Read 1,000 Indian Recipes Online
Authors: Neelam Batra
1,000 Indian Recipes (312 page)
1
1
⁄
2
cups
Paneer Cheese
(or store-bought), coarsely crumbled
1 recipe
Yellow Mung Bean Pancakes
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed
1
⁄
2
cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1
⁄
2
teaspoon kalonji seeds
1
⁄
2
teaspoon salt, or to taste
Cilantro sprigs
1.
Prepare the paneer cheese. Prepare the pancakes. Then, in a food processor, process together the paneer cheese, onion, green chile peppers, and cilantro until minced.
2.
Heat the oil in a small nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the kalonji seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the processed paneer cheese mixture and the salt and cook, stirring, until lightly golden, about 3 minutes.
3.
Working with each chilla separately, place about 2 tablespoons of the filling along one edge of the chilla, then roll it up into a long tube. Cut each roll diagonally into 2 pieces, place on a serving platter, garnish with cilantro sprigs, and serve.
Rice Flour Pancakes with Carrots
Gajjar Utthapam
Makes 12 to 16 pancakes
Thick and soft like regular pancakes, and always studded with vegetables either mixed into the batter or sprinkled on top,
uthapams
can be made with rice flour or with semolina, as in
Semolina Pancakes with Tomatoes and Bell Peppers
.
Uthapams
are a south Indian treat—quick and easily made for the family as well as for unexpected company. Often, home cooks add chopped vegetables (and some semolina or rice flour, if the batter is too thin) to leftover
dosa
crepe batter to make these pancakes.
Serve them for breakfast or brunch, or as a snack with
Peanut and Garlic Chutney
or
South Indian Tomato Chutney
. Urad bean flour can be found in Indian markets.
1 cup rice flour
1
⁄
2
cup urad bean flour
1
1
⁄
2
to 2 cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
1
⁄
4
to
1
⁄
2
cup water, as needed
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 to 3 small carrots, grated
1
⁄
2
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill leaves
1
⁄
2
teaspoon salt, or to taste
1
⁄
4
cup peanut oil
1.
In a bowl, mix together the rice flour, urad bean flour, and yogurt and mix to make a smooth batter. Whip with a fork a few seconds to make the batter fluffy. Set aside 3 to 4 hours. If the batter is too thick, add more water, as is needed, to make a semi-thick batter of pouring consistency. Mix in the onion, carrots, cilantro, green chile peppers, dill leaves, and salt.
2.
Heat about
1
⁄
2
teaspoon oil in a nonstick tava or skillet over medium medium-high heat until , until a drop of batter sizzles lightly.
3.
Then, using a metal soup ladle, pour about
1
⁄
2
cup batter onto the hot tava and spread it evenly into a 5- to 6-inch circle by lightly pushing the batter outwards in round, circular motions with the back of the ladle.
4.
As the pancake sets and turns lightly golden on the bottom (which happens very quickly), drizzle
1
⁄
2
to 1 teaspoon oil around the edges and a few drops on top and cook until the bottom takes on a rich golden hue, about 1 minute. Turn over once and cook until the other side is takes on a similar color, about 1 minute. Transfer to a serving platter, repeat with the remaining batter, and serve hot.
Semolina Pancakes with Tomatoes and Bell Peppers
Tamatar Utthapam
Makes 12 to 16 pancakes
This is another popular
uthapam
recipe using semolina instead of rice flour and urad bean flour. These
uthapams
are one of the easiest snacks to make, but can be enhanced as simply or elaborately as you want. You can make these in the same way as Rice Flour Pancakes, with the vegetables all mixed into the batter, or top them with vegetables, as I do in this recipe.
1
1
⁄
2
cups fine-grain semolina
1
1
⁄
2
cups nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
3
⁄
4
to 1 cup water, as needed
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
2 tablespoons peeled minced fresh ginger
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 medium zucchini, grated
1
⁄
4
cup peanut oil
1.
In a large bowl, mix together the semolina flour, yogurt,
3
⁄
4
cup water, salt, and lemon juice to make a smooth batter, then whip with a fork a few seconds to make it fluffy. Set aside 3 to 4 hours.
2.
When ready to cook, if the batter is too thick, add up to
1
⁄
4
cup more water to make a semi-thick batter of pouring consistency. Mix in the green chile peppers, onion, cilantro, and ginger.
3.
In a separate bowl, mix together the tomato, bell pepper, and zucchini. Heat about
1
⁄
2
teaspoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, until a drop of batter sizzles lightly. With a metal soup ladle, pour about
1
⁄
2
cup batter in the skillet and spread it evenly by tilting and rotating the pan or with the back of the ladle, to make a 5- to 6-inch pancake.
4.
Scatter about
1
⁄
3
cup mixed vegetables over the pancake. As the pancake sets and turns lightly golden on the bottom (which happens very quickly), drizzle
1
⁄
2
to 1 teaspoon oil around the edges and a few drops on top and cook until the bottom takes on a rich golden hue, about 1 minute. Making sure the vegetables don't fall off, turn over the pancake with 2 large spatulas and cook until the other side takes on a similar color, about 1 minute. Transfer to a serving platter, repeat with the remaining batter, and serve hot or warm.
Desserts
Desserts weave a dynamic spell, full of sinful sweetness. They help set the stage for celebration, and some desserts tied to holidays, weddings, and family gatherings make desserts the most memorable and treasured part of the cuisine.
Indian desserts feature unique flavors such as cardamom seeds, saffron, rose essence, almonds, pistachios, cashews, melon seeds, and mangoes. Indian desserts can be simple, homemade affairs like
halvas
(soft-cooked grain or vegetable desserts) and
kheers
(milk-based puddings). Or they can be works of art, such as created by
halvais
(professional sweet makers).
Their presentation is often a visual treat. Artfully served under paper-thin yet edible pure silver leaves, garnished with the thinnest slivers of softened pistachios and almonds, or dusted with coarsely ground nuts and seeds, each dessert tempts the eyes before satisfying the palate.
The allure of desserts is so powerful, they are often hard to resist. Although most Indian desserts are nutritious because they are based on grains and beans, fruits, nuts, and dairy products, they are also calorie-rich so enjoy them, but in moderation.
= Vegan
= Pressure-Cooker Quick