The Indian Foodie, Author at The Indian Foodie

In Main Dishes

Vegetable Biriyani

This recipe is morphed from Mama’s Biryani recipe. Sometimes, I would serve Vegetarian Biryani instead of Biryani with meat or chicken. This saved me the hassle of fixing two types of pilafs for a lunch or dinner party. I would pair it with channa dal, two different styles of sabzis (Indian sauteed vegetables), a paneer curry, and a non-vegetarian dish. Along with that came the usual array of pickles, raita, and rotis. It made quite a meal!

There is a less elaborate Vegetarian Pilaf, which I shall share as well.

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Vegetable Biriyani

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 10

Servings 6

An array of exotic spices infuse this layered dish of Basmati rice mixed with chicken, beef, or vegetables to tempt the most fastidious eater.

Ingredients

5 cups Basmati rice
½ cup oil (plus a little extra, if needed)
2 Bay leaves
4 cinnamon sticks (or ½ tsp cinnamon powder)
1 large black cardamom
6 small green cardamoms
6 cloves (or ¼ teaspoon clove powder)
3 large onions (peeled, cut in half, and sliced thin)
2 medium Serrano chilies (washed, remove stem, and slice in half)
3 tbsp ginger paste (freshly ground is best, but ready-made is fine, too)
2 tbsp garlic paste (freshly ground is best, but ready-made is fine, too)
½ cup fresh green coriander ground fine (mainly leaves, but a portion of stem is okay)
3 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder (or to your taste—remember this and the green chilies will add heat to the pilaf)
6 medium tomatoes (finely chopped or puréed)
1 tbsp poppy seeds ground smooth (optional)
1 can coconut milk (or the fleshy, white part of 1 fresh coconut ground smooth with the poppy seed)
8 cups water (plus a little extra)
2 cups peas and diced carrots (you may combine it with other vegetables such as cauliflower, cut into flowerets, or diced beans)
2 tbsp mint leaves (finely chopped)
2 tbsp chopped fresh green coriander leaves
Salt (to taste)
2 limes (juice only)

Garnish

½ onion (or use pre-fried store-bought onions to make it easy)
sautéed cashews (or use cocktail cashews)
sautéed raisins

Instructions

To Prepare

Gather all the ingredients before you start.
Wash and soak the 5 cups of rice for 15-20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Mix coconut milk, ground poppy seed(optional), and 8 cups water.
Together they should measure 10 cups plus 2 tablespoons of liquid.
Combine chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves with the juice of 2 limes in a small bowl.

To Cook

Heat ½ cup of oil in an 8-quart heavy-bottomed pot on medium heat. You may need a tablespoon or two extra as you start to sautée.
Add the whole Bay leaf cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves.
Add cut onions and slit green chilies.
When half-fried (about 6 minutes), add the ground ginger, garlic, spice powders (including the ground cinnamon and cloves, in case you decided to use them instead of the whole ones), and green coriander paste.
Fry for about 3-4 minutes until fragrant, then add the chopped and pureed tomatoes. Sauté for another 5 minutes.
Now add the drained rice and sauté on medium heat, stirring carefully to not break up the rice grains. About 2-3 minutes.
Pour in the water, coconut milk, and salt. Cover and bring to a boil.
Once the water starts to boil (10-15 minutes), add the vegetables and cook on medium-low until the water is almost evaporated and you see little pits on top of the rice.
Stir gently. Sprinkle the chopped mint, coriander, and lemon mix over the rice.
Put on low and cook another 10 minutes until the pits disappear on top and the rice is cooked. You can test by testing a grain between your thumb and forefinger. If it's grainy, let it cook for a little more, but make sure the underside is not getting burnt.
Fluff with a fork and plate on a rice platter or serving dish.
Garnish with sauteéd onions, cashews, and raisins.

Notes

You can also finish cooking the rice in the oven. When pits start forming on the rice’s surface, stir carefully. Your pot should be oven-proof. If not, pour the rice into a roaster pan or oven-proof dish large enough to hold the rice. Sprinkle with the chopped mint coriander and lemon juice mix. Bake for half an hour at 200°F. Remove from oven and fluff rice before transferring to a serving platter. Garnish with the sautéed onions, cashews, and raisins.

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Basmati, biriyani, vegetarian

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In Recipes

Bhuna Zeera (Roasted Cumin Powder)

By The Indian Foodie

There are certain spice blends that I fix and keep on hand as I use them frequently. One of them is toasted cumin. This aromatic spice adds a unique flavor to a dish. It is easy to fix and used as a topping in many dishes such as your raitas (yogurt relishes), chaats (street food), dals (lentils), and sabzi( sautéed vegetables). It is also added to some curries, tikkas, and kebabs.

