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Recipe: Keeping Up With The Popular Ones – Kadhai Paneer

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There is a universal love for paneer makhani or for paneer butter masala among those who frequent Indian restaurants anywhere. These are the two most popular dishes when it comes to paneer, and it would be rare to find an Indian eatery that doesn’t offer them. When my kids were growing up, we ate paneer makhani all over the world because that is what they ordered straightaway, without having to check a menu. You may also remember my recipe for paneer makhani, one which our relatives also learnt so as to make my son happy when he visits them. However, as much as I enjoy these dishes too, I believe that the fact that they are the standard go-tos gets in the way of exploring the wide and diverse range of paneer preparations that actually exist. My own personal favourite is kadhai paneer, or a paneer stir-fry that is so named because it is made in a kadhai (a deep, flat-bottomed pan), and that’s the recipe I am sharing today.

I recently shared a recipe for chilli tofu, and this one is distinct from that one because of the spices that I use. What makes my version different from a restaurant version is that it also incorporates some vegetables. In fact, I think this is true when it comes to most household paneer preparations anyhow, if not in the dish itself then in accompaniments. Paneer dishes I have eaten at people’s homes always tend to be healthier and to utilize more greens and vegetables rather than just paneer. When it comes to home cuisines one doesn’t usually see oil floating at the top of the gravy or other such excessive uses, which are delicious during an outing but better avoided regularly. There is more variety too, as there is so much more to paneer than what has been popularized by restaurants.

I’m a big advocate of home-cooked meals, always: you know what goes into every dish, and will take care to make sure it’s good for you and for your family. I believe there’s a world of difference between restaurant food and household preparations in terms of healthiness. All that said, one nutritious paneer dish that is also available at eateries is the palak paneer, which features spinach. Of course, if you make it at home, which you can with my recipe [hyperlink], it’s even better!

Paneer really does pair well with most vegetables, taste-wise and not just as a way to make meals healthier. Here, I have used chopped bell peppers. I usually like to cut them tiny as they look beautiful, but this time I decided to do bigger cuts. This is because bigger vegetable cuts require us to chew better, which makes our digestion easier. However you choose to cut them, I would suggest adding an array of any vegetables you enjoy, keeping in mind that a colourful presentation is pleasing to the eye, to the tastebuds and to your overall well-being too. As many have said before, “eat the rainbow”.

This will certainly not be the end of the paneer recipes that I will share on this blog, especially as I’d like to highlight more diverse preparations. I am sure there is more to come, as and when a recipe strikes, a mood hits or a desire to eat a particular food occurs. Sometimes the inspiration is creative: a visual will come to mind and I will write it down quickly so that I don’t forget, and then recreate it in a photoshoot later. For me, these recipes are so that nothing is lost amongst the memories in my head, and so that my children can retrieve them whenever they wish to – and so can you.

Kadhai Paneer

(Serves 2)

2 cups bell peppers (different colours)
1 cup diced paneer
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ cup onions (finely chopped)
2 cloves garlic
1 green chilli
1 large tomato finely chopped

1-inch ginger (grated)
Salt to taste
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon kasoori methi (crushed)
1 tablespoon milk

Garnish
Kasoori methi
Cream (optional)
Beaten yoghurt
Coriander leaves

Heat a kadhai and add the oil. To this, add cumin seeds, grated garlic and onions. Roast until golden. Now add the green chilli, ginger and tomato. Sauté until tomatoes are tender. Add the salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder.

Add the bell peppers. Sauté, then cover until they are tender but not releasing water. Once they cook a little, add paneer followed by garam masala and coriander powder. Finally, add kasoori methi and milk.Garnish with beaten yoghurt, kasoori methi and coriander leaves.

I find that this kadhai paneer is best with plain roti and works well as a tiffin box item as well as served hot and fresh. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do, and I also encourage you to explore the other paneer recipes I’ve shared here over the years.

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Recipe: A Prettier Paratha – Vegan Palak Paratha

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In my last post, I shared a recipe for a delicious stuffed paratha using radish, something I first began enjoying on my trips to Delhi. Today, I share another paratha, but this one is made differently. This lovely vegan palak paratha (using spinach) is a healthy upgrade on your regular parathas, and is perfect for those who often eat flatbreads at home.

