How to Cook Indian (14 page)

1. Peel, wash, and halve the cucumbers lengthwise. Remove the seeds and finely chop the flesh. Put in a bowl and add the chiles, peanuts, coconut, lemon juice, and sugar, and stir well.

2. Place a small nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the ghee. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the mustard seeds. When they sputter, add the cumin seeds and sauté for 30 seconds. Immediately add this tempering to the cucumber mixture and stir well. Add the salt and stir.

3. Garnish with the cilantro and serve immediately.

Kosumali

Vegetable salad

This healthy cold salad is very popular in South India, where it’s usually prepared with just carrots. Here I add cucumbers and green mangoes for more variety.

Serves 4.

¼ cup (50 grams)
dhuli moong dal
(split skinless green gram)

¼ cup (25 grams) sprouted
moong
(sprouted green gram)

1 medium carrot, grated

½ medium cucumber, diced

2 green chiles, stemmed and minced

½ medium green mango, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

½ teaspoon black mustard seeds

5 fresh curry leaves

2 tablespoons grated fresh coconut (or frozen unsweetened coconut)

1. Put the
dhuli dal
in a bowl, wash in plenty of water 2 or 3 times, and drain. Add 1 cup (200 ml) water and soak for 30 minutes. Drain the
dal
in a colander and set aside in a bowl.

2. Place a nonstick saucepan over high heat, add 1 cup (200 ml) water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium, add the sprouted
moong,
cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Drain well and set aside to cool to room temperature.

3. Add the sprouted
moong
to the
dal
, along with the carrot, cucumber, chiles, green mango, and cilantro, and stir well. Add the lemon juice and salt, and stir well.

4. Place a small nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the mustard seeds. When they sputter, add the curry leaves, then immediately pour this tempering into the
dal
mixture and stir well.

5. Garnish with the coconut. Chill for about 20 minutes and serve cold.

Sprouting beans: Soak the beans in water for a few hours. Then drain and place them on a moist cheese-cloth. Leave at room temperature. Make sure the cloth stays moist. The beans should sprout in a day or two.

Ladyfinger Pachidi

Okra with yogurt

In India, okra is commonly referred to as “ladyfingers,” not to be confused with the Italian cookies of that name. Be sure to crisp up the okra well or it will become mushy after you add it to the yogurt. You can add grated fresh coconut to the yogurt and okra if you’d like. This cooling side dish is very refreshing in the summer.

Serves 4.

15 to 20 okra pods

1 quart (800 ml) vegetable oil

1½ cups (375 grams) plain yogurt

½ teaspoon table salt

¼ teaspoon asafetida

1 tablespoon sesame oil

½ teaspoon black mustard seeds

¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

2 dried red chiles, stemmed and broken in half

10 to 12 fresh curry leaves

1. Wash the okra and pat dry with paper towels. Thinly slice the okra and spread out on paper towels for about 10 minutes.

2. Place a nonstick deep wok over high heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, slide in the okra and fry until lightly browned and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Let cool to room temperature.

3. Put the yogurt in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the salt and asafetida, and whisk. Stir in the okra.

4. Place a small nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the sesame oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the mustard seeds. When they sputter, add the fenugreek, chiles, and curry leaves. Pour this tempering over the okra and immediately cover the bowl to trap the flavors.

5. Stir and serve.

Lauki Raita

Bottle gourd in yogurt

This simple dish pairs mild-tasting bottle gourd with seasoned yogurt. As a variation, you can garnish the dish with dried mint. This gourd can be substituted with red pumpkin.

Serves 4.

9 ounces (250 grams)
lauki
(bottle gourd)

1¾ teaspoons table salt

1 cup (250 grams) plain yogurt, chilled

½ teaspoon red chile powder

1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin (page 32)

1. Peel and grate the
lauki.
Drain any liquid.

2. Transfer to a nonstick saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Drain off the water released by the
lauki
and transfer the cooked gourd to a plate to cool.

3. Put the yogurt in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt and the chile powder, and stir well. Add the
lauki
and stir well. Put in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.

4. Sprinkle with the cumin and serve cold.

Moong Moth Ka Anokha Salad

Salad of mixed sprouts

Sprouts are not a common ingredient in North Indian cuisine, but as we become more health conscious, these protein-laden little pulses have made their presence felt. I have adopted sprouts in a big way in my cooking, and one of the finer offerings is this salad.

Serves 4.

½ cup (75 grams) sprouted
moong
(sprouted green gram; see Note page 75)

½ cup (70 grams) sprouted
moth/matki
(see Note)

1 teaspoon table salt

1 green chile, stemmed and minced

½ medium orange

1 medium red onion, cut into ½-inch (1-cm) cubes, layers separated

½ medium apple, cored and cut into ½-inch (1-cm) cubes

1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch (1-cm) cubes

1 medium cucumber, seeded and cut into ½-inch (1-cm) cubes

2 medium tomatoes, cut into ½-inch (1-cm) cubes

½ teaspoon
chaat masala
(spice mix for
chaat;
page 24)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Place the sprouts in 2 separate bowls. Add ¼ teaspoon of the salt and ½ cup (100 ml) water to each bowl and cook in a microwave oven on high power for 2 minutes. Drain and transfer the sprouts to a large bowl. Add the chile.

2. Halve the orange and remove the skin, pith, and seeds. Cut into small cubes.

3. Add the orange, onion, apple, bell pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt to the sprouts and stir. Add the
chaat masala
and lemon juice, and stir.

4. Arrange the salad on a platter and serve.

Moth
is a brown gram that is a little smaller in size than green gram
(moong).

Palak Raita

Spinach with yogurt

This is a very popular accompaniment in North India. Puréed spinach is combined with yogurt spiced with mineral-rich black salt. The strong-smelling salt is an acquired taste; you can use regular salt if you wish.

Serves 4.

2 medium bunches fresh spinach leaves

1 teaspoon table salt

1½ cups (375 grams) plain yogurt

½ teaspoon black salt

2 green chiles, stemmed

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

6 to 8 whole black peppercorns

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Wash the spinach leaves well. Roughly chop one bunch and put in a microwave-safe bowl. Add ½ teaspoon salt and cook in a microwave oven on high power for 1½ minutes. Alternatively, you can boil 2 cups (400 ml) water with ½ teaspoon salt in a saucepan over high heat and blanch the spinach leaves for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and shock in cold water. Let the spinach remain in the colander so that all the water drains away.

2. Whisk the yogurt and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt together in a deep bowl. Add the black salt and whisk again.

3. Put the cooked spinach and chiles in a food processor, and process to a smooth paste.

4. Place a small nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and peppercorns, and dry-roast over medium heat for 1 minute or until fragrant. Let cool slightly, then put the spices in a mortar and pound them to a coarse powder with a pestle.