Sarson da saag: Mustard Greens

In the US, most goras know saag paneer. However, most would also be surprised to eat a saag (greens) dish at a desi home because desi home cooked saag is very different than the creamy saag paneer one finds at the typical generic Star of India Palace Buffet Punjabi-Mughlai inspired Indian American restaurant. I actually really love the restaurant style saag paneer that I grew up eating at Star of India Palace Buffet. However, the authentic, homestyle saag preparation varieties are also delicious. Allow me to share a simple one:

Mustard greens cooked in the Punjabi style are a winter treat, and loved across the Land of the Five Rivers on both sides of the Indian and Pakistani border. It is July now, but I am not in the Punjab. At Sprouts, I found some beautiful mustard greens that inspired me to make sarson da saag te makki di roti...mustard greens in the Punjabi style, served with cornmeal flat bread. I used HEB brand corn tortillas heated in a pan on the stove as the makki di roti. The Mexican corn tortillas look different, and of course corn tortillas are prepared from corn treated with slaked lime and makki di roti is just a cornmeal roti. But somehow the taste ends up very similar and the tortillas worked well with the mustard greens.

This dish doesn't have a lot of spices and seasonings. It isn't meant to be nose-run inducing hot. The greens are the star of the show here.

Ingredients:

2 lbs or so mustard greens, washed and chopped

1 lb spinach, washed and chopped
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste

2 fresh tomatoes pureed
1 tsp red chile powder (or to taste)
2 tbs finely ground cornmeal/maize flour
4 tbs butter OR butter flavored low fat substitute (I use Olivio Spread)
2 tbs oil for frying
salt to taste

Method:

You boil the mustard and spinach together until it softens, then puree it with some of the cooking liquid. Reserve extra cooking liquid for later (so you don't pour away all of the vitamins, also). 

Now heat the oil and ginger/garlic pastes. When these turn golden, quickly add in the red chile powder, then before it burns, stir in the tomato puree. Cook the tomato puree on high heat for a few moments until the oil rises to the top of it. Now add the mustard green/spinach puree. Mix well, add in a your salt and the cornmeal. Mix well. You will need to add 1 to 1.5 cups or so of the cooking liquid. Then just lower heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When it is done, stir in 3 tbs of your butter or low fat butter substitute. To serve, add shards of butter on top.

Black Chickpeas Kalay Channay

Black chickpeas are just so hearty and tasty. They are best cooked in a pressure cooker. They also freeze well. To prepare, soak 1.5 cups of dried black chickpeas overnight. Strain. Put in pressure cooker, add 1 tbs salt, and cover with about 2 inches of fresh water. Cook on high heat for 3 whistles, then lower heat and cook on a low flame for about 5 more minutes.  Once the black chickpeas are done, strain and reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. The end result should be whole but tender black chickpeas that can be manipulated for cooking without breaking apart, but crush easily if you press between two fingers, so they will mash easily if pressed with a chappati while eating.

For the dressing:
3 tbs oil
5 dried red chiles
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp fresh green chile paste
(the ginger, garlic, and green chiles can be ground together to make a paste, in which case use a heaping tbs)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
10 fresh curry leaves
salt to taste
cooked black chickpeas
1 cup of cooking liquid
1 tbs lime juice

Heat oil in pot. Add in dried red chiles, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add in garlic, ginger, and chile pastes. When this turns golden, toss in the spice powders. Quickly stir in the curry leaves. Now add the cooked black chickpeas and stir around well to coat with the masala. Add in the reserved cooking liquid. Allow this to come to a boil. Turn off heat and add in a spinkle of salt---just a touch because the chickpeas have been salted in the pressure cooker and there is salt in the cooking liquid. Now add in the lime juice. Taste for salt and tanginess. Add more lime juice if needed. It should be very spicy and tangy.

Serve with hot chapattis or rice.

Potato with Okra: Aloo bhindi masala

Many goras don't like okra because it comes out slimy. The desi methods of cooking okra can circumvent slimyness. The key is allowing the okra to fully dry after washing. Moisture will bring out the okra slime. Another key is to avoid tossing the okra around too much. Try to avoid moving it too much with the spatula, and the slime will not seep out. Below I mention four methods for cooking okra for a bhindi masala, from deep frying (ideal but unhealthy, to sautee-ing, to cooking in the gravy (some mushiness will occur), to a low fat microwave steam to saute method. The main recipe is something I picked up/adapted from my dear friend Gehana, who does cooking classes in Dubai...see side bar link for more info.