The spinach is blended into the dough directly, which gives this paratha a lovely green colour. This also means that it is an excellent way to get people to eat their greens – not just school-going children, but even young adults or anyone who is picky about them, really. I imagine that the very first palak paratha must have been put together by an inventive mother who was trying to trick her kids into getting more nutrition. So this recipe is dedicated to everyone who is on a quest to serve healthy food to their children. Another thing that helps is to make the parathas in an unusual shape, to add a touch of fun.

You would think that I would have lots of childhood memories of palak paratha myself, but I don’t, and the reason is that my mother didn’t resort to this particular trick. Two or times a week, some kind of leafy vegetable would be spooned onto our plates, and we just had to eat it. That was that. Growing up in South India, this meant that a large selection of seasonal greens was a part of our diets. I may have made a fuss about it as a child, but I am grateful for it now. As I got older, I began to genuinely enjoy the different varieties of local spinach, and I understood just how much our bodies love the chlorophyll too. If you’d like to explore a few dishes that utilise South Indian greens, you could also take a look at my recipes for purslane dal and araikeerai vadai.

Speaking of stuff that’s good for you, I like to make these palak parathas with ghee, which has begun to shake off its bad reputation and is now being embraced everywhere as a superfood. That’s right, our humble ghee that we health-conscious Indians shunned is back with a bang, and is being acknowledged as being not just tasty but also nourishing. However, I have provided the recipe below with oil so that it remains vegan. Substitute accordingly, if you prefer.

Visually appealing, full of goodness and so very delicious – what more could you ask of this dish?

I feel that this palak paratha is best eaten hot off the griddle, and it goes very well with a dry roast paneer (which I will share the recipe for soon). A dal will also pair nicely. Sometimes I have this with a small bowl of tomato soup and a few scoops of that paneer stir-fry, and everything that’s on my table looks so beautiful. The reds, the greens and the aroma of them all together make for a gorgeous meal, in every way.

Palak Paratha

(Yield: 8 pieces)

1 bunch palak (spinach)
1½ cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Salt to taste
A pinch of turmeric
A handful of coriander leaves
1 tablespoon green chili ginger paste
1 teaspoon aamchur (raw mango) powder
2 teaspoons oil
Oil for cooking

Clean the spinach thoroughly. Put the spinach in hot water for a minute. Squeeze, remove and immediately place it in cold water. This will help retain the colour of the leaves. Squeeze the water out.

Place the squeezed spinach in a blender jar and add cumin seeds, a pinch of turmeric and coriander leaves. Blend. This will give you a ¾ cup of spinach purée.

In a bowl, add 1½ cups wholewheat flour.  To this add the aamchur powder, salt to taste, chili ginger paste, sesame seeds and 2 teaspoons oil.

Now, add the spinach purée to this mixture. Using your hands, make a smooth, pliable dough with the help of a few drops of oil. Cover and set aside for ½ an hour.

Make balls of the dough. With the help of dry flour, roll these out in any shape you desire. The paratha needs to be a little thicker than the regular rotis to get the most of the spinach flavour. Place on the griddle, and ensure both sides are cooked.

Serve hot with yoghurt or pickle or a vegetable of your choice.

If you’d like to explore more spinach recipes, do try out this spinach and corn bake and this spinach rice. As for parathas, my recent radish paratha and earlier peas paratha recipes may catch your fancy too!

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Recipe: A Roll To Relish – Radish Paratha

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Let’s face it: most children dislike radish. I did too, and it was only when I was studying Macrobiotics about a decade ago that I really began to appreciate the vegetable that was known to those of us in the course as daikon. After that, I began to look at the humble Indian mooli – which we get here in pink and white, and which are used in salads, curries and sambars – differently. There’s one particular usage of it that is my absolute favourite, and that is the mooli paratha or radish paratha.

Parathas are an excellent way of getting kids to eat ingredients they may not be fond of, which is probably how this particular one came into being. The stuffings also vary across regions – in Bengal, for instance, I believe that fish is commonly used. I once had some that was stuffed only with fresh cream, which was fascinating to me. They can be made quite healthy, as well as flavourful. They don’t need an accompaniment, but a pickle may sometimes complement them.

Radish paratha is popular in North India as a Punjabi street food, and along with peas paratha is one of my two favourite versions of stuffed Indian flatbreads. To me, it is synonymous with some of the best food that Delhi – a city that I’m rarely in, but in which I have had many cherished moments and meals with loved ones – has to offer.

