Vegetarian and Other

Penne with Roasted Eggplant, Chile, and Mint

1 and 1/2 pounds eggplant (about 4 medium), cut into 1-inch cubes
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, more as needed
1 very large ripe tomato, cored and diced (1 and 1/2 cups)
1/2 pound dried penne
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
3 anchovy fillets
Large pinch chile flakes
2 tablespoons drained capers
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup torn basil leaves
2 tablespoons torn mint leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

Heat oven to 400 degrees. On rimmed baking sheet, toss together eggplant, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread into one layer. Roast, tossing occasionally, until the eggplant is golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Place tomato in large bowl and sprinkle lightly with salt.

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook penne to al dente according to package instructions; drain well.

While pasta cooks, heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Stir in garlic, anchovies and chile flakes, and cook until golden and soft, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat and, using slotted spoon, transfer garlic to cutting board. Let garlic cool for a few minutes, then chop up and add back to the oil. Pour garlic-chile into bowl with tomatoes. Add eggplant and capers, and toss well.

Add pasta to bowl with eggplant and tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste, and drizzle generously with oil. Toss in herbs and serve warm or at room temperature.

Grilled Vegetables with Agrodolce and Burrata

FOR THE AGRODOLCE SAUCE:
1/4 cup chopped raisins, preferably golden, or dried apricots
2/3 cup white wine vinegar or cider vinegar (or a combination)
2 tablespoons honey, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon fish sauce or colatura (optional)
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Pinch of fine sea salt

FOR THE VEGETABLES (USE ANY OR ALL):
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 3 bell peppers, quartered, stems and seeds removed
1 to 2 zucchini or summer squash, sliced diagonally 1/2-inch thick
1 small eggplant, sliced diagonally 1/2-inch thick
2 to 4 ears yellow corn, shucked
8 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and halved or quartered
1 bunch thick asparagus, ends snapped
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, preferably still on the vine

FOR SERVING:
2 small burrata or fresh mozzarella balls, or 2 cups fresh ricotta
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Basil or mint leaves, for serving
Crusty bread slices

Make the sauce: Put raisins or apricots in a small heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, honey, fish sauce or colatura (if using), red-pepper flakes and salt. Bring to a boil, then let simmer until the mixture reduces slightly, about 3 minutes. Immediately pour over the raisins and let cool. Taste and stir in a little more honey if the sauce is too harsh. (Sauce can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in the refrigerator.)

Prepare the vegetables: Oil the grill grate and light the grill. Have a serving platter at the ready.

Grill the peppers, zucchini, eggplant and corn directly on the grate, in batches if necessary, and turning them as needed. Move them around the grate so they cook evenly. Cook until they are lightly charred, watching them carefully, 5 to 12 minutes, depending on the vegetable.

To grill the mushrooms and asparagus, place them in a grilling basket if you have one, or put directly on the grill. (Arrange the asparagus perpendicular to the grates so they don’t fall through.) Grill, turning as needed, until charred all over, 6 to 10 minutes. Grill the cherry tomatoes, using the vine as a handle if possible, for 1 to 2 minutes, until they start to burst and char slightly. Transfer all the vegetables as they cook directly to the serving platter.

Add the cheese to the platter next to the vegetables. Immediately drizzle everything with some of the sauce, stirring it up to get the raisins, and with olive oil. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and pepper and scatter the herbs generously on top. Serve the extra sauce and the bread alongside for making crostini with some of the vegetables and more of the tangy sauce.

Tip:
To make this using a broiler, spread the vegetables on a rimmed sheet pan, drizzle with oil and broil until browned on top, then flip and broil until browned on the other side. The timing will depend on the vegetable, so stick with one kind per baking pan. You’ll need to do this in batches. You can also use a grill pan.

Vegetable Yakisoba

2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons ponzu sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce (or vegetarian oyster sauce)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (vegan Worcestershire if making vegetarian)
2 tablespoons oil
1 small onion (peeled and thinly sliced)
1 medium carrot (julienned)
1 cup green cabbage (julienned)
1/2 red bell pepper (julienned)
1 pound fresh yakisoba noodles (450g)
3 scallions (julienned)
toasted sesame seeds (optional garnish)

In a small bowl, mix together the mirin, Ponzu sauce, oyster sauce, and Worcestershire sauce until thoroughly combined.

Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the wok. Stir-fry for 2 minutes and then add the onions, carrots, cabbage, and bell pepper.

