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Lauki Curry (Opo Squash Curry)

I am standing in my mother-in-law’s kitchen with my hair up in a knot and my kaftan hitched up to my knees. It is summer and the monsoons are in full swing. The humidity makes me hot and sweaty, but I am the sous-chef for the day and dare not leave my post!

Since Mummy is on her own, she does not believe in keeping a cook and prefers to do everything herself, except for a domestic helper for sweeping, swabbing, and general help around the house.

I wash and peel the bottle gourd, cut it up into bite size bits, and then peel and chop the onions. Once the cilantro has been cleaned, we get started.

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Lauki Curry (Opo Squash Curry)

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Servings 4

A lightly spiced, fragrant, and tangy curry. Lauki can be sautéed, curried, mixed with lentils, and used in soups.

Ingredients

1 medium lauki/opo squash
1 medium onion (finely diced)
1 large tomato (chopped finely)
1 small dry red chili (or a fresh green Serrano chili, to taste)
2 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp turmeric
¼ tsp red chili powder
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp salt
3-4 cups water
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro (for garnish)

Instructions

To prep your squash, wash it, and then cut both ends and peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler.
Slice the peeled squash in half. You can remove the seeds and any squishy pulp if these seeds are too large (as in older squash).
Now slice each half lengthwise, then across to form bite-sized cubes.
Heat oil over medium heat in a deep skillet or stock pot (need a lid).
Add the red/green chili until it turns dark, for about 30 seconds.
Add the cumin seeds, let them sizzle, and immediately add the finely diced onion. Do this quickly so that the cumin seeds don't burn.
Sauté the onions until they are medium brown (5-7 minutes).
Add the ginger-garlic paste along with the turmeric and chili powder. Stir.
Now sauté the mixture for about a minute or so, until you feel the ginger-garlic paste sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Add the chopped tomato. Continue to sautée for another 5-7 minutes until the tomatoes are well cooked and mushy.
Add the squash, stir, and sauté for approximately 2 minutes until the squash is nicely coated with the onion-tomato mixture (masala).
Add the water and salt. Stir, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes until the squash is fork-tender.
Pour into a serving dish and garnish with chopped cilantro.
Serve with boiled white or brown rice, roti, or as a side to a meal.

Notes

Adding more or less water can increase or decrease your gravy.

Course: Vegetarian

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: curry, lauki, opo squash

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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 Main Dishes

Lobia Lentil Curry (Black-Eyed Peas)

By The Indian Foodie

Our second-youngest sibling is a picky eater. Not only that, she takes forever to finish her food! I recall a day when we sat chatting around the dining table. Aunt Dolly was visiting. She watched while my sister ate a banana. Finally, she said, “For goodness sake, finish that thing, you have taken 45 minutes already!” We all laughed at her exasperation! Today, I am fixing her lobia curry, one of the few lentils she enjoys.

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Lobia Lentil Curry (Black-Eyed Peas)

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 15

A delicious lentil curry made with black-eyed peas simmered in a tomato spicy sauce.

Ingredients

2 cups dried black-eyed peas
2½ tbsp cooking oil
2 medium onions (peeled and chopped very fine)
1 medium green Serrano chili (optional)
2 tbsp tomato paste ( or 1 8 oz can tomato sauce)
1 tbsp fresh ginger paste (or bottled)
1 tbsp fresh garlic paste (or bottled)
1 tsp cumin powder
½ tsp tumeric powder
¼ tsp red chili powder (more or less, according to your taste)
4-6 cups water (or more, depending on the amount of gravy you want)
2 tbsp chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves, for garnish)

Whole Spices

1 large black cardamom ( )
2 bay leaves
2-3 cloves
4 peppercorns

Instructions

To Prepare

Pick and clean the black-eyed peas of any grit. Rinse well 4 times. Cover with 5 cups of water and soak overnight. When ready to cook, rinse through a sieve.

To Cook

Heat oil in 4-6 quart cooking pot over medium heat. Add the whole spices, wait 30 seconds, stirring once or twice, and then add the onions. Sauté till ¾ brown, about 5-8 minutes.
Add the rest of the masala, garlic, and ginger. You can mix these all together with a little water before adding them to the pot. Stir for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to ensure the ginger, garlic, and masalas don't stick and burn.
Add the tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes. Then add the black-eyed peas and water. Cover and cook until tender. Approximately 35-40 mins. If the water starts to dry up during the cooking process, add a little more hot water.
When nearly done, use the back of your ladle to mash some peas against the side of the pot to make a thicker gravy. Cook for another 3-5minutes.
Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the chopped cilantro. It tastes good with plain boiled rice or any Indian-style pilaf.

Simple Tadka / Tempering

A simpler tempering can be done with just:
1 medium onion chopped,
1 large tomato chopped
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin powder
Chili powder to your taste.
Sauté the onions and tomatoes, and then stir in the powders and pour the mixture into the boiled beans.

Notes

You can boil the beans separately and then add to the onion-masala mix. You can also use canned beans. Rinse them before use. Since they are already cooked, it cuts the cooking time in almost half.

You can also use frozen black-eyed peas which, again, cook faster.

Cook them till they are soft but not mushy.

When using an electric or manual pressure cooker, I suggest you cook the beans for less than the time indicated in the instruction booklet. When all the pressure is released, remove the lid and then return it to the stove top to simmer it for another 10-15 minutes until the beans are fully cooked, and the gravy has a nice consistency. If you do that, the beans don't end up a gooey mess. Once you start to gauge the cooking time in the pressure cooker, you will not have to do that.

Course: Main Course, Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: lobia, black-eyed peas, lentils

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In Main Dishes

Channa Dal Curry (Split Chick Pea Curry)

By The Indian Foodie

This dal curry is made out of the split chickpea (Bengal gram) with the husk removed. I sometimes use this lentil to make a simple soup by seasoning it with sauteed onions, bay leaf, turmeric, and cumin powder.

This dal was a must every time Biryani was fixed at home. To make the dal tastier, Mom would have Cook add the bones left over from the large cut of meat that was chopped up for the Biryani. Since I use boneless meat for the Byriani, I add beef broth to give it a meatier taste, but it also tastes perfectly good just by adding water.

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Channa Dal Curry (Split Chick Pea Curry)

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 2

Servings 6

A delicious healthy, nutritious lentil dish that you can serve as a main dish or side dish. It goes perfectly with Biriyani, any kind of pilaf, plain boiled rice, or flat bread.

Ingredients

2 cups dried split chickpea dal (Sort for stones and grit, clean, and rinse. Soak the chickpeas for half an hour)
4 tbsp cooking oil
2 medium onions (chopped fine)
1 medium green Serrano chili (chopped very fine)
2 tbsp tomato paste (or 1 8 oz can tomato sauce)
1 tbsp ginger paste (preferably fresh)
1 tbsp garlic paste (preferably fresh)
salt (to taste)
4 cups water (or more, depending on the amount of gravy you want)
1 tbsp fresh green coriander (finely chopped for garnish)

Whole Spices

1 large black cardamom
2 medium Bay leaves
3 cloves
5 peppercorns

Masalas

2 tsp coriander powder
1 ½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp tumeric powder
¼ tsp red chili powder (more or less, according to your taste)

Instructions

Preparation

Sort for stones and grit, and clean, and rinse the chickpeas.
Soak for half an hour.

To Cook

Heat oil in a 4-6 quart pot over medium heat.
Add the whole spices and then add the onions. Sauté until the onions are ¾ brown. Approximately 8-10 minutes.
Add the ginger and garlic paste, then add all the masalas and stir a few minutes until fragrant. About 1-2 minutes.
Add the chickpeas, water, and tomato paste. Partially cover and cook until nice and tender. Approximately 45 minutes.
When nearly done, mash some of the lentils against the side of the pot to make a thicker gravy.
Cook for another 10 minutes.
Pour into a serving dish and garnish with about a tablespoon full of fresh chopped cilantro.

Notes

1. You can substitute some of the water with vegetable, beef or chicken broth. Add additional water if necessary to get a thick soupy consistency.

2. You can also serve this dal with Biryani, any kind of pilaf, plain boiled rice, or flat bread.

3. You can boil the dal separately and then add it to the curry masala and let it simmer for 15 minutes to absorb all the flavors.