The radish paratha came into my life at a time when my dear friends Sujatha and Michael lived there. They would take me to a famous parathawalla near a railway station, a roadside vendor whose enterprise had grown quite large. There was always a crowd and a queue there. To me, it looked like there were hundreds of options on the menu. We would each order what we liked, and sit in the car and consume our stuffed parathas while they were hot. They all came with pickled onions, and were served rolled in a newspaper page with some kind of leaf inside it to mop up the oil. They were just such a joy to eat. Those experiences of sharing food and laughter in a parked vehicle became great memories, too.

I tried some different options out on occasion, but always came back to the radish paratha. It was absolutely delicious, and filling enough to count as a meal. That’s the thing about street food in India. The fancy restaurants have their charms, but there’s something about the food prepared by roadside hawkers and railway vendors that just hits the spot every time.

In the years since, I began recreating the radish paratha at home, and it has become fairly frequent at our dinner table. I have found that while radish is pungent on its own, it is also absorbent, which means that adding a good masala to it makes it very appealing. Try it out and see for yourself!

Radish Paratha

(Yield: 5 pieces)

150 grams radish (3 medium-sized)
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon green chili+ginger paste
½ teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon aamchur powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
¼ teaspoon ajwain
3 tablespoons coriander leaves (finely chopped)
1½ cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon oil + oil for sautéing paratha

Clean and grate the radishes. Add ¼ teaspoon salt. Mix well and squeeze out the water really well. Set the radish water aside.

To the grated radish, add the cumin powder, pinch salt, coriander leaves, aamchur powder, ajwain, chili+ginger paste and garam masala. Mix with your fingertips.

In a bowl, add the flour and the squeezed-out water from the radish so there is zero waste.  Make a tight and smooth dough of the flour with the help of a little oil.

Now, it is time to roll out the parathas. Divide the dough into 10 small balls and set aside. Dust and roll a ball. Set aside and roll another.

Now, fill one flattened disc with 1 tablespoon of the radish filling and cover with another rolled out disc. Make sure you pinch the edges well. Using a rolling pin, roll gently over the paratha. Roll out 5 such filled parathas.

Heat a griddle and place one of the parathas on it. Allow to cook until a few spots are formed. Flip the paratha. Once it turns golden brown on both sides, apply a few drops of oil onto both sides and allow to cook until darkened. Transfer it onto a lined plate. Repeat with the remaining parathas.

Serve hot, with or without accompaniments. Yoghurt and pickle go well, but as I said the radish paratha is itself quite flavourful. It is also rather filling, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you also begin serving it for dinner, as I do.

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Recipe: A More Exciting Bite – Egg Bhurji

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A bhurji is basically a scramble, so egg bhurji is Indian-style scrambled eggs, made super delicious with the use of local spices. I first ate them on a recent holiday in the hills of North-East India, where I took one bite and thought, “Oh, this is such a simple recipe – why didn’t I think of it earlier?” I already knew how to make bhurji, having done so with paneer plenty of times and with tofu more and more often, but I just hadn’t considered making eggs in this method. Egg bhurji is now frequently enjoyed in my home, and I thought you may want to make some as well.

The reason why egg bhurji has become a staple at my dining table is because of the protein boost that is provided. I have been rather good at sticking to my workout routine lately, and it’s important that I consume more protein to support it. Eggs are a fantastic, and very easy, way to do this. I have been looking at more exciting ways to consume them rather than just having a plain omelette or a sunny side up, which can get boring on a daily basis. You may remember the moringa omelette recipe that I shared once, in which two nutrient superfoods came together. You may also remember the recipe for shakshouka, which is more ornate and a lot of fun over Sunday brunch.

This bhurji is not at all elaborate, but is interesting because it is so flavourful. It has all the same spices as a standard subzi (Indian-style vegetable accompaniment). If you’re vegetarian, you don’t need to be left out. Just substitute the eggs in the method below for paneer or tofu, and your bhurji will still turn out delicious!

This new routine of eating eggs daily reminds me fondly of my late brother, who used to bolt six of them at a time when he was a rower. I’ve written about his large breakfasts before. Even though I am not an athlete like he was, now that I’ve gotten disciplined with exercising and am consciously eating eggs for this reason in particular, I can’t help but smile thinking of how I have once again followed in his footsteps.

I prefer my egg bhurji freshly made – warm and straight from pan to plate. But I know that it works well in a tiffin carrier too, so you can make it in the morning and have it for lunch. It’s also simple to prepare, which will mean that your cooking will be quick even when you’re getting ready to head out to work.

