How to Cook Indian (51 page)

Bedgi
is a variety of dried red chile. They are not very spicy but give a beautiful red color to the dish. The seeds are removed to further reduce the heat.

If you do not like the flavor of coconut oil, you can use any vegetable oil.

Batatya Cha Kachrya

Sautéed potatoes with curry leaves

Enter a home in Maharashtra or an urban Mumbai household, and this is the comfort food you probably will be served: a simple dry preparation of potatoes.

Serves 4.

5
small potatoes

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

¼ teaspoon brown mustard seeds

1/8 teaspoon asafetida

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

8 to 10 fresh curry leaves

2 green chiles, stemmed and broken in half

½ teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon red chile powder

¼ teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Peel the potatoes, halve them lengthwise, and cut into thin semicircular slices. Soak them in 3 cups (600 ml) water in a large bowl.

2. Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the mustard seeds, asafetida, turmeric, curry leaves, and chiles, and sauté for 1 minute.

3. Drain and add the potatoes, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the salt and stir. Cover and cook for 7 to 8 minutes.

4. Add the chile powder and sugar, and stir. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

5. Garnish with the cilantro and serve hot as a side dish.

Kashmiri Dum Aloo

Potato curry

The typical
dum aloo
served in most restaurants, even in India, is very different from the Kashmiri recipe here. However, I prefer this version. I make it a point to find good-quality baby potatoes, as they will make or break the dish.

Serves 4.

20 small baby potatoes, peeled

2¼ teaspoons table salt

1 quart (800 ml) vegetable oil

5 or 6 Kashmiri red chiles, ground

2 cups (500 grams) plain yogurt

½ teaspoon ground green cardamom

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoons ground fennel

¼ cup (50 ml) filtered mustard oil (see Note page 87)

Generous pinch of ground cloves

Pinch of asafetida

½ teaspoon ground roasted cumin (page 32)

½ teaspoon
garam masala
(spice mix; page 27)

1. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork.

2. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt to 2 cups (400 ml) water in a deep bowl and soak the potatoes for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

3. 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, add the potatoes, and cook for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; set aside.

4. Soak the chiles in ½ cup (100 ml) water for 15 minutes. Drain and place them in a spice grinder with 2 tablespoons water and grind to a fine paste.

5. Put the yogurt in a bowl, add the chile paste, cardamom, ginger, and fennel, and whisk until well blended.

6. Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add the mustard oil. Add the cloves and asafetida. Add ½ cup (100 ml) water and the remaining 1¼ teaspoons salt, and bring to a boil.

7. Stir in the yogurt mixture and bring to a boil again. Add the potatoes and cook for 12 minutes or until the potatoes absorb the sauce and the oil comes to the top.

8. Sprinkle with the cumin and
garam masala,
and serve hot.

Methi Aloo

Fresh fenugreek with potatoes and spices

This vegetable dish has a long history in our family—we call it our running “Dad joke.” My father was a good cook and a good critic. Once my mother put this on the table and he said, “Ah, today it is real
methi aloo!
” She was a little puzzled, so he clarified: “You have more fenugreek and less potato; sometimes you make
aloo methi.
” Punjabis, like me, love
methi aloo,
and Gujaratis, like my wife, Alyona, prefer
aloo methi.
Either way, the dish is great with fresh
roti
(page 18).

Serves 4.

2 medium bunches
methi
(fresh fenugreek leaves), stemmed

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

5 cloves garlic, chopped

½-inch (1-cm) piece fresh ginger, chopped

2 or 3 dried red chiles, stemmed and broken in half

2 large red onions, sliced

1 teaspoon red chile powder

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

3 small unpeeled potatoes, parboiled and cubed

1 teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Wash the
methi
under running water. Drain well and chop coarsely. Set aside.

2. Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the cumin. When it begins to change color, add the garlic and ginger, and sauté for 30 seconds.

3. Add the chiles and sauté for 1 minute. Add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the chile powder and turmeric, and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the potatoes and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Add the
methi
and stir well. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

5. Add the salt and lemon juice. Stir gently and cook for 1 minute.

6. Serve hot.

Urulai Chettinadu

Spicy baby potatoes

Baby potatoes are cooked with a spicy
masala
in this South Indian specialty. Serve with hot
rotis
(page 18).

Serves 4.

18 ounces (500 grams) baby potatoes

4 dried red chiles, stemmed and broken in half

2 tablespoons
dhuli urad dal
(split skinless black gram)

10 to 12 whole black peppercorns

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

20 fresh curry leaves

20 pearl onions, peeled

1 teaspoon table salt

1. Wash and scrub the potatoes. Do not peel them. Cut each in half.

2. Place a nonstick sauté pan over low heat. Add the chiles,
dal
, and peppercorns, and dry-roast, stirring continuously, for 4 to 5 minutes or until the
dal
is golden and fragrant. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

3. Transfer to a mortar and pound with a pestle to a coarse powder. Set aside.

4. Place a nonstick wok over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, lower the heat to low and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, and onions. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned.

5. Add the potatoes and salt. Stir well. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are almost done. You can test with a skewer or a fork for doneness.

6. Add the ground spice mixture and stir well so that all the potatoes are coated. Cover and cook over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately.

Baghare Baingan

Eggplant with peanuts and sesame seeds

This famous Hyderabadi dish features a delicate interplay of different nuts and seeds. I like to serve it at parties because even though it takes some effort to prepare, it is always well appreciated. The sweet and sour notes added at the end tickle the palate. Serve with any Indian bread.

Serves 4.

9 ounces (250 grams) small purple eggplants

¼ cup (50 ml) plus 1 quart (800 ml) vegetable oil

2 medium red onions, sliced

1½ tablespoons sesame seeds

2 tablespoons peanuts

¾ teaspoon white poppy seeds

1 tablespoon dried grated coconut

½ teaspoon black mustard seeds

¼ teaspoon cumin seeds

¼ teaspoon fennel seeds

¼ teaspoon
kalonji
(nigella; see Note page 231)

Pinch of fenugreek seeds

10 to 12 fresh curry leaves

1 tablespoon fresh ginger paste (page 12)

1 tablespoon fresh garlic paste (page 12)

1 tablespoon fresh green chile paste (page 13)

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1½ teaspoons ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground roasted cumin (page 32)

½ teaspoon red chile powder

¾ teaspoon table salt