1,000 Indian Recipes (217 page)

1 teaspoon ground dried fenugreek leaves

2 large tomatoes, finely chopped

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recipe
Spicy Yellow Curry Paste

1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes

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cups shelled fresh peas, or fresh corn (from 3 to 4 small ears) or frozen corn kernels

3 cups water

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cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

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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 coriander, ground cumin, and fenugreek leaves, then add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until most of the juices evaporate, 4 to 6 minutes.

2.
Mix in the curry paste and stir about 3 minutes, then add the potatoes and peas or corn, and stir-fry about 5 minutes. Add the water, cover the pan and cook, stirring as needed, over medium-high heat the first 2 to 3 minutes and then over medium-low heat until the potatoes are soft, 7 to 10 minutes. Adjust the salt, and add more water if you prefer a thinner sauce.

3.
Mix in the cilantro, cook 1 minute, then transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the garam masala on top, and serve.

Whole Cauliflower in Traditional Curry Sauce

Saabut Gobhi Masala

Makes 4 to 6 servings

In this recipe, a whole head of cauliflower, smothered in a fragrant curry sauce, makes for a dinner party dish
par excellence
. I simplify the cooking by microwaving the cauliflower first, but you can also steam it, and then pan-cook it for a fresher, lighter taste and a healthier dish. (Traditionally it is deep fried.)

1 (1
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-pound) cauliflower, washed

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

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teaspoon salt, or to taste +
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teaspoon

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

8 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

2 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped

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cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1 cup water

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teaspoon ground nutmeg

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teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

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teaspoon garam masala +
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teaspoon for garnish

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teaspoon ground turmeric

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cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1.
Trim off the cauliflower leaves and cut off as much of the center stalk as possible, creating a cavity where you cut the head from the stalk (so the sauce will later add flavor inside the head). Remove the fibrous outer covering of the stalk with a knife, then chop the stalk coarsely and place it in a food processor bowl.

2.
Place the cauliflower head in a microwave-safe dish. Brush the head on both sides with about 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle lightly with
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teaspoon salt. Cover and microwave on high power until lightly softened, about 3 minutes.

3.
Transfer to a large nonstick wok or saucepan (large enough to hold the cauliflower) and cook over medium-low heat until golden on all sides. Use kitchen tongs to turn the head as needed, making sure that most parts are covered with browned spots.

4.
To the food processor with the chopped cauliflower stalk, add the onion, ginger, garlic, and green chile peppers and process to make a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl. Process the tomatoes until puréed and transfer to another bowl. Then process together the yogurt, water, and nutmeg until smooth.

5.
Heat the remaining oil over medium heat in the large nonstick wok or saucepan you used to cook the cauliflower, and cook the onion-ginger paste until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the puréed tomatoes and cook, stirring, until most of the juices evaporate, about 10 minutes.

6.
Add the coriander, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, and
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teaspoon salt and cook about 2 minutes. Add the yogurt-water mixture and half the cilantro and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, place the cauliflower, head up, in the sauce, spoon some of the sauce over the head, cover the pan, and simmer about 10 minutes. Turn the cauliflower over, spoon some of the sauce inside the center cavity, cover again, and simmer until the cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes. (Test by inserting a sharp knife in the center.)

7.
Using tongs, gently transfer the cauliflower to a serving dish, cover, and keep warm. Add the remaining cilantro to the sauce and cook over high heat, stirring, until the sauce is very thick, about 5 minutes. Spoon it over the cauliflower. Sprinkle the garam masala on top and serve.

Variation:
This dish can be made with light green broccoflower, large eggplant halves, and even with oversize zucchinis. For a different flavor, use
Butter-Cream Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
.

Spicy Okra Curry

Bhindi Kari

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Okra becomes slippery when cooked directly in liquid sauces. To prevent this, I pan-cook the okra to seal the surface before adding it to this delicious sauce. This prevents it from softening completely. Select small, young okra that are not more than 3 inches long and still retain a tiny bit of the soft fuzz.

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cup
Coconut Milk
(or store-bought)

2 tablespoons
Tamarind Paste

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pounds small, fresh, tender okra, rinsed and patted dry

4 to 5 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

1 large clove fresh garlic, peeled

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

1 large tomato, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons peanut oil

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teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 large potato (any kind), peeled or unpeeled, cut into
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-inch pieces

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cup finely chopped cilantro

1.
Prepare the coconut milk and tamarind paste. Prepare the okra: cut off a thin slice of the stem end of each okra and discard, then cut the okra into
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-inch diagonal slices. (Cut off and discard the tips only if they look too brown.) Then place the okra in a large cast-iron or nonstick wok or skillet and cook (with 2 teaspoons of the peanut oil if the okra sticks to the bottom, as it may in the cast-iron pan) over medium-low heat, turning the pieces only when browned, until all sides are golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

2.
In a food processor or a blender, process together the ginger, garlic, and green chile peppers until minced. Add the tomato, coconut milk, tamarind, coriander, and cumin, and process again to make a smooth paste.

3.
Heat the peanut oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat, add the processed paste, and cook over medium-high heat the first 2 to 3 minutes, then over medium heat until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the turmeric and salt, then add the potato and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes.

4.
Add the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the potato is tender and the gravy thick, 5 to 7 minutes. Mix in the okra and cook another 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Mix in the cilantro and serve.

Crispy Fried Okra in Yogurt Sauce

Dahi Rassae Mein Tali Bhindi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This dish is from the Parsi people (of Iranian descent) now settled in western India. It's not as smooth as one would expect a saucy okra dish to be. Instead, each piece of crispy fried okra stands on its own in a delicately smooth yogurt sauce. Try it with a simple rice
pullao
(pilaf).