1,000 Indian Recipes (294 page)

Imli Poha

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Tamarind, with its dark color and a fruity sour taste, gives this pressed rice flakes dish a new flavor.

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, dry-roasted (
Dry-Roasting Spices
)

3 tablespoons
Tamarind Paste
(or store-bought)

¹
⁄
₂
cup water

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt

3 cups thick pressed rice flakes, sorted

3 tablespoons peanut oil

2 to 5 dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol, broken

2 teaspoons black mustard seeds

1 tablespoon dried yellow split chickpeas (channa dal), sorted

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

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh curry leaves

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced or split in half lengthwise

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

1.
Prepare the sesame seeds and the tamarind paste. Then, in a small bowl, mix together the tamarind paste, water, turmeric, and salt.

2.
Place the rice flakes in a fine-mesh strainer and wash well under running water. Transfer to a large bowl, mix in the tamarind-water, and set aside until all the water is absorbed and the grains stand separate, about 5 minutes.

3.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the red chile peppers and mustard seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and reduce the heat until the spluttering subsides. Quickly add both the dals, curry leaves, asafoetida, and green chile peppers and cook, stirring, until the dals are golden, about 1 minute.

4.
Add the rice flakes and stir gently to mix. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until completely dry and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Mix in the cilantro, sprinkle the sesame seeds on top, and serve.

Stir-Fried Spicy Semolina

Rava Uppma

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Uppma
is one of India's quick-cooking and easily digested dishes. With a texture somewhat like couscous and a taste of southern India,
uppma
is generally served as part of a brunch menu and an anytime snack. Use coarse or fine semolina; the coarse grain results in a pilaf-style rice dish and the finer one will be more lumpy.

1 tablespoon each: yellow split chickpeas (channa dal), split black urad beans (chilkae vaali urad dal), white urad beans (dhulli urad dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

1
¹
⁄
₂
cups semolina

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

2 tablespoons shelled raw peanuts, with red skin

2 tablespoons chopped raw cashews

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger

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

10 to 15 fresh curry leaves

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

3 to 3
¹
⁄
₂
cups water

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

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

1.
Soak the dals in water to cover about 30 minutes. Drain. Place the semolina in a large wok or saucepan and dry-roast, stirring over medium-high heat until heated through. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to roast until golden, about 5 minutes. Remove to a bowl.

2.
In the same pan, heat the oil and add the 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 drained dals and stir about 30 seconds.

3.
With the heat still on medium, add the peanuts and cashews, and cook, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Add the onion, ginger, green chile peppers, and curry leaves, and cook, stirring, until the onions are golden, about 5 minutes.

4.
Mix in the roasted semolina, salt, and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until all the water is absorbed and the semolina is soft and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in the cilantro and lime (or lemon) juice, allow to rest about 5 minutes, and serve.

Stir-Fried Indian Vermicelli with Coconut and Vegetables

Sevai Uppma

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Made with an Indian vermicelli called
sevai
or
seviyan
, the preparation of this
uppma
is almost exactly like
Stir-Fried Spicy Semolina
made with semolina. Indian vermicelli is available as thin, curly
¹
⁄
₂
-inch noodles (much thinner than angel hair pasta) packaged in clear plastic wrap. Do not buy the roasted long, thin ones.

¹
⁄
₂
cup semolina

1 tablespoon peanut oil or melted ghee

1 cup Indian vermicelli

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger

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

10 to 15 fresh curry leaves

1 tablespoon grated fresh or frozen coconut

1 to 2 cups finely chopped fresh or frozen mixed vegetables, such as carrots, peas, corn, and cauliflower florets

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

3 to 3
¹
⁄
₂
cups water

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

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

1.
In a large nonstick wok or skillet over medium heat, dry-roast the semolina until fragrant and golden, about 5 minutes. Remove to a bowl. In the same pan, heat 1 teaspoon oil (or ghee) and roast the vermicelli until golden, about 5 minutes. Add to the semolina bowl.

2.
In the same pan, heat the remaining ghee (or oil) and add the mustard seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan until the spluttering subsides. Quickly mix in the asafoetida, onion, ginger, green chile peppers, curry leaves, and coconut, and cook, stirring, until the onions are golden, about 3 minutes.

3.
Add the vegetables and salt and cook, stirring, 3 more minutes, then add the water and bring to a boil over high heat.

4.
Mix in the roasted semolina and vermicelli, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan and simmer, until the vegetables are tender and all the water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Stir every few minutes. Mix in the cilantro and lime or lemon juice, allow to rest about 5 minutes, then serve.

Basmati and Wild Rice Pilaf with Roasted Nuts

Junglee Pullao

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This is a traditional recipe with a surprise—wild rice. Because wild rice takes a long time to soften, I first cook it separately and then together with the
basmati
rice to make this inspired dish. To dry-roast the peanuts, almonds, and sesame seeds, see
Dry-Roasting Spices, Nuts, and Flours
.

¹
⁄
₃
cup wild rice, sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

3
¹
⁄
₄
cups water

1 cup basmati rice, sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water