How to Cook Indian (55 page)

5. Blend with an immersion blender for 1 to 2 minutes.

6. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot.

Sarson Ka Saag

Mustard greens and spinach

Sarson ka saag
is a fantastic winter meal from North India. Punjabis love this served with
makki di roti
(cornmeal bread; page 459)—each is incomplete without the other.

Serves 4.

2¼ pounds (1 kg) mustard greens, tough stems removed

1 bunch spinach, tough stems removed

1 bunch
bathua
(lamb’s quarters), tough stems removed (see Note)

2 tablespoons cornmeal

¼ cup (50 grams) ghee (page 37)

2 medium red onions, diced

2 (1-inch/2½-cm) pieces fresh ginger, minced

6 to 8 cloves garlic, chopped

4 green chiles, stemmed and minced

1½ teaspoons table salt

Butter

1. Wash and drain the mustard greens, spinach, and
bathua.
Chop and set aside.

2. Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat, add ¼ cup (50 ml) water, and bring to a boil. Add the greens and boil for 15 minutes or until very tender and yellowish. If there is any water left, drain and reserve. Let the greens cool, then transfer to a food processor and process to a smooth paste. Add the cornmeal and stir.

3. Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the ghee. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the onions, ginger, garlic, and chiles, and sauté for 7 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned.

4. Add the greens and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the reserved water to adjust the consistency if necessary. Add the salt and cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes or until well blended.

5. Serve hot with butter.

Traditionally
sarson ka saag
is pounded to a paste with a wooden churner called a
mathni
or
ravai
while it is being cooked. The process is quite cumbersome and time consuming, but the result is delicious.

Bathua
is an edible weed that is used in India especially during the winter months.

Beans Poriyal

Haricots verts with coconut

This beautiful Kerala-style preparation brings out the best in green beans and coconut.

Serves 4.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

½ teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon
dhuli urad dal
(split skinless black gram)

Pinch of asafetida

2 dried red chiles, stemmed and broken

9 ounces (250 grams) haricots verts, cut into ¼-inch (½-cm) pieces

8 to 10 fresh curry leaves

½ teaspoon table salt

¼ cup (30 grams) grated fresh coconut (or frozen unsweetened coconut)

1. Place a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil. Add the mustard seeds and
dal,
and sauté until the mustard sputters and the
dal
is lightly browned.

2. Add the asafetida and chiles, and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the haricots verts, curry leaves, and salt. Add half of the coconut and stir well.

3. Add 2 tablespoons water and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the haricots verts are tender.

4. Garnish with the remaining coconut and serve hot as a side dish.

Guar Ki Sabzi

Cluster beans with dried mango

Cluster beans have a slightly bitter aftertaste; hence the use of yogurt as a souring agent in this Rajasthani recipe.

Serves 4.

4 dried mango pieces

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 dried red chiles, stemmed and broken

Large pinch of asafetida

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

7 ounces (200 grams)
guar
(cluster beans; see Note), stringed and broken into small pieces

1 teaspoon table salt

6 tablespoons plain yogurt, whisked

2 teaspoon red chile powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 tablespoons
garam masala
(spice mix; page 27)

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1. Soak the dried mango in ¼ cup (50 ml) water for 30 minutes.

2. Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the cumin, chiles, asafetida, and mustard powder, and sauté for 1 minute.

3. Add the beans and salt. Stir well and add the yogurt.

4. In a small bowl, stir together the chile powder, turmeric,
garam masala,
and coriander powder, add ¼ cup (50 ml) water, and stir to combine. Add this mixture to the pan and stir. Add the mango along with the water in which it was soaked and stir. Cook for 10 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.

5. Serve hot.

Guar
is a legume grown in India and the source of guar gum. Though if grows well in a wet climate, it can tolerate arid conditions pretty well. It is grown mostly in India. Also now you can find it in the United States in the freezer section of many Indian grocery stores.

Aviyal

Mixed vegetables in coconut-and-yogurt gravy

Years ago when I cooked this popular South Indian dish for the first time on my show, I received more than fifty letters with recipes for
aviyal—each
different from the other, and each claiming to be the most authentic version. This is my version. If you can’t find Indian broad beans, you can use green beans.

Serves 4.

1 medium carrot

8 haricots verts or thin green beans, strings removed

8 Indian broad beans (hyacinth beans), strings removed

7 ounces (200 grams) white pumpkin, peeled

1 medium green banana, peeled

1 drumstick vegetable (page 588), canned or frozen

1 small yam, peeled

1½ teaspoons table salt

½ cup (60 grams) grated fresh coconut (or frozen unsweetened coconut)

4 green chiles, stemmed

1½ teaspoons cumin seeds

1 tablespoon raw rice

1½ cups (375 grams) plain yogurt

10 to 12 fresh curry leaves

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

1. Cut the carrot, haricots verts, broad beans, pumpkin, banana, drumstick, and yam into thick, 2-inch-long (5-cm-long) fingers.

2. Place a nonstick saucepan over high heat and add 2 cups (400 ml) water. When it comes to a boil, add ½ teaspoon of the salt and the yam, and boil for 8 minutes or until almost cooked. Drain in a colander and set aside.

3. Put the coconut, green chiles, cumin, rice, and 1/3 cup (70 ml) water in a mini food processor and process to a fine paste. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Add the yogurt and whisk until well blended. Set aside.

4. Place the nonstick saucepan over high heat and add 1½ cups (300 ml) water. When it comes to a boil, add the carrot, haricots verts, broad beans, pumpkin, banana, drumstick, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and the curry leaves. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are almost cooked.

5. Add the yogurt mixture and yam, and stir well. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat.

6. Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle with the coconut oil. Serve hot as a side dish.

If you do not like the smell of raw coconut oil, heat up the oil, add the curry leaves, and temper the
aviyal.
But do avoid reheating the
aviyal.