1,000 Indian Recipes (42 page)

Winter Dinner Menu

Traditional Stuffed Triangular Pastries
(
Samosae
)

Chutney Chickpeas with Tamarind

Carrot-Ginger Soup

Yogurt Chicken Curry with Caramelized Onions
or
Punjabi Black Urad Beans

Hyderabadi Spicy Eggplants with Roasted Peanut and Sesame Sauce

Sautéed Spinach Raita

Royal Fresh and Dried Fruit Pilaf
(
Shahi Pullao
)

Simple Carrot Halva

Holiday Brunch

Sweet Mango-Yogurt Cooler
(
Aam ki Lussi
)

Spicy Chickpeas with Pomegranate Seeds

Lemon-Marinated Red Onion Rings

Baked Semolina Breads
(
Kulchae
)

Nani Mama's Yogurt Curry with Onion Fritters

Spicy Potatoes with Onions and Tomatoes

Steamed Basmati Rice (Absorption Method)

Any Halva
or
Kheer Pudding

Orange Pekoe Tea

Fourth-of-July Barbecue

Fire-Roasted Green Mango Cooler
(
Ammbi-Panna
)

Yogurt Coleslaw

Spicy Rack of Baby Lamb

Grilled Tandoori Chicken

Spicy Grilled Shrimp

Spicy Smashed Potatoes with Chaat Masala

Fire-Roasted Corn-on-the-Cob

Rolls with Oat Bran and Fresh Mint

Mango or any other Ice Cream or
Kulfi

A Thanksgiving Meal

Fresh Lime Soda with Berries

Curried Chicken or Lamb Turnovers

Deep-Fried Lamb Kabaab Patties
(
Shaami Kabaabs
)

Vinegar-Marinated Green Chile Peppers

Cranberry Chutney Preserve

Quick Puréed Root Vegetable Soup

Potato Salad with Yogurt
or Roasted Turkey with Indian Flavors

Spicy Pumpkin Purée

Taro Root Salad with Ajwain Seeds

North Indian–Style Mixed Cauliflower, Carrots, and Green Beans
(
Uttar ki Jhalfrezi
)

Cranberry Pilaf
(
Karonda Pullao
)

Decadent Carrot Halva with Evaporated Milk and Jaggery

Pure Pistachio Fudge
(
Pistae ki Burfee
)

A Vegetarian Diwali Celebration

Flour Chips with Yogurt and Mango Powder Chutney
(
Papri Chaat
)

Potato and Cashew Patties
(
Aalu aur Kaaju ki Tikki
)

Yogurt Chutney with Puréed Greens

Split Urad Beans and Yellow Split Chickpeas with Spinach

Stir-Fried Paneer Cheese with Onions and Bell Peppers

Creamy Mashed Eggplant with Peas
or
Spicy South Indian Potatoes

Morel Mushroom Pilaf with Pistachios and Silver Leaves
(
Gucchi-Pista Pullao
)

Traditional Urad Dal Croquettes Raita

Basic Griddle-Fried Breads
(
Saada Parantha
)

Saffron Paneer Cheese Triangles
(
Cham-Cham
)

An Indian Banquet

Basic Fish, Chicken, or Grilled Lamb Tikka Kabaabs

Stuffed Phyllo Baked Pastry Pouches

Bell Pepper Pakora Fritters with Ajwain Seeds

Yogurt Chutney with Puréed Greens

Mughlai Lamb Curry with Cashews and Coconut Milk

Black Urad Beans in a Slow Cooker

Royal Paneer Cheese Curry

Potato-Stuffed Oval Eggplant

Hyderabadi Layered Rice with Mixed Vegetables
or
Hyderabadi Layered Rice with Marinated Chicken
(
Biryani
)

Griddle-Fried Mughlai Breads with Almonds and Poppy Seeds
(
Paranthae
)

Spicy Mung Bean Croquettes Raita with Sonth Chutney

Paneer Cheese Patties in Creamy Thickened Milk
(
Ras-Malai
)

Pressure-Cooked Caramel Custard

Helpful Hints

This book covers all types of Indian foods—dishes you may have eaten in restaurants, regional and classic home-cooked Indian foods, street foods, as well as modern dishes with Indian flavorings and universal appeal. So there are a range of recipe options to cook and enjoy.