Egg Bhurji

(Serves 1)

 

1 tablespoon milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon ginger (grated)

1 tablespoon tomato (finely chopped)

1 onion (finely chopped)

2 green chillies

Salt to taste

½ teaspoon coriander powder

¼ teaspoon garam masala powder

½ teaspoon chilli powder

A handful of coriander leaves

 

Break the eggs into a cup and add milk. Stir well. Set aside. Heat a pan and add the oil. Add the onions and ginger. Sauté for a minute or until tender.

Next, add the tomatoes and green chilli. Sauté well until soft and then add salt, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala and chili powder.  Mix well. Add the eggs and milk mixture. Continue stirring for less than a minute. Serve hot, garnished with coriander leaves (or put it into your lunchbox). Egg bhurji goes really well with rotis.

Eggs don’t make that many appearances on this blog, but here are a few more recipes that feature this protein-rich powerhouse to the fullest!

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Recipe: More Than The Usual – Oats Uthappam

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In recent years, oats – which were unheard of when I was growing up – have become quite popular in India as a breakfast dish. Due to that classic Indian innovation, oats here are therefore served enhanced with masalas, spices, tastes and flavours, making them more suited to our palates and generally more exciting. However, according to me there is a misconception that oats are exceptionally healthy. While they are rich with nutrients, they are a form of carbohydrates and contain starch. Quantity therefore matters, as does preparation. This is where the oats uthappam comes in, and I prepare it in a way that boosts its healthiness as much as possible.

It doesn’t surprise me that oats have become a favourite for many in India precisely because they contain carbs. This appeals to us because if you take a look at any Indian thaali, you’d be able to see that rice, wheat and carbohydrates are the central point. My preferred approach is to work with this knowledge, about culturally ingrained preferences, rather than against it. Don’t forget that we need complex carbs for our bodies to function well and to have energy for the active lifestyles of today. So I don’t say No, I just try to shift the focus. This can be in little ways, like the use of chia seeds in an overnight oats porridge to the vegetables I use in this uthappam.

Now, for the big reveal: it is the use of millets that make my version of oats uthappam good for us. I have used jowar or sorghum, but you can use any millet of your choice. Rice flour is what would be normally used, but if you’ve followed this blog for a few years, you may have noticed me writing about millets before. They are traditional foods in the region I live in, and everyone from the Government of Tamil Nadu to the United Nations have of late been talking about their benefits to us. If you’re interested in switching to millets in more dishes, you could explore the link shared for a range of other recipes.

Uthappams, if you aren’t familiar with them, are a thicker variant of the famous dosa. On a pan-Indian level, we are now familiar with dosa batter. When it is fresh and new, we make thin and crisp dosas. When it’s a couple of days old, it suits uthappams better. You can make the batter from scratch too, and use it for idlys as well – take a look here. Here, because of the use of jowar, the batter is made from scratch.

Coming to the oats themselves, there are a variety available on the market, from whole oats to quick and easy oats. Take your pick. Similarly for the vegetables: just use what you like to use, and what you have on hand.

These oats uthappams – which you can call oats fritters if you like – are a great way to start the day and to avoid a sweet and sugary breakfast. As someone whose version of cereals was leftover millet rotis, and who had neither idea of nor access to oats, this dish evokes a sense of my childhood uthappams while also enticing my need to explore and innovate too.

Oats Uthappam

(Yield: 12 small pieces)

1 cup oats

½ cup flour (I have used jowar/sorghum)

1 cup grated bottle gourd (+ grated carrots, optional)

2 teaspoon ginger + green chili paste

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons curd

¼ teaspoon turmeric

¼ cup coriander leaves

½ cup water

Oil for cooking

In a bowl, add the oats, flour, grated gourd, grated carrots (if you are including them), salt, coriander leaves, curd, ginger + green chilli paste and turmeric. Mix well. Add ¼ cup water and mix. Add the remaining water as required. The batter needs to be a little thick.

Allow the well-mixed batter to sit for half an hour, so that it can sit and ferment for a bit.

Heat a griddle and add two teaspoons of oil. Add two tablespoons of the batter and press down with your fingers and make a disc shape. I like making smaller discs, but you can make them bigger and cut them into slices like a mini-pizza. Allow to cook on a medium flame. Once golden on one side, flip and let fry on the other side.

Repeat and cook as many as the griddle will allow, depending on the size.

