Marwaris are a highly successful business community that originated in Marwar, in the deserts of Rajasthan. Many left their hometowns to create large businesses elsewhere in India. They are completely vegetarian, with a distinct and much-admired cuisine. Vinita has...
I cannot tell you how scrumptious—and simple—this curry is. I had never eaten it before until Kaveri made it for me in her large, beautiful modern home in Bangalore, replete with vaulted ceilings and two kitchens, one for Kaveri, who is a food writer, and one for the...
North Indians nearly always start beet dishes with the raw vegetable and generally cut it quite small so the pieces can be picked up easily with morsels of local flatbreads or rice. Save the stems and leaves, if you have them, for another dish. Serve this sweet, sour,...
WILD MUSHROOM STEW WITH COCONUT SAUCE KHUMBI KI TARKARI This makes a lovely first course, served plain or on toast. I make it with a mixture of the fresh mushrooms that are available to me—hon-shimeji (also called beech mushrooms, as they grow on beech trees),...
My friends Juji and Viru Dayal had told me that the food at the Chinmaya Mission in Delhi was very good and had taken me to sample some of it. I knew that the main branch was attached to the Guruvayur Temple in Kerala, so the food would be both northern and southern....
A simple soup that I loved as a child. It reminds me of Indian hotel soups in the waning years of the Raj. SERVES 4–6 • 3 tablespoons olive or peanut oil • ½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds • ¼ teaspoon whole fennel seeds • 1 medium onion (about 6½ oz), peeled and chopped...
Rasams in South India are thin, watery drinks that are very hot, sour, and spicy. They are generally served with rice or just drunk on their own, but you can read more about them on our blog. For this particular recipe, I have thickened the drink so it can be served...
MASOOR DAL AUR COURGETTE KA SOUP This delicious soup is a meal in itself, as it contains legumes and vegetables and is served with a yogurt sauce. Slices of whole-grain bread offered on the side would make the meal nutritionally complete. The sauce that accompanies...
LAL SHIMLA MIRCH AUR TAMATAR KA SOUP A very nutritious and delicious soup. If you leave out the cream, it is vegan. As stock, I use the broth from cooking a dal, a trick commonly used in South India. In that area the leftover dal is used to make a curry (sambar), but...
START TO FINISH: 30 minutes MAKES 2 servings • 1 14.5-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained • 1 cup water • 1 cup chopped onion (1 large) • 1 cup canned organic, no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained • 3⁄4 cup canned black-eyed peas, rinsed and...