For the okra:

Wash bhindi and allow to air dry. It should be very dry, then make a small slit in each piece and cut the bhindi in two pieces.

If you want the bhindi perfect, no mushyness, cook the bhindi by deep frying till crispy looking (starting to look a bit golden on the sides) and set aside.

You can also gently pan fry in nonstick, covering and sprinkling water until done, without moving them in the pan too much so the sticky slime doesn't come out. They should be about 3/4 cooked if you do the pan method. Set aside.

There is also a way to steam okra in the microwave and then gently saute. You wash and allow to completely dry, clean, and cut the okra. Then you put it in a microwave safe dish with the top of the dish covered in slightly ajar saran wrap. Microwave on high for 4-5 mins. Then you have to allow the okra to completly cool. Then you heat a pan and add 1 tsp or so oil. I have tried with fat free cooking spray but didn't get the best results. Anyhow, you then sautee just to give the okra some crispyness and color. Then you would add it to the cooked masala for 5 mins on low heat.
I have done this with masala stuffed okra and also just plain sprinkled with some pan roasted spices. It works well and I can't say that the taste is as fabulous as deep fried, but it is definately good for something low fat.


The potatoes

For the potatoes: cut about the same size as the bhindi slices, which you can also fry separately and add in at the end, or pan saute, or also cook in the masala.


For the masala:

In a food processor add:
1 onion
4 pieces garlic
1 inch chunk ginger
3 fresh green chiles
2 medium tomatoes
1 tbs coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder,
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red chile powder
1/2 tsp dried mango powder

Grind all of these ingredients together for your masala.

Heat 2-3 tbs oil in pan, fry the masala paste until the moisture evaporates, adding salt to taste shortly after you add the masala to the pan. When the oil has risen to the top of the masala and it is a thick paste but not fully dry, add the bhindi and lower heat and cook for about five minutes more.


All in one pan method:

You can also cook the potatoes and bhindi in the pan with the masala, but they will get a bit mushy. Some people like it that way though, so it is up to you. For this, cook the masala for a few minutes to dry it up a bit. Then add in the raw potatoes, sautee, and cover for 5 minutes, sprinking a little water. After 5 minutes of cooking the potatoes, add in the okra, stir once well to mix it into the masala, sprinking a little water. Lower heat and cover, steaming on low heat for about 20 minutes. Every five minutes or so, you should open the lid, sprinkle some water around the pan, and shake the pan gently to move the potatoes and okra. Cook until potatoes are tender and by then okra will be done, too.

Garnish:

What ever method you use, garnish with a pinch of freshly ground whole green cardamom.

Tip:

This generic masala paste can be used with many other vegetable combinations: peas and potato, peas and paneer, cauliflour, pea and carrot, and so forth. The options are endless.

Sprouted Mung Bean with Tarka

I just loooove me some sprouted mung beans. See here to watch a video on how to sprout your own mung beans at home. The link leads to the wonderful website Show Me the Curry, which I highly recommend perusing.

Now, once you have sprouted your mung beans, you must know what to do with them. Here is a lovely South Indian-ish recipe.

3 cups sprouted mung beans

Boil water (about 5 cups) on the stove. Add the raw sprouted mung beans. Allow the water to return to a boil, and boil for about 10 minutes. The skins will separate from the mung beans and float to the top of the boil. Skim them off, taking care not to discard any lentils. Get as many as you can, but if there are some left, no worries. More healthy fiber for you. Strain and set aside.

3 tbs oil
1 tsp crushed minced ginger

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1/4 tsp asofetida
1 fresh green chile finely chopped

4 fresh green chiles slit open
4 whole dried red chiles emptied of seeds and cut into wedges

6 fresh curry leaves
pinch of haldi

1 tsp cumin powder

1tsp red chile powder
1/4 cup water on hand

boiled strained mung beans (see above)

+/- 1 tsp salt or to taste

1 tsp or so lemon juice
2 tbs chopped cilantro

Heat oil. Fry slit green chiles in oil till they color a little and their outer membranes peel away from their skin a bit. Remove from oil and set aside on a kitchen paper towel. Returning to the hot oil, add in cumin seeds and allow to color. Add in mustard seeds and red chile wedges and when the mustard seeds pop, toss in asofetida. Quickly add in the curry leaves and ginger. Stir till ginger colors.  Pour in  1/4 cup water if you need to prevent any burning. Add in the red chile powder, haldi, and cumin powder. Stir for a moment, then add in the boiled sprouted mung beans. Toss well in oil, then add in the salt. Stir for a few minutes on high heat to infuse the mung beans with the seasoned oil. Lower heat and allow it to cook covered for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice, then chopped cilantro.

