

5. Add the sago,green chillies and the curry leaves.

6. Add salt and cook for around 5-7 minutes.

7. Add the sugar and lemon juice.

8. Garnish with the coriander leaves.

9. Serve with yoghurt and garlic red chili chutney.

Kele Ka Halwa

Growing up, breakfast on Sunday, was sooji ka halwa. And lunch was usually vegetable pulao, cooked in whole spices. This halwa is a variation of the regular halwa and uses the over ripe bananas which are lying in the kitchen which one wants to eat. This halwa is flavored with nutmeg powder, not a very usual combination, but nutmeg really compliments banana. For variation add a tspn of fennel seeds and let the seeds splutter in your ghee before adding the banana.

Ingredients

2 mashed ripe large bananas or 3 small ones
1 cup semolina
1 cup milk
1/4 cup ghee
1/4 cup of sugar
1 pod cardomom
1/2 tspn powdered nutmeg

1. Take 2 tbspn ghee and add the mashed banana and sugar. Cook on low heat till the mixture turns brown. Keep aside.
2. Add the remaining ghee to the pan and add the semolina. Roast the semolina till it is fragrant. You want it to lose the raw flavor and turn a light pink in color.
3. Add the milk and the banana mixture. Saute till the mixture becomes uniform. Keep roasting till the halwa turns golden.
4. Add the cardomom and nutmeg.
5. Serve

Sarson Ka Saag- Mustard Greens

At the farmers market I picked up mustard greens for a doller per bundle. They were all over the market , bright green with the yellow flower, and being picked up in troves by the Asian women. And the most natural thing to do with fresh mustard greens , is make sarson ka saag, a popular Punjabi dish, served with makki (corn) roti. I botched up my makki roti because I used masa corn flour to make them - very bad call.

I add 1 pat of spinach to two parts of mustard to balance the pungency and bitterness of mustard. You also need to add corn flour to give your saag a silky consistency.


2 bundles of mustard greens ( chop fine)
1 bundle of spinach
3 tbspn corn flour
2 tspn salt
1" piece of grated ginger
4 plump cloves of garlic
1 tbspn garam masala
1 tspn zeera
1 pinch heeng
oil
cumin seeds
asfoetida
4 green chillies - finely diced
2 tbspn kasoori methi



1. Chop the greens and wilt them in a pot with 1 cup of water for 15 minutes.
2. Add the ginger, garlic, corn flour, and salt.
3. With a hand blender puree a bit but maintain the texture of the greens.
4. When the greens become a little brown add the garam masala and kasoori methi.
5. Tadka - Take 2 tbspn oil, add the asfoetida, and cumin seeds till they splutter.
6. Add to the saag.
7. serve with makki roti.

Achari Gobhi

I was always puzzled as to how to use Anardana or dried Pomegranate seeds. I accidentally bought it one fine day from Fremont where I was actually looking for dried mango powder or aamchhoor. I knew this spice from my mother's kitchen but never remembered when she actually used it. It has a sweet tangy taste and adds acidity to your recipe, commonly used in mango pickle. So I tentatively added it to my cauliflour, considering that it had been lying in my pantry unused for days, and it changed the flavor of the whole recipe - in a nice way. I did not cook my cauliflour much and the crispiness of the cauliflour gave this recipe a flavor that was closer to a pickle.


Mix the following seeds in a bowl

1/2 tspn nigella seeds (Kalonji)
1 tspn Anardana (dried Pomegranate seeds)
1/2 tspn fenugreek sides ( methi)
1 tspn fennel seeds (saunf)
1/2 tspn red peper flakes
1/2 tspn cumin seeds
1/2 tspn mustard seeds

Other Ingredients
1 clove garlic grate
1/2 " ginger grate
1 head of cauliflour- cut into florets
2 tspn salt
1 tspn coriander powder
1/2 tspn turmeric powder
1 tbspn kasoori methi
oil
2 generous pinches asfoetida

Instructions

1. In a pan heat some oil. Add heeng.
2. Add the rest of the seeds. Wait for a splutter.
3. Add cauliflour, ginger , salt, and a little water so seeds do not burn.
4. Add salt , turmeric, coriander powder.
5. Cook uncovered till tender. Add Kasoori Methi.

