1,000 Indian Recipes (222 page)

Authors: Neelam Batra

Makes 6 to 8 servings

This dish is a knockout if you use fresh colorful baby bell peppers—the kind you can find at farmers' markets or in your own garden. Otherwise, use the smallest ones you can find. Also, make sure each bell pepper comes with its stem intact. The cheese used for this dish in India is not available here, but cheddar or Monterey Jack work well.

1 recipe
Butter-Cream Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes

3 to 4 small russet (or any kind) potatoes

12 to 15 baby bell peppers, in assorted colors

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

¹⁄
₄cup grated mild cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

2 tablespoons minced scallions, white and light green parts only

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems + more for garnish

1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger

1 fresh green chile pepper, minced with seeds

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground dried pomegranate seeds

¹⁄
₂teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

¹⁄
₄teaspoon garam masala

1.
Prepare the butter-cream sauce. Then, boil the potatoes in lightly salted water to cover until tender, about 20 minutes. Let cool, then peel and coarsely mash them.

2.
Cut a small circle around the stem of each bell pepper and carefully remove the top, to make a cap. Remove the membranes and the seeds from inside each pepper and discard. In a medium bowl, mix together the mashed potato, ricotta and cheddar cheese, scallions, cilantro, ginger, green chile pepper, coriander, pomegranate seeds, and salt.

3.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the potato mixture and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes.

4.
Divide the potato mixture equally among the bell peppers and fill each one. Place the cap on top of each pepper. Transfer the bell peppers, cap side up, to a large saucepan or skillet (or 2 small ones if the peppers don't fit in 1) and pour the butter-cream sauce on top and around each one. Cover and bring to a quick boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, spooning the sauce over the peppers a few times, until the bell peppers are soft and shriveled, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the cilantro and garam masala, and serve.

Variation:
Make this recipe by stuffing small tomatoes, scooped-out small eggplants, or zucchini halves instead of bell peppers.

Onion Wedges in Curry Sauce

Rassadar Pyaz

Makes 4 to 6 servings

The fact that it is a curry classifies this dish as an entrée, yet it is not a substantial dish. Serve it with any one or more dry-cooked protein-rich dishes, such as
Chutney-Marinated Broiled Paneer Cheese Kabaabs
or
Black Chickpea Kabaabs
, or with grilled meats.

When you cut the onions into wedges, leave them attached to their base. As the onions cook, the layers open up but stay intact.

7 to 8 small onions (about 2 pounds)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 large tomatoes, finely chopped

³⁄
₄teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹⁄
₂teaspoon cayenne pepper

¹⁄
₄teaspoon ground turmeric

2
¹⁄
₂cups water

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1.
Cut 3 onions into 6 wedges each, leaving each wedge attached at its base. Finely chop the remaining ones to make 1
¹⁄
₂cups chopped onion.

2.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the chopped onion and cook, stirring, until golden-brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, onion wedges, salt, cayenne pepper, and turmeric and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes are soft and most of the juices evaporate, 5 to 7 minutes.

3.
Add the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer, 5 to 7 minutes. Increase the heat to high and mix in the yogurt, a little at a time, stirring constantly to prevent it from curdling. Continue to boil until the sauce is as thick as you desire, about 10 minutes. Add the cilantro and cook until wilted but still green in color, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, top with the black pepper, and serve.

Potato Curries

Rajasthani Potato Curry

Rajasthani Rassadar Aalu

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Made without any garlic or onions and with spices that are not fully ground, this Rajasthani dish goes well with all types of
poories
(deep-fried puffed breads). The potatoes in this dish are traditionally deep-fried, but here, again, I prefer to pan-cook them for rich color and flavor but less fat.

1
¹⁄
₄pounds small potatoes, each not more than 1
¹⁄
₄-inch across

¹⁄
₄teaspoon ground turmeric

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 (1-inch) stick cinnamon

5 green cardamom pods, crushed lightly to break the skin

2 teaspoons coriander seeds, coarsely ground

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, coarsely ground

¹⁄
₂teaspoon fenugreek seeds, coarsely ground

1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds

¹⁄
₈teaspoon ground asafoetida

¹⁄
₂teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹⁄
₂cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1 to 2 cups water

¹⁄
₄cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1.
Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water to cover until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, let cool, then peel them, put them in a bowl, and toss well with the turmeric. (If the potatoes are large, cut each one in half.) Heat about 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the potatoes, stirring, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

2.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and cook the cinnamon and cardamom pods, stirring, a few seconds. Add the coriander, cumin, and fenugreek seeds, then add the ginger, green chile pepper, and asafoetida and stir about 1 minute. Return the potatoes to the pan, add the salt, and cook everything together about 2 minutes. Add the yogurt, a little at a time, stirring constantly to prevent it from curdling.

3.
Add the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the potatoes are very soft and almost breaking, 5 to 7 minutes. Mix in the cilantro. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the black pepper on top, and serve.

Pot-Roasted Fried Whole Potatoes in Yogurt Curry

Pahaadi Dum-Aalu

Makes 4 to 6 servings

From the mountains (
pahaad)
surrounding the Valley of Kashmir comes this dish, which is traditionally made with a special variety of potatoes called
pahaadi-aalu
. These thin-skinned potatoes are similar to the white and red varieties found in America, and are known to maintain their shape even after prolonged cooking.

This is the traditional deep-fried version. You could also brown the potatoes in 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil or, if you wish, completely skip the deep-frying or browning in Step 2 and go straight to Step 3.