OUR VEGETARIAN BLOG
TOMATO + CHICKPEA SALAD WITH A LIME TARKA
Tarka is a technique used in Indian cooking which involves frying spices (or herbs, nuts, or chiles) in oil or ghee to add flavor. Think of it as a sort of hot, spiced dressing. I’ve used lime and cumin together here, which really lifts all the other ingredients and…
FENNEL + APPLE CHAAT WITH CARAMELIZED ALMONDS
This crisp and clean bunch of ingredients, mixed with some warming sweet spices, works together as tightly as the rhythm section of James Brown’s funk band. Serves 4 as a side 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 5 tablespoons canola oil 1 cup flaked almonds 1 teaspoon ground…
HOT GREEN BEAN, CASHEW, + COCONUT SALAD
A salad greater than the sum of its parts that will dominate the dinner table delightfully. Works well with rice and sambhar, and with beet shami kebabs too. NOTE: As tamarind paste varies from brand to brand, add it gradually until it tastes good to you. Serves 4 as…
TERESA’S MANGO SALAD
When my friend Teresa made this for a party, I immediately frogmarched her straight down to the local grocer so she could re-create it. (Sorry, Teresa.) Both this salad and Teresa are from the Seychelles, but the salad is actually Indian in origin. It’s very hot and…
PANEER, MANGO, + TAMARIND SALAD
You need hard, semi-ripe mangoes for this, as they tend to have a good balance between sweetness and acidity. They don’t have to be Indian—the green Brazilian mangoes available all year round work really well. You can eat this salad by itself or with some bread, like…
FRESH MATAR PANEER
This is an update of an aging rock star of Indian dishes—matar paneer, or paneer and pea curry. I’ve kept the vegetables crisp and tender so they don’t surrender to mushiness: the result is a younger, edgier new kid on the block with a bit more attitude. Serves 4 as a…
RADISH, RED ONION, + POMEGRANATE SALAD
A smart and seductive salad. Marinating the red onion for an hour or so in the smashed pomegranate and lime juice takes away its punch, leaving behind fresh, bittersweet, and peppery flavors. Perfect with a dense, buttery rice or a smoky lamb kebab, if you’re that way…
CAULIFLOWER + POMEGRANATE CHAAT
Soft, charred, creamy, crunchy, sweet, and sour. Good for lunch with hot bread, or as a side to dal or chicken. Chaat masala is a spice blend made with dried sour mango powder, pomegranate seeds, and ground ginger, and gives food real zing and perkiness. You can make…
HUMAYUN’S EGGPLANT KUKU
Humayun was a Mughal emperor in Delhi in the 1500s. He earned the title “Perfect Man” for his patience and tranquility, and he was partial to refined Persian food, cooked by the best chefs of his day. When he wasn’t eating stuffed roasted whole sheep, or…
SESAME + TAMARIND EGGPLANTS WITH CRACKED WHEAT
The people of Andhra Pradesh love their pungent, spicy, and sour flavors, as well as cooking vegetables in rich pastes made of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or peanuts. This dish is typical of the region and uses tamarind for sourness and sesame seeds for rich…
EGGPLANT + PEA CURRY
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…
COAL-SMOKED EGGPLANT CURRY
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…