Serve with chapattis and fried slit green chiles on the side.

Basic mixed vegetable: Mixed sabzi

The trick here is that in this dish, the veggies steam on a bed of onion, garlic, and ginger. There is no stirring involved. Let me explain.

Ingredients:

3 tbs oil

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

1 onion chopped finely

1 tbs ginger paste

1 tbs garlic paste

1 tsp green chile paste or finely chopped green chiles

2-3 small potatoes cut into wedges. I don't peel but desis tend to prefer peeled.

1 carrot peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces

1 cup green beans cleaned and chopped into one inch pieces, such as french beans, gawaar beans, sem, phalian, a mix, or as you like

1 medium head of cauliflower, florets prepared for cooking

1/2 cup fresh tomato roughly pureed (1 large or two small tomatoes roughly blitzed in chopper)

1 heaping tsp salt or to taste

1 tsp mango powder (amchoor)

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp or more red chile powder

1 tbs cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 heaping tsp of any good curry powder or Kitchen King Masala that you like

1 tbs dried fenugreek leaves

1/4 cup frozen peas

garnish: roughly chopped fresh green chile and chopped cilantro

optional garnish: toasted sesame seeds

Heat oil in deep pot (must have a lid) and add cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add in onions. Stir fry these until they become translucent. Add in ginger garlic paste and chopped green chiles. Stir to mix well and allow to sizzle. Now add potatoes. Do not stir, add in carrots, beans, and then cauliflower, each one in a layer roughly on top of each other in the pot. Pour in the tomato puree all around the sides of the pot. Now add the salt, mango powder, red chile powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, and coriander powder. Be sure to distribute these spices and the salt pretty evenly over the top layer of veggies. The heat should still be high at this point. Cover the pot, turn down the heat to medium, and keep covered for 25 minutes or so. Test a potato by sticking a fork in it and when it is done, all the veg will be done. Notice that you haven't stirred the veggies at all yet. The onion ginger garlic paste mixture had acted as a beg to the rest of the vegetables, and it slowely caramelizes below them on the medium flame. The tomato puree acts as a flavor agent but also provides moisture so the edges of the bottom of the pot doesn't burn. The moisture within the vegetables themselves also aids the steaming process. It is so simple and easy, no stirring and "bhunofying" until your arm falls off. Turn off the heat. Now add the green peas, curry powder, and dried fenugreek leaves. Keep the lid on for 5 more minutes to allow the peas to steam. Now keep the lid a jar on top of the pot for about 5 more minutes to let everything settle. It is now time to mix everything. Mix and stir well. Add the garnishes. Serve with hot rice and chapattis. Above pic is without garnishes added.

I learned a version of this dish from my excellent cooking teacher, Gehana (see her blog linked in the side bar). She also adds whipped yoghurt and has a few other options. This is a Sindhi style "seyel bhaji" and the no-stir technique is special to that region. Her version is the best, I have just simplified it a bit to be a no-brainer, extra simple home style vegetable dish.

I love karela: Bittergourd stuffed with its own peelings

Karela, our bitter gourd, is an acquired taste. I suppose I have acquired the taste. Here is a recipe for bitter gourd which is shaved and stuffed with its own peelings. It is a good recipe for any time, but it is also a good party dish because it looks interesting and impressive.

Select smallish dark green bitter gourds for your cooking. This recipe is for 5 bitter gourds.

First, you need to prepare the bitter gourds. With a potato peeler, peel off all of the outer layer of dark green bumps. Shred any large peelings with your fingers. Add salt to water and submerge the bumbs in the salted water for a few minutes. Strain and set aside.

Make a length wise slit in your bitter gourds. If you have long ones, it is okay to cut them in half as well. Stick in your thumb or the a vegetable coring instrument and gouge out the innards and yellow seeds. Karela can take a licking and keep on kicking, so you don't have to be gentle while removing the innards.

