Indian Cuisine has an abundance of raitas, chutneys, sauces, and dips, not forgetting the array of pickles. They are used to complement various dishes, and you will always find one of these served with a meal. Here is a Mint Yogurt Sauce. Quick and easy to prepare, it is light and tangy and pairs well with grilled tandoori chicken, tandoori vegetables, kebabs, tikkas, and pakoras.
Dahi Pudhina Chutney (Mint Yogurt Sauce)
Quick and easy to prepare, a light and tangy sauce that pairs well with grilled tandoori chicken, tandoori vegetables, kebabs, tikkas, and pakoras.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole plain yogurt (or Greek yogurt)
- ½ cup mint leaves (washed and blended into a paste)
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
Instructions
- In a nonreactive bowl, beat the yogurt till smooth.
- Add the mint paste, salt, and pepper. Do a taste test and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Blend well.
- Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with mint leaves—whole or chopped.
Notes
Instead of grinding the mint to a paste, you can chop the mint finely instead.
When I serve the mint sauce with Indian cuisine, I add roasted cumin and chili powder as well.
This versatile sauce also compliments roasted /grilled meats, poultry and pork, and vegetables.
I stop by to see Mama and Dad. Mama is busy in the kitchen. My youngest sister and her hubby are driving down from Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, with their two little girls for a short visit. Mama is busy in the kitchen fixing dinner. She is fixing Keema Curry as my brother-in-law, in particular, is very fond of it. She does that with all her sons-in-law and kids when we visit, so we always look forward to Mama’s “specials” and to her spoiling us!
Keema is ground/minced meat that is fixed with traditional Indian spices. It goes well with most Indian meals, rice, and pilaf. It tastes good with any flat bread or fried bread like Pooris or Baturas.
Keema Curry (Ground Beef Curry)
A delicious non-vegetarian dish of minced/ground meat and aromatic spices tossed in a fragrant tomato sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground lean beef (goat, lamb—see notes if using 80% fat free beef)
- 1 medium Serrano chili (stem removed and slit in half—remove seeds for less chili heat)
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- ¼ tsp garlic powder (or garlic salt)
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 stick cinnamon (about an inch or ¼ tsp cinnamon powder)
- 6 whole cloves (⅛ tsp clove powder)
- 6 whole pepper corns (½ teaspoon pepper powder)
- 1 medium onion (about ¾ cup when chopped fine or partially puree in a chopper )
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 3 medium Roma tomatoes (or 2 tbsp tomato paste or 2 tomatoes and 1 tbsp tomato paste)
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp red chili powder (more or less, to your taste)
- 2 medium potatoes (scrubbed clean, peeled, and quartered into 8 cubes )
- 1 cup fresh cilantro / coriander leaves (1 cup loosely filled cilantro/ coriander leaves, chopped fine)
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro / coriander leaves (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a medium stew pot, skillet or wok, add about a teaspoon of oil and swirl it around.
- Turn the stove on medium heat, and when the oil is heated a bit, add the ground beef, breaking it into bits with the spatula.
- Sprinkle the ground beef with about 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder or garlic salt.
- Braise the ground beef, occasionally stirring, until the fat separates, and the beef changes color uniformly and is no longer pink—about 15 minutes. Do not brown.
- Turn off the stovetop. Drain excess fat. See notes.
- Meanwhile, wipe the used pot of any traces of the ground beef and put it back on the stove on medium heat.
- Add 2 tablespoons of oil.
- Add the slit green chili, then the bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper. Let sizzle for 30 seconds. **If you are using any of them in powdered form, hold them for now.
- Add the finely chopped onion and sauté for 8 minutes until ¾ brown.
- Now add the ginger and garlic paste and sauté for a minute.
- Add the turmeric, coriander, cumin, chili, and any of the whole spice powders you have decided to use.
- Sauté for another minute until you feel the ginger sticking to the bottom of the pan and the oil starts to separate.
- Now add the tomatoes. Stir and cook for another 6 minutes until the tomatoes begin to soften.
- Add the chopped cilantro, and cook until the oil starts to surface once more. About 2-3 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and stir well. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add 2 cups of water and the potatoes.
- Add the salt and give it a few stirs.
- Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the gravy has thickened too much, add a little more hot water.
- Check for salt in the last 5 minutes of cooking. At the same time, check on the potatoes to see if they are done.
- To check, pierce potatoes with a skewer. It should slide through easily. If not, give it a few more minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for at least 5 minutes. Remember, potatoes cook a bit after you turn off the stove.
- Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the reserved chopped cilantro.
Notes
1. Serve with plain rice or pilaf, flatbreads, fried bread, or as part of a complete Indian meal.
2. If you are using 80% fat-free beef, as I do sometimes, then before starting to cook, prepare to strain the excess beef fat released when cooking. Do this by folding two paper towels together and placing them on the sieve. You will drain the ground beef and a pot underneath, of course, to catch the excess drip. This step is unnecessary if you are using lean beef or lean meats. All you need to do is sauté the ground beef for about 15 minutes and set aside until ready to add to the curry.
