1,000 Indian Recipes (87 page)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1
¹
⁄
₂
tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 cup finely chopped fresh spinach

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 cup water

1.
Soak the mung beans overnight in water to cover by 2 inches, then drain. Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the ginger, green chile pepper, and coriander, and stir about 30 seconds.

2.
Add the spinach and stir until wilted, about 1 minute. Mix in the mung beans, turmeric, and salt, and stir about 2 minutes. Add the water, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pan and cook until all the water has been absorbed and the dal is soft, about 10 minutes. Let cool before using.

Green Split Pea Samosa Filling

Samosae mein bharnae ki Muttar Dal

Makes about 4 cups

Another popular
samosa
filling, made with green split peas. Use in all types of savory pastries,
paranthas
(griddle-fried breads) and in
pooris
(puffed deep-fried whole-wheat breads).

1
¹
⁄
₄
cups green split peas (muttar dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoons cumin seeds

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 cup water

2 teaspoons mango powder

1.
Soak the split peas overnight in water to cover by 2 inches, then drain. Heat the oil in a small nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the onion and cook, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes.

2.
Add the dal, coriander, ginger, fennel seeds, cayenne pepper, salt, and asafoetida, and cook about 1 minute. Add the water, bring to a quick boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook until the split peas are tender, about 10 minutes. Mix in the mango powder and let cool before using.

Sprouted Green Mung Bean Samosa Filling

Samosae mein bharnae ki Phooti Hui Mung Dal

Makes about 4 cups

Lending a nutritional boost and a delicate crunch to the normally soft-cooked fillings are sprouted small beans and lentils (
dals
). Use any one type or mix them together, but stick to the smaller
dals
only (not the larger dried beans). Grated potatoes are the binder to ensure that the filling doesn't fall out as you eat the
samosas
.

Sprout the
dal
at home in advance or look for the sprouts in health food stores or farmers' markets.

2 cups sprouted green mung beans (
Sprouting Beans
, or store-bought)

6 small russet (or any) potatoes

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons ground coriander

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground turmeric

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

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

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

1.
Prepare the mung beans in advance. Cook the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water to cover until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, let cool, then grate into a medium bowl.

2.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the onions and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes.

3.
Add the coriander and turmeric, then mix in the green chiles, sprouted dal, and salt, and cook about 3 minutes. Add the grated potatoes, lemon juice, and cilantro, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until completely dry, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool before using.

Meat Samosa Filling

Samosae mein bharnae ka Gosht

Makes about 3 cups

Popular among non-vegetarians, this filling is also very delicious as a stuffing in
parantha
(griddle-fried breads) and an array of vegetables.

1 cup fresh fenugreek leaves

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

2 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled

5 to 7 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon garam masala

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1 pound extra lean ground meat (lamb, beef, or chicken)

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

¹
⁄
₂
cup bread crumbs

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

1.
In a food processor, process together the fenugreek leaves, cilantro, garlic, ginger, and green chile pepper until minced. Add all the remaining ingredients, except the peas, and process again to mix well.

2.
Transfer to a large nonstick wok or skillet, mix in the peas, and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until the meat is golden and completely dry, 7 to 10 minutes. Let cool before using.

Mung Bean Puffed Pastries

Mung Dal ki Khasta Kachauriyan

Makes about 30 pieces

Belonging to Rajasthan in the northwest and Uttar Pradesh in the north-central part of India,
kachauries
are another of India's savory pastries. These crispy and flaky 2- to 3-inch puffed-up rounds of pastry dough are always filled with something exciting, whether it is spices, nuts, lentils, or dried peas. Serve them with any
sonth
chutney (sweet and sour tamarind) or green chutney of your choice.

This recipe was given to me by Pushpa Khatod, my daughter's mother-in-law. Her important advice: the pastry for the
kachauries
is quite thick and should be fried over medium heat for a long time. Do not increase the heat at any time. Also, if any
kachauri
falls apart while frying, quickly remove it from the wok or it will disintegrate and spoil the oil.