Add 1tbs turmeric and 1 tbs salt to a deep bowl and fill the bowl with water. Submerge the peeled, gouged karelas in this water and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes. In the meanwhile, you will prepare the peel stuffing.

Ingredients:

About 1 cup of bitter gourd shavings

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 small onion chopped very finely

combination of garlic, ginger, and green chile pastes, adding up to about 1 heaping tea spoon all together

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp red chile powder or less to taste

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1 heaping tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)

salt to taste

one squeeze of lime

1 tbs oil or less

**Since bitter gourds vary in size, you will invariably need to adjust the seasonings based on the length and circumference of the karelas that you have at hand.

Heat oil in a wok or frying pan. Add in cumin seeds and allow to sizzle. Add finely chopped onions to pan and allow them to cook on high heat until the are almost fully caramelized brown. Add in the ginger garlic chile paste. Allow to color. Add in bitter gourd peelings. Stir around for a moment, and add in the masalas. Stir and cooking for about 10 minutes on medium heat until all of the moisture has evaporated and bitter gourd peelings are fully cooked. Now salt: add a sprinkle of salt based on the amount of bitter gourd you have now after it has reduced in size and lost moisture. Don't over salt. Turn of the heat and add in the squeeze of lime juice. You have a hot, sour, bitter stuffing that should be browned in a way that it resembles beef/mutton ground meat (qeema). Set this aside and allow to cool.

Strain the skinless bitter gourds. Try to squeeze extra water out of them, washing them a few more times. Don't be afraid to squeeze. Remember that this is a tough little vegetable. Allow to air dry well before stuffing.

Now stuff each bitter gourd with fillings. You may also wrap a thread around each bitter gourd, winding it around the cylidrical body. This will prevent the stuffing from falling out as you Pan fry them later. However, I have done it both ways, wrapped and unwrapped, and even with bitter gourd that I cut in half because they were very long. I stir fried gently and no stuffing fell out. If you choose to wrap with thread, of course remember to remove the thread before serving :-)

Heat oil in a flat frying pan that has a lid. It should just be a light glazing of oil in the pan. When the pan is hot, add the stuffed karelas. Fry them as you would a sausage or hot dog, allowing them to spend time on each side for a few minutes in order to caramelize and color with nice golden brown blisters. While the karelas sit in the pan coloring, you should cover the pan with the lid in between turnings so that they steam a bit and cook through. When all sides have colored, keep them in the pan for a few moments more to make sure that all of the moisture has evaporated and that they are very slightly crispy. You can actually freeze them and heat them up gently for a party some other time, or prepare in the morning and re-heat at night. You would let them come to room temperature and then gently pan fry them again to heat through and revive the crispyness.

You may garnish with pan grilled onion rights, or deep fried garlic slices. In the pic above, I added some orange food coloring (biriani rangi powder) to garlic slivers, deep fried them till crisp, and then drained them on a paper towel. I added them as a garnish before serving the karela at the table.

Dastarkhwaan e Hyderabaad: Mirchi ka saalan

Delicious with basmati rice.

Saalan simply means a wet gravy, a "curry," if you will. The word saalan is mainly used in Muslim Indo-Pak cooking, despite it being a Sanskrit origin word. Non-Muslim Hindi speakers are more apt to use the word tari or rassa. However, mirchi ka saalan has gained fame across India and in Pakistan as well, though it is a specialty of the South Indian city of Hyderabad.

I find this dish a very cumbersome to cook because you have to "bhunofy" the gravy for a long time to get the best taste. You also have to lightly fry the peppers separately. And you have to prepare the tamarind water. Tamarind water is made simply by soaking a 3 inch chunk of tamarind pulp in about a cup of warm water for an hour, then straining out the seeds and fibers and reserving the remaining water. You should also have bhuni hui pyaaz (reddish-brown fried onions) done and set aside. Plus you have to roast the sesame seeds and peanuts by stirring them around for a few minutes in a hot pan until they get a little color, then allow them to cool before grinding. Oh, and you should have fresh shredded coconut on hand (I buy it at the desi grocer and keep it in the freezer). So you see, this is not a dish to cook on a whim. But if you prepare for it, it is a delicious, rich, and luxurious dish.