Remove from the griddle and serve hot with chutney of your choice. Alternately, these are great to be packed into a tiffin lunchbox for the office or school too.

I hope you’ll enjoy this filling and nourishing oats uthappam and make it a part of your repertoire, just as you may have already become very familiar with the now ubiquitous oats upma!

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Recipe: Still Sweet, And So Delicious – Sugarless Date Payasam

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I have often been attracted to making sugarless desserts for two reasons. First and foremost, for myself, as I have an incredibly sweet tooth that I can’t seem to control, and I hope to satisfy it without making as steep a health compromise. I try to convince myself that when a dessert is sugarless or sugar-free I can also eat it guiltlessly, or guilt-free! I know this isn’t true, of course. Natural sweeteners and the sweetness that is intrinsic in certain ingredients like fruits do contain sugar, and anything sweet will spike your glucose levels even if you don’t add processed sugars to it. Still, I know that so many of you struggle with the same concern, which is why a treat like this sugarless date payasam can still make a difference in our dessert indulgences.

The other reason why I learned how to make more sugarless desserts was that my father-in-law used to put me up to the challenge of inventing ones for him. He was diabetic, and he would always say, “Just add Splenda or aspartame!” I would always refuse to, knowing that these have other side-effects. I would instead reach out for natural sweeteners like coconut sugar or dates, as their glycemic index is lower than that of refined white sugar. While my father-in-law is no longer around, the dishes I learned or came up with for him remain in my repertoire, and so does the habit of cutting down sugar content as far as I can.

Awareness of the dangers of too much sugar consumption is of extreme importance in India, which has one of the largest percentage of diabetics in the world. I often have diabetic visitors, which doesn’t surprise me at all given the prevalence of the disease in our country, and I ensure that I serve sugarfree desserts when they come over. There are also sugarless options on the re:store product menu. Whether or not my guests or family members are diabetic, I do keep an eye on balancing out our sweet consumption in multiple ways. Making dishes like these is one such way, and a necessary concession since giving desserts up completely is quite a big ask!

This particular sugarless date payasam is one that I learned from my dear friend Girija. I hadn’t heard of it before she served it to me, and I was wary of trying out the recipe, but I am very glad that I did. It is utterly delicious. For those who haven’t heard of it, a payasam is essentially a South Indian milk pudding, and I am thrilled to have a version of it that doesn’t require, let alone rely on, sugar or even jaggery. All it needs is the sheer sweetness of dates.

Sugarless Date Payasam

(Serves 6)

2 cups deseeded and chopped dates

1 cup cashew nuts

Water (for soaking)

2 cups milk

3-5 strands saffron

¼ teaspoon cardamom powder

 

Soak the dates and cashews separately in fresh drinking water for an hour.

Then, grind the cashews with the water that was used for soaking. Once the paste is smooth, add the dates. Grind once more until the paste is smooth again. Add the cardamom powder and saffron strands. Place the mixture in a pot and refrigerate until cool.

Once it has cooled, add the milk and stir well until it all comes together nicely. Adjust the milk quantity to your preference. I like it to be a little thick. Return to the refrigerator and let it cool again.

Serve very chilled. This is a perfect dessert for these hot summer months. As you can see, this delicious sugarless date payasam requires only grinding and mixing, which also makes it an easy dessert that even beginner cooks can prepare.

I have used cashews as I enjoy the rich flavour the nuts provide, but you can substitute them for another kind if you prefer. I also feel that the cashews sort of tone down the sweetness of the dates, which can be intense.

Ultimately, the payasam is both rich and sweet, which means that it is best in smaller portions.

Here is a suggested tweak to this recipe: add a handful of cooked rice to the milk, and then add then to the ground cashewnut-date paste and mix. This will give the dessert more substance, and more of a mouthful in each serving. The sweetness quotient will also further reduce. This preparation may technically turn it into a kheer rather than a payasam, but I have little doubt that anyone will complain! It will turn out delicious both ways, and while my father-in-law is not here to enjoy this dish in either variation, the rest of my family certainly does. As for me, my sweet tooth is sated, with a spoonful or two less of… guilt!

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Recipe: Dosa-Like And Delicious – Bottle Gourd Doddaka

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I would describe a doddaka as being a kind of cross between a dosa and a roti, and some version of it exists in numerous cultures in India, including in Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra and even Gujarat (my mother-in-law used to make that version). As with both dosas and rotis, numerous variations in preparation exist. I experienced a lovely bottle gourd doddaka a few months ago, and even though I’ve been travelling a lot this year and haven’t spent as much time cooking, I keep thinking about it. So I decided the other day to try out the recipe myself. It came out well, and as always, I wanted to share the deliciousness with you too.

I encountered this bottle gourd doddaka while we were zipping around in the lead-up to my son’s wedding a couple of months ago. We had not wanted to invite people digitally, and felt that the effort of the time-honoured Indian custom – of personally visiting people and inviting them – was well worth it. On one such visit, we went to meet a Kannadiga friend of ours. Our friend’s elderly mother was present at their home. It turned out that she is a reader of this blog, and we spent time chit-chatting about food and photography.

It had been a long and exhausting day, and we had arrived at their home at almost 7.30pm, which is beyond my dinner time, and at some point during the visit we were offered a meal. Our friend’s mother made us some hot, crispy bottle gourd doddaka – and from then on, the conversation stopped being about my cooking and became about hers. It tasted marvellous, and I thought it was quite interesting from a culinary perspective too. I enjoyed it thoroughly. When I think of that evening, I remember feeling like I was at home. That was truly a comfort food experience in every way.

Whenever I go somewhere and try out a new dish, I am curious – to the point of being painful, according to my children – about how to prepare it. I will immediately want to find out what the cook did, why they did it, and how they did it. Usually, I will then try to add my own twist as well. This is not always necessary. With this traditional Kannada doddaka for example, I thought the original recipe – as shared by our friend’s mother – was just perfect, and I didn’t feel the need to change it at all.

Isn’t it beautiful how you sometimes meet a person in passing and then strike up a conversation with them that just stays with you in some way? To me, the fact that I have a recipe from that evening, and will probably always think of that family and their home when I make it, really means a lot.

Bottle Gourd Doddaka

(Yield: 8 pieces)

1 cup rawa

½ cup coconut grated

¾ cup thick curd

1 cup water

½ cup grated bottle gourd (substitute: cucumber)

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon green chilli + ginger paste

¼ cup chopped coriander leaves

Oil for cooking

 

In a bowl, add all the ingredients and mix well. Set aside. Adjust the water quantity as required – keep the batter thick yet of a pouring consistency.

Heat a griddle and add a few drops of oil. Now, pour a ladle full of the batter onto this. You will see that it spreads by itself. Allow the doddaka to cook on a low or medium flame, making sure it does not get burnt. Flip and allow to cook on both sides until well done. Continue to prepare more doddakas with the remaining batter.

Serve with a chutney of your choice. I have a range of these that you can explore, and I hope you’ll find a few in the archives that you like and can mix and match with various dishes. As this bottle gourd doddaka has quite a bit of flavour already, it can also be eaten plain if you prefer.

As you would have noticed in the ingredients, I have suggested cucumber as a substitute for bottle gourd. Both are water-based vegetables that grow through the year in South India, where we have no seasons other than summer, summer and more summers – and some monsoons. Thus, they are ideal for staying hydrated. Bottle gourd in particular doesn’t have much flavour by itself, and takes on the flavour of whatever you add to it (which makes it perfect for sneaking into soups for fussy kids). Nutrition and hydration together are an excellent combo, and when you add taste to it – as you do with a doddaka – it’s unbeatable.

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Recipe: Bengali Bites – Begun Bhajan

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I think of begun bhajan, a crisp eggplant side dish, as being pan-Indian even though I know that it originated in Bengal. That’s because I have often encountered some version of it in South Indian meals as well. My own preparation uses long eggplants, typical of this region, rather than the big round ones that are used in authentic Bengali cooking. I love slicing and spicing the vegetable up to give a kick to a boring summer meal, when the heat makes us all feel more drained and something delicious and energising is always craved.

As a student of Macrobiotics several years ago, I learned early on that eggplant is a nightshade, and therefore only to be consumed in small quantities. The ubiquitous tomato is one too, by the way. My training remains in my mind in numerous ways, because of which I still find myself using eggplants only occasionally. Perhaps that’s why I find begun bhajan all the more exciting, since moderation is recommended. I’ve tried my hand at an eggplant parmesan before as well, and will share the recipe for that sometime too.

I also have a strong preference for consuming greens, so eggplants don’t feature that often in my market shopping anyway. That said, the vegetable is quite nutritious, as it is rich in antioxidants and low on carbohydrates.

In fact, I think that begun bhajan is a healthy alternative to dhoklas, which are commonly eaten in Gujarati households like mine as a tasty accompaniment. Of course, mangoes do the same job in this weather, but believe me when I say that begun bhajan is also a great pep-me-up. Or better yet, why believe me, when you can make some yourself?

My own journey with begun bhajan began in Kolkata, at the home of a friend who always has me over for a typically Bengali meal whenever I visit the city. After the first time I tried this dish, I began making a special request for it ahead of our meetings. She keeps saying that there is such a variety of other dishes she could prepare, but this is the one that I just keep asking for. My begun bhajan is not a patch on hers, but still I make it – more so because it always evokes memories of being with her in her lovely home, full of the art she collects, and with my friend herself always so well turned out in crisp sarees. Food is a complete experience. It’s never just what you’re eating, but also who you’re with, the space you’re in, the way it’s served. I hope this begun bhajan brings you much enjoyment too.

Begun Bhajan

(Serves: 4)

1 large eggplant

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon toasted cumin powder

1 tablespoon rice flour

½ teaspoon sugar

1-2 tablespoons mustard oil

 

Rinse and slice the eggplant. If making circular slices, each slice should be about 1 inch thick. I have used long eggplants, so I’ve sliced them lengthwise, as you can see in the images.

Mix all the spices, along with the rice flour, sugar and sugar. Sprinkle this mixture onto a plate. Place the eggplant slices over the mixture. Rub the mixture in well on both sides of each slice, using your fingers to spread the spices evenly.

Allow the spices to marinate for at least half an hour. The reason why I have added a bit of sugar to this is because it caramelises and gives the dish a nice colour. I also feel that it prevents the eggplant from becoming soft and soggy.

Once the slices have marinated, heat the oil in a shallow pan. Place the slices such that there is enough space to flip them over.

Allow to cook until they are golden and crisp on one side. Turn them over and allow to cook again.

Once they are golden on both sides, remove onto a paper and drain any excess oil.

Serve hot as an accompaniment to your usual Indian meal. This begun bhajan goes beautifully with dal and rice. By the way, if you are a pescatarian, you can use the same preparation method above for fish. You can also try the spice marination out with a variety of vegetables, including parboiled potatoes and cauliflower.

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Recipe: Right For The Season – Mixed Vegetable Raita

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In the past, I have shared the recipes for Indian-style homemade yoghurt as well as for a typically Gujarati banana-mustard-cucumber raita and a slightly elevated cucumber raita. A raita is a cooling curd-based accompaniment that is usually served with biryani or any rice-centred meals, but I find it goes well even with upma and other dishes. Raita can be made in numerous ways, and as I keep reiterating on my blog when it comes to just about any popular food item, each household, each community and each region will have unique takes. I have tasted okra raita, which is quite delicious, as well as beetroot raita, which has a lovely colour. Today, because Spring is in the air and my mood too is bright, I have decided to make a colourful mixed vegetable raita.

When I say “Spring”, in my part of the world that means that we can feel the heat beginning to set in, and are in the phase immediately before the heat truly takes over. Here in Chennai, I am able to see lovely flowers everywhere right now: from mango flowers in the trees (the fruits will soon be in season, and you can expect several more mangolicious recipes from me soon) to hibiscus blooming in my garden.

Right now, it is a joy to go to the fresh fruit and vegetable market, as a variety of produce comes into season. When I travel, this happens to be my favourite pastime no matter which city I am in. I love to explore markets, taking photographs, admiring the colours, textures and arrangements. It feels like that here in my own city too right now – where strawberries, other kinds of berries and oranges are in abundance at the local market and inspire my creativity.

So this raita captures the vibrance that is around us during this time of year. I have used carrots, cucumbers, shallots and tomatoes along with mint and coriander leaves, so the raita has a mix of lively shades.

I have mentioned in the past that the desire to consume yoghurt at every single meal is the only thing that keeps me from going completely vegan. At the moment, I am trying to reduce my intake at least. Which means that if I’m only going to have some for one meal of the day, instead of all of them, why not make that dollop or two a little more exciting? That’s where this raita really comes to my rescue, fulfilling my craving while adding novelty to my basic but essential curd.

Mixed Vegetable Raita

(Yield: 1 bowl)

2 cups curd

2 tablespoons grated carrot

½ cup diced cucumber

¼ cup chopped purple shallots

¼ cup diced tomato

2 tablespoons coriander leaves

1 tablespoon mint leaves

Salt to taste

½ teaspoon ground cumin powder

¼ teaspoon chilli powder

 

Add the curd to a bowl along with the spices. Beat well.

