The Indian Vegan Kitchen (19 page)

7. Add seasoning to the rasam. Serve rasam hot in a soup bowl or a cup.

NOTE:
To cook in a skillet:
Soak the dal after washing it as in step 1 above. Soak the dal for 2 hours or longer. Combine drained dal, 4 cups of water, salt, and turmeric. Bring dal to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until the dal is very soft. Follow steps 3 and 4 to finish the rasam. (You will need up to 6 or 7 cups of water when preparing in a pan, as it takes longer to cook and more water evaporates.)

GF, LF

This is not your typical creamy potato soup. It is very low in fat and full of flavor. I grew up eating potato curry that was very watered down, for my dad loved to drink just the broth. Now, I just make it like a soup. I love to pack this for lunch, to accompany a sandwich.

1. Peel and wash potatoes. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, tomato sauce, cumin, turmeric, ginger, coriander, and black pepper. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes, coating the potatoes with spices.

3. Add water and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover with a lid, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. The potatoes should be tender and easily fall apart. Using the back of a spoon, break up some of the potato pieces. This will help the soup thicken.

4. Add the 2 remaining cups of water. Bring to a boil. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the garam masala and lemon juice.

5. Serve hot. Garnish with cilantro.

GF, LF

In the summer, when mangoes are at their peak of flavor, my mom made this mango dish with
paratha
. Soft, plain
parathas
dipped in sweet-and-sour mango curry are heavenly. With the increased availability of mangoes, it’s now possible to make this dish year-round.

1. Peel and chop half of 1 mango into ¼ -inch pieces (about ½ cup) for garnish. Set aside.

2. Peel and slice the remaining mangoes, removing all the pulp from the pit. Discard the mango pits.

3. Add the mango slices and 2 cups of water in a blender jar and blend thoroughly. Strain the juice and discard the fibrous pulp, if any.

4. In a medium skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds until golden brown. Add the mango juice and remaining 2 cups of water.

5. Add turmeric, salt, coriander, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes.

6. Add the lemon juice, sugar, and garam masala.

7. Serve hot. Garnish with cilantro and chopped mango.

GF, LF

The mild seasoning of basil and pepper brings out the flavor of lentils. Use canned lentils for a quick and hearty soup. Serve with crusty bread or a rice pilaf.

1. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add onion and fry 1 to 2 minutes until transparent. Add ginger and garlic, cook for a few seconds. Stir in tomatoes. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Mash the tomatoes with the back of a spoon or a potato masher.

2. Add water, lentils, carrots, cabbage, salt, black pepper, basil, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Add lemon juice and serve hot.

Vegetables

VEGETABLES TAKE CENTER
stage in an Indian meal. Indian vegetable dishes are unique in their preparation and are anything but boring. Although some raw vegetables are eaten as a relish (see Salads and Chutneys, page 183), it’s the cooked vegetables that define the meal. Vegetables rarely, if ever, are just boiled and salted. Whether a simple dish or a lavish gourmet meal, cooks take pride in creating their special vegetable dishes. Even the plainest vegetable dish is seasoned with at least three spices, and the exquisite specialties may have up to eleven spices. Indian cooks are never bothered by the number of spices that go into a dish. They instinctively know that reducing the number of ingredients does not save time but can compromise the flavor, and they are never willing to do that. A sprinkle of this and that spice can totally change the flavor of the dish. That’s a good thing, for if you’re going to eat vegetables every day and at every meal, a variation in flavor yields a new dish.

Most of the vegetables in the Indian diet are now readily available in your local supermarket. I rarely have to go to an Indian or Chinese grocery store to buy vegetables. Even the local farmers market caters to the ethnic population and you can buy fresh vegetables like bitter melon and bottle gourds.

The taste, appearance, and texture of the dish are determined by the seasonings and the cooking process. There are two primary ways of preparing vegetables (
subji
): either cooked dry (
sukhi subji
) or in a sauce (
tari subji
).

Calling the vegetable “dry” creates a misleading connotation but is the best translation of this type of vegetable dish. It is basically cooked with a minimum amount of water and does not have any gravy or curry-like sauce. The vegetables are seasoned with oil and spices and simmered in their own juices. The
sukhi subji
is often served with a meal that also has a dal or a yogurt dish, to add liquid. The notion of a completely dry meal—that is, a
sukhi subji
and a flatbread—is quite unpalatable to Indians. Something saucy is almost always served as an accompaniment. My parents were notoriously particular about this phenomenon. If for any reason we had just
parathas
(pan-fried flatbread) and a
sukhi subji
and we were out of yogurt, we would be served a glass of milk or tea to wash it down.

Most vegetables can be cooked dry or in a sauce. Some are better dry and some better in a sauce; there is no hard and fast rule. Personally, I find cauliflower, okra, and eggplant are best cooked dry, although small amounts of these vegetables can be a part of a saucy dish.

The vegetables are seasoned with oil and spices and simmered in a fair amount of water until the spices and vegetables create a unique sauce. The consistency of the sauce can be different based on the vegetable and your personal preference. Onions, garlic, and ginger are used to thicken and flavor the sauces. Yogurt or cream (neither is used in these recipes) and/or nuts make the sauces richer. Thickeners such as cornstarch are rarely, if ever, used. The food is cooked down until the desired consistency is achieved.

There is another consistency that falls between the two methods of preparations; we call it
leeputwan
, meaning a sauce that clings to the vegetables. The consistency is similar to a thick stew. I will guide you to the best consistency for each vegetable dish on the following pages.

I find that for cooking braised vegetables, a wide nonstick fry pan works best. A heavy skillet or a saucepan works well for curry sauce. Make sure the pan you use has a tight-fitting lid. You will often need to cover and simmer the vegetables. Occasionally, I use a pressure cooker to cook vegetables, but this requires extreme care, as the vegetables can easily be overcooked.

Whenever possible, I use fresh vegetables. The taste of fresh vegetables is unmatched—the best-tasting vegetables come from your own garden. But that said, I am more practical than a purist. I rarely use canned vegetables except beans and tomato products. I keep a good supply of tomato sauce and chopped and whole tomatoes. I always have a standing supply of frozen peas, spinach, green beans, and mixed vegetables. When I’m in a hurry, instead of forgoing vegetables I will reach for frozen ones. The type and the quality of frozen vegetables have improved significantly over the years. Some frozen vegetables actually taste better than the fresh ones available in the supermarket—for example, peas—and may even have more nutrients than fresh ones. Many “fresh” vegetables in grocery stores often don’t arrive in the store until two weeks after being harvested and then they sit in our refrigerator.

Most of the vegetables used in this book are readily available in your local grocery store. You will find recipes from potatoes, carrots, and green beans to more unusual vegetables such as kohlrabi, eggplant, and okra. I have also included some recipes that use less familiar vegetables, such as bottle gourd and bitter melons. These are an acquired taste—but they deserve a try.

 

GF

Cauliflower is a much-desired vegetable among Indians. It is cooked by itself as well as mixed with other vegetables. The colored peppers with white cauliflower make this dish as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate.