Chick-Pea Salad
1 cup uncooked chick-peas
or 1 tsp salt
2 20 ounce cans of
chick-peas 1 tsp chopped coriander (opt)
1 carrot, chopped into small
bits � tsp cayenne (opt.)
1 tomato, chopped
small 2 Tblsp oil
1 tsp fresh roasted cumin seeds
2 tsp lemon juice
1.
Soak and cook the chick-peas
in water. Drain and set aside. (If using canned chick-peas, drain and
wash quickly under running water.)
2.
Roast cumin seeds in a dry pan
on low heat, till they are slightly browned and exude a pleasant,
pungent aroma. Then grind them in a coffee grinder or crush them into a
coarse powder with a mortar and pestle or the back of a spoon.
3.
Chop the carrots and tomatoes.
4.
Mix all ingredients together
in a bowl. If you make this salad ahead of time and allow it to
marinate a few hours, it gets even better.
Serves 4-6
Cucumber-Apple Salad
1 cup shredded carrots
1 Tblsp finely chopped coriander
1 cup diced cucumber
2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup peeled, diced
apple Salt and pepper to taste
1.
Chop vegetables and fruit.
2.
Mix together fruit,.
Vegetables, lemon juice and chopped coriander, in a serving bowl.
3.
Chill briefly in the
refrigerator.
4.
Just before serving, and salt
and pepper to taste.
Serves 4-6
Cabbage-Pineapple Salad
(Kobi-nanas nu raitu)
1 � cups plain yogurt
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup crushed
pineapple Salt to taste
(fresh or
canned) � cup chopped
walnuts
1 cup shredded
cabbage � cup black raisins
1.
In a large bowl, whisk the
yogurt until; creamy.
2.
If using canned pineapple,
drain it well.
3.
To the whipped yogurt, add the
pineapple (drained, if necessary) and the remaining ingredients and mix
well.
4.
Chill for at least an hour
before serving. Very refreshing and cooling in the summer.
Serves 4-6
Carrot Salad
(Vagharela gajar)
4 cups finely shredded
or 1/8 tsp hing
grated
carrots � tsp salt
2 tsp sesame
oil 2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1.
Prepare the carrots and set
aside.
2.
Heat oil in a saucepan and
when it is almost smoking add mustard seeds. Cook about 15 seconds and
add carrots. Sprinkle with hing, salt, lemon juice and fresh
coriander. Stir to coat shredded carrots. Cook briefly, stirring until
heated through. Remove from heat.
3.
Empty the mixture into a salad
bowl and set aside until ready to serve.
Serves 4-6
Yogurt-Carrot Salad
(Gajar nu raitu)
4 cups shredded carrots
Salt to taste
1 Tblsp
oil 2 cups plain yogurt
1 tsp mustard
seeds 2 tsp finely chopped
1/8 tsp hing
coriander leaves
1.
Heat oil in a pan and add the
mustard seeds. As soon as seeds start popping,. Add the hing.
2.
Add the carrots, salt and
yogurt to the oil. Stir mixture while the pan is still on low heat.
Turn off the heat.
3.
Put the carrot-yogurt mixture
into a serving bowl. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and chill.
Serves 4-6
Banana Yogurt
(Kela nu raitu)
3 cups
yogurt 1 Tblsp brown sugar
3 medium ripe
bananas Salt to taste
� tsp mustard powder
1.
Beat the yogurt in a bowl.
Add mustard powder, sugar and salt and stir well.
2.
Slice the bananas into � inch
thick rounds.
3.
Add the bananas to the
yogurt. Mix well the serve.
Serves 6-8
To substitute prepared mustard for dry
mustard, use 3 times as much prepared mustard.
Banana-Cucumber Yogurt
(kela kakadi nu raitu)
2 ripe bananas,
mashed � Tblsp brown sugar
� cup
yogurt � tsp salt
2 Tblsp shredded cucumber
� tsp mustard powder
1.
