Easy Indian Cooking (33 page)

Authors: Hari Nayak

BOOK: Easy Indian Cooking

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Serves
6
Preparation
15 minutes
Cooking
25 minutes

Rajma, or the red kidney bean, is a very common legume in northern Indian kitchens. When prepared as a stew, or ragout, and eaten with hot plain rice, it is known as rajma-chawal. I have used fresh thyme, instead of the typical fresh coriander (cilantro), to give this dish an altogether new dimension.

2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 onions, minced

1½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 teaspoons peeled and minced fresh ginger

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 fresh green chili peppers, deseeded and minced

2 large plum tomatoes, chopped

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon garam masala

One 16-oz (450-g) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups (500 ml) water

Salt, to taste

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Quickly add the onion and chopped thyme, and cook, stirring frequently until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes.

2
Add the ginger, garlic, green chili peppers, tomatoes, coriander, cumin, turmeric and garam masala, and fry until the oil separates, about 5 minutes.

3
Add the red kidney beans, the water and salt, and cook until the beans are tender and the flavors are well blended, about 10 minutes. Mash some of the beans roughly; this thickens the sauce. Transfer to a large serving bowl and serve garnished with the sprigs of thyme.

CHAPTER EIGHT

vegetables, eggs and cheese

Indians have truly perfected the art of vegetarian cooking. From the simplest of vegetables, Indian cooks create a mouth-watering variety of food. And so, the trend toward healthy living is encouraging many Americans to join the “vegetarian revolution.” To avoid giving up taste, appearance and variety in the foods that they eat, many vegetarians turn to Indian cuisine for inspiration. Using spices, seasonings and nutritious ingredients such as leafy vegetables, grains, fruits and legumes, Indian vegetarian dishes have unique, interesting and satisfying flavors.

Vegetable dishes are a key part of every Indian meal, whether for vegetarians or meat eaters. Typically, vegetables are either braised or sautéed, combined with garlic and spices, and served with rice or curries.

The
thali
—literally meaning a “plate,” but denoting a set meal, sometimes with unlimited servings—is a style of serving food that’s almost synonymous with vegetarian fare. An endless procession of fresh vegetables cooked in aromatic spices, a variety of crisp, fried snacks, staples like rice and rotis, and an array of delectable confections typically appear in the
thali
. Serve several simple vegetable and cheese dishes included in this chapter in small portions and delight your friends and family with a
thali
dinner on any special occasion!

Eggs are not considered part of a vegetarian diet in India like they are in the West. Here you will find two familiar egg recipes with an Indian twist. Indian herbs and spices and ingredients like ginger, chili and tomato are used to add spice and flavor.

baby beets and carrots with curry leaves

Serves
4
Preparation
15 minutes
Cooking
30 minutes

This recipe brings back some very warm memories of one of my favorite places in New York City—the Farmer’s Market at Union Square. The sight is always so spectacular—it is often my therapy for a tired soul! I discovered a variety of differently colored baby beets there, and ever since I have experimented with using them as ingredients in several of my dishes. Here, I have used red and yellow baby beets. The dash of rice vinegar and the curry leaves add to the robust and heady flavor of this dish.

1 lb (500 g) red and yellow beets

½ lb (250 g) baby carrots, peeled

1 tablespoon oil

8 fresh curry leaves

2 tablespoons deseeded and minced fresh green chili peppers

3 tablespoons minced shallots

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

Salt, to taste

1 teaspoon sugar

1
If the beet greens are still attached, cut them off, leaving about 1 in (2.5 cm) of stem intact. Bring 1 in (2.5 cm) of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the unpeeled beets, cover, and cook until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the pot and let it stand until cool enough to handle, then peel and cut into quarters. Set aside and keep warm.

2
Cook the baby carrots the same way you cooked the beets. (If the baby carrots are various sizes, cut the larger ones into halves or thirds for even cooking). Remove from the pot and set aside.

3
Place a pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and, when it is hot, add the curry leaves, chili peppers and shallots. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beets and carrots and stir. Add the vinegar, salt, and sugar and stir well. Raise the heat to high and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

4
Remove from the heat and taste for seasoning. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot or at room temperature.

oven-roasted spiced eggplant

Serves
6
Preparation
10 minutes
Cooking
20 minutes

The eggplants used in this recipe are not the typical large ones—often referred to as the “globe” variety—that are commonly found supermarkets. Here, I use the long, slim eggplants that can be found in Asian or Indian markets, and which deliver a slightly different flavor when cooked than the larger, common ones. This preparation is rather simple and healthy, yet the touch of cumin and green chili peppers makes it really tasty. This can easily be stuffed in Indian flatbreads or a store-bought wrap for a perfect meal-on-the-go.