You can make yours with a dryer gravy, as is sometimes found in pan-Indian restaurants, but you can also make it more liquid if you like. A liquid gravy is more traditional. Depending on what kind of food processor, blender, or mixie you have, you may end up with a grainy coconut-peanut-sesame mixture. Go ahead and fry as usual, but you can blend it or use the stick blender once you have added the yoghurt and then water, but before you add the tamarind. It should be slightly grainy but not unevenly grainy or chunky.

I have had this dish in Hyderabadi homes containing whole or chopped mirch, and even the addition of a few other vegetables in the saalan. Pictured is a mirchi ka saalan gravy I made with chile peppers, long green eggplant, and cauliflower. You can use any kind of larger, "sweet" chile pepper, (try the Hatch Chile in late summer in the USA) but in desparation, you may substitute bell pepper. Although this deviates from the traditional mirchi ka saalan, I have also seen this dish served with the chiles stuffed with seasoned paneer as sort of a modern and fancy touch. So there is some leeway for variation with this dish.

You can see the cut chiles, long green eggplant, and cauliflower.

You need:
8-10 large green chile peppers, other veg like eggplant, cauliflower, optional.
1 brown fried onion, crushed
1/4 cup white sesame seeds pan toasted
1/4 cup peanuts pan toasted
3 tbs fresh shredded coconut
1 tsp roasted white poppy seeds (khashkhaash - Toast whole seeds in hot pan till lightly browned, allow to cool, then grind. Do 2 cups at a time and freeze it to use as needed. Don't store in cupboard because it goes rancid.)
1 tsp red chile powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbs garlic ginger paste
1/2 cup yoghurt
2 cups water (or more for desired thickness)
1/2 cup tamarind water
1 tsp salt or to taste
3 tbs oil


Garnish:
Baghaar (tempering) of 2-3 tbs oil plus 1 tsp mustard seeds, 6 curry leaves, 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds, 1/2 tsp nigella seeds


Make a length wise slit in each chile. Lightly shallow fry in a pan just to partially cook, and set aside. Lightly fry your cauliflower florets or eggplant cut into 2-3 inch thick chunks, should you be using them. Keep aside.

Finely grind coconut, toasted sesame seeds, and toasted peanuts in a food processor. Don't over grind or you will end up with a nut butter.

Heat oil, add in the ginger garlic paste, caramelized onions, then dry spices, and allow to sizzle for a moment until the ginger garlic is cooked. Add in the coconut-sesame-peanut mixture, plus the khashkhaash, and fry well, stirring constantly for a few minutes. You may need to add a little bit of water to this to aid the frying process. As always in desi cooking, you are looking for the oil to rise to the top of your paste to indicate that the ingredients have properly cooked. Now, turn off the flame and add in the yoghurt. Stir and stir letting the oil once again rise to the top of the mixture. Turn on the heat and flame and keep stirring. Now add the 1 cup water, and salt. Stir and fry and fry and stir and stir and fry until the mixture is dry and well "bhunofied." The oil will separate from the gravy and float to the top when the gravy is done. Add more water as needed.

When the gravy is done, add in the tamarind water and fry for just a few more moments. At this point, add some water. You can add more or less water for a thicker or runnier gravy. Allow it to boil again and stir until the oil rises on top of the liquid. Taste for salt because the ingredients soak up a lot of salt and you may need to add more. After adding salt as desired, you're getting close to the end. Add in the fried chile peppers (and other veg if you are using it), stir around gently, and cover for about 5 minutes on low heat to finish their cooking. Cook until they are done. But take care not to let them fall apart and turn into mush. Before serving, add the baghaar (see below). To serve, put in a platter or serving dish where the mirchi/veg shows.

For the final baghaar: Heat 1 tbs oil then add all of the seeds. When the mustard seeds pop, add in the curry leaves and fry briefly. Immediately pour this over the saalan.




Phew, that was a heck of a lot of trouble and now my arm is tired from the stirring and bhunofying and trying to achieve the correct texture. But dang that is good stuff. How can you go wrong with peanuts, sesame, and coconut? Serve with rice or hot naan! Or Hyderabadi biryani, of course.

*Option: you can make this dish as baghaare baingan by cutting small round eggplants, or slitting them in four pieces which are intact at the stem, briefly frying, set aside, and add to the gravy as you would the chiles.