Stir-fry for another 2 minutes, and then add the noodles. Pour the sauce mixture over the noodles. The liquid will help break them up.

Continue to stir-fry the mixture for another 2-3 minutes until the noodles are heated through. Add the scallions and stir-fry for 1 more minute. Serve, garnished with black sesame seeds if desired.

Yaki Udon

1 pound frozen udon noodles (450g, or 200g dry udon noodles)
2 tablespoons butter (30g)
1 clove garlic (minced)
2 teaspoons dashi powder
1 tablespoon oil
4 ounces pork shoulder (115g, julienned; can substitute chicken, beef, seafood, pressed tofu, or more vegetables)2 tablespoons mirin
2 cups cabbage (shredded)
1 medium carrot (julienned)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
2 scallions (julienned)

Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Add the udon noodles. Boil for 30 seconds – 1 minute to loosen them. If using dried noodles, cook according to package instructions. Drain, rinse in cold water to remove excess starch, and drain thoroughly again. Set aside.

Place a large Dutch oven, non-stick pot, or large cast iron skillet over medium heat. When the pan is heated, add the butter. Once partially melted, stir in the garlic and dashi granules. Cook for 30 seconds, until the dashi partially dissolves. At this point, the butter should be a light brown color.

Add the drained noodles and toss to coat them in the butter. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, until the noodles have dried out and are slightly crisped. Remove and set aside.

Add a tablespoon of oil to the pot, along with the pork shoulder. Brown the pork until crisp on the edges. Add mirin, and cook until caramelized.

Add the cabbage, carrot, pepper, soy sauce, and water. Stir-fry until the vegetables are wilted, and add the noodles back in, along with the scallions. Stir-fry for ano

Gobi Manchurian

250 grams cauliflower florets (or gobi cleaned)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (or 5 to 6 tbsp maida)
3 tablespoons corn flour (or corn starch)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red chilli powder or paste (less spicy variety) (optional)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper crushed or ground
1/4 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
Oil for deep frying as needed

For Manchurian sauce:
1 1/2 tablespoons oil for sauce
1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon ginger finely chopped
1 green chili chopped (optional)
1/3 cup onions or spring onions finely chopped
1/4 cup bell pepper (capsicum chopped finely) (optional)
1 tablespoon Soya sauce (organic or naturally brewed)
2 to 3 tablespoon Red Chilli sauce (or 2 tsps hot sauce, adjust to taste)
1 to 2 tablespoon tomato ketchup (optional, use if using hot sauce)
1/2 teaspoon Red chili powder (optional) (less spicy variety)
1/2 tablespoon vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
1 teaspoon sugar (adjust to taste)
salt as needed
3 to 4 tablespoons water
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon black pepper crushed or ground
1/8 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
2 tablespoons spring onion greens chopped for garnish

Preparation for gobi manchurian.

Clean 250 grams of gobi and cut the florets to medium size.

Add them to 3 cups of hot water and rest for 5 minutes.

Later drain the gobi completely to a colander or spread on a clean cloth until no moisture remains on the gobi.

You can do this ahead and set aside. Any moisture in the gobi will cook it to soft and not crisp.

Heat up the oil for deep frying on a medium heat.

Meanwhile make the batter by adding corn flour, all-purpose flour, red chilli powder, black pepper and salt to a mixing bowl.

Mix and add water little by little as needed and make a free flowing lump free batter. The consistency has to be medium and not too thick or very runny.

Adjust salt as needed by tasting the batter.

Then add the gobi florets to the batter in batches, coat them well.

Frying cauliflower:

When the oil turns hot enough, check by dropping a small amount of batter to the hot oil. The batter has to rise without browning. This is the correct temperature.

Pick up each cauliflower floret with a spoon or fingers & gently drop them one by one to the hot oil. The flame has to be medium initially and should be increased slightly as more gobi is added. Reduce the flame to medium and fry until the florets turn golden and crisp. Keep stirring in between for even frying.

Drain them to a kitchen tissue or a steel colander. Repeat the same steps of adding the rest of the cauliflower florets to the batter, coating them well and then frying them in hot oil until crisp.

For extra crisp gobi manchurian, you can also refry the once fried gobi again in oil. I usually do not do it as frying them once is good enough to get very good crisp manchurian with this recipe.

How to make gobi manchurian:

Mix together red chili powder with little water to a paste and keep aside. This step is optional and is used mainly for the red color.

Heat 1½ tablespoons oil in a wide pan.

When the oil turns hot, add garlic, ginger and green chilies. Saute for a minute or two.