Sheh- Pahadi Halwa

I used to love Sheh as a kid - much much more than plain semolina halwa. However , it is so rich and involves a lot of muscle work to stir it constantly , that my mom would make it rarely. I was told that it is the recipe of the Shahs ( the traders) in Nainital. It uses hill flavors like fennel seeds, and infact the batter can be fried to make fritters or 'puas' , typically made for festivals.

So after years, I tried to recreate Sheh in my San Francisco kitchen on this President's day weekend. I thought it was decent although I should have used more sugar, which I have adjusted in the recipe. Remember to stir sheh a lot, the golden crust gives it this divine flavor. My friend freaked out when I told him about my little experiment, the amount of ghee seriously unnerved him, but I enjoyed every morsel of this dessert and it was worth all the ghee to me. I can eat salad for the rest of the week.




1 cup of semolina
1 cup yoghurt
1 cup water
1 tspn fennel seeds
2 pods cardomom
1/4 cup ghee
3/4 cup sugar





Instructions

1. Mix the semolina, yoghurt, water, fennel seeds and cardomom and keep at room temperature for half an hour.
2. In a wok , heat the ghee. Add the semolina mixture.
3. Constantly stir. When golden add the sugar.
4. Mix in the sugar and keep stirring. Try to get a golden crust by not stirring for a minute and then turn to the other side. Thoroughly mix the crust with the rest of the halwa.

Variation - You can add a mashed banana to the semolina mixture.

Tomato Rasam

Courtesy my lovely Iyengar friend Subhadra from Virginia........

1 Cup water
1 big tomatoe- chopped
1 handful of cooked arhar dal
pinch of turmeric
salt
1 tspn rasam powder
1 spoonful of tamarind paste
Little jaggery ( optional)
Tadka- ghee, rai, chopped dhania

1. Boil water. Add the tomato.
2. Add turmeric, salt, rasam powder, tamarind.
3. Let it cook and add jaggery.
4. Add a handful of cooked daal.
5. Tadka- Heat ghee and add the rai. Garnish with chopped dhania.

Gujarati Kadhi

Since I do not like my food sweet, I have ommitted jaggery from the recipe. However if you do like the sweet hot combination flavors of Gujarati food, you can add a tspn of jaggery to this kadhi.

4 cloves of garlic
1/2 " piece og ginger
4 green chillies
3 heap tbsn besan
1/2 tspn turmeric
2 cups water
2 cups yoghurt
1 tbspn ghee
1/2 tspn mustard seeds
1/2 tspn cumin seeds
1/2 tspn fenugreek seeds
1/4 cup choppped coriander leaves
4 curry leaves
2 tspn salt - adjust to taste

1. Mash the ginger and garlic together. Chop the green chillies
2. Mix the yohurt, besan, and turmeric and whisk together till there are no lumps.
3. Add ginger-garlic, chillies to the yoghurt mixture.
4. Cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes till the raw taste of the besan goes away.
5. In a small pan take the ghee. When it is hot add the cumin, mustard and fenugreek seeds and allow them to splutter.
6. Add to the kadhi.
7. Add the choppped coriander and curry leaves to the kadhi.

In Gujarat this is served with mung daal and rice.

Kanda Batata Nu Shaak- Gujarati Onion Potato Vegetables

A common misconception about Gujarati food is that it is always sweet. Adding jaggery or sugar to a dish is a very personal choice and varies from household to household. I have lived in Gujarat for approximately two years and although I might not be an expert at cooking it, I think I know how it should taste. Based on that reference point, this recipe is a simple recipe for a potato onion dry vegetable dish. The sweetness of the onions is accentuated by the mild spices and goes well with bakhri, a Gujarati bread which I will try to recreate soon.

