1,000 Indian Recipes (199 page)

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

1.
Prepare the tamarind paste. Then, soak the dal in water to cover by 2 inches, about 2 hours. Drain and place in a large saucepan along with the water, turmeric, and sesame oil, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, partially at first and then completely, and cook, stirring occasionally, until creamy, 25 to 30 minutes. (As the dal cooks, some of it may foam and rise to the top. Mix the foam back into the dal.) Stir vigorously to mash the dal. Keep over low heat while you proceed with the next steps.

2.
Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a medium nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and add the red chile peppers, mustard seeds, fenugreek, coconut, and asafoetida. Cover and cook, shaking the pan, about 1 minute. Add the green chile peppers and curry leaves, cook about 1 minute, then add the ginger and garlic and cook about 2 minutes. Mix into the dal.

3.
To the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, vegetables, and salt and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the tamarind paste, cover the pan, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the dal and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes to blend the flavors. (Add more water if you desire a soupier sambar.) Transfer to a serving bowl, mix in the cilantro, and serve.

Split Pigeon Peas with Coconut and Vegetables
 

Sabzi aur Nariyal Sambar

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Coconuts grow in abundance in Kerala in the south, and this creamy
sambar
, made with grated coconut and coconut milk, captures every bit of their freshness. The paste, made with pan-roasted spices and
dals
, also adds a smooth thickness to this quick pressure-cooked version.

¹
⁄
₄
cup
Tamarind Paste

¹
⁄
₂
cup
Coconut Milk
(or store-bought)

³
⁄
₄
to 1 cup split pigeon peas (toor dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

4 to 4
¹
⁄
₂
cups water

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground turmeric

4 cups fresh vegetables, such as tomatoes, okra, potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, cauliflower, carrots, and bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons peanut oil

3 to 5 whole dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol

¹
⁄
₄
cup grated fresh coconut or unsweetened dried shredded coconut

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 tablespoon yellow split chickpeas (channa dal), sorted

1 tablespoon white urad beans (dhulli urad dal), sorted

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

2 tablespoons minced fresh curry leaves

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

1.
Prepare the tamarind paste and coconut milk. Then, place the dal, water, salt, turmeric, and vegetables in a pressure cooker. Secure the lid and cook over high heat until the regulator indicates high pressure, then cook 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and allow the pot to depressurize on its own, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully open the lid and stir lightly.

2.
Heat the oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the red chile peppers and coconut until the coconut is golden, about 1 minute. Add the mustard, cumin, fenugreek, and coriander seeds and the channa and urad dals and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Add the cayenne pepper, asafoetida, and curry leaves and stir another 1 minute.

3.
Let cool, transfer the spice mixture to a blender or a food processor, and process to make a paste, adding up to 3 tablespoons water, as needed. Mix the paste into the dal, then add the tamarind and coconut milk and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer about 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl, mix in the cilantro, and serve.

Soupy Split Pigeon Peas with Jaggery
 

Gur vaali Toor Dal

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This pressure-cooked recipe is my friend Naina Kapadia's Gujarati nod to
sambar
—not what purists would recognize as a
sambar
, but delicious to me. Almost a soup, because Naina uses a blender, it goes well with steamed
basmati
rice.

1
¹
⁄
₂
tablespoons
Gujarati Curry Powder with Coriander and Cumin
(dhana-jeera masala)

1 cup split pigeon peas (toor dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

6 cups water

10 to 12 fresh curry leaves

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

¹
⁄
₄
cup grated jaggery (gur)

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon fenugreek seeds

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

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

1.
Prepare the masala, then place the dal, water, and curry leaves in a pressure cooker. Secure the lid and cook over high heat until the regulator indicates high pressure, then cook 30 seconds more. Remove from the heat and allow the pot to depressurize on its own, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully open the lid. Let cool, then blend in the pot with a hand-held immersion mixer or transfer to a blender and purée, then return it to the pressure cooker.

2.
In a small bowl, combine the curry powder, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and salt. Reserve 1 teaspoon of the mixture and add the rest to the processed dal. Mix in the lime juice and jaggery.

3.
To make the tarka, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the mustard, cumin, and fenugreek seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Remove the pan from the heat and add the reserved 1 teaspoon curry powder mixture and the asafoetida. Immediately add the tarka to the dal and mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl, mix in the cilantro, and serve.