4. I like to use a pressure cooker to hasten the process.

Course: Main Course, Non-Vegetarian

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Bengal gram, channa dal, curry

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In Main Dishes

Keema Curry (Ground Beef Curry)

By The Indian Foodie

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.

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Keema Curry (Ground Beef Curry)

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 55

Total Time 1 15

Servings 4

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.

Course: Main Course, Non-Vegetarian

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: beef,, curry, lamb, meat

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In Main Dishes

Chicken Curry

By The Indian Foodie

Military style, Dad was transferred to another city. We were all packed and ready to go. It would be a long train journey and our arrival at the train station would be just before lunch.

To avoid the chaos of feeding us at the train station, Mama had Cook fix curry and rice. Then, since all the crockery and cutlery were packed, Mama mixed the rice and curry in a huge ‘thali’ (metal platter). She formed the rice and curry into little golf-sized balls. We gathered around, and she placed them one at a time on our open palms as we scoffed them down. To us, it was the most delicious curry and rice! Needless to say, it was great fun being fed in this fashion. The excitement of the long train journey only enhanced the experience.

The packed trunks and other baggage were loaded onto the waiting military trucks, and off to the station, we went. Pushing our way through the crowded platform, we arrived at the compartment reserved for us.

Mama is busy taking a count of all the hand baggage, and the kids, Cook, and the Orderly assigned to accompany us supervise the loading of all the household goods.

Dad, standing tall and handsome, is being bid goodbye by the junior officers who have come to see him off. We always loved the train journeys and the experience of being served hot spicy Indian food ordered from the dining cart.

The best experience was drinking tea in the cup-sized kullarhs (earthern pots) sold all along the platform by the chaiwalla (tea vendor). He would make his way alongside the train yelling “chai garam” (hot tea). Tea drunk out of the kullarhs had an earthy taste. We saved the earthen pots to throw out the window when the train slowly steamed out onto the open fields. It was a challenge to see who could throw it the farthermost—when our parents weren’t watching us!

I still cannot fix curry and rice or board a train without remembering the curry and rice Mama mixed for our long train journeys.

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Chicken Curry

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 5

Servings 6

An aromatic, mouth-watering main dish to amaze your dinner guests!

Ingredients

2 lb chicken breasts (boneless, skinless, cut into pieces, washed, and drained (can use thighs or thighs and drumsticks))
2 medium onions (chopped very fine or use a food processor, but do not grind into a paste)
1 tbsp fresh garlic paste (can use bottled )
1 tbsp fresh ginger paste (can use bottled)
2 large or medium potatoes (russet( (peeled and quartered)
½ bunch fresh cilantro (pick leaves, wash, and chop)
2 tbsp tomato paste (or 1 small can (6 oz) tomato sauce)
3-5 tbsp cooking oil (canola, vegetable, corn, peanut)
1 whole Serrano green chili (split half way down the middle(optional) )
1 cup hot water (for gravy)
1 can chicken broth (plain)

Whole Spices

2 medium bay leaves
4-5 peppercorns
4-5 cloves
3 small green cardamom
1 small cinnamon stick (1 inch)

Masala (Spices)

½ tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp chili powder (optional)

Instructions

Heat oil in a dutch oven or large cooking pot over medium heat.
Add whole spices and whole green chili (optional). Let splutter a few moments, and then add onions.
Sauté till onions are nearly ¾brown. Approximately 8 minutes.
Add the chicken. Sauté well until the chicken is nicely glazed, approximately 10 minutes.
Add the ginger, garlic, and spice powders. Continue to sauté for about 8 minutes.
Now add half of the chopped cilantro and continue to cook, frequently stirring until most of the moisture is absorbed. You can tell when, as the oil starts to appear on the sides of the pan. About 10 minutes more.
Add the hot water, stock (add more water if you do not have stock), potatoes, and tomato paste. Cover and let cook until the potatoes are done. Approximately 15 minutes.
Serve in a deep dish and garnish with the remaining cilantro.

Notes

You can make more or less gravy by monitoring the water content, but don't make it thin and runny as it loses its flavor.

I add hot water as it continues the cooking process but there is no harm done if you add warm or coldwater.

Serve with plain rice, an Indian styled pilaf or any kind of flat bread (roti,naan, paratha, pita bread, etc.).

You could also add a vegetable side dish.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: chicken, curry

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