How to Cook Indian (115 page)

Pinch of citric acid

1 teaspoon roasted
magaz
(melon seeds; optional)

1. Wash the papaya and drain well in a colander. Prick the cubes all over with a fork and set aside.

2. Place a nonstick saucepan over high heat and add 5 cups (1 liter) water. When the water comes to a boil, add the papaya and cook for 18 minutes or until soft. Drain and set aside.

3. Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add 1 cup (200 ml) water and the sugar. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Add the citric acid, stir, and cook for 5 minutes.

4. Add the papaya and stir. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until thick and syrupy.

5. Add the melon seeds and remove from the heat. Let cool completely, then store in a sterilized, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Papaya Ki Launj

Green papaya chutney

This intriguing combination of seeds transforms something as simple as raw papaya into an interesting chutney. This chutney pairs well with Indian breads like
paratha
(page 18) and
thepla
(page 465).

Makes 2½ cups (750 grams).

11 ounces (300 grams) green papaya, peeled and seeded

1 tablespoon ghee (page 37)

Pinch of asafetida

¼ teaspoon
kalonji
(nigella; see Note page 231)

½ teaspoon black mustard seeds

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

5 or 6 whole cloves

1 teaspoon red chile powder

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ cup (100 grams) sugar

½ teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon anise seeds, coarsely ground

1. Thinly slice the papaya.

2. Place a medium nonstick saucepan over high heat and add 1½ cups (300 ml) water. As the water starts to boil, lower the heat to medium, add the papaya, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add the ghee. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, lower the heat to low, add the asafetida,
kalonji,
mustard seeds, cumin, cloves, chile powder, and turmeric, and cook until the seeds sputter.

4. Add 2 cups (400 ml) water and stir. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Continue to cook until syrupy. Add the salt and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.

5. Add the papaya and cook for 10 minutes or until the papaya is tender.

6. Add the anise and stir.

7. Let cool completely, then store in a sterilized, airtight container the refrigerator for up to 15 days.

Indian culture is a tapestry woven out of many diverse communities and faiths. People pray to many gods, and every religion has its own set of rules and rituals that govern prayers and eating habits.

This is a special section of recipes for fasting days, when the use of certain cereals, pulses, and greens is not allowed. It is heartening to know that a day of fasting becomes a day of feasting on unusual delights such as these. A
sabudana thalipeeth
(page 540) is a filling meal, especially when followed by a lovely dessert of
dudhi halwa
(page 544) or
kaju katli
(page 546).

Kele Wafers

Banana wafers

During my trips to Cochin, in South India, I make a point of visiting the street carts where the locals fry banana wafers in coconut oil. It’s a wonderful experience watching these being made and seeing the pale banana slices change to bright yellow as they’re fried—but eating them absolutely fresh is even better!

Nendra
bananas are big yellow-skinned bananas, a speciality of coastal Kerala. They’re hard to find in the United States, but you can substitute green plantains.

Makes about 2 cups (400 grams). 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 medium raw
nendra
bananas or green plantains

1 quart (800 ml) coconut oil (see Note)

4 teaspoons table salt

1. Grease your palms with a little vegetable oil. This makes it easy to handle and peel the raw bananas (since the skin of these bananas oozes a resin). Peel all the bananas with a vegetable peeler and set aside.

2. Place a nonstick wok over high heat and add the coconut oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, lower the heat to medium. Holding a good-quality, heat-resistant vegetable slicer over the hot oil, thinly slice 1 banana directly into the fryer. Fry until the wafers become light yellow.

3. Put 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl, add 1 teaspoon salt, and stir to dissolve the salt. Sprinkle over the oil and wait until the water evaporates.

4. Remove the wafers with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the remaining 3 bananas.

6. Transfer the wafers onto another plate and serve hot. Or let cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container. These will keep for 1 week.

If you do not like the flavor of coconut oil, you can use any other oil instead; the flavor will be different but still good.

Rajgire Ka Thepla

Bread made of
rajgira
cereal, especially for fasts

As wheat is verboten during fasting in India, breads such as
rotis
and
parathas
are off limits. But
rajgira
flour solves the problem. The flour is gluten free and so the dough is rather delicate, but the addition of mashed potatoes helps tremendously. Make the breads 1/8 inch (3 to 4 mm) thick, and serve them with a bowl of plain yogurt.

Makes 12.

3 cups (400 grams)
rajgira atta
(see Note)

1½ teaspoons black salt

1-inch (2½-cm) piece fresh ginger, grated

1 teaspoon white sesame seeds

2 green chiles, stemmed and chopped

2 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled, and mashed

2 tablespoons plain yogurt

7 tablespoons ghee (page 37)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Put 2½ cups of the
rajgira atta
in a bowl. Add the black salt, ginger, sesame seeds, and chiles, and stir. Add the potatoes, yogurt, 3 tablespoons of the ghee, and the cilantro, and stir. Add ½ cup (100 ml) water and knead to make a semisoft dough. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.

2. Divide the dough into 12 portions and shape into balls. Dust each ball with some of the remaining
rajgira atta
and pat into a 5-inch (12½-cm) round.

3. Place a nonstick griddle over medium heat. Let it heat for 2 to 3 minutes, then place a dough round on it. Cook for 1 minute, then flip with a spatula and cook the other side for 1 minute.

4. Drizzle ½ teaspoon of the remaining ghee all around and cook until it is light golden and crisp around the edges. Flip again and drizzle ½ teaspoon ghee around it. Cook until the second side is light golden and crisp around the edges.

5. Transfer to a serving plate and repeat with the remaining dough rounds.

6. Serve hot.

Rajgira atta
is flour made from the seeds of the amaranth plant. It is gluten free and rich in lysine, an essential amino acid that is hard to find in vegetarian protein sources.

Sabudana Khichdi

Spicy sago dish

There are many versions of this snack, but the most interesting one is sold at roadside carts in Indore, a bustling business center in the heart of Madhya Pradesh. You buy the plain cooked sago by weight and then top it with lemon juice and crunchy fried peanuts.

Serves 4.

1½ cups (300 grams) sago

3 tablespoons ghee (page 37)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

4 or 5 green chiles, stemmed and broken into 4 pieces

1 medium potato, boiled, peeled, and cut into ½-inch (1-cm) cubes

3 tablespoons grated fresh coconut (or frozen unsweetened coconut)

¾ cup (110 grams) roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Put the sago in a large bowl, wash it in plenty of water 2 or 3 times, and drain. Add 1½ cups (300 ml) water and soak for 3 to 4 hours; after 2 hours, stir once. The sago grains should be separate and moist.