Then add spring onions & capsicum. Saute them on a high flame for 2 mins.

Add soya sauce, red chili sauce, tomato ketchup, red chili paste, sugar and vinegar. (for gravy version refer the notes section below).

Mix and add water. Mix and cook stirring and add pepper.

Cook on a medium heat until the sauce thickens.

Turn off the stove and check the taste.

The sauce has to be slightly sour, sweet & hot. If needed you can adjust the salt & add more sauces as well.

Allow the sauce to cool for 1 to 2 mins.

Add the fried cauliflower and stir gently to coat the gobi well with the manchurian sauce.

Garnish gobi manchurian with spring onion greens.

Serve immediately as a appetizer or as a side with noodles or fried rice.

Paneer and Cauliflower Makhani

Ingredients send grocery list
3 quarts fresh tomatoes
1 serrano chilli
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon chili powder (he uses Kashmiri chilies)
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup honey
2 cups water, plus more according to preference
1 dash salt, plus more to taste
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 piece 2-inch ginger knob, cut in 1/2-inch long julienne strips
1/4 cup toasted fenugreek leaves, crushed
4 cups roasted cauliflower florets
3 cups soft paneer, cut into cubes
2 handfuls cilantro, to stir in and for garnish
8 servings steamed long grain basmati rice
8 servings Indian flatbread like naan

In a large blender, puree tomatoes, garlic, and chili. If your blender won’t accommodate all the tomatoes at once, work in batches.

Add the ground spices and honey to the pureed tomato, garlic, and chili mixture.

Place a large pot on moderate heat. Add the puree, along with the water, and bring up to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 1 hour.

After an hour, strain the mixture into a pot. Season and add the heavy cream, butter, julienned ginger, and crushed fenugreek. (This sauce can be prepped a couple of days in advance. At this point, store in the refrigerator until ready, or proceed to next steps for serving).

For serving: Add the cauliflower to sauce and bring the sauce up to a boil. Lower the heat, add the paneer and continue to cook for a few minutes. Stir in the cilantro (and garnish on top), and serve with Indian flatbread and/or long grain basmati rice.

Scrambled Eggs Patia

For the spice paste:
1 jalapeño (less spicy) or serrano (more spicy), stem and seeds removed
2 garlic cloves
1-inch piece peeled ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground chile powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

For the finished dish:
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup canola or other neutral oil, divided
one 15-ounce canned diced tomatoes, drained
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar or jaggery
12 eggs
Black pepper
1 cup roughly chopped cilantro, plus more for garnishing

Combine all ingredients for the spice paste in a food processor or mini blender with 1/4 cup water.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the oil and the onions. Cook until deeply golden but not yet brown, about 10 to 12 minutes, then add the spices and the rest of the oil and continue to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and salt and cook for another 8 minutes, until the tomatoes juices are a bit reduced and thickened. Then add the tamarind paste, vinegar, and brown sugar and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a large bowl just to break up the whites and yolks.

Reduce the heat to the lowest possible sitting, add the eggs, salt, and pepper, and cilantro, and cook gently, stirring constantly with a Silicone spatula in a figure-8 motion, until the eggs thicken and are soft and silky, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot with more cilantro.

Note: Feel free to halve the recipe, but keep a close eye on the eggs, which will (obviously) cook in less time.

Paneer (or Chicken) Tikka Masala

Paneer Tikka:

250 gms paneer (or chicken… see note)
3 tablespoons yogurt, preferably thick curd
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon paprika powder
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder, or to taste
salt, to taste

Masala/Curry:
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3-4 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 inch ginger, cut into small pieces
1.5 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons cream
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves, and some more to garnish
1 cup water, or as required
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon salted butter
salt, to taste

Paneer Tikka:
Cut the paneer into small cubes, add in the chopped ginger, garlic, coriander powder, garam masala powder, paprika powder, salt and red chilli powder.

Add in the yogurt and mix till all the paneer pieces are well coated with the spices and yogurt.

Cover and keep this marinated paneer in the refrigerator for 30-40 minutes.

Masala/Curry:

Heat 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. Once hot add cinnamon stick and cumin seeds.

Once the seeds crackle, add the chopped onions, crushed garlic pods and chopped ginger. Fry till onions turn golden brown in color.

Once onions are done, add the tomatoes and the curry powder and mix. Also add the the salt and sugar.

Cook the tomatoes on medium flame till they are soft, around 6-7 minutes.

Once the mixture is cooked, switch off the flame and allow it to cool a bit.

