Easy Indian Cooking (35 page)

green cabbage with lentils

Serves
6
Preparation
15 minutes
Cooking
30 minutes

While growing up in southern India, this was easily one of the simplest comfort foods in my family. Homey, easy to make, and quicker to serve, my version uses most of the traditional ingredients that my family used when making this dish. And fortunately all of them can be found at your local grocer's. I like to keep the cabbage for a minimal time on the heat so that it retains its crunchiness. For truly no-hassle, easy-to-make dinner or lunch fare, serve this with any of the rice dishes and Spicy Red Lentils (page 87).

1 cup (180 g) dried lentils

2 tablespoons oil

1¼ teaspoons cumin seeds

8 fresh curry leaves

1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 fresh green chili peppers, deseeded and minced

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 small head green cabbage (about 1¼ lbs/600 g), finely shredded

Salt, to taste

½ cup (10 g) fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), including soft stems, chopped

¼ teaspoon garam masala

1
Wash the lentils and add them to a pot of boiling water. Cook until soft, about 12 to 15 minutes. Make sure it does not get too soft and mushy.

2
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds and curry leaves; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the ginger, garlic, green chili peppers and ground coriander, and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes.

3
Add the cabbage and salt, cover the pan, and cook, stirring as needed over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Then reduce the heat to medium-low heat and cook until the cabbage is tender, about 10 minutes.

4
Mix in the cooked lentils and fresh coriander during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle the garam masala on top, and serve.

masala scrambled eggs with crumbled paneer

Serves
6
Preparation
5 minutes
Cooking
5 minutes

This is a slightly Indianized version of scrambled eggs with cheese, served universally at home and in diners across the country. I have used Indian paneer and some fresh coriander (cilantro) to give this popular egg preparation a new twist. You can use this scramble in a wrap and make it a to-go meal in minutes.

2 tablespoons oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 large tomato, chopped

2 fresh green chili peppers, deseeded and minced

1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Salt, to taste

6 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup (150 g) paneer cheese, coarsely crumbled

1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

1
Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, tomato and green chili peppers, and cook, stirring until most of the tomato juices are dry, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ginger, lemon juice and salt.

2
Add the eggs and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until firm, about 2 minutes.

3
Mix in the paneer cheese and fresh coriander. Serve hot.

spice stuffed okra

Serves
6
Preparation
20 minutes
Cooking
30 minutes

This recipe is a little more elaborate than the simplest okra preparations. But, mark my words—the work will be worth it. This is by far one of the tastiest ways of using okra in Indian cuisine.

1½ lbs (750 g) fresh, tender okra, rinsed and patted dry

3 tablespoons oil

1½ teaspoons cumin seeds

1 large onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 large tomato, coarsely chopped

Masala

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon mango powder

1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon garam masala

¼ teaspoon ground paprika

¼ teaspoon Asian chili powder or ground cayenne pepper

Salt, to taste

1
Make the Masala by mixing the spices and salt together in a small bowl.

2
Cut off the end of the okra stem and discard. Make a long slit on one side from the stem down, stopping ¾-in (2-cm) from the tip. (This forms a stuffing pocket, but keeps the okra intact.) Stuff ¼ to ½ teaspoon of the spice mixture into each okra pocket. Reserve any leftover spice mixture.

3
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat in a non-stick skillet and add the cumin seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the onion and cook, stirring until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, leaving behind any oil.

4
Lay all the stuffed okra in the skillet in a single layer. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon oil on top and cook over medium-low heat, turning the pieces very carefully, until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Scatter the cooked onions over the okra and then add any leftover spices. Mix carefully and cook over medium-low heat, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.

5
Add the tomato to the skillet and cook over high heat until wilted and coated with spices left in the skillet, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the okra platter and serve.

southern indian masala with potatoes and peas

Serves
6
Preparation
15 minutes
Cooking
35 minutes

I love tarragon. It is a very versatile herb and spruces up a dish beautifully. And though it is not at all a conventional Indian ingredient, it works wonderfully in some typical Indian dishes because of the fresh flowery scent it adds. Using dried tarragon is never a comparable substitute for the fresh variety. If fresh tarragon is not available, use an equal amount of fresh coriander (cilantro) rather than dried tarragon flakes. The curry leaves lend a perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness in this southern Indian vegetable dish.

1 lb (500 g) small red or white potatoes

3 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds