Notes about Recipes in this book

• Spinach in clove-infused yogurt sauce (Palak-dahi ki kari)

  • nicolepellegrini on March 14, 2021

    I made this using collard greens instead of spinach, just as an experiment. Came out pretty good, though I had to adjust down the heat for my husband who can't handle a lot of chiles.

• Smoked aubergine with ginger and chilli (Baingan bharta)

  • nicolepellegrini on May 06, 2021

    I liked this - I think it was a little spicy for my husband. The leftovers were good with some bread the next day.

• Mixed vegetable stew (Laganshala)

  • nicolepellegrini on November 14, 2020

    This was actually better the second day, after the flavors had a little time to mellow and merge. The Worcestershire sauce added a pungent note I wasn't sure about at first but did give it an interesting finishing note. I substituted slivered snap peas for green beans.

• Vegetable pilau (Torkarir pulao)

  • nicolepellegrini on January 23, 2021

    Visually very striking, and a very filling rice dish with all of the vegetables in it. I've never fried raisins before and they were a surprisingly tasty element here. A fair amount of work but I think worth it. Would make a nice vegetarian entree.

• New potatoes in yogurt and poppy seed sauce (Dum aloo)

  • nicolepellegrini on August 27, 2020

    Tasty potato side dish, not too spicy and with plenty of flavorful sauce.

• Spice-infused Kashmiri tea (Qahwa)

  • Ganga108 on October 31, 2021

    I have made this tea often since my first trip to India. I first came across this beautiful tea in a small shop in a tiny village in South India that was run by Kashmiris. They served me a magnificent, golden, very subtle and very aromatic liquid that was intoxicatingly India and very special in taste. It is so simple, incredibly exotic, and includes saffron which gives it a beautiful subtle flavour and wonderful colour. I make it without the tea but with a clove or two added. The saffron is so important, don't leave it out but also don't add too much. The taste is very very subtle – no punch here. Drink slowly while sitting with mind clear, or after doing yoga, or meditation.

  • Ganga108 on October 31, 2021

    This recipe is also in The Complete Regional Indian Cookbook, by the same author, P127. It is not indexed unfortunately.

• Carrot and green pea pilau (Gajjar-mattar ke pulao)

  • Ganga108 on October 31, 2021

    This recipe is also in The Complete Regional Indian Cookbook by the same author, but sadly it is not indexed. I wish it was, it is avast collection of dishes from across India. Now to the recipe: Pilau dishes are so common from central India, up to Northern India and across to the Middle East. They can be very simple (rice, veg, herbs) to ones with complex layers of flavour. This Northern Indian one with peas and carrots (a superb combination) is of the latter kind. It takes a while to make but is worth the effort and time. Unlike rice dishes in the west, a pilau can form a mean with simple accompaniments. All this needs is any sort of raita. Or it can form part of a more varied meal. (I am enjoying it today with a simple raita, after a week of incredibly long days at work eating rubbish. So this dish is a godsend today. Divine.)

• Crispy gram flour rounds (Papris)

  • Ganga108 on January 17, 2022

    These Papris are incredibly addictive, and I wish I had made more. Served for snacks with a cuppa chai and a spicy cucumber masala chutney.

• Golden mung-bean patties (Mung ke tikkia)

  • Ganga108 on August 20, 2024

    Crunchy and utterly delicious, they were OMG so good! Requires soaking the dal for 3-4 hours, but I soaked in boiling water for an hour or so. Yum yum.

• Garlic-flavoured mung beans (Khar)

  • Ganga108 on September 23, 2022

    I often make khar with mustard greens, and used this recipe as a basis for roughly chopped greens (given to me by a friend who grows it) with mung beans. I topped with crispy garlic slivers and some chilli oil (quickly made while the khar was cooking). Thankful for great friends and good food.