Shredded Plantain Clusters
These little finger foods work well as d’oeuvres and appetizers for any social occasion. If you want to try the dish but lack asafetida, omit three ingredients and use ¼ cup (60 ml) of Mint-Lime Butter instead. Preparation time (after assembling ingredients): 15 minutes Cooking time: up to 20 minutes Ingredients • Unsalted butter, at room temperature – 4 table spoons (60 ml) • Yellow asafetida powder (hing) – ¼ teaspoon (1...
Palak Paneer (Spinach with Curd Cheese)
Ingredients • Bunches fresh spinach – 4 • Asafetida powder (hing) – 1/4 – 1/2 tsp • Tomatoes – 2 • Green chili pepper – 1 • Ginger root – 2 tsp • Paneer (curd cheese) – 6-8 ounces • Paprika – 1/2 tsp • Ground cumin – 1 tsp • Turmeric – 1 tsp...
Pan-Fried Whole Bitter Melons with cashew stuffing
Salting and preparation time: about 1 hour Cooking time: 30 minutes Ingredients • Baby bitter melons (about 12 ounces/340 g each), 2 ½ -3 inches (6.5-7.5 cm) long – 8 • Salt – 1 ½ table spoons (22 ml) • Sugar – ½ table spoon (7 ml) • Water – 3cups (710 ml) • Cashew halves, blanched almonds or hazelnuts...
Sauteed Eggplant and Bell Peppers
This dish can be made with green, red or yellow bell peppers, all yielding wonderful flavor and color variations. The eggplant is steamed prior to its browning in seasoned ghee, a step that cuts calories to the minimum. Fresh garam masala puts of distinction on the dish. Preparation time (after assembling ingredients): 10 minutes Cooking time: 15-20 minutes Ingredients • Caraway seeds – ½...
Lima beans with Golden Raisins
Fresh lima beans are usually available as small “butter limas” or larger, as “potato limas”. Shop for local produce dark green pods, tightly closed and bulging with large beans. To free the beans from the pods, cut a strip along the inner edge of the pod, then with your thumbnail remove the beans. June, July and august yield the most profuse crops, yet at some specialty greengrocers the availability...
Spiced Green Beans
Here is a simple yet delicious way to cook green beans Marawadi style. If you are a gardener, try growing Thompson and Morgan’s thin, long asparagus beans; they most resemble the type used in India. Beans are sweet and tender only when harvested immature and full of sugar. They are best cooked within hours after being picked, as are peas. If you are supermarket shopping, try to get locally grown, vividly green beans that...