Easy Indian Cooking (11 page)

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 small red onion, minced

1 small eggplant (½ lb/225 g), cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) pieces

1 red bell pepper, roasted (page 8)

3 cups (740 g) plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

Salt, to taste

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1
Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet on a medium heat until slightly toasted and brown, about a minute. Set aside.

2
Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring until golden, about 1 minute. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring until golden brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Cover the pan and cook over low heat until the eggplant pieces are very soft, about 5 minutes. Let the eggplant cool in the pan.

3
Remove the charred skin from the roasted bell pepper. Deseed it and dice half of it. Set aside.

4
Place the yogurt in a serving bowl. Add the salt and mix in the cooled eggplant with the pan drippings. Serve garnished with the sesame oil and seeds, and diced bell pepper.

plum tomato mustard dip

Makes
1 cup (400 g)
Preparation
15 minutes
Cooking
10 minutes

I like to think of this as Indian salsa. Tempered with curry leaves and mustard seeds, it is a tangy, sweet and Indianized tomato-based dip that is delicious with chips.

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

¼ cup (65 ml) oil

2 teaspoons black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon minced fresh curry leaves

2–3 dried red chili peppers, whole

2 large cloves garlic, minced

½ cup (75 g) minced red onion

1 teaspoon paprika

Salt, to taste

1 large plum tomato, chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons white vinegar

¼ cup (65 ml) water

1
Grind the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns in a spice or coffee grinder to make fine powder.

2
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and chili peppers. Lower the heat and cover the pan until the spluttering subsides. Add the garlic and onion, stir a few seconds, and then add the ground spices from step 1, paprika and salt, and cook, stirring for another 2 minutes.

3
Add the chopped tomato, tomato paste, vinegar and water, and cover the pan; reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally until the chutney is thick and fragrant, about 10 to 15 minutes. For the right consistency, it should be reduced to about 1 cup (400 g). Serve hot or cold.

mango and roasted red pepper chutney

Makes
2 cups (600 g)
Preparation
10 minutes
Cooking
30 minutes

Mangoes are only available fresh when in season, but frozen mango slices also work well for this recipe. The sweetness and subtle pungency of this accompaniment is great with meat and poultry dishes like Lemon Pepper Chicken with Fresh Mint (page 40).

1 red bell pepper, roasted (page 8)

2 large mangoes (about 2 lbs/1 kg), peeled, pitted and diced

½ cup (125 ml) white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar

¼ cup (65 ml) honey

¼ cup (35 g) dried cherries

Salt, to taste

2 tablespoons oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1-in (2.5-cm) piece peeled and minced fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon Asian chili powder or ground cayenne pepper

1
Remove the charred skin from the roasted bell pepper, then deseed and dice it. Set aside.

2
Toss together the mangoes, balsamic vinegar, honey, cherries and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

3
Sauté the onion with the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until cooked, 5–7 minutes.

4
Add the ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander and chili powder. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring for about 1 minute.

5
Stir in the mango mixture and simmer, stirring occasionally until the mangoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. (Frozen mango pieces will become tender quicker.) Add the diced bell pepper and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a serving bowl and let cool. Chill and serve cold.

beet and pineapple raita

Serves
4
Preparation
10 minutes
Cooking
15 minutes

The great thing about raitas is that there isn't a set list of ingredients. Here I have used cooked diced beets with chunks of fresh pineapple that give it a citrus touch. But you can use any canned fruit or diced soft or cooked vegetables to make raita—just make sure you choose ingredients that create a balance of sweetness from the fruit and tartness from the yogurt.

2 medium beets, about ½ lb (225 g)

2 cups (500 g) plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1 cup (250 g) sour cream, whisked until smooth

8 oz (250 g) peeled and cored fresh or canned pineapple, diced to ½ -in (1.25-cm) pieces

5 green onions (scallions), minced 1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 small fresh green chili peppers, minced

Salt, to taste

½ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)