Easy to fix, you can store it for several months.

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Bhuna Jeera (Roasted Cumin Powder)

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 2

Total Time 7

A flavorful topping used in raitas (yogurt relishes),dals (lentils), sabzi (vegetables), it may also added to curries, tikkas, and kebabs.

Ingredients

½ cup cumin seeds

Instructions

Pick and clean your cumin seeds on a light-colored plate, as this shows dirt particles better, making cleaning easier.
Once cleaned, set aside the cumin seeds.
Heat your tava (Indian griddle) or a heavy-bottomed skillet on low-medium heat.
Add the cumin seeds to the dry pan. Toast the seeds, stirring continuously for approximately 2 minutes until fragrant and the seeds are a shade darker.
Important: Do not over-brown, as this will give the seeds a burnt taste.
Pour into a bowl and cool completely.
Place the seeds in a spice or coffee grinder/blender and blend to a fine powder.
You can also use a pestle and mortar if you don't have a coffee grinder/blender. Grind to a fine powder.
Store the powder in a clean, dry glass bottle with a tight lid.

Notes

Course: Topping

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: cumin, zeera

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In Recipes

Tori Panch Pooran Sabzi (Five-Seed Zucchini Vegetable)

By The Indian Foodie

We are back from a ten-day vacation. My vegetable garden is relatively new, and I am anxious to check how it has fared with only the timed sprinklers watering it.

Not bad!

The plants are still alive, and the two zucchini plants I cultivated are spread thickly over the plot. Peeping out from under the foliage, I spy a bit of zucchini. I pull at the fruit. It is over one foot long. It is the largest I have seen, and it has a companion. These were just beginning to grow when we left on our trip. That’s when I learned that zucchini grows very fast, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye on them when they grow so you can harvest them young and tender.

The Indian equivalent of zucchini is a gourd called Toree. It has a mild, slightly sweet flavor. Like most squashes, it takes on the flavor of the seasonings and spices it is cooked in.

I cook zucchini with a five-seed seasoning called panch pooran (five seeds). I add a little heat to this dish to counter the slight sweetness of the zucchini. Panch Pooran seasoning is available at Indian grocery stores, but I have included a recipe for it in the notes. It goes good with squashes and cabbage.

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Tori Panch Pooran Sabzi (Five-Seed Zucchini Vegetable)

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings 4

Sautéed with exotic seeds, this dish goes well in a wrap or as a side with roti, dal, or rice.

Ingredients

4-6 medium zucchini
1 tsp 5-seed seasoning
1-2 small dry red chilies (more or less, to your taste)
¼ tsp red chili flakes (more or less, to your taste)
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp salt (more or less, to your taste)
2 tbsp cooking oil

Panch Pooran Tadka

1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
½ tsp onion seeds (you can substitute 1 tsp cumin seeds for the onion sees.)

Instructions

Wash the zucchini. Cut the stalk end. Split the zucchini in half length-wise and then again in half length-wise. Chop into bite-sized bits. Don't cut the bits too small, as they get squishy fast.
In a wok or skillet, heat the oil on medium heat. Lower heat to medium-low and add the red chilies, give them a stir, and let them darken for about 30 seconds. They are pungent, so don't inhale, or you will start coughing!
Add the five-seed seasoning, wait 30 seconds for it to crackle and pop, then quickly add the turmeric powder.
Stir for a few seconds before adding the zucchini.
Stir until the zucchini is nicely coated.
Turn the heat up to medium and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is done(approximately 10-15 minutes).
You can leave the vegetable crunchy or soft to your liking. You do not have to add water as the zucchini releases enough moisture to cook in.
This dish goes well in a wrap or as a side with roti, dal, or rice.

Panch Pooran Tadka

Toss all the ingredients together and store them in ajar.
Fenugreek is a bitter seed; if you are not used to it, you can reduce it to 1/4 teaspoon.
Panch Pooran can be used when fixing different squashes and cabbage.

Notes

Watch the stove's heat as you do not want the tempering to burn.

Click here for Gobi (Cabbage) Panch Pooran.

_______

Home-grown Tori!

Course: Side Dish, Vegetarian

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: sabzi, tori, zuchinni

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In Recipes

An Easy Indian Salad

By The Indian Foodie

Salads are always a part of an Indian meal, especially during the hot summer months. Most are a medley of fresh vegetables tossed with a splash of lemon juice and a sprinkling of your choice of exotic and aromatic spice powders.

Salads are more elaborate for parties, with vegetables cut in the form of flowers, plants, bird plumes, etc. Indian salads with a simple dressing pair well with curries, dals, sabzis, and rice dishes.