3 medium Onions
3 medium Potatoes
1/2 tspn cumin seeds
1/2 tspn mustard seeds
1 tspn coriander powder
1 tspn cumin powder
1 tspn red chilli powder
1 pinch of asfoetida
1/2 tspn turmeric

1. Parboil potatoes or microwave for 3 minutes. Dice into cubes.
2. Cut onions into thick chunks.
3. To the oil , heat, add asfoetida and cumin and mustard. Add onions and saute till pink.
4. Add diced potatoes and spices.
5. Add a little water and cover. Cook till done.

Bharwan Bhindi - Okra filled with Spices

While working in Singapore one summer, I saw plenty of Okra at the super market. Fresh vegetables are hard to find in Singapore and I would resort to my local Japanese Super Market for whatever I could lay my hands on. And there started the experimenting with okra and lotus root. I personally never ate Okra as a kid - the stickiness always reminded me of glue. With these recipes I try to nullify the stickiness and I actually ended up liking Okra in some forms after I made Bhindi Do Pyaaza and Bharwan Bhindi.

500 gms Okra
4 Tbspn oil
1 onion - long large thick slices

Mix the following together -

• 2 tspn cumin powder
• 1/2 tspn chilli powder
• 2 tspn coriander powder
• 2 tspn dried mango powder
• 1 tspn salt
• 1/2 tspn garam masala powder

Instructions

1. Clean Okra and pat dry. Cut off the stem. Cut a slit into Okra around 1/2 of the length.
2.Stuff each okra with masala. Keep aside leftover masala.
3. Heat oil, add onions. Saute for a few minutes and add okra. Cover till tender.
4. Add rest of the spice . Cover and cook till finally done.

Bhindi Do Pyaaza- Okra with Onions

300 gms Okra
2 Onions thinly sliced
2 green chillies
1 tbsp coriander leaves
1" ginger - grate
3 cloves garlic -grate
1/2 lemon juice
1 pinch heeng
1 tspn cumin seeds
3 pinches turmeric powder
salt
oil

1. Slit Okra lengthwise. Cut off head and keep stem.
2. Saute the okra on 2 tspn oil till crisp. Keep aside.
3. Take some oil in a pan. Add asfoetida, cumin seeds and onions. Fry onions till golden.
4. Add the rest of the seasoning except the lemon juice and then add the okra.
5. Add the juice and serve.

Tips - Make sure okra is dry and do not cover pan while cooking or add water to the sish any time to prevent stickiness.

Bhandare wala Alu Tamatar

Alu Tamatar or Potatoes in a Tomatoe curry is the most ubiquitious dish in North America. Every household has their own recipe, however I am including this recipe for its simplicity. It is sans onion and garlic and is therefore made as a prasad ( holy food) in temples and gurudwaras. This is my sister in law Anu's recipe and she is one of the best cooks I know. Sometimes in order to variate the recipe, I add a spoonful of mango pickle masala, when the recipe is done. Adds a whole new dimension.

Ingredients

3 potatoes ( Microwave for 7 minutes if large potatoes and break into rough lumps)
6 tomatoes finely diced
1 pinch of asfoetida
2 tbspn oil
1 tspn red chilli powder
1 tspn coriander powder
1/2 tspn turmeric powder
1 tspn garam masala
1 tbspn dried fenugreek leaves

Instructions

1. Heat oil and asfoetida to flaor the oil. Add red chilli powder and saute for a few seconds before adding tomatoes. Be careful, you don't want to burn the chilli powder.
2. Saute tomatoes. Add coriander powder, turmeric and salt.
3. Add 1 cup of water, and cover and cook till tomatoes are done.
4. Add potatoes.
5. Add garam masala and kasoori methi. Cook for 3 more minutes.

Boondi Raita with Tadka

2 cups yoghurt
1 cup boondi - Soak the boondi in water for 15 minutes and then wring out water
1 tspn salt
1 tbspn ghee
1/2 tspn cumin seeds
1/2 tspn red chilli powder

1. Heat ghee and add cumin seeds. wait till they splutter.
2. Add to the yoghurt.
3. Mix all other ingredients and chill.

