1,000 Indian Recipes (144 page)

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

2 teaspoons ground coriander

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon salt, or to taste

1.
Soak the dal in water to cover, 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare the raita masala. Then, place 3 cups of the yogurt in a large serving bowl. Mix in 1
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoons of the raita masala. Reserve.

2.
Drain the dal, then place it and the lamb, onion, garlic, cilantro, ginger, green chile pepper, coriander, and salt in a small nonstick skillet and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until the lamb and onions brown, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup yogurt and cook, stirring until the lamb and dal are tender, about 20 minutes.

3.
Let cool, transfer to the bowl with the yogurt and masala, and mix well. Garnish with the remaining
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon raita masala and serve.

South Indian Pachadis

Basic Cucumber Pachadi

Sohini ki Kheera Pachadi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Most
pachadis
follow the seasoning technique of this dish—the most basic
pachadi
(the recipe is from my friend Sohini Baliga). You'll notice that in some of the
pachadis
, the yogurt is not whisked smooth, and for the most part, a slightly chunky quality is their charm.

All
pachadis
come with the typical south Indian seasoning of mustard seeds and curry leaves, and though they are popular with southern curries such as
South Indian Pumpkin Curry with Split Pigeon Peas
, they can be eaten with just about any meal.

3 small seedless cucumbers, peeled and grated

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

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 cups nonfat plain yogurt (do not whisk)

1 to 2 teaspoons peanut oil

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon cumin seeds

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon black mustard seeds

8 fresh green curry leaves

2 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, cut in half lengthwise and seeded

1.
Place the cucumbers, cilantro, and salt in a serving bowl, and fold in the yogurt until just incorporated.

2.
Heat the oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin and mustard seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and lower the heat until the spluttering subsides. Add 5 of the curry leaves and the green chile peppers and stir about 1 minute. Transfer the seasonings to the yogurt bowl and fold in gently. Lightly crumble the remaining 3 curry leaves to release their aroma, and add them to the pachadi as a garnish. Serve.

Tomato and Cucumber Pachadi with Asafoetida

Tamatar aur Kheera Pachadi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This
pachadi
has no onions, for those who don't eat them. Onions and garlic are associated with base desires, and are not favored by a number of religious Hindus. (If you like onions, see
Tomato, Cucumber, and Onion Yogurt
.)

One teaspoon of oil may seem really ineffectual, but you want to use as little as possible for
pachadis
—the idea is to have just enough to cook the spices, and therefore season the dish. Purists will tell you that you shouldn't be able to see the oil after it's mixed into the dish; it would be a sure sign of an over-generous, some would say sloppy, hand with the oil.

The tomatoes and the cucumbers are chopped instead of grated making this
pachadi
similar to a salad. Serve it with an Indian meal or with grilled meats or hamburgers.

4 to 5 small seedless cucumbers, peeled and finely chopped

1 large tomato, finely chopped

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

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 cups nonfat plain yogurt (do not whisk)

1 teaspoon peanut oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon dried yellow split chickpeas (channa dal)

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon cumin seeds

2 tablespoons minced fresh curry leaves

A scant pinch ground asafoetida

2 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, cut in half lengthwise and seeded

A few fresh cilantro leaves

1.
Place the cucumbers, tomato, cilantro, and salt in a serving bowl and fold in the yogurt until just incorporated.

2.
Heat the oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and add the mustard seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and lower the heat until the spluttering subsides. Quickly add the dal and stir until golden, about 30 seconds, then add the cumin seeds, curry leaves, and asafoetida and stir another 30 seconds. Transfer the seasonings into the yogurt bowl and fold in gently. Garnish with the green chile peppers and cilantro leaves, and serve.

Tomato, Cucumber, and Onion Yogurt

Tamatar, Kheera, aur Pyaz ki Pachadi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This chunky yogurt dish is for people who like tomato and cucumber, plus onions and a lot more. You can find the
dals
(legumes) and all the spices at an Indian market.

4 to 5 small seedless cucumbers, peeled and finely chopped

1 large tomato, finely chopped

1 small white onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced

¹
⁄
₂
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems + extra for garnish

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

1
¹
⁄
₂
cups nonfat plain yogurt (do not whisk)

1 teaspoon peanut oil

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

1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon dried yellow split chickpeas (channa dal)

1 teaspoon dried yellow split pigeon peas (toor dal)

1 tablespoon minced fresh curry leaves

2 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, diagonally sliced thin
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground fenugreek seeds

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1.
Place the cucumbers, tomato, onion, cilantro, and salt in a serving bowl and fold in the yogurt until just incorporated.

2.
Heat the oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and add the red chile peppers and ginger, stir a few seconds, then add the cumin and mustard seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and lower the heat until the spluttering subsides. Quickly add both dals, curry leaves, green chile peppers, and fenugreek, and stir until golden, about 1 minute. Transfer seasoning into the yogurt bowl and fold it in gently. Garnish with the cilantro leaves and serve.

Yogurt with Sautéed Tomatoes and Coconut

Bhunae Tamatar aur Nariyal ki Pachadi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This is an easily made
pachadi
, but be sure not to over-mix the yogurt and coconut milk, and refrigerate any leftovers immediately.

¹
⁄
₂
cup
Coconut Milk
(or store-bought)

2 cups nonfat plain yogurt (do not whisk)

1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds

¹
⁄
₄
cup fresh or frozen grated coconut or unsweetened shredded coconut

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon peanut or coconut oil

3 dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol, with stems

1 teaspoon dried yellow split chickpeas (channa dal)

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

8 to 10 fresh curry leaves

2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1.
Prepare the coconut milk. Then, in a serving bowl, lightly mix together the yogurt, coconut milk, ginger, cilantro, green chile peppers, coconut, and salt. (It should not be smooth.)

2.
Heat the oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and add the red chile peppers, dal, mustard and cumin seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and lower the heat until the spluttering subsides. Quickly add the curry leaves and stir 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes, then fold everything into the yogurt. Serve.