Indian salads include Kachumber (a combination of chopped onions, tomatoes, cucumber, and green chilies), veggies like cucumber and potato mixed with yogurt, and Kachumber Raita (Kachumber mixed with yogurt).

As access to cooking videos via social media has grown exponentially. Salads in urban areas of India have also started to include more Western style salads and dressings. Boiled chickpeas, black beans, sprouted beans, paneer, cheese, and seeds like peanuts, sunflower, cashew nuts, walnuts, almonds, raisins, and pomegranate seeds have found their way into Indian salads.

If you choose to include a salad in an Indian meal you are fixing, there are no hard and fast rules! Use your palate and imagination to create your masterpiece.

Popular vegetables used in Indian salads are onions (red or yellow), boiled beetroot, cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, red radish, daikon radish (long white Japanese radish), green chilies, fresh mint, and coriander, along with a sprinkling of lemon juice

Seasoning spice powders choices for salads are black pepper, chaat masala, black salt, chili powder, and salt.

Since my hubby’s retirement, he has expanded his creative side to fixing us salads. I would be remiss if I did not include pics of some of his creations!

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An Indian Salad

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings 4

Indian salads with a simple dressing pair well with curries,dals, sabzis, and rice dishes.

Ingredients

½ medium red onion
½ medium daikon radish (peeled, cut in half, and then into strips)
1 medium carrot (peeled, cut in half, and then into strips)
1 large tomato (sliced into 8 wedges—keep the base intact)
4 red radishes (greens removed, and quartered)
1 medium cucumber (sliced into rounds)
½ lemon or lime

Instructions

On a salad or large plate, arrange the onions at the edge of the plate at spaced intervals.
Next, layer your cucumber at the base of the onions rounds.
Arrange your carrot and daikon strips between the onions.
Now place your tomatoes in the center of the plate and the radish in the center of the tomatoes.
Sprinkle lemon juice and your choice of spice powders.

Notes

My husband Al's special U & A salad for me.

Course: Salad, Vegetarian

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: cumcumber, fresh vegetables, salad, tomatoes

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In Main Dishes

Anda Curry (Egg Curry)

By The Indian Foodie

Egg curry, a tangy blend of onions, tomatoes and spices that are used as a base for boiled eggs, was a good substitute for vegetarian guests at a luncheon or dinner party. My husband, an officer in the Air Force, lived on the base (the Air Force Station). So any party one had invariably numbered over twenty guests. Buffet-style meals were the way to go, and you catered for vegetarian and non-vegetarian guests.

Egg curry was also a quick go-to to stretch the meal for unexpected lunch or dinner guests.

You can make egg curries in several ways, depending on which state in India you live in. This is the Punjabi version of the various recipes out there.

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Anda ki Curry (Egg Curry)

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings 4

A tangy blend of onions, tomatoes, and spices is a delicious base for boiled eggs—a good dish for vegetarian guests!

Ingredients

6 eggs
4 tbsp cooking oil
2 medium Bay leaves
2 green cardamom
1 green chili, slit (more or less chili; optional—adjust to your taste)
2 medium yellow or red onion (chopped fine)
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp red chili powder (more or less chili powder; optional—adjust to your taste)
2 medium tomatoes (pureed or 2 tbsp tomato paste)
¼ tsp cinnamon powder
¼ tsp clove powder
¼ tsp pepper powder
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
2 cups warm water

Optional

2 medium potatoes (quartered )

Garnish

½ tsp garam masala (optional )
2 tbsp fresh cilantro (coriander leaves) (finely chopped)

Instructions

To Boil Eggs:

Lay the eggs at the base of a saucepan large enough to hold them. Add enough water to cover them by about 2 inches.
On medium heat, bring the water to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat. Set aside for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice-cold water. Crack them slightly before immersing them. (It is easier to peel the eggs when they are cool).
Peel, rinse and wipe the eggs dry with a paper towel. With a toothpick, carefully poke a few holes around the egg. This allows the gravy to flavor the egg. Set the boiled and peeled eggs aside.