Mix all ingredients together.
Chill and serve.
Serves 6-8
Cucumber Raita
(Kakadi nu raitu)
2 cups
yogurt � tsp cayenne
(optional)
6 small
cucumbers Salt and peper
to taste
1 tsp freshly
roasted Chopped coriander leaves
cumin
seeds for garnish
(optional)
1.
In a good sized bowl, whip
yogurt with a whisk.
2.
Peel; cucumbers in stripes,
alternating peeled sections with unreeled. This preserves nutrients and
adds some color to the raita. Grate the cucumbers. (waxed cucumbers
must be completely peeled.)
3.
Roast cumin seeds in a dry pan
on low heat. Then crush them into a coarse powder with a mortar and
pestle or the back of a spoon.
4.
Mix yogurt, spices and
cucumber in a serving bowl, garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Chill the raita before serving. (Once the cucumbers have been added, it
should not be allowed to sit outside very long as the cucumbers will
give up their juices and thin the raita).
Serves 6-8
Tomato Raita
3 cups
yogurt 3 tsp udad dal
2 Tblsp
oil 4-5 curry leaves
(optional)
5 medium firm tomatoes,
Salt to taste
chopped
finely 1 Tblsp fresh coriander
leaves
� cup dry shredded coconut
Dash of hing (optional)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1.
Beat yogurt in a bowl. Add
tomatoes, coconut and salt.
2.
Heat oil in a pan. Add
mustard seeds and udad dal and as soon as it begins to crackle (just
prior to popping), add the curry leaves and hing (optional) spoon this
mixture into the yogurt/tomato/coconut mixture in bowl. Mix well and
serve garnished with coriander leaves.
Serves 4-6
Potato Raita
(Bateta nu raitu)
2 med. Potatoes, boiled
2 tsp ground cumin
2 cups
yogurt 3 Tblsp chop.
Coriander leaves
1/8 tsp chilli powder
(optional) Salt to taste
1.
Beat the yogurt in a bowl
until soft and cream. Add salt, chilli powder and ground cumin.
2.
Peel and chop the potatoes
into small cubes.
3.
Add the potatoes to yogurt
mixture.
4.
Garnish with chopped coriander
leaves. Chill in the refrigerator.
Serves 4-6
Yogo-Cheese
4 cups homemade
yogurt � tsp salt
1.
Line a large strainer with two
layers of muslin or cheesecloth and place strainer over a 4-5 inch deep
pan.
2.
Place yogurt in the strainer.
3.
Cover pan and refrigerate for
8 hours to allow the water to drain into the pan.
4.
Remove yoga-cheese from the
strainer and put it into a glass bowl. Add salt and mix well.
5.
Cover glass bowls with plastic
wrap and refrigerates.
6.
The excess water can be used
in soups.
Note: This cheese keeps for a couple of
weeks. It tastes like cream cheese and is delicious on rackers. It can
also he used as a dip, in pies, etc.
Variation: Add fresh herbs and choice of
spices, e.g., cumin, paprika, caraway seeds, or fresh basil.
Serves 6-8
Coconut-Coriander Raita
(Nariyal-kothmir nu raitu)
1 cup freshly grated
coconut Salt to taste
1 cup finely
chopped � cup golden raisins or
coriander
leaves � cup fresh
pomegranate seeds
1 cup thick plain yogurt
1.
Put all ingredients in a
serving bowl and mix well.
2.
Chill in the refrigerator
before serving.
Serves 4-6
Kohlrabi Salad
2 small
kohlrabi 1 tsp brown sugar
� tsp cumin
seeds Salt to taste
� tsp hing
1 green chilli,
1 Tblsp
chopped finely chopped
(optional)
coriander
leaves 1 Tblsp lemon
juice
1.
Peel the kohlrabi and slice
into paper thin 1 inch squares.
2.
In a dish, put sliced kohlrabi
and all the spies. Mix thoroughly and allow salad to stand for 2 hours.
