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Pakoras: Indian spiced vegetable fritters

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:30:00 +0000

The much-awaited monsoon rain showers are always a cause for celebration in India. When the rains finally arrived in Delhi, as a kid I remember rushing outdoors with my sisters, fully clothed, jumping for joy and singing out loud, trying to catch the first raindrops on our tongues. Kids here have songs to make the rain go away; we had chants to entice the clouds to shower more rain.

After the scorching heat of the dry summer and the almost daily onslaught of the dust-laden winds from the neighboring western desert, nothing was more welcome than the torrential downpour that signaled the start of the monsoon season. The dry, parched land soaked up the first raindrops eagerly, scenting the air with a heady, earthy aroma. Flowers bloomed again, adding to the fragrance. If you were lucky, you might be able to hear the call of the peacocks, and maybe even see a male unfurl the full splendor of its iridescent plumage, dancing in the rain for a mate.

Pakoras: Indian spiced vegetable fritters recipe

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:30:00 +0000

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

For the batter

1½ cups fine chickpea flour (also known as besan/garbanzo flour/gram flour; available at many Asian markets)
Salt, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon cumin powder
3-4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro or parsley
½ cup to 1 cup of warm water
A pinch of baking soda
Optional spices, one or more of the following if used: a pinch of asafetida powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 teaspoon caraway seeds (ajwain) or 2 teaspoons nigella seeds (kalonji), 1 teaspoon dried pomegranate seed powder or 1 teaspoon dried unripe mango powder (amchoor)

For the fritters

(Use any of the following, per your choice and availability)
1 medium potato, washed, scrubbed and cut into thin, round slices
1 or 2 Japanese eggplants, cut into wedges, or into round disks
1 cup of broccoli and cauliflower florets, cut into 1-to-2-inch pieces
½ block of store-bought paneer cheese, cut into small cubes or long pieces, about ½-inch thick
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into disks
1 small, thin zucchini squash, cut into ½-inch disks
A handful of fresh spinach leaves
1 sweet pepper or a few hot peppers, cut into large chunks or round disks
Peanut or vegetable oil, as needed, for frying

Indian soul food: Spicy, gingery mustard greens

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 01:30:00 +0000

Growing up in Delhi, India, winter was a season filled with fancy festival foods and holiday treats. A season also of simple yet glorious, everyday treats like warm roasted peanuts in their shell from the vendor at the street corner, and gajak, the crisp, flaky brittle-like sesame seed confection. A time to bask in the warm sunshine of the days, and enjoy piping-hot, hearty dinners with the family before surrendering to the cold, cold nights snuggled under piles of blankets and duvets.

Winter greens were welcome in every kitchen. Nothing embodied the essence of these greens more than sarson da saag, a mess of mustard greens, a food traditional to the neighboring state of Punjab, served with corn flatbread called makki di roti and generous dollops of homemade white butter; soul food from the land of the five Himalayan rivers and fertile valleys, the bread basket of India, home to a hardworking, spirited, optimistic, courageous people with a unique joie de vivre (Punjab is also the birthplace of the Sikh religion, and of the popular Bhangra dance form). The dish originated as a seasonally prepared, rustic farmer's meal, simmered slowly atop communal stoves in the village. Sarson da saag began its rise to popularity as a food served at dhabas, the roadside open-air restaurants frequented by truck drivers crisscrossing the highway in their colorful vehicles.

Spicy, Indian mustard greens (sarson da saag) recipe

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 01:30:00 +0000

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1½ pounds oriental mustard greens
10 ounces baby spinach
1/3 cup coarsely chopped peeled ginger
1 cup coarsely chopped sweet red pepper
2 jalapeños or other hot peppers, deseeded and chopped (optional)
3 to 4 cups of water
1/3 cup finely ground corn flour
4 tablespoons canola oil or ghee, clarified butter
1/3 cup julienned fresh ginger
¼ cup garlic slices
2 to 4 dried red hot peppers (optional/to taste, or use a sprinkle of chili flakes)