The Steaming Pot - Easy vegetarian recipes from India

Moong dal pairs well with gourds: my much-clicked recipe of ridge gourd moong dal is ample proof of that. This recipe combines moong dal with another similar gourd – the zucchini – with some green leafy goodness added to the mix. It’s homey, light and lemony, the kind that inspires coinages such as “comfort food”.
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"Cannot handle the pungency of radish" – is that your rationale for staying away from radish-based curries? I know how you feel. Once upon a time, I was you. Till I discovered tricks to tame the mighty mooli. May I gently recommend to you my mooli fry recipe. With steps calculated to reduce the sharpness of radish, mooli fry presents to you this root veggie in its mildest form.

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Of late I have been on the lookout for recipes that would put my stock of fennel seeds to good use. I also intend not to restock tomatoes till their price subsides to non-crazy level. My quest came to a satisfying end with this recipe for dahi wali lauki. Easy on the pocket , great to taste, fennel flavored, and no tomatoes.

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With each bite, dhani nimbu wali zucchini gives a delightful lemony jolt to the senses. Green and light and tangy, this veggie side dish of zucchini with coriander lemon dressing is summer exemplified.

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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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Dress up the slender green eggplant with the heat of green chilies, the spice of coriander and the sweetness of golden onions.

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Sattu, or roasted gram flour, was once a litttle-known staple of rural Bihar. Not anymore. With more awareness of sattu’s nutritive profile – high protein, low glycemic index, high fiber, low sodium – “poor man’s protein” sattu is now hailed as superfood.

Is there a delight greater than discovering that tasty comfort food is also extremely healthy, and that extremely healthy is also extremely affordable?

This sattu jaljeera drink combines sattu with jaljeera (cumin-based spice). It is really quick to put together and needs no cooking or fancy processing equipment. A great post-workout drink or colon cleanser on the day after a heavy meal.

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