How to Cook Indian (108 page)

1. Put the
chana dal
in a bowl, wash it in plenty of water 2 or 3 times, and drain. Add 2 cups (400 ml) water and soak for 1 hour. Drain the
dal
in a colander.

2. Place a medium nonstick saucepan over high heat. Add the
chana dal,
bottle gourd, salt, turmeric, chile powder, coriander, chiles, ginger, and 2 cups (400 ml) water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes or until the
dal
is soft and the bottle gourd is cooked. Mash slightly using the back of a spoon and stir well. Transfer the
dal
mixture to a bowl and set aside.

3. Place a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add the ghee. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the cumin and asafetida, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the seeds begin to change color.

4. Add the
dal
mixture and stir. Add the sugar and stir well again. Simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Add the lemon juice and stir. Remove from the heat and transfer the curry to a serving bowl. Garnish with the cilantro and serve immediately.

Maa Chole Di Dal

North Indian lentils

This classic lentil preparation uses two types of lentils and is a favorite among North Indians. While the lentils provide a unique taste, the real secret of this dish is the tempered mixture of the spices, onions, and tomatoes.

Serves 4.

½ cup (100 grams)
chilkewali urad dal
(split black gram with skin)

½ cup (100 grams)
chana dal
(split Bengal gram)

1½ teaspoons table salt

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

1-inch (2½-cm) piece fresh ginger, chopped

3 green chiles, stemmed and chopped

2 or 3 tablespoons ghee (page 37)

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 onion, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

½ teaspoon red chile powder

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Put the
dals
in a large bowl, wash in plenty of water 2 or 3 times, and drain. Add 4 cups (800 ml) water and soak for 1 hour. Drain the
dals
in a colander.

2. Place a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat, add 4 cups (800 ml) water, and bring to a boil. Add the
dals,
salt, turmeric, half of the ginger, and half of the chiles. When the mixture comes to a boil again, lower the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 35 minutes or until the
dals
are soft. Stir well with a ladle to make a homogenous mixture but without mashing the
dals.

3. Place a small nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the ghee and butter. When the butter melts, add the cumin and the remaining ginger and chiles. When the seeds begin to change color, add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes or until the onion is lightly browned.

4. Add the tomatoes and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft. Add the chile powder and sauté for 1 minute or until the ghee and butter come to the top.

5. Add the tomato mixture to the
dals
and stir well. Place the saucepan over medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until the tomato mixture blends well with the
dals.

6. Transfer the
dal
to a serving bowl, garnish with the cilantro, and serve immediately.

Masaledar Chholay

A famous Punjabi preparation of chickpeas in a spicy tomato gravy

Two eternal favorites of Punjabi home cooking are
masaledaar chholay
and
rajma
(spiced red kidney beans). When I was a child, we had them in our house at least once a week. This dish is always a good choice for Sunday lunch. Serve with steamed rice,
raita,
garlic
naan
(page 455), and salad.

Serves 4.

2 (1-inch/2½-cm) pieces fresh ginger

8 to 10 cloves garlic

2 green chiles, stemmed

2 tablespoons cumin seeds

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 large red onions, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon red chile powder

1 tablespoon coarsely ground
anardana
(dried pomegranate seeds)

4 medium tomatoes, chopped

1½ teaspoons table salt

2½ cups (560 grams) cooked chickpeas (canned is fine)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Put the ginger, garlic, and chiles in a spice grinder, and grind to a paste.

2. Place a small nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add the cumin and dry-roast for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Cool and grind to a powder in a spice grinder.

3. Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the onions and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned. Add the ginger–garlic– green chile paste and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, chile powder, and
anardana,
and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes or until the oil comes to the top.

4. Add the tomatoes and salt. Cook for about 8 minutes or until the oil comes to the top.

5. Add the chickpeas and sauté for 2 minutes. Add 1 quart (800 ml) water and simmer for 10 minutes.

6. Garnish with the cilantro and serve hot.

If you feel like it, you can add boiled and diced potatoes. You can also make this dish with dried chickpeas: Soak 1½ cups (300 grams) dried chickpeas in 1 quart (800 ml) water overnight. Drain and put in a saucepan with 1½ quarts (1.2 liters) water, 2 teaspoons tea leaves tied in a double layer of cheesecloth, and 1 teaspoon salt; cook for 60 minutes or until soft. Discard the tea-leaf bag and use the cooked beans as described in the recipe above.

Palakwali Dal

Lentils with spinach

I can recall the appetizing aroma of this
dal
from when my mother used to make it for us on cold winter days in Delhi. She would bring it to the table piping hot, pour a generous portion on a pile of fluffy rice, and then drizzle some fragrant ghee over it.

Serves 4.

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1¼ teaspoons table salt

¾ cup (150 grams)
dhuli moong dal
(split skinless green gram), well rinsed

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds Pinch of asafetida

2 medium red onions, diced

2 green chiles, seeded and diced

2 dried red chiles, stemmed and broken

1-inch (2½-cm) piece fresh ginger, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

15 to 20 fresh spinach leaves, roughly shredded

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add 6 cups (1.2 liters) water, the turmeric, and salt, and bring to a boil. Add the
dal
and cook for 30 minutes or until it is tender.

2. Place another nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the cumin and asafetida. When the cumin begins to change color, add the onions and green and red chiles. Sauté for 3 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent.

3. Add the ginger and garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds.

4. Add the dal, bring to a boil, and add the spinach and lemon juice. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.

5. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot.

Paruppu

A simple
dal

Dal
with rice is a favorite combination in most Indian homes. It could be any
dal,
but pigeon peas are popular in the southern states and in Gujarat. As my wife comes from Gujarat, this is her idea of an everyday dal.

Serves 4.

1 cup (200 grams)
toor dal/arhar dal
(split pigeon peas)

Pinch of asafetida

1½ tablespoons vegetable oil

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds

1 teaspoon
dhuli urad dal
(split skinless black gram)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

12 fresh curry leaves

1 large red onion, chopped

4 green chiles, stemmed and slit

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 teaspoons table salt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Put the
toor dal
in a large bowl, wash in plenty of water 2 or 3 times, and drain. Add 3 cups (600 ml) water and soak for 2 hours. Drain in a colander.

2. Place a nonstick saucepan over high heat and add 6 cups (1.2 liters) water. Bring to a boil and add the
toor dal,
asafetida, 1 teaspoon of the oil, and the turmeric. Cook, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until the
dal
is soft. Let cool for a few minutes and mash it lightly. Return to medium heat and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes.

3. Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the remaining oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the mustard seeds. When they begin to sputter, add the
dhuli urad dal,
cumin, and curry leaves, and sauté for 15 seconds. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the chiles, garlic, and tomatoes, and sauté for 6 minutes or until the tomatoes are pulpy.

4. Add the sautéed mixture to the
dal
and bring to a boil. Add the salt and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.