1,000 Indian Recipes (158 page)

Haridwar ka Anardana Petha

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Haridwar is one of India's holy cities—Hari is another name for Lord Rama (of
Ramayana
fame) and
dwar
means door in Hindi, so the city's name means "the home of God." Located on the banks of the holy Ganges River, this city has long been the place where people go to worship and to find inner peace. To my friend Neelam, who was born there, there are many nostalgic memories of her home, including eating this dish along with hot and spicy
Haridwar Potato Curry
and
poori
(puffed deep-fried breads). I also love it with potato
paranthas
(griddle-fried breads).

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coarsely ground fenugreek seeds

1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

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

1
¹
⁄
₂
pounds pumpkin, peeled and finely chopped

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₄
cup water, or more as needed

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons ground dried pomegranate seeds

1 tablespoon ground dried mint leaves

1.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the cumin and fenugreek seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the coriander and asafoetida and stir about 30 seconds.

2.
Add the green chile peppers, pumpkin, turmeric, and salt, and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the water cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring, until the pumpkin is very soft, about 20 minutes.

3.
Remove the pan from the heat, mix in the sugar, pomegranate seeds, and mint, cover the pan, and set aside 30 to 40 minutes, allowing the flavors to permeate the pumpkin. Reheat and transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the fresh mint leaves, and serve.

Quick Pumpkin and Carrot Purée
 

Pethae aur Gaajar ki Sabzi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This recipe comes from my husband's cousin, Sanjokta Bhanji. Made with ginger and garlic as the main flavors, this dish is a perfect example of simple home cooking. All the vegetables are chopped and put in a pressure cooker. Only the ginger is grated, because it does not dissolve into the dish like all the other vegetables do. Because this is a salt-free dish, the natural sweetness of the vegetables really shines through.

1 (1
¹
⁄
₂
-pound) pumpkin, acorn, or butternut squash (peeled or unpeeled), cut into
¹
⁄
₂
-inch pieces

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

2 small carrots, coarsely chopped

1 small red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger

3 small cloves fresh garlic, peeled

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

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon fenugreek seeds

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste

¹
⁄
₂
cup water, or more as needed

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

Freshly ground black pepper

1.
Put everything except the cilantro and black pepper into a pressure cooker. Secure the lid and cook over high heat until the regulator indicates high pressure, then cook about 10 seconds more. Remove pot from the heat and allow to depressurize on its own, 12 to 15 minutes.

2.
Open the lid carefully, and remove the green chile peppers, if you wish, to minimize the heat. The contents should be very soft. Stir with a spoon, then mix in the cilantro and coarsely mash everything with a masher or wooden spoon into a textured purée. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the black pepper on top and serve.

Butternut Squash with Fenugreek Seeds

Methi vaala Petha

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This winter squash, a close cousin to the popular orange pumpkin, is another Western vegetable that doesn't grow in India, but lends itself very well to Indian food. It comes with a soft, edible skin that can be eaten after it's cooked, so all the beta-carotene and vitamins stay in the dish. Butternut squash actually also works well in all my pumpkin recipes.

1 tablespoon
Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste
(or store-bought)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 small onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced

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

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, coarsely ground

1 tablespoon ground coriander

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 small butternut squash (1
¹
⁄
₂
to 2 pounds), cut into
¹
⁄
₂
-inch pieces

¹
⁄
₄
cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

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

¹
⁄
₄
cup water, or more as needed

1.
Prepare the ginger-garlic paste. Then, heat the oil in a medium-large, nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the onion and green chile peppers, stirring until golden, 4 to 5 minutes.

2.
Add the fenugreek seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the coriander, turmeric, and salt, then mix in the butternut squash and the ginger-garlic paste. Cook, stirring, over high heat until fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes.

3.
Mix in the yogurt, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the cilantro (save some for garnish) and water, and continue to cook over low heat, stirring and mashing some of the squash, until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the reserved cilantro, and serve.

Banana Squash with Spicy Lentil Nuggets

Vadi vaala Petha

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Made with a spicy lentil paste and dried in the sun, lentil nuggets, called
vadiyan
, are a specialty of northern India. They add a distinctive spiciness and flavor to this home-style squash. They're generally used in curries, such as
Spicy Lentil Nugget Curry with Potatoes
, but also make spicy additions to stews and soups. Buy the lentil nuggets at Indian markets under their Indian names
vadi
or
badi
.