OUR VEGETARIAN BLOG
POTATO AND ONION MÉLANGE DOSA WALAY ALOO
This is the very traditional stuffing for South Indian dosas (savory pancakes). It may also be served as a vegetable with any meal. It goes particularly well with Indian breads. SERVES 4–5 AND MAKES ENOUGH FILLING FOR 6 DOSAS • 1¼ lbs. waxy potatoes, peeled and…
OKRA WITH ONIONS AND GREEN CHILIES PYAZ KAY SAATH BHUNI HUI BHINDI
Another dish from northern India is okra, which is never covered as it cooks to prevent it from releasing its viscous innards. The cooking starts on medium-high heat, which is slowly lowered as the ingredients start to brown. The process takes 15–20 minutes and…
PUNJABI-STYLE OKRA MASALA PUNJABI BHINDI
The day starts early in the villages of the Punjab, one of India’s “granary” states. Cows have to be milked, breakfasts prepared (very often stuffed parathas served with buttermilk or tea), and lunches made for those who work in far-away wheat fields. These lunches…
OKRA DRY-COOKED WITH YOGURT SOOKHI DAHI WALI BHINDI
Here, the okra is cooked until it is quite dry, oozing none of the viscous juices normally associated with it. It can be served with most Indian meals and goes particularly well with any black-eyed pea dish, a potato dish, and some flatbread. SERVES 4 • 1 lb. okra…
MY EVERYDAY OKRA ROZ KI BHINDI
When buying okra, always look for young, tender pods, which tend to be small as well. Okra is cooked in dozens of ways throughout India. This remains one of the simplest and most delicious North Indian ways of preparing it. Here it is not at all glutinous—it turns…
OKRA COOKED IN A KONKAN STYLE BHENDI BHAJI
The Konkan region runs along the central west coast of India. Here is one of its simple everyday okra dishes that I just love. Serve the okra with other vegetables and perhaps Whole Moong and Masoor Cooked with Meat Seasonings, a rice dish or a flatbread, and a yogurt…
KODAVA MUSHROOM CURRY WITH COCONUT KUMME CURRY
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…
WINTER KALE IN A KASHMIRI STYLE KALE KI KASHMIRI SABZI
Kale can cook quickly or slowly, depending on its age. I picked some black kale in December, and it took about 30 minutes to cook. In Kashmir, it is always cooked in mustard oil and served with rice. I like to add a whole bean dish and a salad to the meal as well….
STIR-FRIED BABY KALE COOKED IN A BENGALI VILLAGE STYLE KALE KI SABZI
The style that I have used to cook this kale is the one used in some Bengali villages to prepare finely chopped stems of mixed green vegetables in a dish called “dahta.” If, indeed, you have an assortment of stems from your garden, chop them into small pieces and…
QUICK STIR-FRY OF YOUNG ZUCCHINI AND YELLOW SQUASH ZUCCHINI AND SQUASH KI SABZI
Many vegetarians in India, especially in the central desert region of Rajasthan, where there is a dearth of wood for fuel, stir-fry their vegetables quickly in a little yogurt. This gives them creaminess and tartness, as well as added protein. Here is one such…
CAULIFLOWER WITH AJWAIN AND GINGER AJWAIN WALI GOBI
Ashrams in India cater to hundreds, if not thousands, of people at a time, so I was very interested in knowing just what they served and if they had any underlying principles to guide their chefs. Ashram foods, as I should have expected, differ from ashram to ashram….
CAULIFLOWER WITH PEAS FLOWER VATANA NU SHAAK
Rajul is a Jain from Palanpur in northern Gujarat, but she lives in Bombay. Under the British, Palanpur was a princely state with a Muslim nawab, but Jains prospered there, eventually becoming leaders of the diamond trade in Bombay and around the world. Jainism is…