The Indian Vegan Kitchen (36 page)

GF

1. In a medium skillet, boil water. Gradually add cornmeal, stirring continuously. Remove from heat, cover with lid, and let sit for 20 minutes or longer. Open the lid and cool.

2. Using a potato masher, mash the dough until it is smooth, making sure to remove all lumps.

3. Divide the dough into 6 parts. Oil your hands and roll each ball between the palms of your hands in a circular motion until the dough is smooth. Press to flatten. Lightly oil each ball.

4. Heat
tava
/iron griddle or a heavy fry pan on medium-high heat. Lightly oil the griddle and wipe off excess. Adjust heat as needed. If
tava
is too hot, the roti will burn and stick to the
tava
, and if not hot enough, it will a take a long time to cook and become dry.

5. Line the counter with an 8-inch-square piece of wax paper. Place the oiled ball in the center of the wax paper. Place another piece of wax paper on top. Roll dough into a 6-inch round.

6. Remove the top wax paper and pick up the bread with the bottom wax paper. Flip it carefully onto the heated griddle. Remove the top wax paper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until it becomes firm and easy to pick up. Turn over with a flat spatula and cook roti on the other side, until light brown spots appear on the underside, another 2 to 3 minutes.

7. If you are using an electric stove, heat a burner on high and place a wire rack directly on the coils, creating a space between the coils and the rack. If you have a gas stove, place the wire rack on the stove rack. Using full heat, place the bread directly on the wire rack. Grill roti on direct heat on both sides, turning with tongs.

8. Lightly brush top of roti with oil. Oiling keeps the roti softer and moist. Serve immediately, or place in an airtight container to serve later.

NOTE:
Since corn roti take a long time to cook, I often use two griddles to speed up the process. These are best eaten within a few hours of preparing, as they do not keep well.

Soy Products

I
HAVE INCLUDED ONLY
a few soy recipes in this book, but they feature a cross section of soy products and will add an excellent variety to your repertoire.

Soybeans, soy flour, soymilk, and soy granules are not new to Indian cuisine. Back in the early 1970s, soy products were introduced in India. My mother was actually one of the recipe testers at the G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttaranchal. There was a group of eight women who tested recipes for everything from appetizers to desserts using soy products. They published a book with some 250 recipes. Pant University was one of the agriculture universities chosen by the Indian Agriculture Department to test and integrate soy products into the Indian market. At that time, my friends and I would go down to the local coop and have a glass of cold soymilk. Today, many shops carry cold plain and flavored soymilk among their line of beverages.

Soybeans and soy products occasionally require some flavoring, herbs, and/or spices to enhance their flavor or mask a “beanie” taste. In general, soybeans, soymilk, soy yogurt, texturized vegetable protein (TVP, or soy granules), and tofu all integrate well into Indian dishes.

Tofu works well as a substitute in
paneer
(fresh Indian cheese) dishes. Use extra-firm tofu, as it holds up better in the curry sauce and is closer to the texture of
paneer
. Tofu by itself is relatively bland and absorbs the flavor of the curry sauce. Most tofu comes packaged in water. Remove the tofu from water, cut into cubes or strips, or grate, as desired, and place on a dry kitchen towel or paper towels to help remove excess water. Tofu has a sponge-like quality, so when you remove the excess moisture, it can better soak up the curry sauce, marinade, or spices, intensifying its flavor. Pea-and-Tofu Curry (page 176) and Spinach and Tofu (at right) are crowd pleasers.

Tofu is typically packaged in water, which should be discarded prior to use. If you use only part of the tofu, place the remainder in an airtight container, cover with fresh water, and store in the refrigerator. If you change the water daily, the tofu will stay fresh for up to five days.

Soymilk can be substituted for milk in some dishes, but it will have a different taste and texture. Soy yogurt has a very different texture from that of milk yogurt. It works well in sweetened beverages such as Mango Yogurt Drink (page 182). On the other hand, in vegetable salty
raita
(yogurt dish) it requires extra seasonings and lemon juice to bring out the traditional
raita
flavor; see Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce (page 180).

TVP is a processed soy-based product made from defatted soy flour that’s cooked under pressure and extruded through a machine. It’s available in a dry form as granules, flakes, and chunks. The chunks are available as soy-
baddiyan
or nuggets in Indian grocery stores. The chunks can be added to the curry sauce for a high-protein dish. TVP products are easily hydrated in hot liquids.

 

 

 

 

GF

1. In a heavy skillet, place spinach, turmeric, salt, and
½
cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Open lid and cool slightly.

2. While spinach mixture cools, cut tofu into 1-inch squares and lay them on a towel to remove excess water.

3. In a blender jar, place the cooled spinach mixture and coarsely grind.

4. Return the coarsely ground spinach to the skillet. In a separate bowl, combine besan with remaining
½
cup water. Stir besan mixture into the spinach. Cover with a lid and cook on medium heat until spinach is simmering. (Caution: Before stirring, remove the skillet from the heat and carefully remove the lid. The spinach tends to splatter and can burn.) Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. A longer cooking time adds flavor to the spinach.

5.
While spinach mixture cooks, prepare seasoning:
In a medium fry pan, heat oil on medium-high heat, add cumin seeds and dried red chiles, and cook for a few seconds, until seeds and chiles turn brown. Add onion and fry 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. Add ginger and garlic and fry for another minute. Remove from heat, add the cayenne pepper, and cook for a few seconds.

6. Remove spinach from the heat, add tofu pieces and the seasoning, and stir gently to avoid breaking the tofu. Cover with a lid and return to the stove. Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. Leave covered until ready to serve.

7. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot with flatbread or rice.

GF

Matar-Tofu

PREP:
10 minutes
COOK :
30 minutes
MAKES :
10 servings
SERVING SIZE :
¾ cup

1. Cut tofu into ½ - to ¾ -inch squares and lay them on a towel for 10 minutes to remove excess water. Thaw frozen peas by soaking in cold water.

2. In a blender jar, grind onion, ginger, garlic, green chile, tomato sauce, cumin seeds, almond meal, poppy seeds, turmeric, and coriander to a smooth paste. Set aside. (If necessary, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water to help grind the masala.)

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu pieces in a single layer. Cook until light brown on one side, turn over and brown the other side, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove the tofu to a plate and set aside.

4. In the same skillet, add the onion mixture. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and cook until mixture is thick enough to draw away from the sides and bottom of the pan in a dense mass and the oil starts to separate, making the masala shiny. Add water and bring to a boil.

5. Add peas, salt, and tofu pieces. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add garam masala and cilantro. Transfer to a serving bowl.