Vegetarian Kachchi Biryani

My friend Ravi made this astounding biryani in my kitchen while I was the sous chef. The biryani tasted even better the next day with some onion raita. Although my kitchen lacked some ingredients , I have included them in the given recipe.
We cooked the recipe on the stovetop but he mentioned that it would be so better if we baked it in a 350 degrees oven. He also explained the difference between 'kachchi' and 'pakki' biryani. The given recipe is a kachchi biryani , where all the ingredients, excluding the onions are raw and then cooked with the rice. With a 'pakki' biryani, the meats or vegetables and cooked beforehand, and then cooked with the rice in layers. Thank you Ravi for an unforgettable meal and a much treasured recipe.

Marinate and keep for 15 minutes

16 oz thawed frozen vegetables
1 1/2 cup of yoghurt
1 onion - diced and fried till golden brown
2 tspn coriander powder
2 tspn cumin powder
1/2 tspn cumin seeds
1/2 tspn shahi zeera
1/2 cup choppped coriander
1/2 cup chopped mint
1/2 tspn black pepper powder
1 tspn turmeric
2" piece of fresh ginger - cube
3 chopped thai chillies
1 tspn red chilli powder
1 tspn fennel seeds
1 tbspn dried fenugreek leaves

Boquet Garni

Wrap the following in a cheese cloth
1 bay leaf
1 piece cinnamon
2 star anise
1 black cardomom
2 black cloves


Rice
2 cups- wash , presoak for 15 minutes and parboil with boquet garni and salt

Other Ingredients

1/2 cup of coriander leaves
1/2 cup mint leaves
1 lemon sliced
5 strands of saffron in milk
cardomom powder

Instructions

1. Add the marinade to a thick bottomed pan.
2. Add rice on top.
3. Add all other ingredients.
3. Seal pan - cook for 15 minutes.

Serve with onion raita

Mint Raita

1/2 cup of finely chopped fresh mint
1 garlic- minced finely
1 tspn salt
2 cups yoghurt
1/2 tspn black pepper

Mix all ingredients and chill.

Onion Raita

1 medium onion - grate or finely dice
2 cups of plain yoghurt
1/2 cup of corainder leaves finely choppped
1 tspn cumin powder
1/2 tspn black pepper powder
1 1/2 tspn salt

Mix the above and chill

Channs- Mountain Urad Dal

Channs or Chansoo is a popular Kumaoni dish which is very different from any other dal preparation in India. Kumaon is part of the Himalayan region of India and the cuisine is characterized by lots of green vegetables, lentils, and almost no dairy. Kumaonis typically do not use much onion but the food is garlic and chilly heavy. In certain dishes, the lentils are cooked for hours on the high mountains, and the people just use the broth and throw away the solid lentil after absorbing every ounce of teh lentil flavor. Channs does bring back old memories , and is chraracterized by roasting the lentil before grinding it into a powder. The lentil used is the ubiquitious whole black urad which is the main ingredient of daal makhani and daal pakhtooni, however is different in the channs. The problem with making Kumaoni food is that the ingredients particularly some lentils and spices are native and impossible to find elsewhere. However, this is one of the few recipes where you can find all the ingredients in your kitchen.

1 cup whole black urad dal
2 red whole dried chillies
4 pinches of asfoetida
3 cups water
3 cloves garlic
1 tspn coriander powder
4 black peppercorns
1/2 tspn turmeric
2 tspn salt ( adjust for taste)
1 tspn cumin seeds
1 tspn garam masala

Instructions

1. Dry roast the dal on a low flame till you get a light aroma. Should take 5 minutes. Make sure daal is not burnt.
2. Now blend the dal, coriander powder, peppercorn, turmeric till you get a coarse powder.
3. Heat 2 tspn oil. Add asfoetida, Cumin seeds, garlic,and red chillies.
4. Add the dal powder, saute for 2 minutes.
5. Add the water and cook for 20-25 minutes till daal is soft.
6. Add garam masala.

Pahadi Raita - Mountain Raita

A very piquant and tangy raita - certainly not for the faint hearted.