3. If you would like to add peas, you can microwave a cup in a bit of water and add them to the ground beef in the last 5 minutes. Mama always said peas seem to retain their bright color if you do that rather than boil them with the gravy for 15 mins. You can do that, too, if you don't like using a microwave.
Sunday was our day for pepper water. Plain boiled rice and pepper fry. Mama had a fixed menu for each day of the week which she would vary every now and then. Pepper Fry is what went with pepper water, a South Indian specialty. The Pepper Fry is made out of goat meat chops, potatoes, and onions. I find it easier to make with stew meat. This is a very versatile and simple dish that can accompany Indian or Western meals.
Pepper Meat Fry
A very versatile and simple dish that can accompany Indian or Western meals.
Ingredients
- 1 lb stew meat (beef, goat, or lamb )
- 1 large onion
- 2 medium potatoes (peeled and sliced as thick as the onions)
- ½ tsp coarsely ground whole pepper (you could add more if you like)
- 1¼ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- Water (as needed)
Instructions
- Wash and drain the meat. Pound the meat pieces with a meat mallet a few times.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl add the meat, pepper, and salt. Rub together well so that the meat is nicely coated.
- Heat oil on medium heat in a wok or broad skillet.
- Add the meat, pepper, and salt. Sauté the meat until it has a nice glaze. Do not brown it.
- Add 2 cups of water, cover, and cook till almost done. Approximately 30-35 minutes.
- Add additional water if it is drying out while cooking. Test the meat with a fork or skewer. The meat should be tender and almost done. Turn off the heat.
- Uncover the meat and arrange a layer of the sliced potatoes on top.
- Now add a layer of the sliced onions. You will need at least half a cup of water remaining. If not, add an additional half a cup of water to the meat to cook the potatoes.
- Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are done.
- Stir a couple of times carefully during cooking to ensure the meat is not sticking to the bottom of the pan and the potatoes are not overcooked.
- Serve the pepper fry with pepper water and rice.
- You can use it in a wrap or a main dish with salad and bread.
Notes
1. When buying the meat make sure the pieces are more or less even size .
2. I wash and drain the meat.
3. To save on cooking time you could pressure cook it manually or in an electric pressure cooker and follow the instructions. Do a quick release of the steam. (Carefully!)
I am leafing through Mom’s cookbook. It looks like she picked up some recipes when visiting Dad’s sister in Patiala. Mom was a recipe collector (maybe less of a junkie than I am!). You can almost tell whom she had visited and stayed with by the recipes in her book. I decided to try one of them. This recipe is from her sister-in-law. Auntie Norma was Dad”s elder sister. She helped Dad when he was going through college before joining the army, and he was ever grateful for that.
Dahi Allu (Potatoes in a Creamy Yogurt Gravy)
Potatoes in a creamy yogurt gravy mixed with chickpea flour and exotic spices.
Ingredients
- 6 medium potatoes (boiled, peeled, and quartered into bite-size bits )
- 1 cup plain yogurt (whole or lowfat)
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp chickpea flour (besan)
- 1 small green chili (or to your taste)
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp red chili powder (optional, or to your taste)
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped - about ½ to ¾ cup)
- 2 tsp ginger paste
- 2 tsp garlic paste
- ½ cup cooking oil (I like canola, peanut, or vegetable for frying)
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped coriander (cilantro)
Instructions
- Mix the yogurt with half a cup of water and the chickpea flour. Blend until smooth, and set aside.
- Add all the spice powders to a small bowl and mix them together. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized pot, pour in a 1/2 cup of oil. Deep fry the potatoes on high heat. You may have to do it in batches and add more oil, if necessary. Fry until the potatoes start to brown at the edges, about 7-8 minutes. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
- In the same pot, remove excess oil until about 2-3 tablespoons are left. Heat on medium-high. Add the cumin seeds and let them crackle for 30 seconds.
- Add the onions and fry until half-brown. About 7-8 minutes.
- Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry for 1 minute, then add all the dry masala powders. Stir and sauté for another minute or two.
- Add the yogurt mixture slowly, stirring as you go. Cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Add the potatoes, stir carefully, and let simmer for another 5 minutes for the potatoes to absorb some of the gray. If the gravy gets too thick, add about a half cup of hot water to thin it out. Do not make it too watery, as this dish needs a reasonably thick gravy.
- Turn the heat off. Pour the Dahi Allu into a serving dish and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro.
- Serve with roti, naan, paratha, boiled rice, or a simple pilaf.
Notes
If you do not want to fry the potatoes, you can just crumble the boiled potatoes coarsely with your finger and add it to the curry mix.
My husband and I are returning from Ambala. It was two weeks after our wedding, and we had made the trip to visit all the in-laws who could not attend. We caught the evening bus home. By the time we reached New Delhi, it was very late. All the restaurants were closed, and we knew the kitchen at Rashtrapati Bhavan (our residence at the time, as my husband was the Air Force Aide de Camp to the President) would be closed. I was starving!
