The Café Spice Cookbook: 84 Quick and Easy Indian Recipes for Everyday Meals (11 page)

1 fresh green chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon oil

¼ teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 tablespoon plain yogurt

Mix together the sprouted green gram, split yellow peas, cucumber, fresh coriander leaves, lemon juice, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat and add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, take the pan off the heat and stir in the yogurt. Add this mixture to the salad and toss well. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Pickle
Kaddu ka Achaar

This is one of those recipes that I produced from memory after I first had a taste of it at the Malhotra family’s house. It is Sushil’s mother-in-law, Durupadi Jagtiani’s recipe. I can still remember the first bite of this pickle: the tartness of a sour ingredient that was so well complemented by the sweetness of the red pumpkin and the heat of the red chilies. Although this recipe uses dried mango powder (popularly known as
amchoor
in India), lime juice can be an easy substitute.

Serves
4

Prep time:
5 minutes

Cook time:
15 minutes

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

4 dried red chili peppers, broken into 2–3 pieces each

1 lb 9 oz (700 g) peeled pumpkin flesh, cut into ½-in (1.25-cm) dice

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon Asian red chili powder or cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

5 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons dried green mango powder (amchoor, optional)

Heat the oil in a pan, add the fenugreek seeds and dried red chilies, and let them pop.

Add the pumpkin and stir over a high heat for 3–4 minutes.

Stir in the salt, chili powder, and turmeric. Then reduce the heat, cover, and cook until the pumpkin is soft and begins to break down.

Stir in the sugar—the sweetness balances the heat and spice and also makes the pickle glossy.

Finish with the dried mango powder, if using.

South Indian Cabbage Slaw
Kosu Pachdhi

Coleslaw is one of the most common accompaniments and it is often used as a salad in American recipes. This version has a spice twist that gives it an Indian flavor. It can be used on sandwiches, hotdogs, or burgers and even served as an accompaniment to grilled and baked entrees. An interesting option that can be used instead of mayonnaise is yogurt, which gives an equivalent creamy texture, minus all the calories! Additionally, the yogurt and the Indian spices in this recipe go very well together.

Serves
4

Prep time:
15 minutes

Cook time:
2 minutes

¼ head cabbage (about 4 oz/125 g), shredded

1 medium carrot, peeled and grated (about 1 cup/100 g)

¼ cup (25 g) shredded unsweetened coconut (frozen, reconstituted, or freshly grated)

Juice of 1 lime

1 fresh green chili pepper, minced

½ teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons oil

¼ teaspoon mustard seeds

¼ teaspoon cumin seeds

8–10 curry leaves

½ cup (125 g) yogurt

Mix the shredded cabbage, carrots, and shredded coconut in a bowl.

Whisk the lime juice, green chili, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Pour this dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss well.

Heat the oil in a small pan, add the mustard and cumin seeds, and when they pop, add the curry leaves and yogurt. Remove from the heat and mix with the cabbage and carrot mixture. Transfer to a serving dish and serve cold.

Chapter 3
STARTERS AND SALADS

Salads hold many of the essential nutrients the body needs and are very good for general health. Hence, a dinner is incomplete without salad. They are delicious, healthy, and easy to make as well. Salads are used to enhance the main course of the meal. The good thing about having salads on a menu containing Indian food is that they often help to balance the spice and the heat of the masalas used in other foods. Indian salads can be dry or yogurt-based, raw or cooked. Vegetables like cucumber, carrot, onion, tomatoes, and sprouts are usually used.

Salads in an everyday Indian home are often quite unimaginative. A few basic fresh vegetables like the carrot, cucumber, tomatoes, and onions are sliced or chopped, dressed with salt, pepper, and lemon juice and served along with everyday meals. Here in the West, we have a slight advantage because we have access to ingredients that aren’t typically Indian, but have the potential to merge delightfully with Indian spices and flavors. Typically, salads are served with the meal rather than as a separate course. Feel free to mix fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables with homemade dressings of yogurt, lemon juice, and freshly ground Indian spices.