1 cucumber grated - wring out excess water
1 teaspoon mustard seeds - soak in 1 tspn water for 10 minutes
1 clove garlic (optional)
1 pinch turmeric
2 cups yoghurt
1 tspn salt
1 thai chilli - finely diced

1. Grind the mustard seeds, optional garlic, and chilli with a mortar and pestle.
2. Mix all ingredients and chill.

Sabut Moong ka Halwa

Mung ki dal ka halwa is one of my favorite desserts ; not a surprise considering that I have a sweet tooth and love ghee. Traditionally moong halwa is made from split yellow moong beans. You soak the moong all night, blend it to a paste, and then roast it in ghee till it takes on this golden brown hue. Moong halwa is ideally dripping with ghee and you really can't eat much since the richness overpowers you. I decided to make this halwa with the whole moong lentil which is green in color. Remember to make sure your daal is properly ground into a paste with no whole lentils in the batter - if there was a halwa killer, that would be it.
My only pet grudge with store bought halwa , is the excess of sugar ( I will never complain about excess ghee). Typically people add 1 cup of sugar or more for 1 cup of dal , I just halved the amount of sugar , and to my mind you can enjoy the daal better without the cloy sweetness that can overshadow all the other ingredients.

1 cup of whole green mung
1/2 cup ghee
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup half and half
2 pods of cardomom
1 cup of water


Instructions

1. Soak Dal for 24 hours and then grind into a paste.
2. Mix 1 cup water and sugar. Reduce in half and keep aside. Add the cardomom.
3. Heat the ghee in the work and add the daal paste.
4. Saute till the dal turns a dark green - light brown shade and you can smell the cooked daal.
5. Add half and half. Reduce till the daal looks like a thick paste.
6. Add the syrup and heat for another 5 minutes or till daal looks like a paste.
7. Serve with puris.

Arhar - Masoor Dal

This is a very simple dal and is a combination of two of the most commonly used Indian lentils- Arhar and Masoor. Masoor is basically a pink lentil with a brown skin. Here we use the split skinless version , so the lentil looks like a pink hemisphere. Arhar aka Toor aka Tuvar aka Pigeon Pea is the most commonly used lentil throughout India. Whole Arhar is a yellow lentil with a green skin, and the split skinless version looks like a yellow hemisphere. The cooking time of both the lentils varies slightly, and so this recipe is a combination of soft masoor accentuated by the wholeness of the arhar. This daal h does not even need common spices like turmeric and coriander. It is seasoned lightly and then we add acidity by using a big heap of dried mango powder or aamchoor. A tip to remember while cooking any daal is that you must bring it to a boil after adding the souring agent. This adds consistency and gets rid of the rawness of the seasoning. So boil your daal after adding tamarind or dried mango powder or kokum.

1 cup Arhar Dal
2 cups split skinless Masoor Dal ( Pink lentil also known as Malka, this dal looks brown with a skin on it)
10 cups of water
4 tspn salt
3 thai green chillies
1 large onion
1 large tomato
1 tspn cumin seeds
2 pinches asfoetida
1 1/2 tbspn dried mango powder
1 tbspn oil

Instructions

1. Soak the daals for 2 hours.
2. Boil with the salt and 9 cups of water for 25 minutes. The masoor will be mushy while the arhar will retain a slight bite.
3. In a pan, add the oil. When hot add the asfoetida and cumin seeds and let it splutter. Add onions till they are translucent.
4. Now add tomatoe ( finely diced) and the chillies.
5. Cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add to the daal. Add the dried mango powder to the daal and brong to a boil.
7. Serve , garnished with coriander leaves.