You'll find that the recipes balance traditions with real-world cooking concerns. Although I always strive for authenticity in my dishes, I have strayed from old-world traditions of hand-grinding, sun-drying, and of course, cooking in a tandoor; modern conveniences allow for wonderfully suitable substitutions. I rely on the stove and the oven, on a grill and a pressure cooker, and even get a little help from the microwave. I gravitate toward the food processor, the blender, and the spice grinder, and I use the freezer a lot—not to pull out store-bought frozen foods, but to freeze my spice pastes, puréed chutneys, and other basic ingredients—so when I'm actually cooking, most of the busy work has been done and my time is focused on cooking and creating. As a general rule, I keep my home recipes quick and healthy, and this is how you too probably prefer to cook. Here are some hints and shortcuts for using my recipes and for being an efficient cook of Indian cuisine:

•
Always read and understand the recipe before you start. Some recipes have cross-references to other recipes—for needed ingredients such as spice blends, chutneys, and sauces, or for suggestions for accompaniments. Decide if you need to coordinate making them or if you can substitute a store-bought item. (I mention if a purchased product can substitute for homemade.)

•
Ingredients to keep on hand, preferably fresh or homemade: cilantro; dry-roasted cumin, sesame seeds, and black peppercorns; ginger paste, garlic paste, and ginger-garlic paste; green chutney; crispy fried ginger and crispy fried onions; fresh lemon juice;
paneer
cheese; pickles, especially mango and lemon; chutney preserves, especially mango and tomato.

•
Have all the ingredients ready so you're not opening drawers and bottles when your attention should be on food on the stove or in the oven, or that you have to stop cooking to make a basic preparation.

•
To make food go further in the event of unexpected company, make an extra vegetable or quickly cook some frozen peas, chopped fresh vegetables, potatoes, or rice in the microwave, then add them to an existing dish to increase its volume.

•
To salvage over-salted or over-spiced foods, add a peeled and chopped cooked or mashed potato; the spud will absorb most of the extra salt and/or chile heat. Or, mix in some yogurt, cooked plain white rice, or another vegetable—the idea is to increase the volume of the dish, so the saltiness and/or heat dissipate.

Spices and Other Seasonings

When European explorers went to India in the 16th century, they found the country fragrant with spices and they capitalized on the opportunity for trade and wealth. What they didn't realize was that the Indian people held the secret to the true value of these spices—it lay not in their monetary worth, but in the way the spices could be altered, blended, and coaxed into producing intensely flavorful and satisfying foods.

Even today, the first encounter with the colorful, fragrant Indian spice rack is a beguiling experience. But, once you get past their unusual names, Indian herbs and spices are quite easy to use and, for the most part, are readily available. Look for them in well-stocked supermarkets, in local Indian markets and other ethnic markets, and from catalogs or reputable Internet sites (see the
Sources list
).

The following is a list of popular Indian seasonings. (I include ayurvedic—health-affecting—properties because this is integral to how Indians cook.) Buy what is needed for specific recipes and then expand your collection as you feel more comfortable.

= Vegan
= Pressure-Cooker Quick

Ajwain Seeds

This spice is known by various names—carom, lovage, omum, or Bishop's weed, with no one single English name. However, the name
ajwain
or
ajowan
is universal, so
ajwain
is what I call it throughout the book. These tiny brown or green-brown, ridged, celery seed look-alikes are deceptively fragrance-free, but when crushed, they release a strong and highly aromatic, thyme-like fragrance, which mellows down after cooking. When eaten raw, they have a hot, strong, pungent bite.
Ajwain
seeds are prized as a home remedy to relieve gas and stomachaches, and are often chewed raw by people with seasoned palates.