Leeks ki Sabzi

Found some beautiful leek at the farmer's market. Decided to cook it South Indian style.

3 leeks - chopped
heeng
1 tspn white urad dal
1 tspn channa dal
1/2 tspn zeera
1/2 tspn rai
3 dry red chillies
curry leaves
salt 1/2 tspn coriander powder
1/2 tspn turmeric

Oil -heeng, zeera , rai, red chillies, turmeric, curry leaves
Add the leek.
Add the salt, coriander. Cook till done.

cholay-

2 cups of choley soaked overnight
tamarind
2 bags of black tea
1 tomatoe
garlic
ginger
haldi
channa masala
dhania
zeera
heeng
red chilly powder
garam masala
anardana
salt

Pressure cook - garbanzo beans, tea leaves, haldi, salt, coriander
Grind the following together - half a cup of cooked garbanzo beans, ginger, garlic, tomatoe
Oil- zeera, mixture, spices, anardana, add garbanzo beans
When nearly done add imli and garam masala. Bring to a boil. Done.

Egg Subzi

6 Eggs - Hard Boiled- cut into fours
1 tomato- finely choppped
1 onion- finely chopped
1 tbspn roasted besan
3 tspn thick yoghurt
salt
turmeric
coriander powder
garam masala
kasoori methi
cumin seeds

In a wok take some oil. Add the cumin seeds. Add the onions. Fry till golden. Add the tomato and cook till it reduces to a pulp. Add the spices. Now add the yoghurt. Cook till the smell of yoghurt subsides. Add the besan. Add water to adjust the sauce. It should be thick and enough to coat the eggs. Add the eggs. Sprinkle some kasoori methi on top.

The touch is back - Roasted Bell Pepper

I was inspired by Monisha Bhardwaj for this recipe.

2 bell peppers- cubed into squares- the way to do this is cut off the ends, remove the ribs, cut in half and get approximately 9 cubes per half
1/2 onion - finely chopped
2 heap spoonfuls of besan mixed with some ajwain
1/2 tspn haldi
1 tspn garam masala
1 tspn dhania
salt to taste
1/2 tspn zeera
2-3 tbspn crushed peanuts

1. Roast the besan and ajwain till the besan is light brown and fragrant. Keep aside.
2. Take some oil in a pan, heat it, add the cumin seeds and wait for them to splutter.
3. Add the onions. Fry till golden brown.
4. Add the bell pepper, peanuts, and spices. Keep mixing , or the peanuts will burn.
5. After a few minutes the bell peppers will be crisp and ready.
6. Add the besan.

Plaintain Saubzi

Meanwhile in a food processor , roughly chop the following- coriander leaves, ginger, garlic, peanuts, sesame seeds, turmeric, green chillies, coriander powder, cumin powder, and som garam masala. And take some oil in a pan - add heeng, zeera and the plaintains which have been chopped. Fry for a few minutes. Add the mixture. Cook for 10 minutes. Add salt and the finally add tamarind pulp. Cook till done.

Paneer in Almond Sauce

Cut 1 Pack of paneer into cubes and sauté till golden. Keep aside.

Blanch ¾ cup almonds in hot water and remove the skin. Grind coarsely with 1 pod of garlic, some ginger and 2 tomatoes. In a frying pan take some oil. Add 2 bay leaves and cumin seeds. When the seeds splutter add the almond tomato mixture. Add some red chilly powder, fennel seeds, 1 star anise, coriander, and turmeric to the mixture. Reduce the mixture. When the mixture is reduced to a thick paste add t tbspn yoghurt. Roast the mixture. Add water and salt. When done add some garam masala, lots of kasoori methi, paneer, and chopped coriander

Dahi Bada

Dahi bada is traditional north Indian snack food. It consists of lentil dumplings in a yoghurt sauce. This should be served chilled with tamarind chutney.
In order to make dahi bada you need

1/3 cup split mung dal
2/3 cup split urad dal
Oil to deep fry
Cumin seeds
Salt
Red chilly powder
Chopped coriander leaves

The two lentils should be soaked overnight in water. The next day blend to a fine paste with minimal water. Now take a fork and whip the mixture till it is light. Heat the oil and on medium flame deep fry the dumplings.