Serves 4-6
Mixed Vegetable Salad
(Cachumber)
1 small grated beet
1 large tomato chopped fine
1 small grated
carrot 1 Tblsp oil
1 small grated cucumber
1 Tblsp gr. Coriander-cumin
� cup shredded
cabbage � tsp hing
1 med. Green capsicum
Salt to taste
chopped fine
1.
Mix all vegetables together in
bowl.
2.
Add oil and spices and toss
well.
Serves 4-6
Sprouted Mung � Bean Salad
1 cup mung-bean
sprouts 1 cucumber, chopped small
1 cup alpha-alpha
sprouts Salt and pepper top taste
1 tomato, chopped fine
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl
and chill.
Serves 4-6
Carrot � Raisin Raita
1 cup grated carrot
1 tsp sugar
� cup black
raisins 1 tsp lemon
2 Tblsp salad
oil Salt to taste
� tsp mustard powder
Mix all ingredients together in a serving
bowl and chill.
Serves 4-6
Grape Raita
2 cups green and red grapes
1 tsp sugar
chopped in small
pieces � tsp ground cumin
1 Tblsp mint chopped
fine Salt to taste
2 cups whipped yogurt
Put grapes in a serving bowl, add all
ingredients. Mix well and chill in the refrigerator.
Serves 4-6
Spinach Raita
(Palak Raitu)
2 cups spinach, chopped
fine � cup whipped yogurt
1 cup cabbage, chopped
fine 2 tsp oil
� cup grated
carrot � tsp mustard seeds
� cup mint, chopped
fine Salt to taste
1.
Heat oil in a pan. Add
mustard seeds. As soon as it begins to crackle, add all the vegetables.
2.
Cook briefly, stirring until
heated through.
3.
Add yogurt and salt, and mix
well.
4.
Chill and serve.
Serves 4
Health Salad
1 head of lettuce
� cup cream
1 capsicum, chopped
fine 1 tsp lemon juice
1 apple, chopped
small Salt, peper and sugar to taste
3 cucumbers, chopped small
2 grated carrots
1.
Wash lettuce and separate
leaves. Arrange around a plate.
2.
Combine cream, salt, peper,.
Sugar and lemon juice. Add this to the chopped and grated vegetables
and fruit.
3.
Place this mixture in the
center of the lettuce leaves.
4.
Chill and serve.
Serves 4-6
Sweet Dishes
One of the foods loved by all is
sweets and desserts, served at the time of feast festivals and special
occasions. It is an age- old practice to share sweets and cakes with
family, relatives and friend to express joy and happiness in festive
celebrations. In India, as it is in other countries, festival time is
fun time- sweet time!
In India, in olden days, sweet
dishes were prepared only on special occasions and festivals-to mark the
day. As every dish had to be prepared from scratch, cooks had to be
especially careful to have every ingredient at home. Women of the town
got together to help each other in the making of the sweets. They
shared their time and talent endlessly, with each other. Singing folk
songs while working made their task easy and faster. It was a time of
intimacy and joy.
The sweets in this section are
chosen from all the regions of India. The ones make u of milk and
paneer are generally Bengali sweets. Today they are among the most
popular all over India.
Most of the Indian sweets, called
�Mithi� in the Indian language, are made with refined sugar, but to
maintain the nutritional value of the sweets I have tried to substitute
maple syrup, brown sugar or gur wherever possible. Sweets can be kept
for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator, but crisp sweets like peanut
brittle can be kept outside in an airtight jar for a couple of days.
The recipes chosen for this
section are relatively easy to make, and the ingredients easily
available on any grocery store.
Sweets are served along with the
meals to balance the spicy and sour taste of the dals and vegetables.
Unlike the Western countries, Indians eat their sweets along with the
meals, so as top enjoy all the tastes of the food at one time.
Exceptions top the rule are ice-creams and kulfis (Indian ice-cream)
which are served after the meals.