Pour the mixture into a blender and puree it. Set aside.

Roast (or grill… see note) the marinated paneer till golden brown in color from both sides.

Pour the pureed masala in a wok/kadhai and add water to it. Stir and add cream and chopped coriander leaves.

Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes on medium-low flame.

Add the roasted paneer pieces, let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Switch off the flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and cream.
Serve hot with butter naan or any bread of your choice.

Recipe Notes:

Use 1/2 teaspoon paprika powder in the curry for a deep red/orange color.

The quantity of butter and cream in the recipe depends on your taste and preference.

The paneer should ideally by grilled so in case you have a griller use that to make the tikka.

You can also drizzle around 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice on the curry once it’s done.

If you want, you can strain the pureed mixture before putting it back in the pan. This will just make the curry totally smooth.

You can make this recipe exactly the same, but with chicken.

Kadai Paneer

Kadai Masala:

2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 dried red chilies
4 green cardamom
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
3 cloves

Kadai Paneer:

1 tablespoon butter, unsalted
1 tablespoon oil, 15 ml, I used avocado oil
1 medium red onion, 150 grams, finely chopped
1 green chili, sliced
2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
3-4 medium tomatoes, 450 grams, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste, optional
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
3/4 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
1 inch ginger, julienned, divided
1/2 cup water, 4 oz/120 ml
2 tablespoons heavy cream, 30 ml
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 large green bell pepper (capsicum), cut into 1-inch pieces
225 grams paneer, cubed, if using store-bought paneer soak it in warm water for 20-25 minutes before using
1 teaspoon kasuri methi, dried fenugreek leaves
cilantro, to garnish

Make the Kadai Masala:

To a small kadai or pan, dry roast the spices for kadai masala for 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat until fragrant. Add more red chilies for a spicier masala.

Remove kadai from heat and transfer the roasted spices to a spice grinder.
Let it cool down a bit and then grind to a fine powder. Set aside. You can also make this kadai masala in advance and store it.

Make the Kadai Paneer:

In a large kadai or any other pan, now melt butter with oil on medium heat.

Add the chopped onion and saute for 3 minutes until softened. Then add the sliced green chili and ginger garlic paste and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Then add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Mix and cook for around 6 minutes until tomatoes are really soft.

Then add 3 to 4 teaspoons of the kadai masala that you prepared earlier (or add the whole thing if you like it spicy). Also add the garam masala, kashmiri red chili powder.

Add half of the ginger julienne. Stir the spices and cook for 30 seconds.
Then add 1/2 cup water and stir.

Add cream, salt and sugar and mix. Cook for one minute.

Add in the paneer and bell peppers (capsicum) and mix. Cover the pan or kadai with a lid and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on medium heat until bell peppers are slightly softened. You only want them half cooked here.

Crush kasuri methi and add to the pan.

Garnish with remaining ginger julienne and cilantro. Serve kadai paneer with naan or paratha.

To make this Kadai Paneer spicier:
• use double the amount of red chilies while making the kadai masala.
• use the entire kadai masala in the recipe. I have used 3 to 4 teaspoons of the masala and was left with some.
• use 1/2 teaspoon garam masala in place of 1/4.

Paneer Butter Masala (Paneer Makhani)

2 teaspoons oil, 10 ml, divided, (use any flavorless oil)
1 bay leaf
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
3-4 cloves
6-7 large garlic cloves, 25 grams, roughly chopped
1.5 inch ginger, 15 grams, roughly chopped
1 large white onion, 180 grams, roughly chopped
3-4 large tomatoes, 460 grams, roughly chopped
10-15 whole cashews, raw
1 cup water, 8 oz
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala, + 1/4 teaspoon, if needed
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 tablespoon tomato paste, optional
3-4 tablespoons cream, 45-60 ml
250 grams paneer, cut into cubes
2 teaspoons crushed kasuri methi, dried fenugreek leaves
chopped cilantro, to garnish

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves and saute for few seconds.

Then add the the onion, garlic, ginger and saute for 2 to 3 minutes until the onion is translucent.

Add the tomatoes and cashews and mix. Then add 1 cup of water. Cover the pan and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, remove the pan from heat. Remove the bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cloves.

Let the mixture cool down a bit and then transfer to a blender. It’s important to let it cool down a bit else it will all blow up from the mixer. Grind the masala to a smooth paste and set aside.

To the same pan now add 2 tablespoons butter along with remaining 1 teaspoon oil on medium heat.