Now take a container of yoghurt. Add salt. Roast the cumin seeds to a light brown and grind the seeds coarsely.

Soak the dumplings in water for 10 minutes. Take out the dumplings and squeeze out the water. Now add the yoghurt to the serving dish. Add the dumplings. Sprinkle the cumin and red chilly powder on top. Make swirls of tamarind chutney in the dish and garnish lightly with chopped coriander.

Fried Rice

Using up spices –
I always have this box of channa masala in my pantry and I am bewildered how to use it besides choley. So I decided to jazz up my regular fried rice.
I boiled two cups of rice with 2 tbspn channa masala and some ginger and salt. In another pan, I added some oil, and zeera. When the oil spluttered I added frozen vegetable and edamame. A pinch of turmeric and a tspn red chilly powder and one clove of garlic finely chopped – all in the pan. Added the rice and garnished with coriander

Edamame Subzi

Simple ...you cal also use lima beans. Heat some oil in a pan, add plenty of asfoetida and cumin seeds. Add the beans ....add coriander powder, turmeric, salt, and aamchoor. After 5 minutes add some garam masala .

Also makes a nutritious snack.

Swiss Chard Subzi

1 bag of color ful chard

1/2 bag spinach

1 large tomato

2 cloves garlic

1/2 " piece ginger

spices

1. Boil the greens for 15 minutes.

2. Heat some oil , add asfoetida and cumin seeds , wait till they splutter.

3. Now add the tomato, ginger, and garlic.

4. Now add 1/2 tspn haldi, 1 tspn coriander powder, and salt.

5. Add the greens.

6. After 10 minutes add garam masala.

Makai Kadi

I boiled 5 pieces of corn-on-the-cob and disengaged the kernels. I took a cartoon of yoghurt, added 5 tbspn besan, 1 tspn haldi, salt, red chili powder, and churned the mixture together. I heated the mixture and added some ginger to it. Add 1 tspn fennel seeds and one aniseed.

When the mixture stops smelling like raw besan, shut the flame and add 2 tbspn kasoori methi and 5 curry leaves. In a small pan take a tbspn ghee, add 1 tspn cumin seeds, 3 dry red chillies, and add to mixture. Add the corn. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Theme of the day ..

Indianizing American Vegetables

Bhutte Ki Kadi
Swiss Chars Subzi
Edamame sookhi subzi

Simple Stringbeans

A very basic way of preparing beans , however the anardana adds pizzaz to the recipe.
Take some oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds . Wait till they splutter. Add beans. Add coriander powder, chilly powder, salt. When beans are nearly done add some anardana ( dried pomegranate seeds). Add garam masala. Serve.

Rasgulla

In retrospect , I should have added 1 tspn of all purpose flour to the cheese. Though these rasgullas did not fall apart, they were very soft. The trick is to steam the rasgullas in very little sugar and water and add more sugar later. Next time I will boil the balls for 10 minutes.

makes 20

1/2 gallon of whole milk
1/4 quart half and half
1 cup sugar
6 cups water
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup water

1. Boil the milk and add the lemon juice.
2. When the cheese separates and trhe water becomes clear add ice to stop the curdling.
3. In a fine cheese cloth separate the cheese. Hang it for two hours.
4. Run in a food prcessor to smoothen out the cheese.
5. Make twenty balls from the cheese. Make sure the balls are smooth and there are no cracks.
6. Add 1 cup sugar to 6 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid.
7. Add around 6-7 balls at a time.
8. Steam for 5-6 minutes. The lid should be on the pan.
9. For the third batch add the remaining sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Add the remaining balls.
10. Alternatively add all the balls to sugar and water in a pressure cooker. Steam till you hear 1 whistle. Immediately pour cold water on the lid of the coooker and let the steam escape.
11. Chill the rasgullas overnight.

Sevaiyan Ki Kheer - Vermicelli Pudding

Add two tbsp ghee to a pan. To this add some cashews, raisins, pistachios, almonds- approximately a cup of nuts. When the raisins puff up, remove the dry fruit and reserve.
To the remaining ghee, add 2 cups of broken vermicelli.
Roast till golden brown.
Add 1 quart of whole milk and 10 oz of evaporated milk.
Gently simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Add about 1 cup or more of sugar.
Add 5-6 pods of cardamom.
Add the nuts.
Chill and serve.

