The Café Spice Cookbook: 84 Quick and Easy Indian Recipes for Everyday Meals (17 page)

Pan-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Coconut
Shakkar Kandi aur Nariyal ki Subzi

I discovered this recipe while I was planning a menu for friends who were visiting me for Thanksgiving. I wanted to make something different with the sweet potatoes and so I dished out this variation, which was very well appreciated by my guests. The spices and the coconut give the mashed sweet potatoes a special Indian twist. Use this during the holidays to fish for compliments. If you are making this for an Indian meal, serve it with dal and
chapati
.

Serves
4

Prep time:
15 minutes

Cook time:
30 minutes

2 tablespoons oil

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 dried red chili peppers, broken in half

6 fresh or dried curry leaves

1 onion (about 5 oz/150 g), chopped

1 lb (500 g) sweet potatoes, cut into 2-in (5-cm) sticks

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon light brown sugar

Salt, to taste

1 cup (100 g) shredded unsweetened coconut (frozen, reconstituted dried, or freshly grated) (see page
14
)

¼ cup (65 ml) water

4 tablespoons minced fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), for garnish

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin, fennel, red chili peppers, and curry leaves and fry briefly until fragrant. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the sweet potatoes. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly to prevent sticking, for 5 minutes. Add the ground coriander, brown sugar, and salt. Cook until the sweet potato is softened, about 15 minutes.

Add the coconut and stir to break up lumps and blend it into the sweet potato mixture. Add the water, if needed, and cook an additional 2–3 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Garnish with the chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Fresh Pineapple Curry
Ananas Huli

This dish is inspired by, and often served at, traditional weddings in southwest India. This sweet curry can be made using pineapples or mangoes to balance all the flavors. It encapsulates the flavors so important to Indians. An everyday menu might be simple, have and just three or four courses, but will range from a bitter dish to a sweeter one. This particular curry is used mostly in the cuisines of Kerala and Mangalore.

Serves
4

Prep time:
15 minutes

Cook time:
20 minutes

1 lb (500 g) fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and diced 1-in (2.5-cm) pieces

1 teaspoon ground mustard

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

2–3 teaspoons sugar (depending on the sourness of the pineapple)

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup (50 g) shredded coconut (fresh or frozen)

2 fresh green chili peppers

1 teaspoon tamarind paste

1 cup (250 ml) water

2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

10–12 fresh curry leaves

2 dried red chili peppers, broken into pieces

½ cup (125 ml) coconut milk

2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)

Put the pineapple pieces, ground mustard, turmeric, sugar, and half the salt in a medium mixing bowl. Mix well. Leave to marinade for about 15–30 minutes.

Put the coconut, green chilies, tamarind paste, remaining salt, and water into a blender and purée until smooth. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a shallow pan over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the curry leaves and red chili peppers, stirring constantly for about a minute. Add the pineapple. Stir-fry for about 8–10 minutes.

Add the puréed coconut mixture and the coconut milk and mix well. Taste for seasoning and adjust the salt and sugar if necessary. The dish should have a perfect balance of sweet, sour, salt, and spice. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves before serving.

Kerala-Style Mixed Vegetable Curry
Avial

This is a take on the very popular dish from Kerala called
avial
. You can use any seasonal vegetables for this dish. Some unconventional ingredients that are typically used in this dish are drumstick tree pods, plantains, and sweet potatoes. In India, coconut oil is primarily used in this dish for its unique flavor, but any vegetable oil can be used. Serve with steaming hot rice.

Serves
4

Prep time:
20 minutes

Cook time:
20 minutes

1 red onion (about 5 oz/150 g), coarsely chopped

¼ cup (25 g) shredded unsweetened coconut, fresh or frozen

3 tablespoons plus 2 cups (500 ml) water

1 handful fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves and stems (about 3½/100 g) plus 4 tablespoons minced fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

2 fresh green chili peppers

¼ cup (65 ml) oil

12 shallots (about 3½/100 g total), peeled and cut into wedges

10 fresh or dried curry leaves

1 piece fresh ginger, ½-in (1.25-cm), peeled and chopped

2 or 3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 fresh green chili peppers, slit into half with stems removed

1 teaspoon salt, plus more if needed

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ cup (60 g) green peas, fresh or frozen

¼ lb (125 g) fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) lengths

1 cup (175 g) broccoli florets or 1 cup (100 g) cauliflower florets

1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) lengths

1 small potato, peeled and cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) lengths (about ¾ cup/130 g)

2 cups (500 ml) coconut milk

Place the red onion, coconut, 3 tablespoons of water, handful of fresh coriander leaves with stems, and green chili peppers in a blender or food processor and process to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots, curry leaves, ginger, garlic, and green chili peppers and fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until soft. Add the coconut paste and salt and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.

Add the turmeric, coriander, cumin, and all the vegetables and fry for another minute. Add the 2 cups (500 ml) of water and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15–20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Add the coconut milk and minced fresh coriander leaves. Mix well and taste for seasoning, adding more salt if needed. Serve hot.

Spicy Long Beans and Potato Stir-Fry
Alsande Batate Poriyal

Long beans are not readily available in American grocery stores, but they can be found in Chinese or Asian markets. You can use regular French beans as well. I love the combination of mustard seeds, shredded coconut, and vegetables in this dish.
Poriyals
are a type of lightly seasoned sautéed, or “dry,” vegetable dishes from southern India. They emphasize the flavor of fresh vegetables cooked in their own juices and moisture. Serve this dish alongside the Whole Wheat Griddle Bread (page
122
) or the Brown Basmati Rice (page
119
) for a simple weekday meal.

Serves
6

Prep time:
10 minutes

Cook time:
15 minutes

4 tablespoons oil

3 teaspoons black mustard seeds

1 piece fresh ginger, 1-in (2.5-cm), peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

4 dried red chili peppers

10 fresh curry leaves

1 lb (500 g) Chinese long beans, trimmed and cut into 2-in (5-cm) lengths

1 large potato, peeled and cut into 2-in (5-cm) lengths

1 teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

1¼ teaspoons salt

1 cup (100 g) shredded unsweetened coconut (frozen, reconstituted dried, or freshly grated) (see page
14
)

1 cup (250 ml) water

Juice of ½ lemon

Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and cook, stirring constantly, until they splutter and pop, about 30 seconds. Immediately add the ginger, garlic, cumin seeds, red chili peppers, and curry leaves and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. Add the beans, potato, coriander, turmeric, salt, and coconut and cook, stirring frequently, for 3–4 minutes, until fragrant.

Add the water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the beans are tender, about 7–10 minutes. Remove the cover, add the lemon juice and cook, stirring often, until all of the water is evaporated. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Serve hot.

Scrambled Paneer with Chilies
Paneer Bhurji