Khatta Meetha Alu- Sweet Sour Potatoes

3 large potatoes ( used Yukon Gold)
1 Tsp cumin seeds
1 clove of garlic and 1/4 " piece of ginger - mashed together
1 lime ball size of tamarind
1 tspn coriander powder
1/2 tspn cumin powder
1 tspn kashmiri red chilli powder
1/2 tspn turmeric
1 tspn garam masala
1 Tbspn dried fenugreek leaves
2 tspn salt
1 tspn sugar
2 tbspn oil

Instructions

Prep
1. Take a large potato and cut in three parts. Take each part, slice in half. And then putting the two halves together cut into 4-5 equal dices. The dices should like half diskettes.
Add the tamarind to a little warm water and microwave for a minute. Now fish out fibre and mash to a uniform pulp. Discard any lumps.
Cook
2. Take a thick bottomed pan. Add oil and cumin seeds . When they splutter, add potatoes. Add the coriander powder, turmeric, chilli powder and cumin powder. Add a little water to the pan and cook covered after adding salt.
3. When potatoes are done , add the garam masala , dry fenugreek leaves. Keep on roasting the potatoes if you want them golden and brown, but be careful about burning them.
4. Now add the tamarind. Coat the potatoes.
5. Add the sugar and shut off flame.
6. Serve

Parantha

Ingredients


2 cups of whole wheat flour ( recommend King Arthur's whole wheat flour)
3/4 cup water
1 tbspn oil
1/2 tspn salt







Instructions

1. Make a dough of above instructions and knead.
2. Make 10 equal size balls of the above.
3. Take a ball, rub dry flour around it. Roll out the ball. Fold into a triangle applying oil in the middle. This can be done by folding the small circle into half twice.
4. Now roll out the triangle. Keep turning and rolling at the side towards you to mantain shape of the triangle.
5. Pour 1 tspn oil on the girdle. Place the parantha on the girdle.
6. When golden on one side turn till the other side is done too.
7. serve

Urad ki Daal- Black Lentil Stew

Urad dal is a rather heavy dal which is the key ingredient in the favorite 'Maa ki Daal' aka 'Dal Makhani'. The primary difference between that dal and this recipe is that, 'Dal Makhani' needs more tomatoes and butter. I have not used cream or butter in this recipe, however I have added some ghee which you can see in the picture below. I have also used half and half, thereby reducing the fat content. The same recipe for Dal Makhani would have used 1/2 cup of cream and at least 3 tbspn butter. Another way to make urad dal is a dal known as "Dal Pakhtooni' , which is basically just urad dal cooked with tomatoes and cream over a low heat.Make sure that you use a low flame, so the dal simmers in the spices.
When you buy the urad make sure you buy whole urad or sabut urad.



1 cup of whole urad
1/4 cup kidney bean ( rajmah)
1/4 cup bengal gram bean ( kala channa)
2 roma tomatoes
3 green chillies ( thai)
1 small onions ( or 1 medium one)
3 cloves of garlic
1 pinch of asfoetida
1" piece of ginger
salt
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tspn cumin powder
1 tspn turmeric
2 tspn garam masala
1 tspn dried mango powder ( aamchoor)
1 tspn kashmiri red chilli powder
1 tspn dried fenugreek leaves
1 tspn cumin seeds
1/2 cup half and half

Instructions

1. Soak the lentils over night. Next day either pressure cook till about 3 whistles or boil with water with salt till done. Add 1 tspn of salt so you season the lentils, but have enough room to adjust later.
2. Blend the tomatoes amd the green chillies. Chop the onions fine. Mash the garlic and the ginger.
3. In a pan add oil. Heat. Add asfoetida. Add cumin till it splutters and is light brown. Add the onions. Add the ginger and garlic. Cook till onions are light brown.
4. Add tomato mixture. Cook for a while . When tomato and onions look like a paste add coriander powder, turmeric, cumin powder, and chilli powder. Cook for a minute. Don't let the spices burn.
5. Now add to the lentils. Add water to the lentils.
6. Coook while mashing the lentils. Cook for approximately 20-25 minutes, while adding water when it reduces.
7. Adjust for salt. Add garam masala, dried mango powder, fenugreek, and half and half.
8. Shut the flame after a minute and serve with rice or naan.