Okra/Lady Finger/Bhindi Fry: A great accompanyment to any meal

This is so easy. All you have to do is wash your okra, let it dry well, and then cut it into little nickel sized slices. Chop chop chop! This is the most time consuming part. Then you fry it on high heat until it is crispy and a little browned. Set the fried bhindi on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Then you have a snack, side dish, or garnish. You can keep these fried okra chips in an air tight container, unrefridgerated, for up to a week. When you are ready to serve them, season with salt, chaat masala, and a dash of lemon juice. The okra becomes a chutney type side dish with any meal. You can also garnish daal with it, or just eat it with a spoon as a snack!

Desi style Daikon Radish Cooked in its own leaves (Mooli ki sabzi)

Daikon Radish is known as mooli in Hindi and Urdu. Mooli is available year round, but its taste is best in the winter when it is less bitter and almost sweet. It is an integral part of the "Punjabi salaad," which is a simply a plate set with an assortment of raw chopped vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes, onions, mooli, cucumber, beetroot, romaine lettuce leaves, lemon wedges, and/or whatever else suits your fancy. It can be left plain, or garnished with lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and chaat masala. Mooli is also used in pickle making. But mooli is not just an accompanyment to a meal. It can be a meal itself. Here is a recipe for mooli cooked in its own leaves, mooli ke patte or mooli saag. You know saag paneer? Saag means greens, paneer is cheese. Saag comes in many varieties, paalak (spinach), sarson (mustard), and so forth. You can use the recipe below for any saag, actually. Instead of radish, with paalak you could add potatoes or paneer, or even pre-browned pieces of meat for paalak chicken or gosht. If you decide to use meat, stir in 1 tsp garam masala at the end of preparation of the dish. With a vegetarian dish, you could optionally add yoghurt, milk, or cream to achieve a restaurant style creamy effect. Another variation is to puree the greens in the blender. So many options with such a simple and delicious family of vegetable, leafy greens!

First, you should peel your daikon radish with a potato peeler. Slice it into circles about as thick as two quarters stacked together. If you have a particularly fat radish, you can cut the larger slices into semi-circles. Set these aside. No chop your radish leaves, stems and all, into fine shreds. I prefer to chop, then wash. Wash your leaves really really well, because you don't want to end up with a gritty texture to your dish from leftover dirt and sand. Set your washed radish and leaves aside, but still dripping wet from the wash. This will provide the moisture for steaming them during the cooking process.

Ingredients:

one radish and two bunches chopped radish leaves, all prepared as described above

2 tbs oil

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

1 small onion finely chopped

1 heaping tsp garlic paste

1 tsp ginger paste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tomato, chopped (skin if you like, but I am not that fussy)

salt to taste

fresh cilantro chopped

fresh green chilies chopped

1 tbs butter

Your pot must have a lid. Heat oil in pot. Add in cumin seeds and onions. Let onions cook until translucent. Add in your ginger/garlic and allow to brown, then stir in powdered spices and allow to sizzle. Quickly add tomatoes and stir until they melt down. Now add in ALL of your greens and radish slices, and cover the pot. Don't worry, the moisture on the greens will prevent the masala from burning. Keep the lid on for a minute, then lift the lid. The greens will have melted down. Mix well with the masala. Now that you can see the amount of finished post-melted greens you have, you can add salt to taste. Add a tiny bit of water if it looks dry. Allow to bubble up on high heat, then cover and turn the heat on low. Cook covered for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the greens and radish are done. Turn off the heat. Stir in the butter, cilantro, and fresh chilies. Serve with flat bread or rice!

Baingan Bharta

For this, you need to roast two large sized eggplants. You can do this by putting them in the oven on highest heat wrapped in foil for about 45 minutes. You can also paint them with oil, and roast them over a gas stove flame, turning them as they blacken. Once they seem mushy, allow them to cool, peel them, and set aside the flesh. A little bit of charred skin adds a nice smoky flavor note in this dish, so don't worry if there is some skin mixed with the flesh. Also, save the stems as a garnish, and also to suck on for the lucky people who get them.

Ingredients:

Two large eggplants, cooked as instructed above.

