Stuffed tomato curry – when you want that one special recipe to shine at your dinner table. With a rich sauce and a delicious spiced potato filling, this dish makes a striking vegetarian centerpiece for a party menu.
Curries
Vegetarian dishes to go with an Indian meal, cooked in a sauce/assortment of spices. Curries may be wet or dry, and are eaten along with rice or bread (chapatis, parathas, etc).
Besan Kundru ki Sabzi – Easy Ivy Gourd Fry
Kundru (tindora/tendli or ivy gourd) hasn’t always been a vegetable I was fond of. For long years I thought kundru was an unsophisticated version of parval (pointed gourd)[1]. It is only recently that a slow appreciation of this gourd has grown on me. True, kundru resembles parval on the outside, but its inside is fleshier and tangier, making its taste stand apart on its own.
Aloo Mooli Kadhi, and a Surefire Way to Prevent Yogurt from Curdling
This aloo mooli kadhi (potato radish sticks in gram flour curry) recipe, adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor’s, is a simpler alternative to pakora kadhi, besides being an interesting way of adding radish (mooli) to the diet. The Indian white radish has a taste so powerfully pungent that one can’t have much of it raw. I like mooli paratha, but other ways of cooking mooli don’t excite me. Aloo mooli kadhi, though, had me sold from the word go. The potatoes tone down the sharpness of mooli, and the yogurt and gram flour cloak it all in a rich, delicious sauce.
Red Capsicum Curry for Rushed Days
This red capsicum curry (red bell pepper curry) is among the quickest dishes you could make when you’re pressed for time. It doesn’t take long to cook and more importantly, doesn’t demand meticulous slicing: large irregular chunks work just fine.
Kaddu ka Bharta: Red Pumpkin Bharta
Red pumpkin bharta is a dry preparation of pumpkin, a simpler version of red pumpkin curry with stronger notes of mustard oil.
Unlike traditional bharta (mashed vegetables) like baingan bharta, this one does not use boiled/roasted vegetables as its base. Pumpkin cooks quickly and mashes easily without pre-treatment. This is also a chunky bharta instead of a typically smooth one, which works well with pumpkin.
Banana Blossoms Stir Fry with Mustard and Ginger
Banana blossom (also called banana flower) isn’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!
Gobhi Musallam: A ‘Whole’ Cauliflower Delicacy
Gobhi musallam is a gourmet’s delight, a recipe that can star on any party menu. Make this for your festive spread and have the crowd entranced.