Cauliflower and Peas

1. Chop the cauliflower into small florets.
2. In a pan add 3 tbspn oil. Add 1 tspn cumin seeds, wait till they splutter.
3. After 1 minute add 1 tspn coriander powder, ½ tspn turmeric.
4. Add the cauliflower. Sauté for 1 minute. Coat the cauliflower with the spices. Add salt to taste.
5. Add 1 cup peas.
6. Add very little water to the pan. Cover and cook on medium flame for 5 minutes.
7. Remove the cover and reduce the flame to medium low. Add 1 tbspn dried mango powder.
8. Cook till cauliflower is done.
9. Add ½ tspn garam masala.
10. Add 2 tbspn dried fenugreek leaves.
11. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Moong Palak – Mug Dal with Spinach

1. In a pressure cooker add 1 ½ cup mug dal, 5 cups of water, ½ bag of baby spinach, ½ tspn turmeric, 1 tspn coriander powder, 1 ½ tspn salt and 1 tspn red chilly powder.
2. Turn the heat on high and wait for 1 whistle.
3. Turn off pressure cooker and wait for 15 minutes.
4. In a small sauce pan, add some oil. Add 2 pinches of asafetida and 1 tspn cumin seeds to the hot oil, Wait for the seeds to splutter.
5. Add 1 tbspn dried mango powder to the oil.
6. Add the oil to the dal.
7. Add 1 tbsp garam masala to dal.
8. Bring to a boil.

Choley Palak - Garbanzo and Spinach Curry

Soak 2 cups of dried garbanzo beans overnight. If you plan to use canned beans, wash the beans very thoroughly to get rid of the sodium.
Wash and chop ½ bag of spinach. Use baby spinach if you have some handy. You can also increase the spinach to 2 cups.
Pressure cook the soaked garbanzo beans and spinach till you hear six whistles.
If you are using canned beans, just sauté the spinach for 10 minutes and add the garbanzo beans.
Blend 1 tomato, 4 cloves of garlic and a 1” piece of ginger.
Chop one onion finely.
In a pan take 2 tbspn oil. When the oil is hot, add 2 bay leaves and 1 tspn cumin seeds.
When the seeds splutter add the onions. Fry till golden brown.
Add the tomatoes. After 1 minute add 2 tspns coriander powder, ½ tspn turmeric, and 1 tspn cumin powder. Reduce the tomatoes to a paste till the mixture is deep in color and oozes out oil. You can also 1 tspn paprika if you like heat.
Add the garbanzo beans and spinach. Sauté for a minute.
Add about 2 cups water. Add salt to taste, around 1 ½ tspn should be fine.
Add 1 tbspn dried mango powder (aamchoor).
Simmer the curry for 10-15 minutes.
Adjust water and salt. Shut the flame.
Adjust the acidity. If you want a tangier flavor add more dried mango powder.
When done add 1 tspn garam masala (use the MDH brand) and 1 ½ tbspn dried fenugreek leaves (Kasoori methi). The fenugreek leaves look like weed. You should crush them between your palms and add them.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Rasmalai

Create pillows of soft ras malai swimming in a pool of sweet milk rabdi. I know how to do it. Take a liter of milk and reduce it, till it is thick and creamy and add the sugar. Heat another liter of milk, curdle it with lemon juice. Scoop the soft paneer and squeeze the water out of it, every last drop. Then gather it in a fine muslin cloth and let it hang for half an hour. Smoothen the cheese in the food processor or knead it till you get a soft dough. Make spheres out of the cheese and drop them gently in a boiling light syrup of six parts of water to one part of sugar. Steam for five minutes, reveling in the new gigantic shape the cheese balls acquire. Cool these soft spongy balls of bliss and pour the rabdi on top. Sure I could, but what after that. Face the world again. I am not ready for that yet.

Random

It is amusing how one person’s personal preferences become your own touchstone to judge the merit of your own work. For instance, any time I make okra, I am reminded of U Masi because she detested beans and okra completely. She complained about the stickiness of okra and unconsciously she influenced me – my okra cannot be sticky either. One of my friends once told me how she hated cooked soft cauliflower – guess what, my cauliflower has to be crisp. I never loved pumpkin when I was a kid till I discovered how passionate one of my uncles was about this humble vegetable and now I love pumpkin cooked with jaggery and dried mango powder. As a child I could not tolerate chilies, my brother would call me a ‘chilly meter’ because I would squeal at the slightest hint of chilly in a dish , and then I lived in Ahmadabad with a family bought up on, I suspect, a diet of peppers and chilies only- now I even lace my omelettes with paprika.

