Sliced White Radishes with Golden Pumpkin
White cooking radishes (mooli) pleasantly contrast in color and taste with golden-red pumpkin, the flavor of radishes varies enormously, from the mild salad icicle type available in supermarkets to the slightly hot and punget mooli sold in ethnic markets. Use whatever type is easily available, including oriental daikon. When you fry fenugreek seeds in a seasoning, allow them to turn khaki-red but do not let them darken to deep...
Sattvic Cheesy Potato Gratin
Ingredients • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream • 1/4 tsp hing • 1/2 tsp chili powder • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg • 2 tsp salt • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper • Unsalted butter or ghee • 2 pounds potatoes • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • 1/2 cup chopped paneer • 1/2 cup yogurt cheese Preparation 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Peel and cut the potatoes into...
Green Beans with Coconut
There are innumerable popular green bean and coconut variations in Hyderabad’s Vaishnava kitchens, this one from the home of S.K.Sethi. The contrast of bright green beans against snow-white coconut speckled with black mustard seeds and reddish urad dal makes this an attractive yet simple dish. For extra protein, if you do not have urad dal, use 3 table spoons (45 ml) of chopped peanuts. You can steam the beans ahead of...
Crispy diced Eggplant with Bitter Neem Leaves
The ingredients for this dish are mentioned in the chaitanya Charitamrita, a fifteenth-century Bengali text describing the pastimes and activities of Sri Chaitanya Maha Prabhu. The author describes a feast prepared in honor of the great saint: “Among the various vegetables offered were newly-grown leaves of nimba (neem) trees fried with eggplant”. Bitter-tasting vegetable dishes are popular in Bengal....
Curried Greens and Eggplant
The “heat” in this sak should be noticeable. Fresh green chilies, though unpredictable in strength, are usually milder than dried red chilies. If you are very sensitive to chilies, try fresh Anaheims or yellow wax. To be authentic, this dish should be a bit hot and spicy. Bengalis sauté the greens quickly over high heat, allowing them to wilt, then soften, but still retain exuberant color and fresh flavor....