1,000 Indian Recipes (127 page)

2.
Add the onion, tomatoes, squash, potatoes, chicken, salt, and water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the chicken is opaque and fork-tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

3.
Remove the bay leaves. Mash some of the potatoes and squash pieces against the inside of the pot to thicken the soup. Add the lemon juice and garam masala and cook another few minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl, mix in the cilantro and scallion greens, and serve.

4.
Variation: Substitute turnips, rutabagas, carrots, or any other firm squash for the chayote.

Salads

Salads have universal appeal—they tempt with their colors, textures, and tastes, and with the allure of eating refreshing and satisfying foods. Indian salads fulfill that promise in delicous and sometimes surprising ways. They feature the vibrant greens of herbs and lettuces, the luscious reds of tomatoes and bell peppers, and the cool whites of potatoes and
paneer
cheese. They are sometimes crunchy and crisp, other times warm and wilted, and can be made with fresh seasonal vegetables or everyday produce and pantry items. Of course, they are always creatively seasoned with tangy and hot seasonings.

The most basic Indian salad is the classic chopped salad served with most meals—chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, daikon radishes, and onions spiked with salt, cayenne powder, and lemon juice. There are other kinds of chopped salad and other kinds of salads popular throughout the country.

One important realm of Indian salads are the
chaats. Chaats
are defined less by specific ingredients than by textures and flavors; they are a complex mix of savory, sweet, salty, tangy, and spicy foods and seasonings. The Hindi word
chaat
means "to lick the plate clean." Once you've tried the tantalizing, lip-smacking flavors of
chaats
, you'll know how the dishes got their name.

Because
chaat
salads can be made with different ingredients, you'll find them in different subsections of this chapter. They can be made with vegetables (
Potato, Sweet Potato, and Pea Salad
), fruits (
Savory Summer Fruit Salad
), dried beans (
Mixed Sprouted Bean Salad with Potato Vermicelli
), or chicken and other meats (
Tandoori Chicken Salad
).
Chaat
snacks reflect similar multiple layers of flavor but resemble composed dishes more than salads. Look for them in the
Starters and Snacks
chapter.

Here are some popular Indian salads. Enjoy them as part of buffet, as a first course, or as a small meal with a cup of soup and
paranthas
(griddle-fried breads).

= Vegan
= Pressure-Cooker Quick

Fresh Chopped Salads (
Cachumbar
)

Fresh chopped salads—or, as I call them, chop-chop salads—are known in India as
cachumbar
or
cachumar
salads. They feature lots of raw salad vegetables in a kaleidoscope of colors that have been finely chopped and tossed with spices and fresh lemon juice.

A basic
cachumbar
salad has no formal recipe. Simply mix in a bowl finely diced tomatoes, cucumbers, daikon radishes, scallions, cilantro, and a few mint leaves. Then add salt, pepper,
chaat masala
, and fresh lime or lemon juice, to taste. And if you love the heat of chile peppers, throw in some minced green chiles, such as serrano.

Gingered Yellow Tomato and Armenian Cucumber Salad

Adrak vaala Tamatar-Kheerae ka Salaad

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Armenian cucumbers—thin, long, and ridged, with fuzzy, pale green skin—are common in India, where they are known as
tar
or
kakdi
. Sold mainly in the hot summer months, they are said to be cooling to the body. They are primarily available in Indian and Middle-Eastern markets, although some American supermarkets carry them. If you can't find them, use Japanese cucumbers or any other seedless variety.

1
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoons
Chaat Masala
(or store-bought), or more to taste

1 pound yellow tomatoes, finely chopped

¹
⁄
₂
pound Armenian or any seedless cucumbers, finely chopped

2 cups finely chopped romaine lettuce or fresh spinach leaves

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

1 fresh green chile pepper, minced with seeds

1 to 2 tablespoons peeled minced fresh ginger

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground ajwain seeds

1 to 2 tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice

Prepare the chaat masala. Then mix everything in a large bowl. Adjust the seasonings and serve. If you wish to serve the salad chilled, mix all the ingredients except the chaat masala and ajwain seeds, and chill up to 24 hours. Add the spices just before serving, or the salt in the chaat masala will draw out the juices from the ingredients and make the salad too liquidy.

Armenian Cucumber and Peanut Salad with Sizzling Mustard Seeds

Kakri ki Koshumbir

Makes 4 to 6 servings

My friend Promilla Rawal makes this salad whenever she craves the flavors of her native state, Maharashta, located in the central western part of India. This salad, with the delicate fragrances of coconut and sesame, is lovely when served with a
yellow mung bean dish
and steamed rice.

2 teaspoons
Marathi Curry Powder with Coconut and Sesame Seeds
(or store-bought)

1 pound Armenian or any seedless cucumbers, finely chopped

¹
⁄
₂
cup roasted and lightly salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

¹
⁄
₂
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

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

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 tablespoon minced fresh curry leaves

1.
Prepare the curry powder. In a serving bowl, mix the cucumbers, peanuts, cilantro, green chile pepper and salt.

2.
Heat the oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and add the mustard seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and reduce the heat until the spluttering subsides.

3.
Quickly add the curry powder, asafoetida, and curry leaves, and stir for a few seconds. Transfer to the salad. Mix well and serve. If you wish to serve the salad chilled, mix only the cucumbers, peanuts, cilantro, and green chile pepper, and chill up to 24 hours. Add the spices just before serving, or the salt will draw out the juices from the ingredients and make the salad too liquid.