Bharwan Mirch

I saw these longish peppers at the Chinese market and was transported back to time right there. I had made a version of stuffed peppers years ago, using bell peppers instead of these peppers I found at the Chinese Supermarket. I refrained from ever doing it again because I hate deep frying; after I deep fry something I don't want to eat it for some weird reasons.
Coming back to stuffed peppers, I had a very tantalizing version of this recipe in Leavenworth , Washington State. Leavenworth is a cheesy German themed town redeemed by its proximity to tall alpine trees and luscious streams. In a Latin Food Restaraunt I had chilies stuffed with cubed plaintains and rice. I might recreate my own version some day and season it with Indian spices. One of my Chinese friends made a version where the pepper was stuffed with an aromatic pork stuffing. Of course I never ate it , but the fragrance, the looks were something my passionately vegetarian self could admire. Different cultures have different versions of stuffed peppers. And why not - the dish looks festive , impresses your guest and the stuffing always takes in the subtle flavor and scent of the pepper.
Since I detest deep frying , the next time I make stuffed peppers, I will just brush oil over my pepper after stuffing them and bake them in a moderate oven. The pepper should look wilted , bruised and charred after the frying - raw pepper will not work well with the stuffing. This worked out well when the tangy minty potatoes take on the flavor of the peppers.

2 Large green chilies
5 medium potatoes
1/2 cup finely choppped mint leaves
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tspn zeera
1/2 tspn turmeric
1 tspn coriander powder
1 tspn cumin powder
1/2 tspn garam masala
1 pinch asfoetida

1. Boil and mash potatoes or microwave and mash.
2. In a small pan, heat some oil. Add asfoeitida and cumin seeds wait till they splutter.
3. Add potatoes.
4. Mix in spices and mint leaves.
5. When potatoes are done add lime juice.
6. Split open chilies and fill with potato mixture.
7. Shallow fry till the skin is bruised and brown.

Lauki Ka Halwa

My mother fasted every monday. She would eat once a day and the meal was marked by many restrictions - no salt, no grains, no onions, no garlic, no vegetable that grew under the soil like carrots and radishes. She would make all sorts of puddings on monday - since rice pudding was taboo the most popular pudding would be the sago kheer. A number of vegetables make good kheers well suited for a vrata- sweet potatoes, carrots, water chestnuts,and bottle gourd. A vegetable which is slightly sweet can be grated cooked in milk and then spiced with cardomom, raisins and nuts. This recipe is actually more successful as a kheer. These are excellent substitutes for rice pudding during a vrata, or festivals.

1/2 lauki grated
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
5 pods cardomom
2 tbspn ghee
pistachios to garnish

1. Heat the ghee and add the grated lauki. Cook till tender and translucent.
2. Add the milk. Cook till milk reduces and the halwa looks like a homogenous mass.
3. Add cardomom and garnish with pistachios.

Bengali Dal

I am always looking at ways to vary my dal. And then I stumbled on a recipe which seasons the dal with panch phoron. Panch phoron, a spice mixture commonly used in Bengali cooking, is made by mixing equal parts of fennel seeds (saunf), mustard seeds (rai), nigella seeds (kalonji), cumin seeds (zeera), and fenugreek seeds (methi). This dal was replete with flavors I was so unaccustomed to. The fennel seeds give the dal a unique simple flavor and pairs up with the tangy dried mango powder so well.

The spice mixture is a colorful medley- black nigella, green fennel, golden fenugreek, brown cumin and mustard. The spice mixture is fried in oil to release the aroma and the seeds are allowed to pop. This spice mixture should also work with spinach, potatoes, and other lentils.


