Banana Yogurt Shake
This is a perfect low-calorie alternative to rich banana milk shakes made with heavy cream. Bananas lend both body and natural fructose sweetener to yogurt drinks and complement almost any other fruit. In India, banana lassi is little more than banana, lime juice, yogurt and ice, but in the west I have made scores of exciting variations. For natural sweeteners, try blending in a few soaked raisins, currants, dates or figs. The...
Zucchini Pakora with Crushed Peanuts
Any type of summer squash can be substituted for green zucchini: yellow crookneck, Pattypan, yellow zucchini or Indian bottle gourd (louki). Cut them into rounds ¼ inch (6 mm) thick straight across or on the diagonal. The batter should be thick enough to completely coat the slices and keep the peanut bits from sliding off. Stir the batter before dipping each batch of zucchini. Preparation time (after...
Batter-coated Mashed Potato balls
This finger food is popular as the focal point of a late afternoon Tiffin or as the savory part of a late night supper. The ginger-flavored mashed potatoes are dipped in an herbed chickpea flour batter and deep-fried into golden globes. One note of caution: be sure to thoroughly coat the balls with batter; expressed areas of mashed potatoes tend to splatter and disintegrate in the hot oil. Preparation and frying time...
Cracked Wheat Salad
The south Indian’s enthusiasm for rice dishes is equaled only by that of the North Indians for wheat. Wheat is eaten in some form every day in the North. During the India-Pakistan skirmish in 1971, I was residing in Vrindavan, tending a friend with a fever. Her resident homeopathic physician insisted that she recuperate on this salad. He knew nothing of Lebanese tabbouleh salad, yet this variation resembles it remarkably....
Fried Bitter Melon with Ground Almonds
Aside from the fact that no Bengali meal is complete without a bitter dish, Bengalis also assert that bitter melon dishes aid digestion, cleanse the blood and encourage a failing appetite. Because most Americans feel that bitter foods are akin to medicines, this version tones down the bitterness. The cut vegetables are parboiled in salted water before they are fried and then liberally coated with ground almonds, nut butter and...