1,000 Indian Recipes (180 page)

Harae Kaelae ki Sabzi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

The green starchy bananas called plantains that are now found increasingly in American markets may be intimidating to cooks who have no idea how to use them. But they are routinely consumed all over the southern parts of India. Because the peel is tough, cut the banana into slices and then remove the peel.

1 tablespoon peanut oil or melted ghee

2 dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol, broken

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

2 large green plantains (about 1 pound), cut into
¹
⁄
₂
-inch pieces and peeled

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 to 1
¹
⁄
₂
cups water, or as needed

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1.
Heat the oil (or ghee) in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the red chile peppers, cumin, and mustard seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so lower the heat and cover the pan until the spluttering subsides. Quickly add, first the asafoetida and turmeric, then the plantains and salt, and cook about 2 minutes.

2.
Add the water, about
¹
⁄
₂
cup at a time, and cook, uncovered, until the plantain pieces are tender but not mushy. If, after the plantains are soft, you have too much liquid left in the pan, increase the heat to high and cook until it evaporates. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the cilantro on top, and serve.

Variation:
For a creamy dish, during the last 5 minutes add about
¹
⁄
₄
cup
coconut milk
(or store-bought) and adjust the seasonings.

Watermelon Whites with Ginger

Tarbooz ki Sabzi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Indians make use of almost every part of a vegetable or fruit. This dish is made with the white rind and flesh of the watermelon. It cooks like zucchini, but the pieces maintain their shape and texture. After you cut out the red watermelon, peel off the green skin from the thick white rind, and use all the white and whatever red is left behind for this dish.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 large onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks

1 large potato (any kind), peeled and cut into
¹
⁄
₂
-inch pieces

1 large clove fresh garlic, minced

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds

1 tablespoon ground coriander

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground cumin

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground paprika

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

4 to 5 cups peeled and chopped watermelon rind

1 pound Roma tomatoes, finely chopped

¹
⁄
₂
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon garam masala

1.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the onion, ginger, and potato, and cook until golden, about 5 minutes.

2.
Add the garlic and green chile pepper, and then add the coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika, and salt and stir about 30 seconds.

3.
Add the watermelon rind and tomatoes and cook over high heat, about 2 minutes. Then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook until the watermelon and potatoes are very soft, about 10 minutes. Mix in the cilantro during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the garam masala on top, and serve.

Paneer Cheese

India's prized cheese is called
paneer
. In India, it is made with milk from the water buffalo (but here it is made with cow's milk).

Paneer
is generally made at home, fresh, whenever the meal calls for it—which, in certain families in India, may mean twice a week. Luckily,
paneer
is also readily available at the neighborhood shops that sell Indian sweets and savories) and from special
paneer
stands all over India.

Paneer
is simply a chunk of curdled milk solids that have been separated from the liquid whey. The curdling or breaking down of the milk is done with the help of a sour agent such as yogurt, lemon juice, vinegar, or citric acid. Once the milk is broken down into curds and whey, it is passed through a piece of muslin or layers of cheesecloth. The curds (
paneer
) remain in the muslin, while the whey simply drains out.

Spongy and mildly sweet,
paneer
cheese has always been a source of inspiration to Indian cooks. It doesn't melt, it easily reflects other flavors, and lends elegant smoothness to every dish. And, best of all, it can be quite low in fat if you make it with reduced-fat milk. It is still cheese, of course, which is high in cholesterol, but, when cooked the Indian way—with a number of other ingredients—it is distributed among multiple servings. Also, if you, like the majority of people in India, do not eat any meats or eggs, cheese is a vital source of protein.

Paneer
cheese
is very easy to make; simply follow the directions. The
paneer
recipes in this and other chapters always call for freshly made
paneer
as the first choice, but now that it is beginning to be available in some Indian markets, you can substitute store-bought
paneer
for convenience.

In this chapter, there are starters or party appetizers such as
Seared Paneer Cheese in Lemon Cream
, great anytime dishes such as
Oven-Baked Paneer Cheese with Puréed Cilantro
, main courses such as the classic
Spinach with Paneer Cheese
, and specialty dishes such as
Royal Paneer Cheese Curry
. (See the
Desserts
chapter for
sweet
paneer
recipes.)

= Vegan
= Pressure-Cooker Quick

Paneer Cheese Appetizers

Paneer
Substitutes

Ricotta cheese, a soft-curd cow's milk cheese, is almost like paneer. Once drained, it can be used similarly. Lay some muslin or cheesecloth in a large bowl, put the ricotta in the cloth, then tie the ends together. Weigh down the cheese with a large pot full of water to drain out the whey, and you will be left with a soft, cake-like chunk of cheese. Use it interchangeably in all the paneer cheese scramble dishes. If the recipe calls for large pieces, be aware that even though ricotta cheese can be cut into pieces, the pieces will disintegrate easily, so use a very light touch while stirring.