1 cup channa dal
3 cups water
1 tbspn dried mango powder
2 dried red chillies
1/2 tspn turmeric powder
1 tspn coriander powder
1 tspn salt
1 tbspn panch phoron
1 tspn fennel seeds

1. Pressure cook the channa dal with water, salt, turmeric, and coriander powder.
2. In a small pan heat some oil. Add the panch phoron and fennel seeds. Wait till they splutter.
3. Add the red chilies after breaking them open.
4. Add the fried mango powder.
5. Add the oil and spice mixture to dal.
6. Garnish with coriander.

Lauki Ke Kofte - Bottle Gourd Dumplings in Gravy

My mother excelled at making lauki koftas- they would melt in your mouth with just the right amount of softness and have the structure not to disintegrate in the gravy. I once ate a version, at the home of a fanatic health freak, where the dumplings were not deep fried but just boiled in the gravy. My verdict- distinctly unpleasant. The kofta needs structure and the toughness to withstand the gravy, and also the melt in your mouth softness at the same time. The least you can do is shallow fry it and if you are a fanatic health freak, instead of butchering a beautiful dish, eat raw tofu.Lauki is a popular vegetable in India, often disliked. As a kid I would wrinkle my nose in distaste when confronted with a bowl of plain lauki subzi. However the kofta is loved and relished and justifies the hard work that goes in creating it. If you can’t find lauki, try using zucchini, however a lot of Indian and Chinese stores carry this vegetable.

Coming to cooking, I think it is the medium where I have not only started to relieve my boredom but also feel closer to India and my mother. I have started relating to her and appreciating her more, while trying to recreate her flavors in my kitchen. I never learnt how to cook from her, as a kid she expected me to study all the time and not bother with the kitchen; justifiably so because after all you can easily afford a cook in India. And then she passed away. But what she gave me was a flavor reference, a touch stone to measure my progress against. I do not know how she cooked but I know how the dish should taste, and I try to get right there. When I made these kofta knew I was somewhere near that gold standard. The softness of the kofta, the tanginess of the gravy, she would have approved if she cared.

Cooking also helps me reconnect to the places I have left behind. After my mother’s kitchen it was eating out at the homes of my parent’s friends, who primarily came from different parts of Uttar Pradesh, and surprisingly each part, east or west, had its own distinct flavor profile. And then I ended up living in Lucknow, renowned for its Awadhi cuisine. The flavors of the north vary so much that I will write a separate blog post on that. And then I moved west to Pune, Gujarat, and Mumbai. All I can say is that, food brings back a whiff of the past, memories of people and places and food is a comforting reassurance that they might be very far away but they still exist.



For the dumplings
1/2 small bottle gourd grated- Lauki
4 tbspb besan
1 tspn salt
1 tspn coriander powder
1 tspn cumi powder

For the gravy
1/2 large onion finely diced
1 large tomato
1 tspn coriander powder
2 chillies
3 cloves garlic
1" piece garlic
1/2 tspn turmeric
2 bay leaves
1/2 tspn cumin seeds
salt to taste
2 tbspn yoghurt

for the dumplings
1. Wring the grated lauki of excess water .
2. Mix with all ingredients.
3. Shallow fry or deep fry 8 small balls

for gravy
1. Blend the tomatoe, chilly and garlic.
2. In a pan add the oil, cumin seeds and bay leaves. Wait till the seeds splutter.
3. Add the onions, fry till brown.
4. Add tomato paste. Fry till it sweats.
5. Add the spices.
6. Add the yoghurt. Saute for a minute.
7. Add some water.
8. When gravy is nearly done add dumplings.
9. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Kadhai Paneer

I can eat paneer every day , cooked in a myriad of ways. I have often seen people substitute tofu for paneer in the bay area. Bad call. Tofu is bland and does not have the structure to stand upto the spicy gravy. Paneer has a great flavor of its own and stand up very well to most gravies expecially tomato based ones. The milky chessy texture of paneer compliments the tangy sweet tartness of tomatoes very well. This recipe consists of choppping vegetables into thick batons and crisping them up. The tomato sauce is added later to coat the vegetables rather than allow the vegetables to simmer in a tomato sauce. I added mushrooms just because I had some lying around, omitting them is perfectly acceptable. Once the sauce is added , the vegetables should not be cooked much ; the crispy texture of the bell pepper is integral to the dish.

