1,000 Indian Recipes (218 page)

2 teaspoons
Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste
(or store-bought)

1
¹
⁄
₄
pounds small fresh, tender okra, rinsed and patted dry

1 cup peanut oil for deep-frying

2 teaspoons ground cumin

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon cayenne pepper

1
¹
⁄
₂
cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked with 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon garam masala

1.
Prepare the ginger-garlic paste. Prepare the okra: cut off a thin slice of the stem end of each okra and discard, then cut the okra into
¹
⁄
₃
-inch slices. (Cut off and discard the tips only if they look too brown.)

2.
Heat the oil in a wok until it registers 350°F to 375°F on a frying thermometer or a small piece of okra dropped into the hot oil bubbles and rises to the top immediately. Add the okra (in 2 batches, if needed) and fry until crisp and lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and mix well with the ginger-garlic paste.

3.
Discard all except 1 tablespoon oil from the wok (use this oil for other cooking, if you like). Heat the oil and add the cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper, Mix in the yogurt-cornstarch mixture, a little at a time, stirring constantly to prevent it from curdling. Cook, stirring, until most of the yogurt evaporates and the sauce becomes thick, 3 to 5 minutes.

4.
Mix in the fried okra and salt, and cook about 5 minutes, until the flavors are blended. Transfer to a serving dish, top with the garam masala, and serve.

Variation:
A similar curry can be made using 1 cup canned tomato sauce and
¹
⁄
₂
cup coconut milk instead of the yogurt.

Eggplant Curry with Sambar Powder

South kae Baingan

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Eggplant is an evergreen Indian favorite. It is used all over the country and there are many special eggplant dishes. Here is one from southern India.

1 tablespoon
South Indian Sambar Powder
(or store-bought) or
South Indian Soup Powder
(or store-bought)

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt

¹
⁄
₂
cup water

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, stemmed

10 to 12 fresh curry leaves

1 teaspoon rice flour

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon coarsely ground fenugreek seeds

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

2 small oval eggplants (about
¹
⁄
₂
pound each), quartered lengthwise through the stem

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1.
Prepare the sambar powder or soup powder. Then, in a blender or a food processor, process together the yogurt, water, green chile pepper, curry leaves, sambar or soup powder, rice flour, and salt until smooth.

2.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the fenugreek seeds and red pepper flakes, then quickly add the eggplants and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

3.
Add the processed yogurt mixture to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, over high heat until it comes to a boil. Return the eggplants to the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the skillet and cook until the eggplants are soft and the sauce thick, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the cilantro on top, and serve.

Curried Eggplants with Hot and Spicy Lentil Nuggets
 

Baingan Vadiyan

Makes 4 to 6 servings

The Indian name for spicy, sun-dried lentil nuggets is
vadiyan
or
badiyan
. On a heat scale of 1 to 10, the authentic version of this curry is probably a 9, but I tempered this recipe. It still packs a hefty punch, though, and is best served with steamed
basmati
rice and a soothing yogurt
raita
. A pressure cooker simplifies this curry, cooking it in a fraction of the traditional time.

1 large clove fresh garlic, peeled

4 to 6 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped

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

¹
⁄
₄
cup vegetable oil

1 large lentil nugget, broken coarsely into 1-inch pieces

1 tablespoon ground coriander

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground cumin

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon garam masala +
¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon for garnish

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 to 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 small oval eggplants (about
¹
⁄
₂
pound each), cut into 1
¹
⁄
₂
-inch pieces

2 cups water

¹
⁄
₄
cup minced fresh cilantro leaves

1.
In a food processor, process together the garlic, ginger, and onion to make a paste. Transfer to a bowl and process the tomatoes and cilantro until smooth.

2.
Heat the oil in a small nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and fry the lentil nugget, turning the pieces until browned, about 30 seconds. With a slotted spoon, transfer the nugget pieces to a dish, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.

3.
Add the garlic-ginger-onion paste to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat until well browned, 12 to 15 minutes. (Do not cook quickly over high heat—the onions will burn and will not develop a rich flavor.)

4.
Transfer the cooked paste to a pressure cooker, add the puréed tomatoes and cilantro, and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until all the juices evaporate, 3 to 5 minutes. Mix in all the spices and salt, then add the potatoes, eggplants, fried nuggets, and water. Secure the lid and cook over high heat until the pressure regulator indicates high pressure, then cook about 30 seconds more. Remove from the heat and allow the pot to depressurize on its own, 12 to 15 minutes.

5.
Carefully open the lid and check to see if the potatoes and nugget pieces are soft and the sauce is thick; if not, cover and boil until soft, about 10 minutes. (For a saucier dish, add more water and bring to a boil over high heat.) Transfer to a serving dish, mix in the minced cilantro leaves and garam masala, and serve.

Bitter Melon Curry

Rassadar Karaelae

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Bitter melons are used throughout India, although they are not a common main ingredient for curry. But for those who like bitter melons—such as my friend Neelam Malhotra, who lives in the southern city of Bangalore and gave me this recipe, and for me—this is a delicious way to eat them. The bitterness is somewhat tempered by the potatoes and the intoxicating fragrance of the Bengali 5-Spices (
panch-phoran
) as they sizzle in the hot oil.

Look for bitter melons in Indian, Asian, and well-stocked produce markets. I generally do not peel bitter melons. If you prefer to do so, reserve the peel and try making a side dish, such as
Bitter Melon Skins with Onions and Potatoes
.