Side Dishes
When I got back from my honeymoon, I spoke to my grandma. “Are you happily married?” she asked. “Yes, Grandma.” “What have you eaten today?” “Eggplant and pea curry and chapatis.” “Good. If you’re eating properly, you must be happy.” Serves 4 as a main course 5…
As the summer starts to disappear, and with it any hope of having a barbecue, think of this recipe. It uses the classic and ancient Indian dhungar method of smoking food by placing a smoldering piece of charcoal in the center of the curry and pouring a little oil over…
The first time I met my husband was in his kitchen. He was standing amid a mountain of empty pomegranate shells and the kitchen looked like a crime scene, with red juice splattered up the walls. He wanted to impress me with this fesenjan, a dish that was often found…
A thoran is a sort of quick Keralan stir-fry. Here it involves cooking shredded sprouts hard and fast, then tossing them with some sweet onions and the lively flavors of curry leaves, chile, lemon, and coconut. This is Kerala, via wintry England, on a plate. This dish…
At the age of eighty-three, my grandma has somewhat unreliable hips, but I’ve never seen her move so quickly to the dinner table as when this curry is on the menu. It’s not just one of her favorites, it’s also on the A-list of curries for a lot of Gujaratis. There are…
My father lives just on the edge of what we consider to be normal. He prefers confectioners’ sugar in his tea, has the buttons of his back pockets removed (for fear of damaging his car upholstery), and keeps a logbook of when he waters the plants. One time, he…
Achari means “pickled.” As with most pickled foods, this cauliflower dish helps to sharpen the edges of other, more comforting dishes at the table. It’s lip-smackingly delicious, and the flavor will improve over time, so it’s a good thing to make in advance. It works…
This dish comes from the royal court kitchens of Uttar Pradesh, where it was a favorite of state banquets, high society, and Mughal emperors. At that time, food wasn’t just food, it was a way of showing off. It is still a great dinner-party dish today: a head-turner…
You don’t have to use baby vegetables for this dish. I use them because they’re sweet and beautiful, but you could use larger roots and cut them down to size. Serves 4 2¼ pounds mix of baby carrots, parsnips, turnips, and potatoes canola oil 2 teaspoons ground cumin…
These fun little dumplings are the most popular street snack in Darjeeling, thanks to the thousands of Tibetans who have made the town their home since the 1960s. They’re enjoyable to make, but more so on a weekend when you’re over-indexing on enthusiasm and patience….