For the Curry

Heat the oil in a deep skillet or saucepan on medium heat. The oil should be hot, not smoking, or your spices will burn.
Add the Bay leaves, green cardamom, and slit green chilies. Stir it.
Add the finely chopped onion and sauté for about 7 minutes until golden.
Add the ginger/garlic paste, turmeric, chili powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder. Stir for a minute until the ginger sticks to the pan's bottom. Be careful not to burn the masala.
Add the tomatoes, cinnamon, clove, pepper powder, and salt. Cook, occasionally stirring, until the tomatoes are soft and the oil starts to surface—approximately 4-5 minutes.
Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.
Add potatoes to the tomato-onion mixture.
Lower heat to medium-high and simmer for about 10 minutes until you get a thick gravy and the potatoes are done. At this point, do a taste test for salt.
Add the eggs and let them simmer on low for another 7-10 minutes while gently rolling them around occasionally to absorb the gravy.
Add a little more hot water if the gravy gets thicker than you prefer. Be careful not to make the gravy too watery.
Spoon into a serving dish. You can leave the eggs whole or carefully split the eggs in half-length wise.
Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Serve with plain boiled rice or pilaf.
Anda Curry also tastes good with parathas or any flatbread. I like to have it with any kind of bread to dip in the gravy. It tastes amazing!

Notes

The boiled eggs may be sautéed lightly all around to give it a bit of a crust. I prefer not to do so.

You can use whole cinnamon, cloves, and pepper instead of powders.

If you are using tomato paste, just add it when the recipe calls for you to add the tomatoes.

Mom would add potatoes to expand the dish because we loved curried potatoes or when we had extra guests (which was always a given!).

Course: Main Course, Vegetarian

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: curry, eggs

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In Drinks

Watermelon Tea Cooler

By The Indian Foodie

A favorite memory: It is a hot summer’s day. This particular evening, Aunty Sheila has invited us to her place for a party. It is always fun to visit her, as we kids on both sides of the family are around the same age and have a great time together. Aunty has a warm, bubbly personality and throws great parties. Her place is not too far from ours, so, giggling and laughing, we girls walk over, we love walking—even in the heat of the day.

Hot and starting to perspire by the time we get there, our eyes light up as we see that Aunty has already set up an outdoor table of party fare. In the center is a large tray with a giant watermelon propped securely on it. Around the watermelon are other delicious treats. She greets us with her usual big smile and hug and tells us to help ourselves to some watermelon juice. We happily walk across the lawn to the table. The top quarter of the melon has been sliced out, and we peer into the cut melon. The fruit inside has been carefully carved out and then blended with cold black tea and lemonade. Chunks of melon still float around for those who want to eat the fruit. We thirstily gulp down the Watermelon Tea Cooler and help ourselves to more. The drink is so cool and refreshing on that Indian hot summer’s day.

Years later, thinking about some of my fun memories of life in India, I decided to try and duplicate the recipe. I enjoy serving this taste of memory to my family and friends who tell me that I have been successful in duplicating the recipe!

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Watermelon Tea Cooler

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5

Total Time 20

Servings 8

A cool and refreshing drink on an Indian hot summer’s day.

Ingredients

3 tea bags black tea (your choice of brand, caffeinated or decaffeinated)
4 cups water
½ cup simple syrup (see recipe below)
½ cup lime or lemon juice
2–3 cups watermelon chunks, seeds removed
1 tbsp Chopped mint and lemon or melon wedges for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Put tea bags in a container that will hold the 3 cups of water. Boil the 3 cups of water, and when they come to a boil, pour the boiling water over the teabags. Let the bags steep for at least 3 minutes. Remove the tea bags and let the tea cool.
Once cooled, place it in the refrigerator. You can do this a day ahead or a few hours before you are going to make the cooler.
Blend the watermelon chunks in until it is like a smoothie. In a pitcher that holds at least 6 cups of water, add the tea, simple syrup, lemon juice, and melon smoothie. Stir it all together until nicely mixed. Add some crushed ice when ready to serve.
If it is too tangy, you can add more crushed ice or cold water.

Notes

Notes:

-This is a great drink for summer refreshments served with cucumber, watercress or tomato sandwiches.

-You can kick it up a notch for adults by adding a splash of gin or vodka! Check out this site. I love the cause. https://boozeforpaws.org/

-If you want to go the route of scooping out the melon and using it as a container, it makes a wonderful and impressive presentation. Unfortunately, no matter how well I plan, I find myself invariably short on time and scrambling for an easy way out!

-Scooping out the melon and using it as a container makes a wonderful and impressive presentation.

Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

½ cup fine-granulated sugar
½ cup water

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, on low heat, dissolve ½ cup of sugar with ½ cup of water (approximately 3 minutes).
2. Take the saucepan off the heat and leave the syrup to cool.
3. When cool, pour the syrup into a clean glass bottle that has a tight lid.
4. Rinse the bottle both with boiling water (do not wipe with a cloth as it may leave bacteria).
5. Refrigerate the syrup until ready to use. It should last a month in the fridge. It should remain a clear liquid. If it turns cloudy, throw it out as that is a sign of bacterial growth!
6. The ratio for simple syrup is one part sugar and one part water so you can always make more to store.

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American, Indian

Keyword: lemon, Tea, watermelon

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