Once the butter melts, add the red chili powder and the Kashmiri red chili powder and fry for few seconds. This will give the curry a nice orange-red color.

Then add the ground paste back into the pan along with the garam masala (start with 1/2 teaspoon and add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon at the end only if you feel like the curry needs that extra bit of garam masala), cardamom powder, sugar, salt and tomato paste (if using). Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Then add the cream and mix.

Add in the paneer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Finally add crushed kasuri methi.

Garnish paneer butter masala with cilantro and serve hot with naan or rice!

Chana Masala

1 cup white chickpeas, raw, 200 grams, soaked overnight or use 2.5 cups canned chickpeas
3/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt, or as needed, divided
2.5 cups water, to boil the chickpeas, skip if using canned chickpeas
1 inch ginger
3-4 large garlic cloves
1 green chili, or more to taste
2 tablespoons oil, 30 ml, I use avocado oil
1 bay leaf
4 whole green cardamoms
3 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
7-8 whole black peppercorns
3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 large red onion, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, pureed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon kasuri methi, crushed, dried fenugreek leaves
1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Soak 1 cup raw white chickpeas (200 grams) overnight in 3 cups (24 oz) water. In the morning, drain the water and transfer the soaked chickpeas to a pressure cooker along with 1/2 teaspoon salt. After soaking overnight, the volume of chickpeas increased to 2.5 cups (425 grams)!

Instant Pot: Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes with natural pressure release.

Stove-top pressure cooker: cook on high heat for 2 whistles, them lower heat to medium and cook for additional 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
Once pressure cooked, the chickpeas will break easily when pressed between your thumb and index finger.

If using canned chickpeas, you can skip these steps, use 2.5 cups canned chickpeas and directly move to cooking the chana masala in the pot.

Using a mortar and pestle, crush the ginger, garlic and green chili. Set it aside.

Heat a pot/pan over medium heat on stove-top. Once hot, add the oil and then add the whole spices- bay leaf, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns and cumin seeds.

Let the spices sizzle for 30 seconds and become fragrant.

Add the finely chopped onion and stir. Cook for 3 minutes until the onions soften. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt here so that onions cook a little faster. Meanwhile puree 2 tomatoes using a blender and set aside.

Add the crushed ginger-garlic and green chili. Stir and cook for a minute or two until the raw smell of the ginger-garlic goes away.

Add the pureed tomatoes along with 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Stir and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring often.

Then add the ground spices- coriander powder, cumin powder, paprika, turmeric and garam masala. Cook the spices for 30 seconds. The oil should ooze out of the sides of the masala at this point.

Stir in the boiled chickpeas and mix. Also add 2 cups of water and stir. I used the same water in which the chickpeas were boiled. You can add more water here if you prefer more gravy in your chana masala.

Taste test and adjust the salt at this point, I added 1/8 teaspoon more salt here.

Cover the pot with a lid, set heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes for the flavors to mix-in together.

Stir in crushed kasuri methi and chopped cilantro.

Garnish with more cilantro and serve Chana Masala with rice or naan! You may also squeeze some fresh lemon juice if desired (see notes).

Recipe Notes:

You can use a can of diced tomatoes if you don’t have fresh tomatoes. Just cook the tomatoes for 2 minutes only then compared to 5 minutes with fresh pureed tomatoes. If your tomatoes aren’t that tangy, squeeze some lemon juice before serving.

If you prefer spicy food, add 1/4 teaspoon (or even more) of red chili powder for that extra-kick. You can even increase the green chilies in the recipe.

I haven’t done this in the recipe, but to elevate the flavors, you can do that extra-step of frying ginger julienne in ghee and adding it to the chana masala. Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a small pan on medium heat. Once hot, add sliced ginger julienne (from 1-inch ginger) to it. Fry until the ginger julienne starts changing color, then add this to the chana masala.

Chole

To pressure cook:

2 cups + 2 tablespoons raw chickpeas
5-6 green cardamom pods
4-5 black peppercorn
2 bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tea bags
salt, to taste
5 cups water

For the chole masala:
1 tablespoon oil
3-4 cloves
3/4 cup pureed onion , from 2 small onions
2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste
2.5 cups pureed tomatoes , from 4 medium tomatoes
3 teaspoons chole masala
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika powder
3/4 teaspoon cumin powder
salt, to taste

To garnish:
1 tablespoon ghee
1 inch ginger, cut into julienne
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 tablespoon crushed kasuri methi, also known as dried fenugreek leaves
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Soak the chickpeas overnight in enough water to cover them. In the morning, drain the water.

