1,000 Indian Recipes (234 page)

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

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teaspoon ground paprika

1.
In a blender (not a food processor), blend together the yogurt, water, chickpea flour, green chile peppers, and the whole garlic clove until smooth. (Blend well, or the yogurt will curdle while cooking.) Transfer to a bowl and mix in the coriander, turmeric, and salt.

2.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or a sauce-pan over medium-high heat and cook the onion, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and minced garlic and cook, stirring, another minutes. Add the coriander, fenugreek, and asafoetida, stir about 30 seconds. Then slowly add the yogurt mixture, stirring constantly, and continue to stir until it comes to a boil, 2 to 4 minutes. Watch carefully and reduce the heat if the sauce starts to boil over.

3.
Once the sauce comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally and watching carefully, until it looks smooth and silky and traces of oil are visible on the top surface and the sides, 30 to 35 minutes. Mix in the spinach and fenugreek leaves during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a serving dish, cover, and keep warm.

4.
Heat the ghee in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the red chile peppers, cumin, and mustard seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so lower the heat and cover the pan until the spluttering subsides. Remove from the heat, mix in the paprika, then add to the kadhi and swirl lightly with a fork to mix , with parts of it visible on top as a garnish. Serve.

Fenugreek Yogurt Curry with Fritters

Methi-Kadhi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This recipe, shared by my friend Neelam Malhotra, is made in mustard oil and is full of fragrant fenugreek
pakoras
(fritters), which adds yet another dimension to the everyday
kadhi
(yogurt curry).

12 to 15
Fresh Fenugreek Pakora Fritters with Pomegranate Seeds

3 cups nonfat plain yogurt

3 cups water

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cup chickpea flour

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

3 tablespoons mustard oil

2 tablespoons peeled minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons coriander seeds, coarsely crushed with the back of a spoon

1 teaspoon coarsely ground fenugreek seeds

12 to 15 fresh curry leaves

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cup finely chopped daikon radishes

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teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 teaspoon ground cumin

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teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1.
Prepare the pakoras. Then, in a blender, blend together the yogurt, water, chickpea flour, and green chile peppers until smooth. (Blend well, or the yogurt will curdle while cooking.) Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

2.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or a saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the ginger and garlic, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Add the coriander, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, daikon radishes, asafoetida, cumin, and turmeric. Stir momentarily. Then slowly add the yogurt mixture, stirring constantly, and continue to stir until it comes to a boil, 2 to 4 minutes. Watch carefully and reduce the heat if the sauce starts to boil over.

3.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally and watching carefully, until the kadhi is smooth and silky and traces of oil are visible on the top surface and the sides, 30 to 35 minutes. (The sauce, at this point should be somewhat soupy; it will thicken after the pakoras are added.)

4.
Add the fenugreek leaves and the pakoras and simmer 3 to 5 minutes, allowing the pakoras to soften as they absorb the sauce. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with cilantro, and serve.

Soupy Gujarati Curry

Gujarati Kadhi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

The people from Gujarat in northwestern India tend to add sugar to most of their dishes. This is their unique touch, which not only distinguishes their dishes, but also gives them a lovely balance.
This kadhi
is very soupy and I love it that way. Serve it as a soup or pair it with rice and vegetables and present it as an entrée, just the way my friend Falguni Jalota normally does.

4 cups nonfat plain yogurt

2 tablespoons chickpea flour

4 cups water

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds

2 tablespoons peeled minced fresh ginger

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teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon sugar

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tablespoon ghee or vegetable oil

1 (1-inch) stick cinnamon

3 cloves

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

3 to 4 whole dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol

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teaspoon ground asafoetida

4 to 5 fresh curry leaves

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cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1.
In a blender or food processor, blend together the yogurt, chickpea flour, and water until smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan and mix in the green chile peppers, ginger, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes.

2.
Heat the ghee (or oil) in a small nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cinnamon, cloves, and mustard seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so lower the heat and cover the pan until the spluttering subsides. Quickly add the cumin, red chile peppers, asafoetida, and curry leaves, and stir about 30 seconds.

3.
Add the spices to the yogurt mixture, along with the cilantro, and simmer about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.

Sindhi Tamarind Curry with Vegetables

Sindhi Kadhi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Although this dish is called a
kadhi
, it is not a true
kadhi
in the strictest sense of the word because it has no yogurt. But it does have chickpea flour, which is another important ingredient of traditional
kadhis
.

Given to me by my Sindhi friend, Kanta Kaytee, who makes this dish at every opportunity, this
kadhi
contains no garlic and comes full of many soft-cooked vegetables that are delicious over steamed rice.

3 tablespoons peanut oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

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teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds

2 tablespoons chickpea flour

4 cups water

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teaspoon ground turmeric

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teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 to 3 small Japanese eggplants, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 small opo squash (
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to
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pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

8 to 10 small okras, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 to 6 small potatoes (about 1 pound), unpeeled, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons
Tamarind Paste

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cup water

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cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin and fenugreek seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the ginger, green chile peppers, and chickpea flour, and stir over low heat until the chickpea flour is golden and very fragrant, about 5 minutes.

2.
Add the water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the water is reduced by about N, about 10 minutes. Add the turmeric, cayenne pepper, and salt and boil another 2 to 3 minutes.

3.
Add all the vegetables and cook over low heat until the vegetables are soft and the kadhi is thick, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the tamarind paste, then dissolve it in the water.

4.
Mix in the tamarind-water mixture and simmer another 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, mix in the cilantro, and serve.

Buttermilk and Cucumber Creamy Curry

Chaach aur Kheerae ki Kadhi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This authentic recipe, from Sushi Mysoor of Karnatka in the south, is a quick-cooking saucy dish that goes well with and adds a richness to plain steamed rice. Fresh coconut really makes a difference in this recipe, but you could use frozen coconut, available at Indian markets, or unsweetened dried coconut.

1 tablespoon peanut oil