2 medium onions, chopped finely

3 tomatoes, chopped into small chunks

1 heaping tsp crushed garlic

1 tsp crushed ginger

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

1/2 tsp red chile powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

handful of fresh cilantro, chopped finely

2-3 green chilies, chopped roughly

3 tbs oil

salt to taste

While your eggplants are cooking, make a Masala Melt (see post below). Start by frying in oil the cumin seeds and chopped onions on high heat, then turn down the heat and cook until they are nicely sauteed and clear. Add in the ginger and garlic, allow to cook through, then turn up the flame and add the red chile powder, ground cumin, and ground coriander. Once the spices sizzle, toss in the tomatoes. Once the tomatoes have melted down and the oil has separated from the masala, you are done. Now mix in the eggplant flesh (stems, too). If by chance when you peeled the eggplant there were some uncooked parts deep inside, you can cook everything for a few minutes in the masala paste to cook them through. I usually add salt once I see how much eggplant flesh I have because you might have more or less depending on whether or not you had a lot of seeds in the eggplant. Some seeds are okay, but if you had a lot of seeds, you should toss that part out. Add salt now, mix well, and then mix in your green masalas (cilantro and chilies), and the garam masala. Stick the eggplant stems on top as a garnish. If you have an eggplant shaped serving dish, even cuter!

Tonight we are gonna do it Madras style

Tonite we are doing it Madras style. It is uttapam, sambhar, and coconut chutney. My husband isn't too much into this kind of thing...but too bad for him! I only serve it every once in a while. Since it seems novel, he appreciates it.

The recipe below isn't really helpful unless you have access to ready made dosa/idli/uttapam batter. I am just sharing because it is a favorite meal of mine, plus I feel accomplished for serving it even though I buy a ready-made batter.


For the uttapam: I buy Saravana Bhavan's ready made dosa/idli/uttapam batter from Lulu Hypermarket. Just pour into a hot pan like a pancake and top with chopped onions, chopped green chilies, cilantro, ground coconut, and a few slices of tomatoes. Making dosa batter from scratch would be above my level of cooking skills, though I have been told it is very easy. I have used the boxed Gitz dosa mix before, but I don't recommend it.

For the sambhar: boil toor/arhar ki daal. When it is done, add in a medley of vegetables of your choice, plus some garlic, ginger, and onions chopped. To be true to a sambhar recipe, I recommend tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, eggplant, drumstick vegetable, pearl onions, green beans, and some type of pumpkin. (I buy a packet of pre-cut up mixed veggies called "sambhar vegetables" from Lulu Hypermarket) and cook them till tender, add in about a cup of tamarind water, add in sambhar masala to taste---about 2 tbs (I use Eastern Brand), salt, and a tempering of mustard seeds and dried red chilies, and curry leaves.

For the coconut chutney: in a blender blitz 1 cup fresh ground coconut flesh, 3 chopped green chilies, 1tsp ginger, and some water, and salt to taste, stir in lemon juice, temper with a few curry leaves, 2-3 dried red chilies, a pinch of mustard seeds, and a pinch of unsoaked uraad daal.

Aloo Gobhi

Here is my recipe for aloo gobhi, or cauliflower and potato stir fry. The trick is not to add any water. It is a dry veg, not a wet one. This is easisest to cook in a non-stick wok shaped pot with a lid, but any deep non-stick pot with a lid will do.


1 small head phool gobhi--cauliflower, chopped into florets and washed

3 quick cooking potatoes, (they must be the kind that cook in 20 minutes, not the baking kind that take an hour) cut into small cubes and soaking in water

1 small onion sliced

4 garlic cloves cut into slivers

1 tsp crushed fresh ginger

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2-1 tsp red chili powder

1 heaping tsp ground cumin

1 stick cinnamon

3-4 cardamon pods

2 bayleaves

5 black pepper corns

5 cloves

(all of these whole spices come together in a packet of whole garam masala in small quantities to make it easy for you so you don't have to buy separate packets of each)

2-3 whole red dried chilies

2 fresh green chilies cut in bite sized chunks (de-seed if u like)

2 table spoons of roughly chopped fresh cilantro

1/2-1 tsp garam masala powder

2 tables spoons oil

salt to taste


Heat oil in wok until very hot. Add in the whole red chilies, the cumin seeds, the bay leaves, cloves, pepper corns, cardamon, cinnamon stick, and fry around for about 1 minute. Then add in the onions, garlic, ginger. Fry until onions look translucent and garlic looks crispy. Then add in the turmeric, red chili powder, and cumin powder. Let this sizzle for one moment, then add in the potato cubes. They must still be wet from soaking in water...this creates steam to help them cook. Stir around well for a few minutes, getting the masala color on them. Then lower heat to medium and cover. Leave for 10 minutes, stirring a couple of times to prevent bottom sticking. Then turn up the heat and add in the gobhi---it helps if you gobhi is a tad wet from being washed as well. Stir again coating in the masala oil. You should add your salt now, too. Then lower heat to medium again and cover for about 10-15 more minutes, stirring occasionally. By now the potato and cauliflower are both cooked, and it is done. They should be fully cooked, but slightly crisp. Definately not mushy and falling apart. Now add the pinch of ground garam masala and the chopped green chilies. With the heat off, cover again and allow the green chilies to steam a bit for a few minutes. Then uncover, add in the chopped cilantro garnish, and serve.

