Read 1,000 Indian Recipes Online
Authors: Neelam Batra
1,000 Indian Recipes (162 page)
2.
Add the red chile peppers, curry leaves, chayote, turmeric, and asafoetida, and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Then add the salt and water, cover the pan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the chayote is soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, mix in the cilantro, and serve.
Variation:
Cook 1 large, thinly sliced onion until golden or lightly cook halved cherry tomatoes and add to the dish as a garnish.
Mixed Summer Squashes with Fresh Ginger
Garmiyon ki Milli-Julli Ghia-Tori
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Much as I love my vegetables with sauces, there are times when simplicity overrides all—especially after a visit to the farmers' market on a hot summer day. This creative dish varies considerably every time I make it. Feel free to be creative with it.
1 large russet (or any kind) potato
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1
⁄
2
teaspoon coarsely ground fenugreek seeds
1
⁄
2
teaspoon kalonji seeds
2 tablespoons peeled minced fresh ginger
1 large clove fresh garlic, minced
1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1
⁄
4
teaspoon ground turmeric
10 to 12 pearl onions, halved
2 pounds mixed summer squashes, such as zucchini, yellow squash, yellow crook-neck, and patty pan, cut into
3
⁄
4
-inch pieces
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1.
Boil the potato in water to cover until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, let cool, then peel and cut it into
3
⁄
4
-inch pieces.
2.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or skillet over medium-high heat and add the mustard, cumin, fenugreek, and kalonji seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the ginger, garlic, green chile pepper, coriander, and turmeric, and cook, stirring, about 30 seconds.
3.
Add the onions and potato and cook, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
4.
Add the squashes to the cooking pan and cook about 5 minutes. Then add the tomato, mint, and salt, cover the pan, and cook, over medium-high heat for the first 1 to 2 minutes, then over medium-low heat until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Mix in the reserved onions and potatoes and cook another 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the black pepper on top, and serve.
Simple Pan-Cooked Gherkins
Tindora ki Sabzi
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Gherkins, called
tindora
in India, are small, tender cucumbers (usually used in the United States for pickles), with a smooth variegated green skin. They are 1 to 1
1
⁄
2
inches long and
1
⁄
2
to
3
⁄
4
inch in diameter. Although technically cucumbers, they look like and are cooked like squash. They have a distinct, almost sweet taste when raw. Look for them in Indian markets or specialty produce stores in the summer months.
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
3 dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol, broken
1 pound gherkins (tindora), halved or quartered lengthwise
1
⁄
2
teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the mustard seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and lower the heat until the spluttering subsides.
2.
Add the red chile peppers, gherkins, and salt, and cook, stirring, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the juices completely evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve.
Stuffed Indian Round Squash with Spicy Onion and Tomatoes
Masala Bharae Tindae
Makes 4 to 6 servings
There is a variety of squash found in northern India called
tinda
.
Tinda
squashes are round, green, with a smooth skin that is lightly fuzzy when the squashes are fresh. Ranging anywhere from 1 to 1
1
⁄
2
inches in diameter, these squashes can be found in Indian markets only in the summer months. Choose the smaller, blemish-free, firm ones—they will be less seedy.
If you can't find
tinda
squash, make this recipe using green patty pan squashes or the small round zucchinis that can be found in the farmers' and specialty produce markets. Failing that, use the large zucchinis (about 1
1
⁄
4
to 1
1
⁄
2
inches in diameter), cut them into 1
1
⁄
2
-inch pieces and proceed with the recipe, keeping in mind that the zucchinis will cook much faster.
1
1
⁄
2
teaspoons
Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste
(or store-bought)
8 to 10 round squashes (tinda)
1
1
⁄
2
tablespoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon mango powder
1
⁄
2
teaspoon ground cumin
1
⁄
4
teaspoon ground turmeric
1
⁄
4
teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1
⁄
4
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds
1
⁄
4
teaspoon garam masala
1.
Prepare the ginger-garlic paste. Then prepare the squash: Leaving the bottom part intact, make a deep cross-cut in the top of each squash, making sure they still remain whole. Then, in a small bowl, mix together the coriander, mango powder, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and salt.
2.
Fill each squash with about
1
⁄
2
teaspoon of the spice mixture, making sure that all the cut surfaces are covered. Save the leftover spices.
3.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook the onion, stirring until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the squashes and the ginger-garlic paste and cook, stirring, until the squashes are golden, about 5 minutes.