Palak Paneer - Cottage Cheese with a Spinach Sauce

When I lived in Los Angles, I witnessed this fascination with an Indian dish called Saag Paneer. I was unaware of the nomenclature all together- we have nothing known as saag paneer in India. Saag means vegetables in India and I always associated it with a popular punjabi dish known as sarson da saag which is an awesome combination of mustard greens and spinach. It turned out that saag paneer was nothing more than the popular palak ( translates into spinach) paneer( indian cottage cheese) which is a classic paneer dish.
Back in India, I used to wait for winter , when during the spinach season we would make palak paneer. However, here you can easliy use frozen spinach. I did not use the boxed variety, instead I just bought two bags of chopped and frozen spinach from Trader Joes. Remember to cook the spinach a lot so it turns really dark , or use an iron wok to cook, since the oxidation darkens the spinach.


32 oz frozen spinach
10 oz paneer
2 tomatoes
3 small onions
4 cloves of garlic
1" piece of ginger.
2 tspn coriander powder
1 tspn cumin power
1 tspn cumin seeds
3 tspn salt
3 thai chillies
pinc of nutmeg
2 tspn garam masala
1/2 cup dried fenugreek leaves
1/3 cup half and half

Instructions

1. Thaw the spinach and cook for 10 minutes to get rid of water.
2. Finely dice onion, garlic and ginger. Or pulse it.
3. Blend tomatoes and chilli.
4. To the oil add cumin seeds, heeng, and onions, garlic , ginger.
5. When slightly golden , add tomatoes.
6. Add coriander, turmeric, cumin powder, and cook till the paste sweats.
7. Add the paste to the spinach. Add water to the spinach and cook for 30-45 minutes.
8. Fry Paneer cubes and add to mixture.
9. Add garam masala, dried fenugreek powder, nutmeg and half and half.
10. Serve with paranthas or naan,

Imli wali Sukhi Mung - Dry Mung with Tamarind

Ingredients

2 cups dry split green mung - Soak overnight
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
2 tbspn tamarind paste
1 tspn coriander powder
2 tspn salt
2 thai green chillies
1/2 tspn cumin seeds
1/2 tspn garam masala
1/2 tspn turmeric
1 tbspn oil

Instructions

1. Boil the mung with minimum water, coriander powder, salt, and turmeric powder.
2. Tamarind paste- 2 tbspn tamarind with a little water. Microwave on high while removing the fibre of the tamarind. Mash with a spoon till you get a paste.
3. Heat oil, add cumin seeds, onions, diced garlic.
4. Saute onions till golden.
5. Add the mung.
6. After 5 minutes add the garam masala and tamarind.
7. Cook for another 3 minutes.
8. Serve with chapati or parantha.

Rajmah - Kidney Bean Stew

The super ball is on and I decided to make my own special stew, closest to chilli, rajma. Rajmah is a beloved north indian dish, which is popular all over India, and is a constant presence on the menu of Indian restaraunts. It is typically served with rice , or it can be served with naan and paranthas if you make a thicker stew.
I used to make Rajmah with a more tomatoes in the gravy, however now I feel like going easy on the tomatoes. The gravy should not look red - you want a shade of brown for a more earthy and meaty taste. In the past I have tried to thicken the gravy by blending some of the beans and adding it to the gravy- bad call. It leaves a weird taste and takes so much more time to blend the taste of the mashed bean with your gravy.

Ingredients

2 cups of kidney beans - soak overnight and cook with salt till done, or pressure cook. The bean should be aldente.
2 small onions an
3 cloves of garlic
1' piece of garlic
1 medium tomato
2 thai green chillies
2 tspn coriander powder
1 tspn cumin powder
1/2 tspn turmeric
2 tspn salt
1 tspn garam masala

Instructions

1. In a mixer, puree the onions, garlic, and ginger.
2. Also puree the tomato and green chillies.
3. In a pan add oil and cumin seeds. When the seeds splutter add the onion mixture. Saute till golden
4. Add the tomato mixture till is resembles a thick paste and sweats oil.
5. Add the coriander powder, cumin, turmeric and roast for a minute.
6. Add the kidney beans cooked in their liquids.
7. Cook for 20 minutes and adjust the liquid according to the desired consistency.
8. Add salt and garam masala, when done.
9. Garnish with choppped coriander and scallions.