You can enliven your holidays with
these delicious sweets and treat your family with new and different
tastes and flavors.
Green Goddess Dessert
(Vatana no dudhpak)
1 quart whole milk
1 medium apple, cut into
2 cups fresh or frozen
peas small pieces
2 cups
water � cup sugar
1 medium banana, cut
into 1 tsp rose essence or
small pieces
� tsp ground cardamom
� tsp
ground nutmeg
1.
Bring 2 ups of water to a boil
and add peas. Cook till soft and tender; drain. Set aside to cool.
2.
In a blender, puree the cooked
peas with 2 cups milk and empty into a serving bowl. Add remaining milk
to puree. Add sugar, rose essence and chopped fruit. Mix until sugar
is dissolved.
3.
Serve in small bowls, well
chilled.
Serves 4-6
Carrot Halwa
(Gajar no halwo)
3 � cups grated carrots
� cup slivered almonds
3 1/3 cups milk
and pistachios
1 can condensed
milk 2 tsp ground cardamom
2 Tblsp ghee
1.
In a non-stick pan, bring to
a boil the grated carrots and milk.
2.
Lower heat. Add condensed
milk and cook until all the milk is evaporated and mixture becomes dry
(about 25-30 minutes), stirring frequently.
3.
Add ghee and ground cardamom.
Stir well. Cook for 10 minutes.
4.
Garnish with slivered almonds
and pistachio and serve.
Variation: Serve warm with a scoop of
vanilla ice cream.
Serves 4-6
Saffron Flavored Sweet Yogurt Dish
(Shri Khand)
12 cups yogurt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp saffron strands,
� cup slivered, unfrosted,
loosely
packed unsalted pistachio nuts
� tsp
water 1 tsp
ground cardamom
1 cup sugar
1.
Line a large colander with a
double thickness of cheesecloth. Scrape yogurt into cheesecloth. Cover
and let drain about five hours. The yogurt will give up a good deal of
liquid and will thicken as it drains.
2.
Discard the drained liquid.
Empty the firm yogurt into a large mixing bowl.
3.
Blend saffron and water in a
small mortar. Blend to a paste with a pestle.
4.
To the yogurt add saffron,
sugar and � tsp nutmeg and cardamom. Blend thoroughly.
5.
Cut the pistachios into thin
slivers. Add half of them to yogurt. Mix well.
6.
Use remaining pistachio
slivers and nutmeg as garnish on top. Chill and serve in individual
bowls.
Serves
8-12
Saffron Flavored Yogurt with Fruits and
Nuts
(Shri Khand)
4 cups plain yogurt
5 Tblsp sugar
1 cup mixed fresh fruits,
9-10 strand saffron
chopped (apples,
bananas, � tsp ground nutmeg
grapes, pineapple,
oranges, 2 Tblsp slivered pistachio nuts
strawberries) 2 Tblsp slivered
almonds
1.
Drain yogurt in a cheesecloth
three layers thick or in a piece of muslin cloth. Let yogurt drain for
5 hours.
2.
Grind saffron in a mortar with
a pestle with 2 or 3 drops water to make a paste.
3.
Add sugar,. Saffron, nutmeg
and 1 Tblsp pistachios and 1 Tblsp almonds to yogurt and mix well.
4.
Add chopped fruits and stir
gently to mix well. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.
5.
Serve in individual bowls,
garnished with remaining pistachios and almonds.
Serves 4-6
Simple Halva
(Sheera)
1 cup ream of wheat
15-16 strands saffron
� cup sweet (unsalted)
butter 3 Tblsp golden raisins
1 � cups
water 1 tsp ground cardamom
� cup brown
sugar � tsp ground nutmeg
4 Tblsp slivered almonds
1.
In a mortar with pestle, make
a paste of saffron with 3 to 4 drops water.
2.
On low heat, heat butter in a
pan and roast cream of wheat in butter until it is light brown
(approximately 6-8 minutes).
3.