I love karela: Karela aloo

Karela is an acquired taste. It is supposedly good for diabetes and also removes toxins from the blood according to ayurvedic principles. Don't know if I believe that, but that's what they say. When you select your karela, you choose small, dark green, firm ones. Don't choose yellow ones (or with a lot of yellow spotting) or large sized ones. Here is karela aloo or bitter gourds with potato:

3 bitter gourds, slice into centimetre thin circles, poke out any hard yellow seeds from the circles, no need to remove the soft yellow seeds because they will soften, add 1 tsp turmeric and 1 tsp salt to a bowl of water, soak for 30 minutes, then drain and set aside
3 small quick cooking (not for baking) potatoes, slice into medium thin circles
1 heaping tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
2-3 whole dried red Indian chilies (omit if you don't like heat)
1 stick cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1 inch chunk of tamarind pulp, seeds are okay---pick them out if you like or just pick them out when you eat your serving along with the bay leaf and cinnamon, break it up with your fingers into bits, do not soak, you will use it whole
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 to 1 tsp Indian red chili powder or cayanne
1 heaping tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
(if all of these powdered spices are too much trouble in terms of availability, you can just use 2 tbs of your preferred "curry powder" instead)
salt to taste (about 1 tsp)
2 tbs chopped cilantro
2 fresh green chilies cut into thin 1 inch strips, deseed if you want
2-3 tbs oil

You need a deep nonstick pot or wok with a lid for this.
Heat oil in wok or deep non-stick pot, when hot toss in cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, dried red chilies, cinnamon, bay leaf, and the bits of tamarind pulp. Stir around for a few moments to allow to sizzle, then stir in the turmeric and red chili powder. Quickly add in your potato and bitter gourd circles. Stir and coat with the spices, stir continously and add in the cumin and coriander powder. Lower heat and cover for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally until potatoes are tender and bitter gourd is cooked. Turn up the heat and toss for a few moments more at the end. The veggies should be lightly golden and crisp, not soggy. The spice paste should lightly cling to the veg. Do not add water during the cooking, or you will get a soggy result. Garnish with cilantro and green chilies. Serve with whole wheat flat bread and plain Greek style yoghurt on the side.
You will get a nice bitter, slightly sour from the tamarind, salty and spicy dish.

Arvi Curry: Taro root cooked in a desi style

Arvi is taro root. Since I have been doing South Asian cooking, I have eaten many vegetables that are very exotic for me. These vegetables have been very exciting to discover and add to my repertoire of things I cook and eat. Arvi is one of them. Arvi is similar to a potato in taste and texture, but still different. Like potatoes, arvi soaks up gravy flavors very well. You can find the furry little guys at your local desi or East Asian grocer. Choose small, evenly round firm ones. To prepare:

Ingredients:

3-4 arvi, peeled and split in half

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2-3 dried red chilies

1/2 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp red chili powder

1tsp Shan Curry Powder

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup water

1 tsp or so salt to taste

2-3 tbs oil

1 tbs cilantro chopped

1-2 fresh green chilies chopped

Preparation:

Heat oil in wok (wok must have a cover) or deep pot (that has a lid), when the oil is very hot, add in cumin seeds and red chilies. Allow to sizzle, toss in garlic and ginger. Cook until golden, a bit less than one minute. Do not burn. When garlic/ginger start to color, toss in turmeric and chili powder, stir and allow to sizzle. Then add in tomatoes, stir and let tomatoes "melt" by stirring on high heat to allow the water to evaporate from them. Add salt at this point. After about 5 minutes, add in the arvi halves, stir to coat with the gravy. Add in the water and Shan Curry Powder. Bring to a boil, then cover and lower heat. Cook until arvi are tender, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garnish with chopped cilantro and fresh green chilies and serve with chappatis or plain basmati rice.