In a pressure cooker add the soaked and drained chickpeas, 2 tea bags, bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon stick, salt and 4 to 5 cups water. Pressure cook at high flame till you get 1-2 whistles. After that lower the flame to medium and let the chickpeas cook for another 10-12 minutes.

In a wok, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Once hot, add cloves and grated onions. Fry the onions till the raw smell goes away and they are light golden brown in color.

Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for 3-4 minutes till the smell of ginger-garlic goes away.

Now add the tomato puree , stir and let it cook for 12-15 minutes on medium-low flame. Cover the pan to prevent the splash all around.

Add the chole masala, red chilli powder, paprika powder, cumin powder, salt and mix for a 1-2 minutes.

Add the chickpeas next and stir will all the chickpeas are coated with the spices, around 2 minutes.

Add water (which was used for boiling the chickpeas), cover the pan and let it simmer at medium-low flame for around 30 minutes. The gravy will thicken after 30 minutes so add water accordingly.

To temper, heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a pan and the ginger julienne to it.
Fry till the juliennes are golden brown in color but do not burn them. Add to the chole curry, mix and switch off the flame.

Sprinkle some garam masala, kasuri methi and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with roti, paratha or plain rice.

Notes: freezes well.

Gobi Matar Masala

1 cauliflower head, small
1/3 cup green peas
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
1/4 teaspoon paprika powder
1/3 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon sugar [i used vegan granulated white sugar]
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
cilantro leaves, chopped
garam masala powder, to sprinkle [optional]
salt, to taste

To be roasted and ground
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 cloves
2 green cardamom
1 black cardamom
3 peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick, small
1 whole dry red chili
1/3 teaspoon ginger powder
Instructions

Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cauliflower florets.

Cook the florets till they start turning very light golden brown in color. Remove from pan and set aside.

In another pan, dry roast all the spices listed under “To be roasted and ground”. Roast for 2-3 minutes till you start getting a nice aroma of all the spices.

Once the spices are roasted transfer the mixture to a spice grinder, add ground ginger and grind to a fine powder and set aside.

In the same pan heat 2 teaspoons of oil. Once the oil is hot, add sliced onions.

Saute till raw smell goes away and onions become translucent. Add the ginger garlic paste.

Cook the ginger garlic paste for 2-3 minutes till the raw smell goes away.
Add in the sliced tomatoes, mix and cover and cook for 5-6 minutes on medium flame till tomatoes are cooked and mushy.

Add the ground spices that we had kept aside +turmeric powder +paprika powder and mix.

Cover and cook again for 3-4 minutes. [Tip: Overall you should cook the tomatoes on medium heat for 10-15 minutes for best flavor]

After the spices are cooked, add the tomato ketchup, sugar and mix.

At this point add 1/2 cup of water and the half cooked cauliflower and blanched green peas and mix.

Cook the veggies on medium-flame for 5-8 minutes without covering it till cauliflower is cooked and soft but not mushy. You should still be able to bite it.

Add the salt now and mix. Also add in the fresh lemon juice and sprinkle some garam masala on top [optional].

Garnish with chopped coriander/cilantro leaves and serve hot with naan or roti.

Aloo Matar

2 medium boiled potatoes, cut into cubes
3 medium tomatoes, pureed
1/2 cup green peas, I used frozen green peas
2 teaspoons oil, use any oil of choice
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder, or adjust to taste
1/4 teaspoon garam masala powder
1.5 teaspoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 cups water
salt, to taste

Heat oil in pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle.

Then add ginger garlic paste and cook for 1-2 minute till the raw smell goes away.

Add the pureed tomatoes. Add little salt, give a stir and cover and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.

Remove cover and add turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, red chili powder. Adjust spice levels to taste.

Add more salt as required at this point. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
After the tomatoes have cooked for more than 10 minutes, add 2 cups water.

Let it all come to a boil and then add cubed boiled potatoes and green peas to it.

Cover the pan and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add chopped cilantro and mix.
Serve aloo matar with any bread of your choice. It’s also great with plain rice.

Chana Aloo

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil, I used avocado oil
1 bay leaf
3 green cardamom pods
2 whole cloves
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 large onion, 200 grams, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 inch ginger, finely chopped
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, adjust to taste
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
30 oz can chickpeas, 850 grams/2 x 15 oz
1 large potato, 320 grams, cut into 1/2″ cubes, around 1.5 cups cubed potatoes
1.5-2 cups water
2 tablespoons cilantro, plus more to garnish
juice of 1/2 lime

Heat oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the bay leaf, cardamom pods, cloves and cumin seeds. Saute for few seconds until the cumin seeds sizzle and the spices are fragrant.

