The Steaming Pot - Easy vegetarian recipes from India

Fresh raw mango mint chutney that’s especially good during summer. Mint helps to tackle tummy troubles that the heat brings in its wake (it’s even part of this popular OTC Ayurvedic antacid), and raw mango is a famed antidote for heatstroke, so much so that the goverment’s National Health Portal recommends it.

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Dahi vada (lentil dumplings in yogurt) is standard fare at our place during the festive season. Come Diwali or Holi, dahi vadas are made in big batches and, along with chhole and sweets, laid out for visitors during the day. At night, dahi vada is served on the side with poori sabzi. Dishfuls that stocked the fridge in the morning are all lapped up by dinnertime.

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This sharp and tangy tomato pickle works beautifully as a dip for stuffed parathas.

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You can play "guess the secret ingredient" with this mooli chutney (white radish chutney) recipe. When cooked and blended with other ingredients, white radish sheds its sharp sting, taking on a gentle pungency instead. The end result is an exotically flavorful chutney.

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Fenugreek seeds (methi) are packed with nutrients and healing properties – no surprise that Ayurveda swears by them. But as it happens with most things are good for you, fenugreek seeds are hard to like. In Indian cooking, fenugreek seeds are usually added in tadka and then picked out by most people (self included), never to be eaten.

I have recently discovered a trick to make these bitter brown devils palatable. This methi dahi (fenugreek flavored yogurt) recipe uses a generous amount of fenugreek seeds without rendering the final dish overly bitter. Here’s how.

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Bhindi bhujiya besanwali, with its crunch and bite, appeals even to those who turn their noses up at okra in other forms. Perfect on the side with rice and dal.

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A chutney packed with the goodness of fresh coconut and curry leaves. Great on the side with dosa or idlis.

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