In the heat of summer, the Darjeeling hills are a great shelter from the blistering temperatures of Kolkata. But the journey from Kolkata to Darjeeling is turbulent and long, and all I ever want when I arrive (aside from a medicinal gin and tonic) is a bath and the...
Serves 4 as a side ½-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped½ an Indian green chile3 tablespoons canola oil2 tablespoons lemon juice1/3 teaspoon ground cumin1/3 teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon ground black pepper2/3 cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped1 cup loosely packed...
Turning dull, hard seeds into crunchy, fresh food using just water feels like nothing short of a miracle in a “Jack and the Beanstalk” way. Of course, you don’t need to sprout your own, as supermarkets, health food shops, and Asian supermarkets have already done that...
Tarka is a technique used in Indian cooking which involves frying spices (or herbs, nuts, or chiles) in oil or ghee to add flavor. Think of it as a sort of hot, spiced dressing. I’ve used lime and cumin together here, which really lifts all the other ingredients and...
This crisp and clean bunch of ingredients, mixed with some warming sweet spices, works together as tightly as the rhythm section of James Brown’s funk band. Serves 4 as a side 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 5 tablespoons canola oil 1 cup flaked almonds 1 teaspoon ground...
A salad greater than the sum of its parts that will dominate the dinner table delightfully. Works well with rice and sambhar, and with beet shami kebabs too. NOTE: As tamarind paste varies from brand to brand, add it gradually until it tastes good to you. Serves 4 as...
When my friend Teresa made this for a party, I immediately frogmarched her straight down to the local grocer so she could re-create it. (Sorry, Teresa.) Both this salad and Teresa are from the Seychelles, but the salad is actually Indian in origin. It’s very hot and...
You need hard, semi-ripe mangoes for this, as they tend to have a good balance between sweetness and acidity. They don’t have to be Indian—the green Brazilian mangoes available all year round work really well. You can eat this salad by itself or with some bread, like...
This is an update of an aging rock star of Indian dishes—matar paneer, or paneer and pea curry. I’ve kept the vegetables crisp and tender so they don’t surrender to mushiness: the result is a younger, edgier new kid on the block with a bit more attitude. Serves 4 as a...
A smart and seductive salad. Marinating the red onion for an hour or so in the smashed pomegranate and lime juice takes away its punch, leaving behind fresh, bittersweet, and peppery flavors. Perfect with a dense, buttery rice or a smoky lamb kebab, if you’re that way...