Add the chopped onion, garlic and ginger and cook for 4-5 minutes until the onions turn light golden brown in color.

Then add in a can of diced tomatoes and stir well.

Add the spices- coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, ground cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and stir. Also add the salt, mix well and let it all cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add in the chickpeas and cubed potatoes. Mix well until the chickpeas and the potatoes are coated with the masala.

Add 1.5 to 2 cups of water to the pan and stir.

Close the pan with its lid and let the curry cook on medium heat for around 12 to 15 minutes until the potatoes are cooked and the curry thickens up.

Once the curry is done, add in the cilantro and the lime juice and mix.
Serve chana aloo over rice for a comforting meal!

Dal Tadka

1 cup toor dal, 200 grams, also known as arhar dal/split pigeon peas lentil
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1.5 teaspoon salt, divided, adjust to taste
3.5 cups water, divided
4 large garlic cloves, divided
1 inch ginger
1 green chili
1.5 tablespoons ghee, 22 ml, also known as clarified butter or use oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed in mortar pestle
2 cloves
1 medium red onion, 150 grams, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
1/8 teaspoon red chili powder, or adjust to taste
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon kasuri methi, crushed, dried fenugreek leaves

Tempering/Tadka
2 teaspoons ghee , 10 ml
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon hing, also known as asafoetida
2 dried red chilies
1/4 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder, optional

To a pressure cooker add toor dal along with turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 cups water.

Pressure cook for 4 whistle on high heat then lower the heat and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. If using an Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for 8 minutes with natural pressure release. Set it aside.

Meanwhile crush 4 large garlic cloves, 1-inch ginger and green chili in a mortar pestle and set it aside.

In a heavy bottom pan, heat ghee on medium heat. Once hot, add the cumin seeds, crushed coriander seeds and cloves. Saute for few seconds until fragrant.

Then add onions, cook for around 3 to 4 minutes until they are soft and start changing color.

Add the crushed garlic-ginger-green chili. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the raw smell goes away.

Add the chopped tomatoes along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix. Cover and cook for 7 to 8 minutes until tomatoes are very soft and cooked.

Then add the coriander powder, garam masala, kashmiri red chili powder, red chili powder, cilantro and kasuri methi. Stir the spices with the masala for few 30 seconds.

Add the boiled dal to the pan and mix. I also added 1/2 cup water here as dal looked very thick to me. Let the dal simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.

For the tempering/tadka, heat 2 teaspoons ghee in a small pan. Once the ghee is hot, add 2 chopped garlic cloves. Also add hing and dried red chilies.

Cook for one minute until the garlic starts changing color. Add kashmiri red chili powder remove pan from heat.

Pour tempering over the dal and mix.

Garnish dal tadka with more cilantro and serve!

Recipe Note: You may use a combination of lentils to make dal tadka. Commonly used- toor dal + moong dal or toor dal + masoor dal (red lentils).

Moong Dal Tadka

1 cup moong dal dhuli, 200 grams, also known as split petite yellow lentils
3 cups water, 24 oz
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder, or to taste
3/4 teaspoon salt, or adjust to taste

Tempering/Tadka
1 tablespoon oil, 15 ml, or you can also use ghee
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon hing, asafoetida
5-6 large garlic cloves, sliced
1-2 dried red chilies
6-7 curry leaves
Juice of half a lemon
chopped cilantro

To you Instant Pot or regular stove top pressure cooker, add the dal, 3 cups water, chopped tomato, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine.

If using Instant pot, cook for 5 minutes at high pressure. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then do a quick release.

If using traditional pressure cooker, cook for 2-3 whistles on high heat. Let the pressure release naturally.

Once the pressure is released, open the lid of the cooker and give the dal a stir. Adjust the consistency of dal at this point to your preference.

To make the tempering, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and the mustard seeds.

Let the seeds sizzle, wait until the mustard seeds pop. Then add the hing.

Add the sliced garlic and dried red chilies and saute for 2 to 3 minutes until garlic become light brown in color.

Then add the curry leaves and saute for few seconds.

Transfer tempering to the cooked dal and stir.

Add in the lemon juice, chopped cilantro and mix. Serve moong dal over rice for a comforting meal!