1large tomato- finely diced
1 large onion
10 oz paneer
2 large bell peppers
1 cup cremini mushrooms
1 ½ tspns coriander powder
½ tspn cumin powder
1 tspn garam masala
1 tspn red chilly powder
½ tspn turmeric
1 tbspn dried fenugreek leaves
2 tspn salt
2 cloves garlic
½ “ piece ginger
1tspn cumin seeds
Oil

1. In a sauce pan heat some oil and add the cumin seeds till they splutter. Now add coriander, turmeric, cumin, and red chilly powder. Sauté for a minute. Add the tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes sweat. Now add some water and salt. Keep aside.
2. Cut the paneer, bell pepper, and onion into long thin strips./
3. In a pan, add some oil. Add the onions, fry till pink. Add the minced garlic and ginger.
4. Add the mushrooms, bell pepper and paneer. Sauté till done.
5. Add the tomato sauce. Cook for a few minutes.
6. Add garam masala and fenugreek leaves.

Baingan Bhartha - Eggplant Relish

Smoky eggplant cooked in spices and herbs - a north Indian delicacy where each home has its own version. I do not like eggplants much; I don’t know many people who do. However, baingan bhartha to my mind is the best thing you can do to the humble eggplant. The trick is to burn it, char it, and peel away the skin to reveal the browned smoky flesh. I guess you could do this in a barbeque grill. Since I don't have one, I use my gas burner at home. My mother use to pierce holes in the eggplant and stick garlic and cloves in it before scorching it.
Scoop out the seeds. I gave it a little whirl in my blender, so I could get rid of the lumps and my dish would have a silken consistency that a bhartha should be. I add peas to break the monotony of the eggplant. One of my pet peeves with many bhartha versions is the overkill with tomatoes. The bhartha should not look red, it should be brown. That is integral to enhance the smokiness; too much tomatoes kill the smokiness. I might use chipotle sauce next time I make a bhartha.

I also love Baba Ghanoush, Wikipedia says-

Baba Ghanoush is a popular Levantine dish of eggplant (aubergine) mashed and mixed with various seasonings. Frequently the eggplant is baked or broiled over an open flame before peeling, so that the pulp is soft and has a smoky taste. It is frequently eaten as a dip with pita bread, and is sometimes added to other dishes. It is usually of an earthy light brown color. Traditionally, the eggplant is first roasted in an oven for approximately 30 minutes. The softened flesh is scooped out, squeezed to remove excess water, and is then pureed with the tahini. Possible seasonings include garlic, lemon juice, ground cumin, salt, mint, and parsley.

Very close to the bhartha I must say. However Baba Ghanoush is served cold, bhartha should be hot. I was had a version where the eggplant was served with yoghurt , and was cold, however it was not close to the traditional bhartha.
2 large eggplants
1 large tomato
2 green chilies
3 cloves garlic
1” piece ginger
2 tspns coriander powder
½ tspn cumin powder
½ tspn turmeric powder
1 large onion finely diced
½ tspn cumin seeds
½ tspn fennel seeds
1 ½ tspn garam masala
2 tbspn chopped coriander
1/2 cup peas


Roast the eggplants directly on the stove till the skin is charred, black, and burnt. The idea is to give the eggplant a smoky flavor. I used a wire mesh and heat it on the flame. I cover the sides of the burner with silver foil to ensure even heating and a clean burner,
Scoop out the seeds and blend the mixture. Don’t make a fine puree; just blend it to a coarse yet homogenous mass.
Blend the tomato, ginger, garlic, green chilies.
To the oil add the cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Add the onions, sauté till golden brown.
Add the tomato mixture. Fry till it sweats oil.
Add the coriander powder, turmeric, and red chilly powder.
Sauté for 1 minute.
Add the eggplant mixture. Mix. Add salt.
Add the peas.
When done add garam masala and garnish with chopped coriander.