Add the diced and chopped vegetables. Mix well. Adjust the flavours by adding more if required.

Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with some more of the spices as well as the green leaves. Serve as an accompaniment to a wide range of dishes.

This mixed vegetable raita is so simple and so summer-friendly that I am sure you will be preparing it often over the next couple months. It will be refreshing on your plate, especially if you like me are in a part of the world that’s getting hotter by the day!

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Recipe: A Purslane Pursuit – Spinach Dal

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In India, spinach is used in so many ways for so many types of dishes. There are hundreds of varieties of spinach that are grown here, and each is grown and therefore used during a particular season, and usually cooked in a certain way depending on the household or region. I have shared many recipes that use different kinds of spinach here on this blog in the past – from moringa (murungakeerai) in an omelette to amaranthus (araikeerai) in a savoury vadai and palak (Spinacia oleracea, what is known simply as “spinach” in the West) in a corn bake. This is a dal that utilises common purslane, or paruppu keerai, which is abundant in summers. This green grows at this time according to Nature’s wonderful logic: its thick leaves hold water and provide added hydration for us who consume it now.

Purslane is a kind of weed that has a range of health benefits, including reducing the risk of cardiac and digestive ailments. It is rich in antioxidants and minerals. Coupled with lentils, which are great for protein, this spinach dal becomes a nutritious dish that can be paired with rice or rotis. The Tamil word for this green, paruppu keerai, literally translates to “dal-spinach”, as that is its primary form of preparation.

I would call it my good fortune to be a Gujarati who was born and brought up in Tamil Nadu, so I am able to understand the cuisines of both states. This is a typically South Indian recipe, and I enjoy it alongside my Gujarati-style vegetables, some rice and a dollop of ghee. This combination is a standard on my plate. I realise that my particular upbringing is what brings these eclectic dishes together, and I think about how that’s one of the things that is beautiful about India. Just like all kinds of distinct cuisines can appear within a single thali and complement each other, so too can we as diverse humans enjoy being together.

Speaking of being together and enjoyment, we just had a huge celebration in the family. As with any such occasion, we ended up eating so much rich food, and of course, lots of sugar. The time has come for us to eat light and healthy, to detox our bodies. Spinach features at home a lot right now, and it was only natural for me to want to share with you this particular dish that I’m making frequently. My daughter is here for a few days, post-celebrations, and eager to learn more recipes, and I’m teaching her this one on this visit too.

I went through a phase once when I wanted to have greens every single day. My understanding is that when a person has a craving like that, the body either has a deficiency or is heading for one. At that time, I heeded that craving without guilt, especially as greens are always good for us. Imagine if all our cravings were only for the most nourishing ingredients!

Nowadays, some kind of spinach appears on my table at least thrice a week, in one form or another. As I said earlier, there are varieties available year-round and interesting recipes from different parts of India to keep trying out. I’m thinking about the assortment that I know, and the new ones I want to learn, and also marvelling at how innovative it is that there is even a spinach pickle (using sorrel leaves or gongura, which are very popular in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana).

Right now, of course, it’s purslane that is popular in my own home, so to return to this spinach dal: the fragrance of this dish somehow always reminds me of being in the kitchen as a child when it was being cooked by my mother. I am not sure why, but I associate this dish with South India to the extent that even when I cook it myself in Ahmedabad or somewhere else, it just seems different. Despite that, I do enjoy it anywhere. It always brings me back to a sense of home, and when cooking and eating it while away, I can’t help but think, “Gujarat in the air, but South India in my thali.”

Spinach Dal

(Yield: Serves 4)

½ cup toor dal (pigeon pea)

Water to pressure cook

2 cups spinach leaves

2-3 tablespoons finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon finely chopped tomato

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

Salt to taste

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 green chili

 

Rinse the dal, then pressure cook with the required quantity of water. Set aside.

Heat a pan and add the oil. Now, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter.

Next, add the onion, garlic, tomato, salt and turmeric. Sauté for a few minutes on a medium flame and immediately after, add the green chili.

Finally, add the spinach and sauté again.

Once the spinach becomes tender, add the dal and allow it to boil for a few minutes until the flavours come together.

Your purslane dal is now perfect, and ready to be served hot alongside rice or roti. It will give you a great boost of nutrients. Perhaps it will even become one of your own most craved comfort dishes!

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