Dal Fry

3/4 cup toor dal, pigeon pea lentil, 150 grams
1/4 cup masoor dal, red lentil, 50 grams
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt, divided
4 cups water, divided
1 tablespoon oil, or can use ghee
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 whole dried red chili, broken
1/4 teaspoon hing, asafoetida
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
7-8 large garlic cloves, crushed using mortar & pestle
1.5 inch ginger, crushed using mortar & pestle
1 green chili, sliced, or more to taste
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/8 teaspoon garam masala
1/8 teaspoon red chili powder, or to taste
1 teaspoon kasuri methi, dried fenugreek leaves, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, + more to garnish

Rinse the dal and transfer to an instant pot or pressure cooker. Add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3 cups water. Stir.

Boil the dal using either-
Instant Pot: cook on high pressure for 8 minutes with natural pressure release.
Stove-top pressure cooker: cook for 4 to 5 whistles on high then lower the heat and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Then add dried red chili and hing and saute for few seconds.

Add onions (also add 1/4 teaspoon salt for the onions to cook faster) and cook for around 4 minutes until soft and light golden brown in color.

Add crushed garlic-ginger and sliced green chili. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the raw smell goes away.

Add the chopped tomatoes and stir.

Then add the garam masala, red chili powder and mix. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes until tomatoes are very soft and cooked and oil oozes from the side of the masala. This step is important, don’t rush it. Stir in between (can also add around 2 tablespoon water so that the masala doesn’t burn).

Now add the boiled dal to the pan and mix. Add water to thin out the dal to your taste.

Add kasuri methi, chopped cilantro. Also add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and mix.

Let the dal simmer for 3 to 4 minutes on low-medium heat.

Note: You can use toor dal only or use a combination of toor, moong and masoor dal too.

Gobi Manchurian

1 tablespoon avocado oil, or any oil of choice
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon grated garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1-2 green chilies, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2-3 stalks scallions , chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce, I used 1 tablespoon regular and 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sriracha or any hot sauce, adjust to taste
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon white pepper powder
salt, to taste, if needed

For the cauliflower florets
1 small head cauliflower, cut into medium size florets, around 2.5 cups cut cauliflower florets
6 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder
water, to form a flowing batter, around 1/2 cup + 2-3 tablespoons
oil, for frying, I used avocado oil

To make the sauce, heat the oil in a skillet on high heat. Once hot, add the grated garlic, ginger, green chili and chopped celery.

Saute for 1 minute until ginger-garlic start changing color.

Then add the chopped onion, green pepper and scallions. Cook for high heat for around 3 minutes.

Then add the soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, hot sauce (like sriracha), sugar and white pepper powder. Taste test and add salt if needed. Set aside.

Meanwhile cut and clean cauliflower florets and drop them in hot salted water. Simmer on medium heat for around 4 minutes.

Drain water and place florets on a paper tissue. Pat dry each individually.
To a large bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, ginger-garlic paste, salt and pepper. Whisk and start adding water, little by little.

Form a smooth, free-flowing batter. It should not be too thick or thin.

Heat oil for frying on medium heat in a kadai or pan. Once oil is hot, dip the florets into the batter. Make sure they are well coated with the batter.

Drain off the excess batter and carefully drop florets into the hot oil.
Fry on medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes, until crispy and browned.

Transfer the fried cauliflower florets into the sauce (sauce should be warm when you do this).

Toss to combine until all the florets are well coated with the sauce.

Garnish with scallions and serve gobi manchurian with hakka noodles or enjoy as it is!

If you want to make Gobi Manchurian with gravy: add 1 cup water to the sauce. after adding all the sauces (soy sauce, ketchup etc.). Then in a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water.
Add the cornstarch slurry to the gravy and stir. Let it simmer for a minute or two, the gravy will thicken. Add florets and serve.

Indian Vermicelli with Peas and Cilantro

3 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
2 medium shallots, halved and thinly sliced
2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 Fresno or jalapeño chili, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped, stems and leaves reserved separately
12 ounces vermicelli pasta, broken into 1-inch pieces
Kosher salt and ground back pepper
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup roasted peanuts, chopped

In a large pot over medium, heat the oil until shimmering.

Add the shallots and ginger, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the cumin and turmeric, then cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the chili, cilantro stems and pasta.

Add 3 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and  teaspoon pepper, then bring to a simmer over medium-high. Cover, reduce to medium- low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.

Off heat, add the cilantro leaves, peas, lemon zest and juice, and half the peanuts, then toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining peanuts.