Oondhiyon

Every state and community has its own version of mixed vegetables. In Uttar Pradesh, I once ate a dish with 24 vegetables, excluding onions, cooked on a festival. The Sindhis have their own version of mixed vegetables known as Saibhaji. Oondhiyon is typically cooked during the winter months with ringan (eggplant), kand (purple yam), baby potatoes, shakadia ( sweet potatoes), surati papdi ( no English name that I am aware of), raw bananas, and muthiya (fenugreek fritters). Most of the vegetables are rather elusive, however with a large Gujarati diaspora well settled in the United States, frozen and canned version of some of the vegetables are available. You can buy frozen or canned papdi, however, not finding any of those, I just used fresh snow peas. I used frozen fenugreek for the fritters and did not find purple yam at all.
Oondhiyon is a rustic preparation; make sure the vegetables are chunky and hearty so they can withstand the slow heat and do not disintegrate. Traditionally oondhiyon is cooked in earthen pots on a low flame, with layers of vegetables and spices.
I started off with ½ cup of besan to which I added 1 tspn of ajwain and ¼ cup of fenugreek leaves. This was frozen fenugreek which had been thawed and wringed off excessive water. I made a dough adding water, shaped it into a thin log, cut off pieces, and deep fried them. Meanwhile I chopped my vegetables - thick chunks of 2 raw banana with the peel on and made small slits, slits into 5 baby eggplants, slits into 5 baby potatoes, large chunks of the sweet potatoes with slits. I kept aside 1 ½ cups of snow peas.
And then I blend the following – 5 cloves of garlic, 2” piece ginger, 4 green chilies, 3 tbspn sesame seeds, ½ cup coriander leaves, 2 tspns coriander powder, 1 tspn cumin powder, 2 tbspns oil. I hate peanuts so I used sesame seeds instead. This was the only time I used oil in the recipe and I did not add any jaggery to the blend which an authentic Gujarati will definitely not refrain from.
I inserted some of the spice mixture into the slits I had made in the vegetables, keeping the rest aside. Then take a heavy bottomed pan and layer the vegetables carefully. Add the reserve spice mixture and 1 cup of water. Cook on low heat.
When the vegetables were nearly done, I tasted the veggies and added 1 tspn aamchoor powder ( I was missing the tanginess) and 1 tspn garam masala (I was missing the kick)…making my recipe a departure form tradition. I then garnished the recipe with the muthiya and chopped coriander leaves.

Paneer in Tomato Almond Gravy

10 oz paneer

2 large tomatoes

1/4 cup almonds

1 thai chilly

2 cloves garlic

1" ginger piece

1 tspn coriander powder

1 1/2 tspn salt

1 tspn chilly powder

1 tspn cumin seeds

1 tspn garam masala

2 bay leaves

2 tbspn yoghurt

2 tbspn chopped coriander leaves

1. Saute the paneer in a little oil till it is golden.

2. Grind the tomatoes, almond, ginger, garlic and chilly.

3. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the bay leaf and cumin till it splutters.

4. Add the tomato mixture. Reduce till it sweats. Add yoghurt. Be careful because almond tends to burn and sticks to the bottom of the pan.

5. Add the spices - coriander powder, red chilly powder and salt.

6. Add 1 cup of water.

7. When done add garam masala and paneer.

8. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Magaj

This recipe comes from my Aunt or Maasi in Mumbai. Maasi is a beautiful woman in her seventies, graceful, slim, and petite with porcelain skin and a soft voice. Dressed beautifully in perfectly draped cotton sarees, light diamond jewelry, she walks gracefully around her house, making sure each table is spotless, the food is impeccable, and people around her are warm and cared in her benign presence. I talked with her on the phone the other day. I always loved her magaj so much and asked her how to make it. She patiently explained it all painstakingly going over every little detail. I couldn’t wait to make her magaj her way, and as I put the first piece in my mouth, I felt like she was there in front of me comforting me, soothing me, and listening to me. I miss her. Cooking is joyful; it can recreate the presence of those you love, even if they are far away from you.

1 cup besan
3/4 cup ghee
1/4 cup milk
1 cup almonds
1 cup fine sugar
4 pods cardomom

1. Grind the almonds and the sugar together. Reserve.
2. Heat the ghee in a pan. Fry the besan till it turns golden brown. Add the hot milk.
3. MAke sure the mixture is light and the besan is brown.
4. Turn off the flame.
5. Add the sugar almond mixture and the cardomom.
6. Lay out in a tray and cut into squares.

