How to Cook Indian (21 page)

1½ cups (150 grams)
besan
(chickpea/gram flour)

1 teaspoon
ajwain

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon red chile powder

2 teaspoons table salt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

For the chutney:

10 to 15 pitted dates

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 tablespoons grated cane jaggery

5 tablespoons tamarind pulp

5 tablespoons red chile powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon black salt

½ teaspoon table salt

For the sandwiches:

1 (7-ounce/200-gram) block
paneer
(pressed fresh cheese; page 17)

8 slices white bread

1 quart (800 ml) vegetable oil

Pudina aur dhaniya
chutney (mint-and-cilantro chutney; page 22)

1. Make the batter: Put the
besan, ajwain,
turmeric, chile powder, salt, and cilantro in a deep bowl. Stir well and add ½ cup plus 6 tablespoons (190 ml) water and whisk until smooth and lump-free. Set aside.

2. Make the chutney: Put the dates, cumin, fennel, jaggery, tamarind pulp, chile powder, and ground ginger in a deep nonstick saucepan. Add 1 cup (200 ml) water and place over medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes more or until the dates are tender. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a food processor and process until smooth; the chutney should be thick. Transfer to a bowl and add the black salt and table salt, and stir well.

3. Make the sandwiches: Place the block of
paneer
on a cutting board and cut into ½-inch-thick (1-cm-thick) slices.

4. Place 4 slices of bread on a work surface. Arrange the
paneer
slices over them, taking care that they do not overlap. Spread 1 tablespoon of the chutney on the
paneer.
Cover with more
paneer
slices, again taking care that they do not overlap. Cover with the remaining bread slices to make 4 thick
paneer-
and chutney-stuffed sandwiches. Cut each sandwich into 4 pieces.

5. Place a nonstick wok over high heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, lower the heat to medium. Working in batches, carefully dip each sandwich piece in the batter and gently slide it into the hot oil. Fry a few pieces at a time until golden brown. Turn with a slotted spoon once or twice. Drain on paper towels. Serve with the chutney.

Bread Upma

Bread stir-fry

This is a wonderful way to use up stale bread. This dish is served at breakfast or snacktime in India. It tastes best when served immediately. Be sure to stir-fry quickly, or the bread may absorb too much oil.

Serves 4.

¼ cup (50 ml) vegetable oil

Pinch of asafetida

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

¼ teaspoon brown mustard seeds

1 medium red onion, peeled and chopped

1 medium potato, boiled, peeled, and diced

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon red chile powder

8 slices day-old white bread, cut into small pieces

2 green chiles, stemmed and chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ teaspoon table salt

1. Place a nonstick wok over high heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, lower the heat to medium and add the asafetida, cumin seeds, and mustard seeds. When the cumin changes color and the mustard seeds begin to sputter, add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes or until translucent.

2. Add the potato and sauté for 1 minute. Add the turmeric and chile powder, and stir well. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the bread, chiles, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and 3 tablespoons water, and toss well. Serve immediately.

Broken-Wheat Upma

A healthy version of the popular breakfast snack

Upma
is a wholesome Indian snack traditionally made with semolina, but some regions use broken wheat, which tastes quite different from the finer semolina. Broken wheat is sold as
lapsi
in Indian grocery stores.

You could use diced broccoli instead of the carrot and blanched sweet corn instead of peas—experiment with your favorite combinations of vegetables.

Serves 4.

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped

¼ cup (40 grams) frozen green peas

¼ cup (65 grams) low-fat plain yogurt

¼ teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon
dhuli urad dal
(split skinless black gram)

10 to 12 fresh curry leaves

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 cup (200 grams)
lapsi
(fine broken wheat)

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

3 or 4 green chiles, stemmed and chopped

1 teaspoon table salt, or more if necessary

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Place a small nonstick saucepan over high heat, add 1 cup (200 ml) water, and bring to a boil. Add the carrot and green peas and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain in a colander. Refresh under running water and drain well. Alternatively, you can microwave the vegetables until they are tender.

2. Put the yogurt in a deep bowl, add 3½ cups (700 ml) water, and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

3. Place a medium nonstick saucepan over low heat. After 2 minutes, add the mustard seeds and
urad dal.
When the mustard seeds sputter, add the curry leaves and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes or until the onion is lightly browned.

4. Stir in the
lapsi
and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ginger and chiles, and cook for 5 minutes more or until the mixture has a roasted aroma.

5. Add the yogurt mixture and salt. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low and cook, stirring continuously, for 7 to 8 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.

6. Add the carrot and peas, along with the lemon juice. Stir gently and taste for salt; add more if necessary. If the
upma
is too dry, add 2 to 3 tablespoons water. Cover and cook over low heat for 8 minutes.

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

Bendekaya Vepudu

Deep-fried okra with spices

One vegetable my two girls love is okra, which we call
bhindi
in Hindi. This is one of the dishes they often demand.

Serves 4.

2¼ pounds (1 kg) okra

1 quart (800 ml) vegetable oil

4 or 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons roasted cumin seeds (page 32)

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

4 or 5 whole cloves

1-inch (2½-cm) cinnamon stick

3 green cardamom pods

6 to 8 whole black peppercorns

4 dried red chiles, stemmed and broken in half

1 teaspoon table salt

1. Wash and drain the okra. Pat dry with a kitchen towel. Trim off the two ends and cut the okra into ½-inch (1-cm) pieces.

2. Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, lower the heat to low, add the garlic, and cook until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

3. Place a nonstick wok over high heat and add the remaining oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, lower the heat to medium and add the okra, in two or three batches, and cook until the okra is crisp and browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

4. Put the cumin, coriander, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, peppercorns, chiles, garlic flakes, and salt in a spice grinder, and grind to a powder.

5. Sprinkle the spice mix on the fried okra and toss well. Serve immediately.

Garnish with some crushed roasted peanuts for extra flavor.