So we stopped at a dhaba (roadside eatery). It was a little shack with a few wooden tables and chairs. Nothing fancy. Seedy enough for me to worry about germs, but too hungry to care! The dal was simmering in a large pot and smelled wonderful on that cold winter night. The dhaba owner accommodated us at a table close to a small electric heater. We fortified ourselves with hot dal and equally hot tandoori rotis, washed down with a kullar (clay cup) each of hot, sweet, and milky cardamom tea.
Dinner never tasted so good!
Maa Sabut Dal / Urd Sabut Dal (Black Gram Dal)
A staple filling soup from the state of Punjab. Great comfort food when you're cold and homesick!
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole black gram (picked, cleaned, and washed through a strainer)
- 2 medium dried red chilies, whole (one, if you have a weak stomach)
- 2 tsp fresh ginger (chopped finely)
- 2 tsp fresh garlic (chopped finely)
- salt (to taste)
- 6-8 cups water
Tadka (Tempering)
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- ½ cup onion (chopped finely)
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp garam masala
Garnish
- 1 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro) (chopped finely)
- 1 tbsp desi ghee or butter
Instructions
Preparation
- Picked, clean, and wash the lentils through a strainer. Let them soak for 30 minutes.
To Cook
- Put all ingredients in a stew pot, cover, and bring to a boil on medium heat.
- Cook the lentils, occasionally stirring, until they are tender and slightly blended, but not mushy. Approximately 45min. If the water evaporates too much, add more hot water. Set aside.
- You can also use a pressure cooker to cut down the cooking time. Just follow the instructions for cooking time for beans. Normally, I undercook the lentils and then continue to boil them to the consistency I like.
Tadka (Tempering)
- Heat oil in sauté pan. Add chopped onions and saute for about 7-8 minutes.
- When the onions are three-quarter brown, add tomatoes and sauté for another 3 minutes.
- Add the cumin and garam masala powders and give them a quick stir.
- Pour the seasoning into the cooked dal. Now put the dal back on the burner, cover, and let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes so it can absorb the tadka.
Garnish
- Garnish with fresh coriander before serving and desi ghee or blobs of butter.
- Goes well with roti, flat breads, or an Indian meal.
Notes
There is a more elaborate version of this dal which is the famous Dal Makhani served at restaurants, parties and celebrations. A recipe that I shall also share.
–Photo by Abhishek Sagar on Unsplash
As vegetables go, cabbage has never really been a favorite of mine, except in coleslaw. However, here is a recipe I learned from the wife of one of my husband’s fellow officers when he was attending a year’s course at the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington.
Wellington is a town that lies in the NW corner of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. At an elevation of a little over 6000 feet, it is breathtakingly beautiful, with a climate described as ‘salubrious’ by the DSSC. It was a fun time for us wives. There were many get-togethers, cocktail and dinner parties, resulting in many recipes exchanged.
Gobi Panch Pooran translated means cabbage seasoned with five spice seeds. This cabbage recipe is so easy and tasty that it has become a go-to when I need to fix something in a hurry.
It tastes good with rice and dal or as a wrap in a roti, pita bread, tortilla, or paratha.
Gobi Panch Pooran (Spicy Cabbage)
Gobi Panch Pooran translated means cabbage seasoned with five spice seeds. This cabbage recipe is so easy and tasty. A real crowd pleaser!
Ingredients
- 1 small cabbage head, chopped (If you wash the cabbage after chopping it, be sure all the moisture from it is drained. I prefer to discard the top leaves and wash whole before chopping.)
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- ¼ tsp Panch Pooran Seasoning (see recipe in notes)
- 2 medium dried red chilies OR 1 green Serrano chili OR ¼ tsp red chili flakes
- salt to tasate
Panch Pooran Recipe for Tadka (Tempering)
- 1 tsp mustard seed
- 1 tsp coriander seed
- 1 tsp fennel seed
- ½ tsp fenugreek seed
- ½ tsp onion seed (you can substitute 1 tsp of cumin seed for the onion seed)
Instructions
Panch Pooran Recipe for Tadka (Tempering)
- Toss all the ingredients together and store them in a jar.
To Cook
- Heat oil in a wok or a deep saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the 5 seeds seasoning, and stir for 15 seconds being careful not to burn the seeds.
- Add the cabbage and salt. Sauté for about 5-8 minutes stirring occasionally. I do it for less time if I want it more crunchy.
- Partially cover the cabbage so that the residual steam does not make the cabbage soggy.
- Remove from heat and pour into a serving dish. If you are cooking ahead and you are done fixing the cabbage, leave it half covered so that the steam escapes and the cabbage does not make the dish soggy.
Notes
Do not cover the cabbage during the cooking process unless you like the cabbage soft and not somewhat crunchy.