Methi Thepla

Guajaratis travelling any where in the world will carry the thepla along with pickles with them, as the British carry their tea and marmite. Thepla is the perfect travel food since it stays good for a week. I am guilty of throwing away a day old thepla, somewhere during a Road Trip on the Garden Route in South Africa, dismissing it as stale bread. Back where I grew up, we did not have the concept of storing bread, we made fresh paranthas, ate them and never kept them for later. The Gujarati wrath I had to endure after this transgression only made me comprehend the Gujarati passion for food. The person in question, confronted with the possibility of missing his thepla for breakfast, hollered hideously. I could comprehend the passion for food but I could never understand how the absence of a particular food item could drive a person so insane. Later I witnessed someone else's temper tantrums following the overdose or under dose of a particular spice in a dish and I am pretty sure I would hate to cook for that fussy an eater.

Guajaratis travel around the world, to the extent where touristy attractions in a city are called ‘Patel Points’, but the adventure lust does extend to food. This is where they resort to the familiar and carry their own - theplas, pickles, snacks etc. Of course I am guilty of generalizing here and this may not be true for all people, however this accurately represents my own observations.

However, that said, I love methi theplas. They go very well with a sweet mango pickle known as ‘chundo’. I could not find fresh fenugreek so I used frozen fenugreek. I used too much besan in the recipe, which made my dough slightly sticky. I have adjusted for that in the recipe.

3/4 cup methi leaves finely chopped
1 3/4 cup wheat flour
1/4 cup besan
1 clove of garlic
2 thai chillies
1/2 " piece ginger
1 1/2 tspn salt
2 tbspn oil
Yoghurt - around 2 Tbspn
Oil to fry

1. Make a dough of the above ingredients and let it rest for 10 minutes.
2. Make paranthas..

Tehri- Vegetable Pulao

My Dad would make this vegetarian pulao every Sunday. I am not sure what the difference between vegetable pulao and tehri is; I use the two terms interchangeably. The pulao is characterized by the delicate taste and aroma of spices. The whole spices are sautéed gently in oil, imparting their aroma to the oil. When I was younger, I used to hate whole spices, but now I appreciate them. Rice being a very delicate medium takes on the flavors and fragrances of the spices very well and is a wonderful showcase to the magic of spices. Dad’s final touch of adding a tablespoonful of ghee to the end gave the tehri a wonderful aroma and complemented the spices very well.

2 bay leaves
1 clove
1 small piece of cinnamon bark
1 star anise
1 black cardomom
1 tspn zeera
2 cups basmati rice
1 cup frozen vegetables-like
carrots, peas, beans , corn, edamame
1 thai chilly- finely diced
1/2 tspn turmeric
1 1/2 tspn coriander powder
1/2 tspn red chilly powder
2 tspn salt
1/2 large potatoe
coriander leaves to garnish
2 cloves of garlic finely choppped
1 tbspn ghee
1 tbspn oil
1 onion - cut into thin rings

1. Wash the rice.
2. Add the oil to a pan. When hot add the bayleaves, cinnamom, cardomom, star anise. Add the zeera. Wait till it splutters
3. Add the onion and the potatoes which are finely cubed. Saute till onions and potato turn golden brown.
3. Add the vegetables and garlic.
4. Add the coriander powder, turmeric, chilly powder.
5. Cook for a minute.
6. Add the rice. Coat the rice with the spices.
7. Add four cups of water.
8. Cook uncovered till done. Check for salt and adjust.
9. Add ghee and coat the rice with ghee.
10. Garnish with coriander.
11. Serve with apple raita

Apple Raita

1 apple - cored and diced or grated
1 cup thick yoghurt
1/2 cup water
1 tspn salt
1/2 tspn cumin powder
zest of 1/2 lemon or lime
2 tspn finely chopped coriander leaves

Mix all the above and chill.

Edamame Rice

1 1/2 cup rice
1 cup edamame
2 green chillies ( diced)
5 green onions diced with leaves
1 pinch asfoetida
1/2 tspn cumin seeds
1 1/2 tspn salt
1/2 tspn minced ginger
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tbspn finely choppped coriander leaves




1. Add some oil to a pan. Add asfoetida allow to heat. Add cumin seeds.
2. When cumin splutters add green onions and ginger. Saute onions for 3 minutes,
3. Add the rice. Add 1 1/2 cups water and salt.
4. Bring to a biol. Add edamame.
5. After 5 minutes add the garlic.
6. When rice is done add chopped garlic.

Tip - you can use broad beans as well.

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.