In 1969, Srila Prabhupada and a handful of disciples were the guests of John Lennon and Yoko Ono at their estate near Ascot, England. During our stay, I was Prabhupada’s cook. Every day he would give me his lunch menu, and one day he told me exactly how he…
Sometimes called pongal , this South Indian version of khichari is juicy, thick and mildly seasoned. It is an ideal way to combine the complementary proteins of yellow or green split peas and rice. When eaten together, the peas and rice supply 43 percent more usable…
If you like Mexican chili, you will love this Punjabi vegetarian specialty. It is robust, nutritious, filling and spicy. Several variations of Rajma are popular in Northern India, and this one is my favorite. I first had this dish in a village in Punjab. It was part…
Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are large beige legumes shaped like wrinkled hazelnuts. They have a faintly nut-like flavor and are naturally rich in protein-nitrogen compounds, important for muscle-building and body growth. When they are combined with this…
A buttery, spiced tomato glaze coats tender chickpeas in this delicious dried bean dish, ideal for a substantial warm breakfast or brunch with Griddle-Fried Whole Wheat Bread , seasonal fruits and a beverage. Soaking time: 8 hours or overnight Preparation time (after…
This is a nutritious, elegant pilaf with a delicious flavor. The rice is fried with spices, a sweetener and tomatoes. It is then cooked with chopped fresh spinach and, when it is done, golden fried nuts and panir cheese cubes are folded in. Add a sprinkle of lemon…
In the heart of Central London, near the British Museum, there is a stately four-story building that in 1969 became the first temple of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in England. At the official opening ceremonies, Srila Prabhupada…
This zesty side dish is particularly pleasing in a large, full-course meal with two or more varieties of rice. It is served at room temperature, sometimes chilled, but it always retains a pungent warmth from its substantial quantity of cracked black pepper. The rice…
Panir cheese, which has no counterpart in Western cuisine, is made by adding a curdling agent to boiling milk and collecting and draining the resulting curds. In this recipe, the cheese is cut into cubes and fried in ghee or vegetable oil. Panir cheese is a…
Fried cubes of fresh homemade cheese add succulent, moist chunks of flavor and nutrition in the form of protein ana calcium to this simple pilaf. The bell peppers and tomatoes add nuances of taste, texture and color, along with their own nutritional value. The result…
It is hard to translate the word badi , as there is no counterpart to the badi or ground dal cake in American or Continental cuisine. Selected legumes (dals ) are soaked, drained and ground into either mild or highly seasoned paste. This is dropped on the drying trays…
This relatively simple sweet rice is made regal by the color and flavor of saffron. The success of the dish depends on the delicate balance of flavors contributed by the rice, saffron and sweetener. Jaggery , light brown sugar, or maple sugar is the best sweetener for…