1,000 Indian Recipes (167 page)

1 small head green cabbage (about 1
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pounds), finely shredded

1 small bunch fresh spinach (8 to 10 ounces), trimmed, washed and finely chopped,

1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

8 to 10 cherry tomatoes, halved

1.
Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water to cover until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, let cool, then cut into
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⁄
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-inch pieces. Do not peel. Meanwhile, prepare the chaat masala.

2.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds and green chili pepper; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the coriander, cumin, fenugreek, and turmeric, then add the cabbage, spinach, cilantro, and salt. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.

3.
Add the potatoes and the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil to the wok and cook about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes.

4.
Add the tomatoes to the cabbage and lightly mix them in. Sprinkle the chaat masala on top and serve.

Cooked Brussels Sprouts with Ginger and Garlic

Adrak—Lussan kae Brussels Sprouts

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Brussels sprouts are not Indian, and even today a lot of my Indian friends will not eat them. To me, they don't know what they're missing—including anti-oxidants and cancer-fighting nutrients. I cook them with Indian spices and they are delicious.

1 tablespoon
Hyderabadi Ginger-Garlic Paste

1 pound (about 20) baby Brussels sprouts

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

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teaspoon coarsely ground ajwain seeds

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teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

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teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 large tomato, finely chopped

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cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1.
Prepare the ginger-garlic paste. Then trim and make a deep cross cut in the stem of each Brussels sprout. Transfer to a bowl and add the lime juice, ginger-garlic paste, ajwain seeds, black pepper, and salt. Toss to mix well.

2.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the onion until golden. Leaving as much oil as possible in the pan, remove the onions to a bowl.

3.
Add the Brussels sprouts to the pan and cook, stirring, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomato and cook until most of the juices evaporate, about 3 minutes. Add the yogurt, a little at a time, stirring constantly to prevent it from curdling, until all of it is absorbed, leaving behind a delicate glaze on the Brussels sprouts. Transfer to serving dish, scatter the cooked onion on top, and serve.

Punjabi Kohlrabi

Punjabi Ganth Gobhi ki Sabzi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Called
ganth-gobi
, which means "knotted cabbage," kohlrabi, with the texture of turnips and the taste of cabbage, is juicy, easily prepared, and is often cooked this way in India. Be sure to choose small ones—they will be sweeter—and peel the vegetable first, as it can be fibrous.

2 tablespoons mustard oil or ghee

1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger

1 large clove fresh garlic, minced

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

1 tablespoon ground coriander

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teaspoon ground cumin

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teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

4 to 6 small kohlrabi with greens (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into
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-inch pieces, and the leaves finely chopped

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cup water, or as needed

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teaspoon garam masala

1.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and chili pepper, and stir about 30 seconds. Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric, and salt, then mix in the kohlrabi and leaves. Cook about 5 minutes over medium heat.

2.
Add the water, cover the pan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and cook until the kohlrabi is tender and most of the water has evaporated, stirring occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the garam masala on top, and serve.

Kashmiri Kohlrabi

Kashmiri Ganth Gobhi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Because of their geographical location (Kashmir is on the mountainous northern tip of India in the Himalayas), Kashmiris are known to add warming spices such as dried ginger and asafoetida to even the simplest preparations to ward off the chill. This dish is a typical example.

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⁄
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teaspoon
Kashmiri Garam Masala

2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

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teaspoon coarsely ground fenugreek seeds

4 whole cloves

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teaspoon ground asafoetida

4 to 6 small kohlrabi with greens (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into
³
⁄
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-inch pieces, and the leaves finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground coriander

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⁄
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teaspoon ground ginger

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teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

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

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cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

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cup water, or as needed

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1.
Prepare the garam masala. Then heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin and fenugreek seeds, cloves, and asafoetida; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the kohlrabi and leaves and cook, stirring, 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat. Mix in all the remaining ingredients (except the water and black pepper) and continue to cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes.

2.
Add the water, cover the pan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kohlrabi is tender and most of the water has evaporated, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the black pepper on top, and serve.

Okra

Called lady-fingers or
bhindi
in Hindi, okra is a summer vegetable and grows all over India. In America it can be found in Indian, Asian, Middle Eastern, and well-stocked produce and farmers' markets. Select young, tender okra that are not more than 3 inches long and still retain a tiny bit of the soft fuzz—it's an indication of how young and tender the okra is. The larger ones tend to be fibrous. If you can locate only the larger ones, try snapping the tip off of one with your fingers. If the tip snaps and breaks off, the okra is fine; but if it just bends and does not break, the okra is too fibrous.