Add water, 2 Tblsp almonds,
saffron and raisins and stir carefully with wooden spatula until all the
water is absorbed by the cream of wheat.
4.
Add sugar. Continue stirring
until all the sugar is dissolved.
5.
Add ground cardamom and
nutmeg. The mixture will begin to pull away from the sides of the pan
and become like a big lump.
6.
Empty it into a glass bowl;
garnish with remaining slivered almonds. Serve warm or cold.
Serves 4-6
Cheese Squares in Milksauce
(Ras malai)
2 cups (15 oz.) ricotta
cheese 3 Tblsp milk masala
8 Tblsp maple syrup or
sugar 5 fresh strawberries
1 � cups milk
� tsp rose essence or water
1 � pint light cream
1.
Mix ricotta cheese with 3
Tblsp maple syrup or sugar and rose essence.
2.
Spread mixture in a greased
8-inch square cake pan. Bake in a preheated 3000F oven until
slightly brown. Remove from oven, let cheese cool before putting it in
the freezer to chill. When cheese hardens, cut into 1-inch squares.
3.
In a saucepan, add milk 5
Tblsp syrup or sugar, milk masala and bring to a boil. Turn off heat.
Add cream. Allow sauce to cool, chill in the refrigerator.
4.
Serve Cheese squares floating
in the sauce in individual bowls. Garnish with this slices of
strawberries.
Yields
approximately 64 squares.
Vermicelli Pudding
(Dudhpak)
4 cups
milk 1 tsp ground
cardamom
1 cup very thin
whole � tsp ground nutmeg
wheat
vermicelli � tsp saffron
powder
8 Tblsp
sugar 1 can (11 oz.)
Mandarin oranges
1.
Bring milk to a boil in a pan,
stirring constantly.
2.
Add sugar, cardamom, nutmeg
and saffron, let it cook for 2-3 minutes over low heat.
3.
Break vermicelli into 1-inch
pieces, add to the milk and let cook for 10 minutes, stirring gently
occasionally.
4.
Turn off heat and let it
cool. Then refrigerate for 4-5 hours.
5.
Cur the orange segments in
half. Serve the dudhpak topped with some orange segments in individual
bowls.
Serves 6-8
Baked Pineapple-Cheese Squares
1 small can of pineapple
chunks � cup sugar
Pinch of ground
nutmeg 1 tsp ground cardamom
1 � cups paneer
Pinch of saffron powder
1.
In a 9-inch pie dish, arrange
pineapple chunks to cover the bottom. Sprinkle ground nutmeg over it.
2.
In a blender, blend the rest
of the ingredients for a few seconds. Pour this mixture over the
pineapple chunks.
3.
Bake in a preheated oven at
3000F for 15 minutes.
4.
Cut into 1-inch squares.
Serve hot or cold
Do not use fresh pineapple for
baking, it will turn bitter.
Soft, Spongy Brown Balls is Syrup
(Gulab Jasmbu)
Gulab Jambu
� tsp baking soda
1 cup nonfat milk
powder � tsp ground cardamom
� cup white, unbleached,
� tsp ground saffron
all-purpose
flour � cup water
3 Tblsp melted
ghee Vegetable shortening for frying
Syrup 2 cups
water
2 cups light brown sugar
6 drops rose essence
Syrup
1.
Cook brown sugar and water in
a medium size pot over low heat until sugar melts (approximately 10
minutes).
2.
Remove from heat and set
aside.
Gulab Jambu
1.
In a large mixing bowl, mix
together milk powder, flour, soda, ground cardamom and saffron.
2.
Add melted ghee. With your
finger, rub mixture so ghee is evenly distributed and form flakes.
3.
Add a little water to the
flaky mixture and try to form stiff dough.
4.
Break away about a quarter
portion of the dough (the dough may crumble aqt this stage. Just add �
tsp water and knead lightly.)
5.
