Easy Indian Cooking (34 page)

1
Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).

2
Cut the eggplant into 1-in (2.5-cm) dice. Lightly toss the eggplant with ¼ cup (65 ml) of the oil and ½ teaspoon of salt. Place the eggplant on a baking sheet or roasting pan and bake in the center of the oven until lightly brown and the flesh is softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

3
Heat the remaining ¼ cup (65ml) oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, chili powder, turmeric and cumin, and stir to mix well. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently until the onion is well softened and translucent but not browned, about 10 minutes.

4
Add the chili peppers to the onion mixture and sauté for about a minute. Then add the roasted eggplant and salt to taste, and gently stir the ingredients together using spatula.

5
Just before serving, stir in the green onions. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot or cold.

mustard potatoes with dill

Serves
6
Preparation
10 minutes
Cooking
25 minutes

Simple to make and yet delicious, this versatile potato dish can be cooked up with spinach if dill is not readily available in your fridge. Serve it with hot chapatis and Mango and Roasted Red Pepper Chutney (page 23) for a simple yet wholesome family meal at home.

1 lb (500 g) potatoes, diced

¼ cup (65 ml) oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons black mustard seeds

2 dried red chili peppers

1 tablespoon Madras curry powder

6 cups (100 g) fresh dill, chopped

Salt, to taste

1
Boil the potatoes in a saucepan over medium-high heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until just tender. Drain well.

2
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Add the mustard seeds and the chili peppers, cover, and briefly allow the seeds to pop. Stir in the potatoes with the curry powder and sauté until fragrant. Add the dill, cover, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Season with salt and serve hot.

aromatic butternut squash

Serves
4
Preparation
15 minutes
Cooking
20 minutes

This dish is traditionally made with jaggery, but for the sake of convenience—without compromising the authenticity of the taste—I have used brown sugar. Grated coconut adds a wonderful dimension to the texture and flavor of this slightly sweetened butternut squash dish. These very same ingredients are used in Butternut Squash Soup with Exotic Spices (page 34), but there the squash is puréed with coconut milk. This can be served with Basmati Rice with Dry-Roasted Spices (page 77).

2 tablespoons oil

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

2 dried red chili peppers, stemmed 1-in (2.5-cm) cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

1 cup (150 g) chopped onion

1 lb (500 g) butternut squash, peeled and diced

1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds 1 teaspoon brown sugar

Salt, to taste

1 cup (100 g) fresh or frozen grated coconut

¼ cup (65 ml) water

¼ cup (10 g) fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), chopped

1
Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds, red chili peppers, cinnamon stick and bay leaves, and fry briefly. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

2
Add the squash, lower the heat to medium, and cook, stirring constantly to prevent sticking, for 5 minutes. Add the ground coriander, brown sugar and salt, and cook until the squash is softened.

3
Add the grated coconut and stir to break up any lumps and blend it into the squash. Add the water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Garnish with the chopped fresh coriander leaves.

stir-fried potatoes and green beans with mint

Serves
6
Preparation
15 minutes
Cooking
30 minutes

This one’s a perfect home-style subzi, or vegetable dish. Traditionally one would use chopped fresh coriander for this dish. I like to use mint to give this everyday food an interesting twist. Combine it with Spinach and Thyme Roti Flatbreads (page 76) and a portion of Spicy Red Lentils (page 87) for a perfect Indian meal.

8 potatoes (about 4 lbs/1.75 kg total), washed

½ lb (500 g) green beans

3 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon black mustard seeds 1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped Salt, to taste

2 fresh green chili peppers, deseeded and minced

4 green onions (scallions), minced

¼ cup (2 g) mint leaves, chopped

1
Place the potatoes in a large pot with cold water to cover, bring to a boil, and cook until just cooked through but still very firm (test the largest potato in the pot; it should be firm but cooked at the center). Drain and set aside to cool.

2
Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a medium pot. Toss in the green beans and cook until just tender, about 8–10 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water to cool, and then drain again. Trim, cut into ½-in (1.25-cm) lengths, and set aside.

3
Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-in (2.5-cm) dice. Set aside.

4
Heat the oil in a wok or a wide heavy pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, toss in the mustard seeds. When they stop popping, add the cumin seeds and turmeric, stir briefly, and then stir in the tomatoes and salt. Stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add the potatoes and stir-fry for another minute. Stir in the chili peppers, green onions, green beans and mint. Remove from the heat, taste for salt, and adjust if necessary. Serve hot.