The Steaming Pot - Easy vegetarian recipes from India

The musky flavor of cantaloupe (musk melon or honey dew melon), sweet citrus of orange and hint of ginger come together in this beautiful melon orange juice.

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To call fresh juice "refreshing" is a well-worn cliché, but some clichés are worth repeating. Apple cucumber mint juice at the end of a work-packed weekday is an excellent pick-me-up. When you’ve had a luxurious dinner, try apple mint cucumber juice first thing the next morning – it’s a wonderful way to balance out the indulgence of the previous meal.

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Banana blossoms aren’t something I use often in my cooking – the effort of peeling and cutting is a major deterrent. This time I found a pack of pre-peeled banana blossoms at the grocery store and decided to give it a go. I am really pleased with how this recipe finally turned out!

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Pineapple sweet corn rice doesn’t just taste delicious, it’s also a great way to finish off leftovers – boiled rice from last night’s dinner, sweet corn you did not add to that stir fry, the big chunk of pineapple sitting in your fridge – use them all in this recipe.

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I made methi chawal (fenugreek rice) for lunch today and wanted a light, tart accompaniment to balance its bitterness. That’s when the pineapple sitting in the fridge caught my attention.

A knob of ginger, some Sri Lankan curry powder that a friend had got back for me from her Colombo vacation, and couple of other spices went in as seasoning to make this simple, tasty sautéed pineapple recipe.

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I came across Nigella’s recipe for Lentil Tamarind and Date Dhansak last week, which prompted an internal conversation with the self.

Dal without salt? Did the ingredient list miss that by accident or is this dish really meant to have no salt?

Well, moong dal halwa is dal without salt, and that’s the finest dessert ever.

But there’s garlic-infused oil and tamarind in this recipe – no dessert worth its er…salt…has garlic.

Who said this is a dessert?

Guesswork much? Just follow the recipe and find out for sure.

So I did follow the recipe, with a couple of tiny adaptations. I ended up with an unusual, rich and tangy dal, the taste of which grew on me with each spoonful.

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I make this papaya peanut salad when the fruit is somewhere between green and yellow, having a hint of sweet but still crunchy. A light dressing works well when the papaya is at this stage. No garlic or strong sauces, more fruity goodness.

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