OUR VEGETARIAN BLOG
OKRA FRIES TALI BHINDI
Crisply fried okra is eaten all over India. I remember that in our family we cut the okra into thin rings, fried them until very crisp, then ate them with a sprinkling of salt, amchoor (sour green mango powder), and some chili powder. In Tamil Nadu, where crisp foods,…
SAVORY PASTRY STRIPS WITH AJOWAN SEEDSNAMAKPARA
You can put a bowl of these snacks near the sofa, with a bowl of chutney to be used as a dipping sauce, and you are all set for an evening watching television. Namakparas, a great favorite in our family, are a savory nibbling food flavored with the thyme-like seeds…
SPICY MATCHSTICK POTATOES ALOO KA TALA HUA LACCHA
This is a wonderful snack to nibble on, especially when enjoying favorite TV programs and films at home. You could serve it with Simple South Indian Tomato Sauce, plain old tomato ketchup, or nothing at all. It is good just by itself. SERVES 4 • 2 teaspoons lemon…
SPICED POTATO-BALL FRITTERS BONDA OR BATATA VADA
Wherever Indian snack sellers congregate, such as Chowpatty Beach in Bombay, you are likely to find some version of these bondas. Round in shape, with a chickpea flour skin on the outside and spicy crushed potatoes inside, they are served still hot and crisp from the…
SPINACH BHAJIAS PALAG KI PAKORI
These are best served piping hot with some Green Chutney and/or Simple Tamarind Chutney; dilute every tablespoon of the latter with a tablespoon of water. For more on Indian fritters in general, see the introduction to Onion Fritters. MAKES 12 MEDIUM-SIZED FRITTERS •…
ONION FRITTERS – KANDA BHAJIA OR PYAZ KI PAKORI
It is Indian restaurants in the West, particularly Britain, that have popularized onion bhajias as a first course. That name comes from western India, where all varieties of fritters are called bhajias and eaten at teatime or as a snack with lots of hot chutney for…
CABBAGE FRITTERS CABBAGE VEPADU
I was in Rajahmundry, a town on the banks of the mighty Godavari River—the widest river I have ever seen—in Andhra Pradesh. It was lunchtime, and I was desperately hungry. Someone thought I should try a mess. That suggested a military setup, but it turned out to be…
SPICY PANEER SLICES TALA MASALEDAR PANEER
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….
CAULIFLOWER SOUP GOBI KA SOUP
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…
TOMATO RASAM SOUP TAMATAR RASAM KA SOUP
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…
RED LENTIL AND ZUCCHINI SOUP
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…
RED PEPPER AND TOMATO SOUP
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…