Knead this portion of dough
with the palm of your hand until it becomes soft,. Smooth and
manageable. (You may find it necessary to add another � tsp water to
make it adhere and get it to the right consistency.)
6.
When dough is smooth, pinch
off portions to make balls about � inch in diameter (about 5).
7.
Heat vegetable shortening and
lower heat. Slide dough balls one-by-one into shortening set on low
heat. Turn balls frequently with a slotted spoon to ensure even
cooking.
8.
When the balls turn dark
brown, remove with slotted spoon allowing them to drain completely and
place them in prepared syrup.
9.
Work with the rest of the
dough in this way but remember to work with a small portion frying only
five or six balls at a time.
10.When all the balls are in the syrup bring
syrup to a boil. This will puff the balls.
11.When the syrup cools,. Add rose essence
and mix carefully, do not break balls.
12.If you refrigerate Gulab Jambu, rehearing
will bring back its spongy quality.
Yields 20-22
Milk Cake
(Pedas)
1 cup unsalted butter (2
sticks) 1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp ground
cardamom
1 cup finely ground
almonds 1 tsp ground nutmeg
and
pistachios � tsp saffron
4
cups milk powder
1.
Melt butter in a saucepan on
low heat.
2.
Add sugar and allow it to
dissolve completely, stirring occasionally.
3.
Add milk, nuts, cardamom,
nutmeg and saffron. Mix well.
4.
Add milk powder and mix
thoroughly. Leave mixture on low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Set aside to cool.
5.
When mixture is cool, pinch
out a small portion and form into flatfish rounds 1-inch in diameter.
With your thumb make a depression in the middle on one side of the round
(so that it appears concave.)
6.
Repeat with the rest of the
mixture.
Yields 25-30 pieces.
Peadas can be stored for a week without
refrigeration.
Orange Fudge
(Santara ni barfi)
4 cups cashew nut
powder 2 tsp grated orange rind
1 up
sugar � tsp orange
essence
1 cup orange juice
1.
In a saucepan, dissolve sugar
in orange juice and boil over medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes or
until; the syrup is of three-thread consistency. (To test for the right
consistency, place a drop of syrup in a bowl of water. If the syrup has
attained the right consistency, the drop will settle down in the bowl;
without disintegrating.)
2.
Add ground cashews and mix
well. Continue stirring mixture on low heat until a lump is formed and
mixture starts to draw away from the sides of the pan. Turn off heat.
3.
Add orange rind and orange
essence.
4.
Spread mixture in a 10-inch
cake pan and allow to cool. Cut into desired shape.
Yields 25-30 pieces
Coconut Fudge
(Kopra Pak)
1 cup condensed
milk 1 tsp ground cardamom
3 cups desiccated coconut
� tsp ground nutmeg
� cup coarsely chopped
� tsp saffron powder
cashew
nuts 1 Tblsp ghee
� cup coarsely chopped
walnut ghee for greasing hands
Slivers of pistachio nuts
and glazed cherries for garnish
1.
Mix condensed milk, coconut
nuts and ghee in a non-stick pan and place over medium heat.
2.
Add cardamom, nutmeg, and
saffron. Stir until it forms a lump.
3.
Grease hands lightly with ghee
and make 24 balls with the mixture. Place each ball in a decorative
paper cup. Garnish with pistachio nuts and cherries.
Yields 24 pieces.
Rice Pudding
(Kheer)
1 quart
milk 1 tsp
ground nutmeg
1/3 cup desiccated
coconut 4 Tblsp slivered almonds
1 cup cooked
rice and pistachios
� cup
sugar 1 tsp rose
water
1 tsp ground cardamom
1.
Bring milk to a boil, reduce
heat to moderate and stir occasionally, cook for 10 minutes.
2.
Add rice, sugar,. Coconut,
nuts, cardamom and nutmeg and cook for 20 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Be careful not to burn milk. The milk tends to sit at
the bottom of the pan if not stirred.
3.
Cool. Stir in rose water and
chill in refrigerator for about 4 hours.