Indian cuisine has a rich array of appetizers, snacks, and hors d’oeuvres. Unlike most Western appetizers, which are heavy on butter and cheese, many Indian appetizers are relatively low in fat. Most Indian street-food—from
bhajias
(deep-fried, battered veggies) to samosas (pastry with delicious fillings) and kebabs—ends up as an appetizer when recreated and presented on a plate.

Appetizers like Potato and Pea Samosas (page
46
), Shrimp Stuffed Pappadum (page
42
) or Veggie Sloppy Joe (page
36
) may be served either before the meal or at tea time with a cup of steaming hot chai. In most Indian families, tea time is in the early evening or late afternoon, with dinner following a few hours later. Indians can never get enough of spicy appetizers and snacks. Indians are social and gather around for any excuse to catch a lively conversation and share a plate of snacks. These snacks go well with our other favorite pastime—drinking tea! Most Indian appetizers can be served with mint, coriander, tamarind or coconut chutney, or any of the accompaniments mentioned in this book. Some can be used as dips, and some can be simply dolloped over these appetizers.

Veggie Sloppy Joe
Pau Bhaji

This is my take on the popular Indian street food, Pau Bhaji, that is sold in carts that dot the side of every alternate lane in the city of Mumbai. Even within the city, there are variations in the taste. I like to make the
bhaji
(filling) not so mashed up that I can’t see what I’m eating. This preparation style also provides a nice texture and leaves some crunch to the veggies. In America, the closest parallel to this dish is the sloppy joe that is usually made with wet, seasoned minced meat spooned over a bun. The Indian sloppy joe uses a lot of butter to gives it its characteristic taste. You can use any vegetable for this recipe. In fact, feel free to also try out the various pau bhaji masalas that are now readily available in your Indian grocery. Add that to mashed veggies, place it between a burger bun or sandwich bread, and you can have a quick meal-to-go!

Serves
4

Prep time:
25 minutes, plus 15 minutes for cooling

Cooking time:
20 minutes

5 potatoes (about 2½ lbs/1 kg)

2 tomatoes (about 12 oz/360 g) chopped

1 cup (130 g) green peas, fresh or frozen (shelled from 1 lb/500 g fresh pea pods or about half a 10 oz/300 g package of frozen peas

3½ oz (100 g) butter or ghee, plus extra to serve (optional)

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 onion (about 5 oz/150 g), chopped

2 cups (200 g) cauliflower florets

1 teaspoon Asian red chili powder or cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon Café Spice Garam Masala (page
22
)

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Salt, to taste

Juice of 1 lime

4 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)

Butter or ghee, for brushing the rolls

8 slider buns or mini potato rolls

Combine the potatoes with enough cold water to cover, in a large saucepan. Bring it to a boil over high heat and cook, uncovered, until tender, about 15–20 minutes. Drain well and set aside to cool. Peel the potatoes, return them to the pan and mash. Set aside.

Make a small cross with a knife on the top of the tomatoes. In a large saucepan, boil enough water to cover the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes to the boiling water and bring it to a boil, about 1–2 minutes and turn off the heat. Allow to stand for about 5 minutes. Drain and allow to cool slightly, then peel off the skins. Mash the pulp and set aside.

If using fresh peas, cook them in a small saucepan with enough boiling water for 5–7 minutes or until soft.

Heat a large, nonstick griddle pan or a skillet over medium heat and add the butter or ghee. Add the minced garlic and onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent for about 3–4 minutes. Turn the heat to high and add the tomato pulp, mashed potatoes, green peas, and cauliflower florets. Add the ground spices and salt and continue to stir and mash with a spatula or a potato masher until well combined. Cook for about 5 minutes. It is your choice how mashed you want the vegetables to be. Fold in the lime juice and coriander leaves.

Prepare the buns or rolls before serving. Heat a flat griddle over medium heat. Melt the butter or ghee until the pan is coated. Place the buns or rolls and toast them until slightly brown on all sides, about 2–3 minutes.